He goes out and comes back with Cash a minute later.
“Now that we’re all here, the first order of business is to officially present Marissa with her ID badge,” he says, and brings over an ID badge on a lanyard.
“Thanks.”
He takes DJ’s stroller and turns it away from the screen.
“It’s too bright for him,” he whispers, and I nod.
I feel warm all over. I pretend to analyze my badge. I don’t know where he got this photo from.
“And the second reason for this meeting,” Hawk says as he walks back to his laptop, “is to discuss a plan we have. Marissa, how do you feel about doing some good in the world while, at the same time, getting revenge on the Wolves?”
Chapter 17
Marissa
“Stop bouncing your leg,” Hawk warns me in a low tone while keeping his eyes on the door.?
We’re at the Friendly Fork, waiting to meet my son’s potential nanny. My nerves are frayed despite his repeated reassurances. I debate taking DJ out of his stroller again.
That’s when I see her. The short, black hair, the green field jacket, the familiar wide smile.
“Molly!” I scream, and she claps her hands together and laughs with her whole body. “Did you know it was me?”
“I pieced it together after speaking to Aunt Dana,” she admits as she pulls me into a hug.
“Molly’s dad is the Wolves’ Prez, and she was a student at the high school where I worked, so we’ve known each other for a while,” I tell Hawk.
That’s when I remember the background check he ran on her.
I swat him on the shoulder. “You should have told me!”
“And ruin the surprise? No way.”
“How did you know it would be a nice surprise?” I ask with narrowed eyes.
“I have my ways,” he says theatrically.
“This is Hawk, he’s my… he’s… we live with him, DJ and I,” I finally remember my manners.
Luckily, Hawk doesn’t miss a beat as he stands up to shake Molly’s hand.
“Nice to meet you, Molly.”
“Likewise,” Molly replies. “Hey, DJ, how are you doing?” She says, shaking my son’s little hand, too.
She takes off her jacket, drapes it over the back of her chair, and sits down. Today’s shirt only says James Baldwin.
“What brings you to Phoenix, Molly?” Hawk asks.
“My stepdad’s job, but I would have moved for University anyway. This way, I applied for spring admission.”
“No offense, but you don’t look like the type that goes into Early Childhood Education,” Hawk tells her, and she laughs.
“I’ve given a lot of thought about where I can potentially make the biggest impact in terms of social change, and young, impressionable minds are it.”
“You’re not wrong,” Hawk says with a smile. “What is the change you’d like to see?”
