Page 16 of Crossing Between
I waved as they closed the door. The smell was still prevalent and I had to fight not to gag. "Sir?"
"On it." Varon turned and opened his window. He turned on a fan that was in the corner of the room. "Those two amaze me sometimes and not in a good way." Varon laughed softly. "They are never boring at least."
"They work well together." I moved the laptop in front of me and opened it. "I've never had a new laptop." I was almost afraid to touch the keyboard but I had work to do.
"That's a standard issue laptop for the department, but if you don't have a personal laptop, we can get one for you as a signing bonus." Varon was busy typing away but my heart skipped a few beats at his offer.
A laptop at home would be amazing. I could do a lot of research on my family's history besides just relying on what I could find on the public library computers or from the book that my mom had given me.
"Please." I had to clear my throat from the emotion that got stuck there briefly. "I would appreciate it."
"Done. I'll have it on your desk on Monday." Varon didn't even look up.
Which was probably a good thing, otherwise I might have stood and tackled him before kissing him senseless. I still wanted to do that regardless.
"Now, get to your paperwork, Zoey. If you finish before the end of the day you can leave early for the weekend."
That was it. I was falling in love with my boss.
Chapter 13: Zoey
"It sounds like your first few days were quite an adventure." Ruth chugged her beer as we sat out on her porch in the early Saturday morning. "You always have eye candy galore. I'm jealous."
I sipped my tea as we watched a neighbor in a beat-up old sedan drive down the street with loud music blaring. Which was typical for this time of day and week.
"This job isn't going to be boring, that's true." I glanced over to my home, hoping to see Ryan magically appear. He hadn't come home since he stormed out the other day. It wasn't the first time he'd been gone for more than a few days, but I was still worried. "I have no comment on the eye candy."
Ruth gave a loud hoot of laughter. "You sly little fox. You're going to have to introduce me to them eventually."
My eyes rolled in amusement. "If I value my new co-worker's sanity, they'll never meet you."
"I should take offense to that, but it's the truth." Ruth finished her beer with a small burp. "I'm proud of you, sweetie."
My head tilted slightly as I glanced at her. "Me? Why? I'm just trying to survive this thing we call life."
"You've had shit thrown at you since you were a kid. You had to raise, hell, you're still raising, your younger brother who needs to grow up. You're helping to support an old woman as well. You have a pure heart and soul my girl." Ruth reached over and patted my hand. "Things are finally looking up for you. I want you to be happy."
I squeezed her hand gently. "Thank you, Ruth. I am happy. Or, at least, I'm trying to be. The new job is helping. It's nice to be able to wake up and not worry about the electricity being turned off. I let the companies know that I'd be paying them up to date when I get my first paycheck."
Ruth nodded. "I'm glad sweetie. I want to thank you for always paying rent. It's what keeps my utilities on and lets me get some of my drinks. You're a blessing."
Tears prickled at the edge of my vision and I took a minute to fight them. "You're welcome, Ruth. I like to think of you as family. You've done so much for us."
"Pish posh, dear." She crushed her beer can like a professional. "We're family. You've done as much for me as I have for you. That's what family does. Now," Ruth threw the can in a small trash can she kept outside for that purpose. "Tell me more about these hotties you work with. Let me live vicariously through you. This vagina has been unused for so long, if I tried to rev its engine, I'm pretty sure smoke would come out and something would break."
The tea that I had started drinking came back up as I choked. "Ruth!" I coughed as I tried to clear my throat. "Why would you say that out loud?"
She laughed in amusement before abruptly stopping and leaning forward in her chair. "Oh ho. It looks like I'm about to meet a few of them right now."
"What?" I looked where she was and my mouth went dry.
Kenji and Elias had pulled up at the curb and had just climbed out of the car. Kenji waved at me while Elias pulled some bags out of the trunk. Kenji grabbed a few of them and practically ran toward me and Ruth.
"Hey, Zoey!" He skidded to a stop with that grin of his that made my stomach flip. "We just got done grocery shopping and thought we'd bring some over and make you food as a celebration for your new job!"
"Oh, that is the sweetest. Isn't he just a good boy?" Ruth's voice had turned a bit more husky, she was playing up her age. "I'm Zoey's landlord and friend, Ruth. It's so nice to meet you!" She held out her hand, fingers down indicating that she was expecting a hand kiss.
Kenji dropped the bags he was carrying and dramatically fell to his knees as he held Ruth's hand up. "Oh, sweet matriarch, it is truly an honor to bask in your presence." He kissed her hand with a loud smack.
