I glanced up at my bedroom window. It was the best bet. The path to the back door was across from my kitchen, and there was a good chance Parker would see her if we tried that way.
I got up and lifted the blinds and undid the top and bottom locks before pulling the window open as quietly as possible. Then there was the screen to remove. I didn’t want to ruin the screen unless I had to, and that meant removing the little screws before popping it out of the frame. This was taking too long.
“Hey, Clay,” Parker hollered. “You didn’t set a timer on the oven. How long do these cookies need?”
From the sounds of it, Parker was talking to the bathroom door. The one I wasn’t in.
Lauren tapped my arm, mouthing, “go.”
She’d have to make her own escape. I came out of my room and went out to set a timer for the cookies, giving it my best guess. Now that Lauren wouldn’t get to eat them, I didn’t care whether they were under or overdone.
Ten minutes later, my phone buzzed with a text. I checked it while Parker was too busy stuffing his face with piping hot chocolate chips cookies to notice. I wanted to punch him.
Lauren: Don’t forget to put your screen back on and lock your window when you get a chance. You owe me cookies.
Clay: Next time at your place.
I put my phone away and placed a few cookies on a plate before sitting on the couch and turning on the TV.
“We should watch that documentary on drug traffickers,” Parker suggested.
I didn’t have a preference so I tossed him the remote before going in the kitchen to get a glass of milk. I took a detour to my bedroom first to lock my window. Lauren had propped the screen up against the house after removing it. I’d put it back on later.
“We had a really unproductive ownership meeting this afternoon,” Parker said when I returned with my glass of milk.
“Oh yeah?” I stared at the TV, expecting him to continue, but when he didn’t, I turned to look at him. He was staring at me thoughtfully.
“Does it make you uncomfortable for me to talk about it?” he asked.
“Talk about what?”
“Ownership.”
“Why would it?”
“I don’t know. I guess because you’re sort of one of us, but sort of not.”
There was no good way to answer that, so I didn’t.
“Have you thought of saying something to John? About ownership?”
Not this again. Somehow, it made me feel worse that both he and Lauren had considered it, but not John. I got it. I wasn’t one of his kids. Moving on. “No. Let’s pretend we didn’t have this conversation.”
“Yeah, okay.” He hit play on the show and any further conversation we had was about government corruption, and what it would be like to be a cop in a country where anyone could be bought.
Parker left soon after the show was over, and I got ready for bed, debating whether to call Lauren or not. I finally did while sitting in bed waiting for sleep to overtake me.
“Clay?”
“That would be me.”
“Did the cookie monster ever leave?” she asked.
“Yes. I promise I’ll make you new ones.”
“I was only teasing. They were your cookies, Clay.”
“Yeah, but I wanted to share them with you.”
