Page 56 of The Girl and the Cobra

I nearly choke on my cereal, while Tristan simply shoots him a glare. It takes me a moment to say, “Yeah. A good night. You?”

Dr. Wolf gives me a tight-lipped smile. “Good.” He offers me his phone, which I didn’t see in his hand until now. “Your father is calling. He called earlier, but I told him you were still… asleep.” There’s an edge to the pause between his words, like he knows why I didn’t get out of bed at a reasonable time today, and it makes me blush.

All I can do is give Dr. Wolf an awkward smile and take the phone from him. Dr. Wolf walks away, and I scoop up another bite of cereal before setting the phone against my ear and saying, “Dad?”

“Hey, kiddo! You doing all right? I called earlier, but Dr. Wolf said—”

“Yeah, I slept in today. It was nice.”

I can tell by the silence on the other side that my dad is shocked to hear that. Hey, anything to get my dad’s mind off of me possibly having sex. “That’s good. I figured you’d call once you were ready, but I just can’t take the nerves. How was the interview last night? I tried asking Dr. Wolf, but he said it’s for you to tell me. He didn’t sound too happy, but he never sounds happy, so…”

My dad can keep mumbling on for eternity, so I decide to just give him the news: “I got the job.”

A second passes as the information registers in his brain. “You did? That’s fantastic! I’m so proud of you, honey. That’s great. Why don’t we go out tonight to celebrate?”

“Can Tristan come?” The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them. Beside me, Tristan perks up at the mention of his name, and he sets a hand on my leg beneath the table. I suppose it’s something I’ll have to ask Dr. Wolf, too.

My dad is quiet for a few moments, then he says, “If you want Tristan to come, sure, if Dr. Wolf says it’s fine. It’s probably good to bring him along—I need to make sure he understands that he’ll have me to deal with if he hurts you.”

I roll my eyes. Can’t help it. “Dad. Come on.”

“What? I want what’s best for you, and I won’t apologize for not believing someone like Tristan can be that for you. But if you want to bring him tonight, sure, he can join us in the celebration.” My dad hums. “Maybe I should buy a gun.”

“Dad!”

Again, he sounds totally innocent when he says, “What? I never had to worry about boys before. I’m pretty sure the protocol dictates that I should have a gun and leave it resting on the table so he sees it and knows I mean business.”

I don’t even realize it, but I’m smiling. “You’re ridiculous, and you better not.”

He sighs. “Yeah, you’re right. I don’t even like guns.” I think, at that point, we both remember the reason our family is so fractured. One gun in particular had a lot to do with it. “I’ll pick you both up at five tonight, okay? We can go wherever you want.”

“Sounds great. Love you, Dad.”

“I love you too, honey.” And with that, he ends the call.

I set the phone down on the table before I meet Tristan’s dark eyes. “Well? Think you’ll want to come with me and my dad tonight? If you don’t want to, you don’t have to. I just thought, I don’t know, it might be nice to spend some time with both of you.”

His reply comes swiftly, “If you want me there, I’ll be there.”

“Do you think Dr. Wolf will say it’s okay?”

Tristan grins as he leans toward me, whispering, “Just let him try to stop me.” He sounds diabolical, like he’d look forward to the challenge, and I don’t doubt he would. The animositybetween him and Dr. Wolf is palpable anytime they’re near each other.

I chuckle softly, and then I realize he is totally, completely, one hundred and ten percent serious about getting into a fight with Dr. Wolf—AKA not something either of us need right now. Not after he went out and got us condoms.

Setting a hand atop the one resting on my leg, I say, “Tristan, we should talk about my dad.”

“What about him?”

“He, uh, is going to be on guard, especially about me. He sort of knows we’re together, but he doesn’t know the extent of our, um, togetherness.” Memory of the talk he tried to have with me the last time we spoke on the phone surfaces in my mind, and I shiver.

Tristan’s mouth thins into a line as he deadpans, “I think he’ll have some idea now, since you want me to come with you two tonight.”

“Well, yeah. We just, um, we need to, uh…” I laugh nervously. “I’ve never had to introduce my dad to a boy before. A boyfriend, I mean.”

His grip on my leg tightens and gives me immediate goosebumps. “Is that what I am? Your boyfriend?”

“Uh, yeah… aren’t you?”

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