Page 67 of S.O.S. Perk

He added the next bit of information to bring the conversation back around to his own behavior. “If it makes you feel any better, I’ll try to keep a low profile with the administration at school.”

Mrs. Nelsin walked brazenly toward him and sent a fast hand toward his jewels.

Perk danced backward, barely avoiding her touch while attempting to appear skittish, rather than turned off. “Uh, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he managed to choke out.

“Oh?” She raised one manicured brow. “I think it’s a very good idea.” Jennifer eyed his package lasciviously, clearly not caring that it had probably not only shrunk, but retreated as far up into his body as humanly possible.

Perk needed to make something up on the fly that would immediately discourage her, but not get him kicked out of the house. The only thing he could think of was…

“Things down there aren’t exactly, uh, working correctly right now. I’m…being treated for an STD, actually,” he prevaricated. He didn’t even have to pretend to be shamefaced. He could feel the tips of his ears turn red, just from pretend mortification. “My girlfriend back in Cincinnati… She cheated on me, and…well, shit happens.”

Mrs. Nelsin backed up, her smarmy smile losing some of its conviction. “Oh. I see. Well then…” She shook her head andtrotted briskly back behind her desk. “You’re dismissed. But I’ll be keeping an eye on you. If you aren’t the asset for my son that you say you are, or you don’t treat him with proper respect, you’ll find yourself with a very powerful enemy in me.”

Proper respect indeed, Perk growled internally. Like she’d just honored his space? But once again, he had to play nice.

“I understand, and don’t worry. I’ll be learning a ton from Jeremy, I’m sure. But in return, I’ll introduce him, virtually, to a lot of influential people back in my hometown.”

“Good. Then it sounds like you’ve made a new friend.”

Perk thought he’d been dismissed, but before he could turn away, the bitch looked squarely at the front of his pants.

“And Thomas, do let me know when the doctor has cleared you.”

Perk swallowed hard, his Adam’s Apple bobbing. He let his voice crack.

“Umm, sure. I will.”

Not, he added in his head before turning and hightailing it out of the room.

CHAPTER TWENTY

It seemed a lot longer than two days since Sloane had seen Perk, even though they’d been texting regularly after his debrief with Smalley and Tertia regarding his day at the Nelsin’s. She nodded to herself as she pulled up to Wiley’s barn just as dusk was falling. Perk had certainly made some good headway at the Nelsin residence, but not a lot regarding the unnamed “who” pulling Jeremy’s strings.

Jeremy had—once Perk had been cleared by his mother to be a guest—filled Perk in on the particulars of the money-grabbing game he’d developed; the one he’d been giving out to friends and acquaintances at school.Poppin’ Fresh Pets. So Perk was full of information on that front.

Hehadadmitted to Jeremy, though, that he was not a big gamer, but his admission was taken with a shrug. Indeed, it hadn’t stopped Jeremy from bragging about everything he’d managed with his malware.

Perkdidhave to pretend he knew what Jeremy was talking about regarding some of the software engineering, since he’d earlier told the kid he’d flushed out Jeremy’s activities by doing a deep dive on him. He’d pulled the wool with that one by simply nodding and “hmm-ing” a lot; getting lucky that the kid was so pumped about his own prowess that he hadn’t noticed. Still, the team knew they had to up their strategy for future interactions.

In that regard, Perk had first asked Sloane what device the Bureau had available for covert communication. She’d let him know that her local office didn’t have the latest in gadgets, but that she could put in a requisition order for something state-of-the-art. Perk had laughed and assured her he’d get it covered. He’d subsequently hit Del up for one of SOS’s barely-therecomm sets, an ear-bud that sat so low in the ear canal, it couldn’t be seen, and a pin-head sized button-speaker that attached to the inside of his shirt. With those in place, Perk, during his meetings with Jeremy, would be able to interface with and be coached by Sarge in the event that any more in-depth computer conversations came up.

It wouldn’t do for Perk to look too stupid.

Sloane got out of her car and stood for a moment to admire the large, red structure where Perk told her they sparred. It was massive, as she figured it needed to be, as it also—she understood—housed Wiley’s horses. She looked around.

Speaking of which… The paddock off to the left was expansive, dotted with several of the majestic animals, their nostrils sending clouds of condensation into the frigid air.

Beautiful.

Taking her gaze away from them, she turned to the right and noticed a charming cottage where she assumed Wiley lived with his wife, Solina.

What a sweet setup.

Sloane eventually urged her feet to move toward the barn, but half way there, nerves hit. This was the first time she’d seen Perk since they’d been naked in bed together.

Right. So what.

She forced her insecurities away. Perk had sounded perfectly normal over texts, and had said how much he was looking forward to seeing her tonight, so there really was nothing to worry about.

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