Page 53 of Ravenous

“Could you fit anyone else in here?” Marci looked around the tiny office. “Anyway, John wants to meet you.”

Finn got up. “I’m going in with him.”

“It’s fine.” Ollie put a hand on Finn’s arm. “That’s very chivalrous but I can handle myself.”

“Are you sure?” Finn took the hand and put it in his own, not caring if Marci was watching.

“I’m sure,” Ollie nodded, eyes resolute as they stared up at Finn. Powerless to that forget-me-not gaze, Finn easily gave in, and Ollie squeezed by him to follow Marci out of the office.

Thankfully, he wasn’t gone for too long. Just as Finn was thinking about listening by John’s door, Ollie reappeared, his face placid.

“Was he okay to you?” Finn placed his arms around Ollie, kissing his temple.

“Yeah.” Ollie breathed in, sighing happily. “I don’t get it.”

“Get what?”

“All the stuff people say about him? The nickname? I mean, he dresses like a nineteen-sixties pimp but he isn’t like, a total asshole.”

“Did he open his mouth?”

Ollie let out a short laugh. “Yes, of course. He said it was a shame I was a guy -ew- but I expected worse. I guess, no one here has online haters, they’re much more brutal than him.”

“Wow,” Finn blinked, “they’re that mean to you on the internet? I should take a look at-”

“Noooo,” Ollie interrupted, shaking his head. “You’ll only make it worse. The best thing to do is block and ignore.”

“I wish I could do that in real life.” Finn thought about his father.

“Hold that thought.” Ollie pulled away, biting his lip. “Because John wants to talk to you next.”

“Great.” All the breath whooshed out of Finn. “I guess I should head to the gallows then.”

Ollie gave him a brief hug. “Good luck in there.”

Within seconds, Finn was in front of John’s office, letting out another long sigh as he squared his shoulders, knocked twice, and let himself in.

“Cooper!” John stood, giving Finn a squeezing handshake. “Sit down, sit down. I just met your boy.”

Finn tried not to cringe. Ollie wasn’t hisboy. He was Finn’s Sunshine. The soft hand that pulled him from his well of solitude. A glamorous, fun, ray of light that sometimes shared Finn’s brain. And yet he was so much more.

“How was Texas, John?” Finn figured he’d start with something innocuous.

“Eh, it was okay, but my girl was hollerin’ that she hasn’t seen me in months since I’ve been staying at the ranch with the old ball and chain, so I had to come back early. Women, huh?” John straightened his bright yellow tie, which somehow matched his rust-colored pinstripe suit. Snakeskin boots completed the collection, as if John wanted to bring a little Texas back with him, and Finn wondered if there was a cowboy hat around, because that would make the ensemble even better. “Or, men, I guess. You and Parker really like to shit where you eat, don’tcha?”

Raising an eyebrow, Finn crossed his arms. “Is there a point to this meeting, John?”

“Parker’s a lot nicer, you know.”

“I know.” Finn gave John a smile full of challenge, not afraid for his job. While John was indeed a jerk, he had moments of strange piety that made you not want to throw him off the roof; plus, he appreciated good employees, and Finn was astellaremployee.

“You got balls, Cooper, I’ll give you that.” John pointed at him and then steepled his fingers, his face serious. “And the reason I called you in here is because I talked to your boy.”

“Ollie,” Finn added.

“Sure.” John took a breath. “Now I know it’s none of my fuckin’ business but I’m gonna ask anyway. Is he having problems? Health problems?”

Finn froze like a deer in headlights. “Why do you ask?”

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