Page 14 of Smooth Moves
“Dandy.”
“Great. I’ll see you tomorrow. Cash, I’ll be—”
“At Naomi’s. Shocker.” Cash shrugged, but Jordan had a sense his brother’s new relationship bothered him.
Reid didn’t seem to notice. “Have a good night, you two.” He started down the corridor. “Oh, and Cash, close up for me, would you?” Reid didn’t wait for his answer as he disappeared into the stairway.
“Why not? Not like I have a life or anything,” Cash muttered as he walked into the office. “Well? You coming?”
Jordan hurried after him and helped him turn everything off and lock up. They walked down the stairs and exited the building to the parking lot. She took a moment to watch the sun hide behind some purple clouds. Orange rays penetrated the sky-blue horizon and dotted through indigo and pink clouds, painting a picture. She wished she could bask in the moment, letting go of the worries dragging her down.
But Rafi hadn’t been around for breakfast this morning, and she knew he’d avoided her on purpose. Between yesterday’s conversation and the call she’d earlier received from his school advisor, she’d come to the end of her rope. And the timing couldn’t have been better, with her brother spending the next few days at their parents’ for a change.
Cash stopped at his car and turned to her. “Your place for dinner?”
“Yes. Follow me. It’s a ten-minute drive. I’ll text you the address in case you get lost.” She sent it to him before getting into her car.
He followed without too much of a hassle since the hour had passed six. Once at her place, she parked and waited for him. The apartment complex didn’t look like much on the outside, but she had a furnished, one-bedroom unit for under a thousand in rent, and the landlord seemed like a nice lady. Since Jordan was ex-military, the woman had foregone the $200 nonrefundable cleaning fee and full rental deposit.
After letting them both in, Jordan took a glance around. The addition of Rafi to her tiny apartment made life cramped, but Jordan had lived under worse conditions. The place was clean, fitted out, and, if not to her taste, at least nothing to be embarrassed about. Yet she felt a case of nerves as Cash shadowed her, his large presence impossible to ignore.
At least she didn’t have to worry about Rafi tonight. Four more days of peace before the turmoil that was her brother returned.
She shut and locked the door then removed her shoes.
“Take ’em off,” she said to him when he watched her.
He grunted but didn’t argue. As he struggled with his laces, she walked past the entrance to the living room and turned into the small kitchen. Bordered on three sides by cabinets, a refrigerator, and oven, the open concept layout included the living area, where a small table marked the dining space. She’d put leaves in it, allowing for more room.
With Cash’s size, he’d appreciate the space.
She took the casserole she’d prepared earlier that morning from the fridge.
Cash entered, making her kitchen feel ten times smaller. “What’s for dinner?”
“Ham and cheese noodle casserole.”
“Sounds awesome.” He glanced around, seeing her pine cabinets, tan Formica countertop, and mismatched white and black appliances. She found everything to be functional, so she couldn’t complain. The oversized furniture had been in fashion in the early nineties, but it seemed clean and smelled nice. A good place to start until she figured out what she wanted to be when she grew up.
The notion she neared thirty and still needed direction irritated the hardcore soldier still within her.
“You’re tidy.” Cash nodded. “I knew you’d be.”
“Yep.”
Rafi’s things no longer littered the living space, the items now tucked away in the corner in the duffel bag containing his clothes. He’d taken his laptop, she noticed, and hoped he’d use the time with their parents to catch up on some schoolwork.
Yeah, right.
She shook her head at her delusions and put the casserole in the oven, allowing a little extra time for the oven to preheat. “Want something to drink?”
Cash tucked his hands in his pockets and leaned against the wall, watching her. “What do you have?”
She opened the refrigerator. “Beer, water, an energy drink, and milk.”
“Beer. But only if it’s not some bullshit light beer.”
She flipped him off and handed him a local IPA.
