Page 23 of The Sidekick

“I’m trusting you with this, Tera.” His tone is insistent, and I take it seriously.

My head stops nodding finally. I look him in the eyes and tell him honestly, “I won’t let you down.”

“I know you won’t, babygirl. It’s them that I don’t trust. I don’t like the thought of them taking advantage of you.” His voice has turned from a warm comfort to the darkness in a blink.

“They didn’t,” I rush to assure him, and that eyebrow goes up again, which seals my lips shut.

“Now that we have that out of the way let’s talk about something else.”

Just like that? No berating me for making even more mistakes as an adult than when I was a kid? He just lets it go? No invasive questions or demanding clear answers? I’ve found a religion. I’m joining the church of Trevor.

I quickly wipe away the tears that snuck out while I wasn’t looking and nod at him again, normally this time.

“I noticed that you and Max were talking earlier,” he leans back again, and his smile reappears.

“He’s being weird,” a sudden giggle pops out, and I roll my eyes at the sudden shift in my mood.

“Is he?” He gives me a smirk and shakes his head. “Is he making you uncomfortable?”

There’s an intensity under the benign question that makes me stop and think about it.

“No. Does it make me a bad person if I say it’s easier to be mean to him than anyone I’ve ever met?”

Both brows go up in surprise this time. “I don’t think so. I tell him off all the time. He just never listens.”

“I’m sorry,” I say in honest sympathy. It’s frustrating when you speak up and aren’t heard. That makes him laugh for some reason.

“Just keep telling him off, and it will all work out,” he suggests and stands. As soon as he does, I’m also propelled to my feet.

“I’ll leave you to it. I will leave the door open to watch if one of them tries to corner you here. Max will, too. I know you like music, so play whatever you want, and if someone comes in and makes you uncomfortable, turn it up loud so one of us can hear it. Sound good?”

It sounds like paradise. I get to organize things, my favorite activity besides yoga, listen to music, and someone will defend me if I give a signal.

“It’s perfect,” I give him my brightest smile and nod.

He gives me an answering grin before he turns to leave, and I just barely hear him as he walks out. “Good girl.”

I’m unsure if he even meant to say it, but it fills me with a burst of happiness I haven’t felt in ages.

Chapter Eight

Tera

My boss is a horrible organizer. I’ll never confess it to anyone, but jeez Louise, this is bad.

His filing cabinet is atrocious, and papers are sticking out in all directions as if they were put there haphazardly. None of the bills are stamped if they’re paid or not. The payroll information is lying out, waiting for someone to spy on everyone’s wages.

To top it all off, his computer is an outdated hunk of junk. I can’t get music to load up on it to save my life, and I end up using my phone app. I wonder if I can sneak my computer in here and use it? Could I trust Trevor with my baby? The proof in front of me says no.

After the initial frustration, I found some blank folders, a desk organizer, and my Zen. Things are already looking up. The music is just loud enough that I can’t hear anyone clearly. Just mumbles of sound that are easy to ignore.

The time passes as I make progress. I’m so zoned out when someone knocks on the door I jump, dropping my pen in surprise.

“Lunch break with all the hotties,” Diana grins at me with a wink and sashays away.

Hotties if you use duct tape, sure.

I sigh at Diana’s excited words and slide under the desk to find the pen. It’s the only one that has ink left in it. I am buying this man a mug full of pens if it’s the last thing I do. What I find under the desk makes me blink in confusion.

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