‘You didn’t take the swear jar to school, did you?’ he asks his daughter even though he’s still staring at me.
‘Oh my goodness,’ Paisley says, chuckling. ‘Imagine having to explain all that.’
‘They’d probably call child services, or whatever the equivalent is here.’
‘I didn’t take it to school. I just asked Paisley to bring it when she picked me up. There’s always someone in daddy’s office using bad words.’
‘She’s a chip off the old block, mate.’
‘That jar isn’t capitalism,’ he replies. ‘Tell Flynn what you’re going to do with the money, hen.’
‘Build a school in Lesotho. That’s in Africa. Well, I don’t think I’ll get enough to build awholeschool,’ she says, tipping her jar to examine it. ‘But I think I’ll have enough for a library.’
‘A library built on bad words. Does that mean we’re cursing for a good cause?’
‘Come on, you,’ Keir says, standing. He holds his hand out for his daughter. ‘Come help me pack up my things.’
I watch the pair walk away holding hands. Keir had a tough ride starting with parenthood. Building a business and being a single father is tough. But now he has Paisley, and those days are behind him. The pair are so in love. I never thought I’d say it, but I envy him for what he has.
I wonder if Chastity will ever have kids? I reckon she will. She’ll probably marry an investment banker in a few years and shoot out a couple of kids because “that’s what couples do”. They’ll probably be raised by a nanny and later, attend boarding school.
What the fuck am I thinking?I rub my hand through my hair, fucking angry with myself. What difference does it make what she does with her life? She’d made it quite clear I’m just a temporary player in it. I can’t even do that properly—be a player. Not where she’s concerned.
‘You look like you’ve just had a full conversation with yourself in your head.’
I look up, a little embarrassed. I’d forgotten Paisley was still here.
‘Mate, it’s been one of those days.’
‘This isn’t like you, Flynn.’ She stands and walks over to my desk, perching her arse on the very edge. ‘You’re always happy.’
‘No one’s ever always happy.’ I pull my tie loose from my collar and lean back in my chair.
‘Must to something in the air, then.’ She picks up Keir’s posh pen, then puts it down again. ‘Because Chastity was in a funky mood, too.’
Now I see where this is going. ‘You’ve been to work?’
‘I had another gig elsewhere, but I popped into the studio to chat. She’s not herself lately. Seems she’s got a problem. Actually, she has a few, but at least one of her issues she refuses to admit to herself.’
‘Yeah?’ I watch her carefully as she rearranges things on my desk without once looking at me. ‘You make her sound like a handful.’
‘The kind you like, you mean.’
‘What’s the deal, then?’ I ask. I’m not touching her assumption. That’s between me and Chastity.
‘I can’t tell you about it.’ Eyes lowered, she shakes her head. ‘She told me in confidence.’
‘Then why are you telling me, P?’
Her brow furrows for the briefest moment before she seems to push the thought away. ‘I suppose because I think you’re the only one to solve it. Them?’
‘What kind of problems are we talking about here?’
‘The kind you’ll probably have to worm out of her.’
‘Sounds like a lot of effort,’ I respond mildly, rubbing a finger along my eyebrow. ‘A problem she doesn’t want to share. A problem I’m gonna have to work for. I dunno, you’re not selling it to me.’
‘Well,’ she begins. ‘I think it’s like this; sometimes, you just need someone to give you a hug. For them to pat your back and tell you everything will be okay. And sometimes you need that hug to turn into dirty sex.’
