Page 37 of Smooth Moves
He heard arguing between the male and Jordan. Then the door opened and a male version of Jordan gaped up at him.
“Shit.Bigfoot has arrived.”
“Rafi,” Jordan admonished from behind him. “Be nice. Hi, Cash. Rafi, this is my friend from work, Cash Griffith. Cash, come on in. This is Rafi, my brother.”
Cash stepped inside, handed off the chocolates to Jordan, and stared down at an almost pretty young man. Thick lashes covered dark-brown eyes that snapped with impatience. Rafi stood a few inches taller than Jordan but a head less than Cash. Whip-lean and strong, no doubt from carrying around so much attitude.
“Yo.” He nodded to the kid.
“Hey.” Rafi gave him a wary nod.
Jordan tugged Cash further into her apartment. “Thanks for the chocolates.” She shoved Rafi out of the way since he hadn’t budged, staring at Cash.
“Nice, Jordan,” Rafi sneered.
“Move next time, knucklehead.” She crossed her eyes at Cash, who grinned. “Kid is fifteen going on forty. Want something to drink?”
“Shouldn’t we be sober for an intervention?”
The kid stared back and forth between them. At the wordintervention, he’d stiffened. “What’s he talking about?”
Cash had thought about how to handle the situation, wondering how he’d have responded to some random guy when he’d been fifteen.
Jordan glared at Cash, and he shrugged. “Hey, I’m not your guy for subtlety. I’m a straight shooter.” He ignored her mutterings. “Rafi, I—”
“It’s actuallyRafael,” the boy said, stiffly.
“Rafael,” Cash emphasized, “your sister tells me you need help. It’s pass summer school or you go to some shitty military academy. And your attitude ain’t helping.”
“Please. What does some ex-military asshole like you have to say to help me? Be all you can be?”
Cash wanted to laugh at that, but Jordan’s tight-lipped expression told him not to.
“Nah. That’s Army, kid. You don’t want to go there.”
Rafael blinked. “No?”
Jordan placed her hands on her hips. “Why not? What’s wrong with the Army?”
“Please. What’snotwrong with the Army?”
She gasped. “You’re such an asshole.”
Rafael looked from her to Cash and let himself grin. “You know, I think this guy’s not so bad after all.”
“Buddy, I was Marine Corps. All the way. It’s a great institution, well, minus the shitheads and politically correct bullshit everyone’s peddling nowadays.”
Rafael just stared at him, so Cash moved deeper into the living room and took a seat on the couch. His casual attitude had Rafael following him while Jordan shot daggers his way.
“What? So I should join the Marines?”
Cash agreed with the kid’s skepticism. “Hell no. Not now. Your mouth would get your head ripped off and shoved right up your ass.”
“Cash, language,” Jordan growled.
“Sorry. But it’s true. Look, Rafael. I’m not here to sell you on the Marines.” He added under his breath, “The only good service, you want my opinion.” In a louder voice, he said, “I’m just here to talk to you about being a man.”
Rafael stared up at the ceiling and groaned. “God, not the safe sex talk.”
