Page 55 of Her Brother's Keeper

“Call me Nox. Mr. Fisher would just make me feel like I’m in some kind of trouble,” I said smiling.

“Should you be?” the Vice Principal shot back.

“Not for the reasons you’re clearly thinkin’,” I said coolly.

“Have a seat, Mr. Fisher,” he said and again I told him to call me Nox. I took a seat in one of the two chairs opposite his desk, and he sank into the expensive looking leather office chair across the expanse of, what looked like, cherry wood. Rush would have been so proud at the identification.

We stared at one another for a long minute that may have even stretched into two, and I have to say, he had this Vice Principal shit down because I was beginning to sweat. I finally broke the silence with, “Are you going to take these and turn them in, and get me the assignments she has to do for today, or not?”

I tapped the manila file folder against the edge of his desk and gave it a toss onto the blotter in front of him. He picked it up and gave me a sardonic grin.

“It’s against school policy to accept work, or to give work to anyone but a student or their immediate family, such as a parent or guardian.”

I let my look flatten out, “Guess you best make an exception to the rule in Maren’s case. She doesn’t have any immediate family left, and in case you weren’t paying attention to the goings on around here,” I leaned forward and said conspiratorially, “I’m most definitely her guardian, even if it isn’t by any official citizen standard.”

His blue eyes grew keen and his gaze sharpened on me. He picked up his phone and punched in three numbers. When whoever picked up on the other end spoke, he answered into the receiver, “Yes, Jean, do me a favor and pick up these assignments I have here in my office, make a quick tour of Maren Tracy’s classes and get the next assignments from her teachers.” He paused and then said, “Now please, I believe this gentleman has places to be.”

He hung up the phone and we waited, staring each other down. The door opened and he handed the folder to the secretary saying, “Thank you, Ms. Cox.” I tried not to snort.More like Ms. Cocks I thought to myself as she gave me a sour expression before shutting the door behind her.

“I’ve noticed that Maren has been… safer in these halls the last few weeks. That was you?”

“What was me?” I asked raising my eyebrows.

He shifted in his seat uncomfortably, “Fair enough. It’s probably best I don’t know.”

“You have to be pretty smart to get the job as a Vice Principal, I take it.”

He smiled but it held no humor, “Quite.”

“Good to know,” I said.

“What precisely is it that you do Mr…”

“Nox, and I’m a massage therapist.”

Hunter looked surprised and I chuckled a little, I think he was warming up to me a little. I certainly was thawing out in his direction.

“You know I can’t approve of a thirty-six year old man and a seventeen year old girl being together. I can’t quite fathom how something like that even came to be.”

Well alright, if he wanted to be blunt, I could be too.

“I think we both know Maren might be seventeen but she’swayolder than that; given everything that’s happened. Trust me, I never once went for anything remotely resembling jailbait before but something about her is different. Plus, not that it likely makes any difference to you, I haven’t laid a hand on her. I like my life, I like my practice, and I’m not about to flush either for anyone or anything. If it’s going to go anywhere, it can wait until she’s eighteen and legal. I’m just trying to lend a helping hand around the house and with that brother of hers.”

“I see,” he said and leaned back in his seat, fingers pressed in a steeple before him. He rested his ankle from his opposite foot on his knee and regarded me carefully.

“Ask her yourself if you don’t believe me.”

“I intend to,” he admitted and we sat in a stalemated silence. I gritted my teeth. The last thing I’d wanted to do by coming here was cause Maren any more grief.

“Why that look, Mr. Nox?”

I rolled my eyes, “It’s just Nox, and in case you hadn’t noticed, I’m trying to make Maren’s life easier, not harder. So if you’re going to get involved, or get the authorities up my ass – which good luck on that one, she’s emancipated and considered an adult anyhow… just do me a favor and don’t be giving her the third degree.”

We deadlocked into another stare while he considered my words, until we were finally interrupted by the secretary who looked like she could use some cock. She rapped lightly on the door and Hunter called out for her to come in. She slipped into the office with the same manila file folder I’d brought Maren's work in, only this time it was filled with crisp, flat paper, fresh sheets of new assignments.

“Ms. Tracy’s assignments,” she said handing it over to her boss smartly.

“Thank you,” he said and after another careful look in my direction handed the folder over. The secretary ducked out and closed the door behind her. I stood up, I needed to get going if I wanted to stop back over at Maren’s before I had to head to work.

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