I can’t even with this man. Why does he have to be such a stubborn piece of shit?
I didn’t ask to drive it across the country.
I didn’t ask him to spot me ten grand.
But he’s acting like one of his kidneys is attached to the damn keys.
Anaise snickers. It’s bright and musical, and her hand drops from Tek’s arm to her hip as she leans into the air between us.“He doesn’t let anyone drive it. He, well… He doesn’t like the thought of other people driving, period.”
I look over her head to him. “You drive every day.”
“That doesn’t mean other people should.”
“I’ve driven in Indonesia. And I have an American license. I’m not gonna crash it.”
Anaise straightens out; a tiny but nervous, “Oop,” slipping out her mouth. She glances at Tek with an expression I can’t place, but he doesn’t look at her. He’s still laser focused on me.
“You wanna try that again?”
“Try what? I don’t know what I’ve done wrong.” I pick up my package and head for the door. “I bought some furniture at the junk shop around the corner. You know there’s nothing in that apartment. I was only hoping for a little help, but it’s fine. I’ll carry it home. I’ll make three trips if I have to.”
“Tek,” Anaise scolds him. “It won’t even take thirty minutes to drive him yourself.”
Tek uncrosses his arms, goes behind the reception desk, then leans forward on it. “Incase all of you have forgotten, I’m trying to run a fucking business on my own. I don’t have time for breaks, or side quests, or furniture delivery. The only reason this conversation is still going is because my next client is already ten minutes late.”
Anaise marches up to the desk and reaches over it to poke Tek right in the middle of his forehead. “That’s enough, Jeon Wootek. You don’t speak to people like that. He might look like him, but that's not Eden. He didn’t cause any of this crap. So mind your manners, and the next time I'm here, he better tell me that you’ve apologized.”
Like she’s his mother, Tek just stands there in silence. Then, one by one, he looks at me, then Austin, and back at Anaise before slumping down in the stool behind the desk.
“You can all fuck off now,” he says, taking a book out of the top drawer and slamming it down on the glass.
Anaise slowly rotates her hand until her middle finger is right in front of Tek’s face.
“I know where you live,” she says, and starts backing away from him towards the door.
Austin opens it and gestures for me to step out first.
“He’s not doing well,” I hear Anaise say to Austin as I walk away.
“You think? —Hey Carey.” I turn back around. “Harry’s Hut’s this way.”
Yeah, I know it is.“But Eden’s apartment is this way.”
With a quick step, Anaise is in front of me taking the package from my arms and handing it off to Austin. “It was nice meeting you, Carey. I’ll see you again soon, okay? And make sure he apologizes.”
“Ah, yeah. You, too,” I say, and watch her give Austin a hug then walk off down Main Street.
I reach for my wetsuit. “I’m cold. I need to get back.”
“I got you man,” Austin says with a smile and unlocks the passenger door to a pick-up parked a few feet away. He puts the box inside and locks it again. “I’ve got nowhere I need to be. But we'll have to carry whatever it is you bought from Harry’s back here, cause finding a parking space around here is a bitch.”
I’m not sure what to say.
I don’t know this man.
He’s friends with Tek and my brother, but other than that, I didn’t know he existed until ten minutes ago.
He drapes his arm across my shoulders and we both start walking, because, fuck it, I need the help. Besides, it feels good that this guy is being so nice. He’s cute, but in a different kind of way. He’s not covered with tattoos, and there isn’t an intensehatred of the world vibrating off of him like the other men in my life that I’m close to.
