“Don’t you like teaching?”
“I’m not cut out for working with kids,” Nick says, taking a few sips of his beer. “It’s not exactly up my street.”
“Then whatisyour street?” Dad asks, stabbing at one of the meatballs on his plate.
Nick takes a forkful of spaghetti and chews slowly, before responding: “As soon as I work that out, Casey’ll be the first to know.”
And I don’t need to hear anything else.
* * *
Once we’ve finished eating,and had some coffee in the living room, Dad and Catherine start to load the dishwasher, and I stay sitting on the sofa with Nick.
“We could always head upstairs and give these two some privacy.”
“Is that for you or for them?”
I laugh. “Both.”
Nick slides a hand down my leg, resting it on my knee. “So, someone missed me, then.”
“You have no idea.”
“Come on, I’ve never seen your apartment. I’m curious.”
“And you never will see it, O’Connor. I’ve already let you get away with too much for this evening. The door’s over there.”
“Dad…”
“No, Casey. No ‘dad’. You’re under my roof, kid. And under my roof, your evening finishes here.”
Nick gets to his feet, scoffing. “Thanks for dinner,” he says to my dad, before turning to Catherine. “Hopefully I’ll see you again soon.”
“I hope so, too, dear.”
I accompany Nick over to the door. I stop in the doorway and cross my arms.
Nick bends down towards my ear. “Leave your window open,” he says, before winking at me then disappearing down the driveway.
54
Nick
Idrove around the neighbourhood in circles for a while, then parked my car. I walked back to their house and ducked behind the hedges, heading straight for the back of the house, where Casey’s bedroom window sits. The infamous tree is in front of me: the one that Casey would clamber up whenever she needed to sneak home without her dad finding out. She’s been up and down that thing hundreds of times – it can’t be too hard, right? I’m sure I can do it, too.
I look up, and grab hold of the lowest branch, pushing one foot against the bark; but I slip down, almost ending up arse-first on the grass below.
“Having trouble, there?” her voice calls from up above.
“I’ve got it all under control.”
“It looks like you’re struggling, O’Connor.”
She’s taking the piss out of me. And it’s working.
“Please. This is kids’ stuff.”
“Shame you’re not a kid,” she points out.
