“Man, we all get days like that,”Itold him honestly. “Butyes,I’vethought about getting out sometimes.”
I told him about how my cousin, who was also overseas, was tossing around the idea of a private security company when he got done with his current tour.Hisdad—my uncle—had been a bounty hunter and knew a lot of the ins and outs of a career like that.
“I know several guys who’ve switched to private investigations work, andI’veconsidered it too,”Mannyadded. “YourememberTareek, who worked the traffic beat on theStripfor several years?”
I nodded, remembering the man, thoughIdidn’t know him that well.
“He went intoPIwork and offered me a spot ifIwanted it.Justfeels weird, though, ‘causeIalways wanted to be a cop.”
I knew that feeling. “Same.Acop is allIever wanted to be growing up—to fight for justice andagainsteverything my father ever stood for.”
“Your dad’s a politician inUtah, right?”
“He was,”Iconfirmed. “Heretired last year after a scandal involving his mistress.”
She wasn’t his mistress anymore.Oncemy mom died, he moved that woman into his house practically as soon as my mom’s body was cold.She’dbeen his public girlfriend for at least three years now, but she would always be his mistress to me.It’salso whenIstopped talking to my father.
“Aww, hell.I’msorry, man.”
“Don’t be,”Itold him. “Ihaven’t talked to my dad since right after graduation at the academy when he asked me to start helping him cover up bribes and anything else that might come up.”
Manny cursed next to me just as my phone buzzed with an incoming text.
Ace:
Hey,I’mso sorry.Myroommate got super sick at the show, and we ended up coming straight home.Ifyou give me a few minutes to help my other roommate get her settled,Ican take a cab to meet you somewhere.
DidIwant her to?Yes.WasIgoing to tell her that?No.Ifelt bad for making her come all the way over here from campus just to hang with two grumpy dudes.
Archer:
Don’t worry about it.MannyandIare about to head out anyway.Butif you’re up for it,Ican give you a call in 20 and you can tell me about the show.
There was a good chanceIwas coming across as mildly desperate, butIdidn’t care.Ijust wanted to hear her voice.
“That your redheaded dream girl from last night?”Mannyasked, nodding at my phone, a smirk on his face. “I’llhead on back if she’s on her way here, soIdon’t crash your date.”
I filled him in and told himI’dhead back with him.Itwas probably a good idea anyway since it was my turn to testify tomorrow.
After we got home,IcalledAce, andIwasn’t sure howIfelt about how much my body relaxed just at the sound of her voice.
“Hey,” she answered, andIcould hear the smile in her voice. “Howwas your day?”
“Better now,”Itold her, hoping she could sense my smile too. “Howwas the show?”
“The acrobats were fantastic—Ididn’t know people’s bodies could bend that way,” she said in amazement.
I laughed under my breath at her excitement. “I’mglad you enjoyed it.”
“I kind of feel badI’velived here for so many years and am just now enjoying some of the thingsVegashas to offer,” she noted. “Ihaven’t even been to theHooverDam,RedRockCanyon, or theSevenMagicMountains, and those are all less than an hour away.”
“I’m the same,”Itold her. “Sometimeslife just gets busy and you don’t get to enjoy the things around you.”
We spent the next three hours talking about everything under the sun.Iwasn’t usually a phone talker.Iwas good with texts or talking in person, but conversations on the phone weren’t really my thing.WithAce,Icouldn’t get enough.Itold her about my cousinVince—everything from visiting him whenIwas a kid to how he was overseas in theArmynow.Shetold me that she was adopted and had grown up on a farm along with several other foster and adopted siblings.Shealso mentioned how she’d been contacted this morning, and she had a job interview tomorrow for a job inCalifornia—her home state.
“I’ll let you go so you can get some sleep for your big interview tomorrow,”Itold her, reluctant to let her go, butIknewIneeded sleep myself. “Goodluck.”
“Thanks,Archer.Havea good day tomorrow,” she said softly in my ear, andIknewIcould get used to hearing that.
