Chapter 91
Chapter 91
T he coffee shop doubled as a bar under the unique and catchy name of “Caffeine and Alcohol.” I pushed open the door and found a single barista making espresso with one hand and pouring draft beer with the other. She had green and purple hair, a mixture of tattoos, black fingernails, and a “don’t even think about messing with me” look on her face. She also matched the picture Steve had texted. When I sat at the bar, she stared at me through sunglasses and never asked what I wanted. When I didn’t order, she moved on. I’d seen people treat mosquitoes the same way.
“I hear you’re pretty good with a computer.”
She chuckled but felt no need to respond.
I pointed at her Georgetown hoodie. “Hacked the mainframe. Awarded yourself a scholarship.”
She stopped wiping down the bar and lifted her sunglasses, which revealed beautiful eyes. Causing me to wonder why she ever covered them up. But then, I knew a thing or two about people who didn’t want to be seen.
She did not look impressed. “What do you want?”
I raised my phone and held up a picture of Steve.
To which she held up her middle finger and told me that both I and her dad were number one in her heart.
I was tired, and it’d been a long few days, so I cut to the chase. “Where does your road end? ”
The space between her eyebrows narrowed and a wrinkle appeared. “What do you care?”
“You’re wasting your skill set. I’m here to offer you a place to put it to good use. A place to belong.”
She paused, pushed her sunglasses back down over her eyes, and then emptied the tray from the dishwasher and loaded another.
“How do you know I won’t rob you blind?”
“I don’t.”
She chuckled. “Who are you and what do you want?”
I handed her a card with a phone number. That was it. “I work with a team of people, and we help rescue those who are in bad places with bad people who can’t rescue themselves. We could use your help.”
“If you’re so good, why do you need me?”
“Honestly, we don’t. We have better people than you. People who can code circles around you and without all the drama. But they might be able to teach you.”
She huffed but didn’t give me the finger again, which suggested I’d at least intrigued her. “Why?”
“Because I know your dad.”
“Know him?”
“I caught him when he was doing bad things.”
“You put him in prison?”
I nodded.
“Then you have my thanks.”
“He asked me to come see you. Asked me to help you find your way out of this dark place.”
“What if I like it here?”
“People in hell like it until they get thirsty. When they find there’s no water, they tend not to like it anymore.”
“Did you practice that? Because it sounded rehearsed.”
I waited while the rest of the vinegar drained out.
“Look, dude, I don’t go home and hook up with older men.” She pushed my card back across the counter. “And I don’t want anything from you.”
I left the card. “If you change your mind, call this number. We’ll fly you out. Give you a tour. A place to live. And maybe, in your case, we’ll give you a reason for being you. Not to mention, we’re about an hour and a half from your dad’s prison.”
“Why would I ever want to see him again?”
“Look, I put him there. He deserves to be there. At least for now. He also made some bad choices and he’s trying to help you not make the same ones. But he asked me to come here, so I did.”
This time something glistened in the corner of one eye. A break in the dam? “Why?”
I stood and zipped up my jacket. It was cold outside. I could see my breath. “Because the needs of the one outweigh those of the ninety-nine.”