Chapter 14 Good Night
Good night
How was your day?
Abby smiled. She’d been waiting for his nightly text. He’d messaged her every night since he’d brought them dinner.
Pretty good. Lindsey came over for dinner and we were able to catch up.
Did she go somewhere during your break?
Vegas for a cousin’s wedding.
Sounds fun.
It’s not really my scene.
What have you got going on next week?
I have to call around for a handyman and electrician and hope someone has availability in the next two weeks.
Why?
For the school showcase.
You don’t have people at the school to do that?
Not really. Our design teacher usually directs them, but she had to take emergency medical leave and we’re kind of in a lurch.
The students came up with some complicated sets and exhibits this year and it’s outside the scope of anyone else’s expertise.
So I’m calling around at the last minute.
Can you talk?
Uh…sure.
Her phone rang immediately. “Hey.”
“Hey. Why kind of stuff do you need done?” he asked, by way of greeting.
“Help building the sets and running the electric for the displays.”
“It doesn’t sound too difficult. How long is the other teacher out?” he asked.
“Well, she’s about eight months pregnant and was put on bedrest over spring break, so at least until the end of the school year.”
“And you don’t think any of the other teachers can help? What about custodial staff?”
“They’re great, don’t get me wrong, but they are ‘the AC or heating isn’t working’ type of custodial staff. We have an IT department, but they’re limited to audio-visual support, making sure the Wi-Fi works, and kids can log in to their devices.”
“Don’t parents usually help with that sort of thing? Isn’t there an overachieving PTA president or something? Or do they run bake sales and ban books?”
Abby laughed. “No book bans, thankfully. We’ve got progressive families.
And the PTA pretty much just runs bake sales and teacher appreciation day.
We have parents who volunteer their time, but it’s a lot of lift and the parents who have volunteered don’t have the expertise we need and the parents who have the expertise don’t have the time to volunteer. Thus, calling around tomorrow.”
“I know some people. Give me a day – I’ll make some calls and see who owes me a favor,” he said.
“That’s really not necessary. Gloria, the Design teacher, gave me some numbers to call. I didn’t mean to unload on you.”
“Abby. I wouldn’t offer to help if I didn’t want to. What time do you need someone there?”
Abby picked at the comforter. It would save her a lot of time and headache if he knew people already. She hated relying on him, or really anyone, for things like this. It always felt like taking advantage.
“Abby? You there?”
“Yes, sorry. Ideally, tomorrow around three. We have a meeting to review the plans we made before the break and to discuss our objectives, do a walk through, and figure out what’s manageable,” she said.
“Alright. I’ll get you some help tomorrow,” he said.
“Thank you.” She didn’t want the conversation to end. It was the first time she’d heard his voice since he’d brought them dinner. “How was your day?”
“Kind of boring. I’m lead for an event, so I’ve been focusing on the security plan for that.”
She snuggled down into her pillow. “What does that involve? I don’t know anything about your job.”
“It’s not anything exciting. Making sure we have enough people to cover the entrance and keep an eye on things.”
“What kind of event is it? Or can you tell me?”
His long, deep sigh came through the phone. “It’s a sweet sixteen.”
“Like a birthday party, sweet sixteen?”
His voice was thick with his disgruntlement. “That’s the one.”
“Who hires security for a birthday party? I mean, other than Beyonce?”
“Rich people who want to show off.”
“That’s ridiculous,” she said.
“No argument from me, but it’s still a job. Sometimes it’s planning security for a birthday party, sometimes it’s storming a castle in Crimea.”
“Storming a what, where?” she asked.
“One of our jobs last year involved infiltrating a castle in Crimea. That is a job I can’t say much about. It’s one of those things that never really happened.”
“So, super-secret.”
“More along the lines of not wanting to pay the legal fees for violating the NDA,” he said.
“Got it. What about VACA. How are you involved with them?” It was a question she’d been wondering for a while.
“Katherine organizes all that. She’s never shared the details, but I get the sense she didn’t have the greatest childhood. It was her and Pothole at the beginning. They started as foster parents, saw a need, and filled it.”
“Pothole?”
He chuckled. “Katherine’s husband, David.”
“Why is he called Pothole?”
“It was before my time, but the story goes he was rolling down the street and saw Katherine. Turned his head to check her out and hit a pothole. Laid his bike down hard and that’s how they met.”
“Was he in the military, too?”
“Yeah,” he said.
“Did you serve together?”
“No, he was Army. I did a short stint in the Marines,” he said.
“What was that like?” She didn’t know anyone personally who had served in the military. All she knew was what she saw in films and on TV, which was probably only fifty percent accurate, if she had to guess.
“It was what I needed to do at the time. I was seventeen and needed a way to support Dani. Military was the best option for a kid fresh out of high school with a chip on his shoulder, no marketable skills, and pissed off at the world. The Marine recruiter was the first one to greet me when I walked into the recruiting office.”
“That must have been hard. Dani’s very lucky to have a brother like you.” She couldn’t imagine being responsible for another human being at seventeen. Hell, half the time she was surprised they’d let her go home from the hospital with Will.
Tinker cleared his throat. “Yeah. How’s Olivia settling in? Did she start school?”
She sensed he didn’t want to talk about the situation anymore, whether from being uncomfortable with the subject or embarrassed by her praise, but she let him change the topic.
“She’s good. She starts tomorrow. We were able to get her into most of the classes she was interested in,” she said.
“What classes wasn’t she able to get in?”
“Design, for obvious reasons. She has to take theater instead. She hasn’t said anything, but I don’t think she’s too keen about performing in front of people.”
“Don’t blame her. I hated getting up in front of people in school.”
“I find that surprising. You strike me as the class clown type,” she said.
“You’re not wrong, but there’s a difference between being a cut up and having to perform on command for people.”
“True. We’re far enough into the school year where she won’t have to do anything big. They’re changing units in a week or so and they’ll be doing video production for the rest of the year.”
“That’s more my speed,” he said.
“Made a few movies have you?”
Tinker chuckled low. “I may have made a few private home movies.”
A flush ran through her body and her comforter felt heavy and warm against her bare legs.
“What about you?” he asked. “Any fantasy roles you’ve starred in?”
“I—. It’s not—. Not—.”
Tinker laughed. “I’m kidding. I’ve never made any home movies. Too much shit on the internet as it is. Don’t need someone getting pissed off and posting my ass for the world to see.”
Her body still felt unusually warm. “I don’t even know what to say to that.”
“I might be willing to make an exception for you though.” His voice was deep and low. Intimate.
An image flashed through her mind—her and Tinker in a bed, a camera on a tripod pointed at them. She didn’t think it was possible to feel even hotter, but a bead of sweat formed at her temple. “I—. I’m—.”
Tinker laughed again. “Good night, Abby.”
“Good night.” Her voice came out high pitched and squeaky as the phone went dead. She stared at the blank screen for several seconds before tossing it on the bedside table.
He was diabolical. He put that image in her head and then just said goodnight. Like she was supposed to get any sleep with thoughts of his bare ass moving up and down. Clenching as he thrust.
Oh god. She flipped the lamp off and flopped down on her side, punching the pillow for good measure. It was a long while before her brain shut off and she was able to fall asleep.