Page 87 of Bad For A Weekend

“Did he find a new job?” I ask.

“He’s working for SafeBond still, just installing home security instead of personal protection.”

“Oh.” I guess that’s good, though he must hate it. He’s a deep connection kind of guy, someone who needs to work one-on-one with people. Going in and out of strangers’ houses doesn’t give him that opportunity.

“Not that he’s been very reliable,” he mutters quietly.

“What do you mean?”

His eyes look to the backseat through the rearview mirror, his expression telling me he didn’t mean for me to hear that.

“It’s nothing.”

“Did he not show up or something?”

He sighs. “He’s only been on the job for a month, but I got a call this morning that he’ll be out for the rest of the week. It left me in a lurch since I had clients lined up. My other guys are scrambling to fit everyone in.”

“Did he say why?” I ask.

“He said he had to go to fucking Iowa or Indiana or something. Apparently, there’s someone there he wants to visit.”

My lungs empty, and my stomach hits the ground.Who could he be visiting? And is that someone a woman?

“He didn’t say who?”

“None of it made sense. Plus, he sounded rushed.”

“Oh.”

Realizing how all that sounds and my reaction, he turns to me at the next stoplight. “I don’t think it was anything like that, but even if it was, you both need to move on. Whatever was going on will never work out. Like I said, it’s good you’re hanging out with friends today. Teenagers should do that. I know I was never home when I was your age.”

I hate being spoken to like I’m some dumb kid who has no idea what this world is about. It’s patronizing, rude, and presumptive.

“How many countries have you been to?” My questioning no doubt giving him whiplash.

“Countries?”

“Yeah, how many?”

“Two. Here and Mexico.”

“I’ve been to eighty-three,” I say.

“There are that many countries?”

God, he’s an idiot.

“There are actually a hundred and ninety-five.”

“I wasn’t so good with geography.”

“How many languages do you speak?” I ask next.

“Why all the questions?”

“Just answer me. How many?”

“English and enough Spanish to ask where the toilet is and for a beer.”

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