I reached for my phone and dialed up my most recent contact, staring at Enzo the whole time, who waited with a narrowed gaze.
“Yeah?” Carson picked up on the third ring.
“Hey, bro,” I said. “I can’t come into work today. Soz.”
“What’s up? Are you okay? Is Ella?”
“Everyone is fine,” I reassured him. “But since you’re all so obsessed with me taking it easy, I thought I’d ditch work today and spend time with my daughter. You know, before she grows old, and she forgets who I am.” I made a point of stressing my words for Enzo’s benefit, but he just rolled his eyes.
“Oh. Okay. That’s fine. Take the day off. Actually, take all the days off. You’re not welcome here anymore,” he said, but he didn’t sound angry. If anything, he sounded amused.
Why was everyone so keen on entertaining themselves with the shambles that was my life?
“Um… that’s not what I said.”
“Well, it’s whatIsaid,” Carson answered. “You’re banned. Don’t come back.”
I grimaced.
“Well, I’m still a co-owner, so kindly, fudge off. I will come in if I want to.”
Carson chuckled and muttered an “I’d love to see you try” before he hung up.
“Fudge off!” Ella said, and I all but banged my head on the table.
“There? Happy now?” I mumbled.
“Ecstatic. So what should we do today?” Enzo asked.
“I thought you had music to record.” I slowly brought myself up again and drank my tea.
“Well, that can wait. I get to spend a day with my best friend, and that’s far more important.” He beamed, and I felt a pang of guilt flare in my stomach.
I had been a terrible friend. I’d made such little effort to spend time with him since he came back from Boston last year that we’d barely hang out other than the bare minimum when living under the same roof.
So, I couldn’t help but smile back—internally, mostly—that my friend was still happy to call me a best friend.
“I don’t know,” I said. “I’m the workaholic.Yougivemeideas.”
“Hmm… well, we should definitely stop by Bubble Bubble for bubble tea.”
I groaned. Again with the tea.
“And maybe check out if any store has play time for little ones?” Enzo offered, and for the first time, I was actually excited to not have shit to do. “Right. Let’s go.”
Enzo got up and took Ella’s anti-mess bib off before picking her up.
“What? Now?” I asked.
“There’s no time like the present, Cole. No time like the present,” he said and walked away, leaving me to rush a gulp of tea before following him. “I thought you hated tea,” he said when I caught up.
“I do. But we can’t let a good spell go to waste, now, can we?” I said, dripping with sarcasm.
The truth was, I was starting to be into this particular blend. It just needed a lot of sugar, which I was sure wasn’t great for my health, but oh well. It was probably better than energy drinks anyway, which was all I consumed during shifts at the station.
“No. No, we can’t,” Enzo confirmed.
“Huh! So you admit it. That tea is some sort of love spell.”
