Page 29 of Late Fees

“Dude, you should really be more professional,” Dutch said, crumpling up the bag and tossing it into the trash. Chocolate and vibrant candy coating covered his teeth. “And when did this happen?”

“Don’t worry about it. Point is, I’m in charge when Hannah’s out. That’s all you need to know.”

Dutch ignored Sully. He looked down at his left hand and shook his head. “Melts in your mouth, not in your hand? I call bullshit.” He held up his hand, and I laughed at the pattern of colors on his palm.

“It looks like a butterfly,” I said, before nudging Kevin in the arm.

Dutch looked back down. “Dude, you’re right. That’s gnarly.”

“Gnarly? Didn’t that word go out in the seventies?” Sully mocked.

“Didn’t that hairstyle?” Dutch mocked right back.

Not wanting to get in the middle of a rivalry that had obviously been around for a long time, I turned to Kevin. “Come on, I’ll help you clean the bathroom.”

Surprisingly, and without complaint, Kevin smiled and grabbed the caddy of cleaning solutions and gloves from under the front desk. “Thanks. Let’s go.”

“That’s it? Weezer helps you and it’s all good?” Sully asked, raising one suspicious eyebrow.

“Guess so,” Dutch said, patting Sully on the back. “You’ll have to throw your weight around some other time.”

“Shut it, Dutch.”

“What-ev-er,” Dutch said, rolling his eyes, and shaking his head, doing his best Clueless impression.

Sully sighed, and I turned to follow Kevin to the bathrooms.

He slowed down as I approached. “Hannah told me those two have a love-hate thing. At each other’s throats one minute, then playing pranks and high-fiving the next.”

“Why doesn’t that shock me?” I asked, shaking my head. “Not even a little bit.”

“Hey, thanks for doing this,” Kevin said, passing me a set of yellow vinyl gloves as we entered the men’s bathroom. “You didn’t have to.”

“No big deal.” I waved him away. “It’s just a couple of bathrooms.”

“Yeah, but those two freak shows use this one.” He chuckled under his breath, sliding a glove onto his hand and snapping it just a bit to make sure it was on correctly.

“They’re not so bad. And besides, I’m already pleasantly surprised at the smell in here. I was expecting much worse. Much. Worse.”

“Why’s that?”

“Um, because guys are gross. Duh.”

“No, we’re not.”

“I walked into the guys’ locker room once in high school, and my nose was scarred for life. I’ve never been the same,” I said with fake dramatics.

Kevin laughed, nodding. “To be fair, you do have a pretty sensitive nose. Black coffee and a cinnamon roll, remember?”

“You have to admit, you guys smell terrible. Collectively, I mean. You…you smell fine.” I could feel my cheeks blush. Kevin and I had a casual flirtation since the day we met—why was I acting like an idiot?

Because you kind of like him. Kind of.

It was true. Kevin was the first guy that I’d had even the slightest interest in since breaking up with Oden. We didn’t have much in common, but since we’d been thrown together so often for training, we’d formed a bond, a kinship. And the tiniest bit of sexual tension.

“Good to know,” he said with a shy smile.

“No cinnamon roll today, though,” I said softly, biting down on my lip.

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