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“Not even a little true.”
“Well, I guess we’ll see. Maybe Felipe will be different. Maybe this will be a life-changing romance for me, and he’ll sweep me right off my feet. A good thing,” she added, “since I can’t stand up.”
“Not funny,” I said.
“A little funny,” she argued.
I snorted. Dakota’s favorite coping mechanism had always been dark humor.
Outside, Pogo barked sharply. Those squirrels were getting a stern lecture.
“Okay, funny girl, I gotta get going. I need to chat with Piper before my first appointment.”
“Okay,” she said, dipping her spoon into her cereal. “Have a good day.”
I stopped by Mug Shots on the way to work. I actually wanted to apologize to Piper for missing our last couple of runs. And what better way to do that than to pick up a latte for her?
I’d just scope out Felipe and get a sense of his character. I didn’t go to Mug Shots nearly as often as Dakota—and I usually just hit the drive-thru—so I had no idea what type of guy he was.
When I walked in, I spotted him immediately. Not only because he looked like the epitome of a hot Latin lover, but because the only other barista was an older woman.
Matteo was ahead of me in line. I remembered him from high school. He’d been a knockout then and not much had changed since.
“…always looking for more job placements,” he was saying. “We have one guy in particular, kind of young, who hasn’t found the right fit. I just like to have options available, you know?”
“Sure,” Felipe answered. “I can pass your message to my manager when she gets in later.”
Matteo knocked on the counter. “I appreciate it. Thanks.”
He turned, a large, insulated cup of coffee in his hand, and nearly ran into me. He jolted to a stop. “Shit, sorry. Christopher, right?”
I’d gone through a phase in high school where I’d insisted on using my full name. I eventually gave it up, because it never fit me quite right.
“I go by Kit now, but yeah.”
“Kit, then. Sorry for nearly mowing you down.”
“No problem,” I said. “Long time since high school, huh?”
He chuckled. “Uh, yeah, feels like a million years. I hear you’re doing PT over at River Rocks Rehab?”
“Yep, that’s right. Can’t keep any secrets in a small town, I guess.”
“No, you can’t,” he said in a tone that made my heart quicken, though I wasn’t sure why. “I was just trying to set up more job opportunities for my Redemption Road program. Have you heard of it?”
“Uh, maybe in passing.”
“It’s a work program for ex-cons.”
Oh. Oh, shit. That’s where I’d heard it in passing. Carrie and Axel had discussed it while talking about her ex, who just happened to be friends with Joey. That probably meant they were in the program together.
“These guys have served time, just like me, you know?” Matteo met my eyes steadily, not an ounce of shame in his expression. “They want to rebuild their lives, start making amends. Finding good, reliable work is an essential part of that.”
I nodded. “Right. I don’t know if we could employ a felon, given we’re a medical facility, but I could mention it to my director. If it’s possible, perhaps a position would come up.”
Matteo smiled and shook his head. “No, sorry. I didn’t mean to give you the hard sell. I guess I just feel so strongly I have to preach to everyone about it.”
I chuckled. “Fair enough.”
