hurry to get to your next case? Cause I’m not in a hurry to go back to holding. Can we talk for a little while?” His voice was still the warm velvet of a summer’s day and still had the power to pull her out of everyday life and into some weird alternate reality in which they shared confidences.
She clicked her briefcase closed. “I guess I can stay a few minutes.” She sat back down in her chair and looked at the man sitting across the table from her. Awkward silence fell between them. What did he want from her? A river of years and experiences separated them from old memories. There was really nothing to talk about.
Drake took his hands from his lap and put them on top of the table, the fingers of one drumming lightly. He stared down at his hand as if its movement had taken him by surprise. Nervous? Drake Malinson?
“You know that night…prom night. I thought about that for a long time after.
Wanted to talk to you but then I thought, what’s the point. You and I ran in different circles. Nothing would’ve changed that.”
“You could have. You didn’t have to hang around with criminals like Vin Crawford. You could’ve changed.”
“Naw. I really couldn’t. There were things going on in my life you have no idea about. I didn’t know how to act any differently or how to turn my life around.” He snorted. “Apparently still don’t. Anyway, I can’t believe I brought this up. It doesn’t matter. It was a long time ago.”
The weird thing was that right at that moment prom night didn’t feel like a long time ago. Jen remembered every detail with startling clarity considering she’d been stoned most of the time. How could one day in the entire course of her lifetime have left such a lasting impression?
“I don’t remember if I ever thanked you at the time, but you really helped me feel better on what was otherwise one of the worst nights of my life. At least up to that point.
I was devastated to find my date making out with another girl, although looking back I can see Tom was a jerk from the beginning. I was just too naïve to realize it. But hanging out with you turned that night around and made it a good memory instead.” She couldn’t believe she was talking about this either, dredging up old memories and feelings that were best left untouched.
She laughed. “Anyway, this is weird, running into each other like this.” Drake looked around them. “Definitely weird and not too pleasant. Wish I’d seen you someplace else, but I don’t know where else we would’ve bumped into each other.
We’re still in different circles.”
“Okay, you’re probably going to be pissed at me, but I’ve got to say it.” Jen folded her arms on the table and leaned against them. “Have you ever considered legitimate employment? Maybe going to college and taking some courses?”
“I’ve done both. But easy money can be hard to pass up compared to a minimum wage job.”
“The money’s not so easy if it leads to jail. It’s your life, but I know you have potential and to throw it away is just…wrong.”
The furrow between his brows deepened at the same time another of those small smiles quirked his lips. “You think I have potential?”
“I know you do. We only talked a couple of times but I could tell how smart you were and how…” She stopped herself from saying ‘sensitive’. Not a term most guys took as a compliment even when it was intended as such. “You had a way of looking at things, at the small details of life and appreciating them. I know you can do more with your life than sell drugs.” She sat back and held up her hands. “That’s it. Stepping off my soapbox now.”
Drake stretched and rearranged himself in the folding chair with that lean, alley cat grace she remembered so well. He was wearing a T-shirt as always, and Jen noticed that his shoulders and chest had filled out. She flicked her gaze away, checking her watch. “Well, I should go.”
“Did you go to any of
She clicked her briefcase closed. “I guess I can stay a few minutes.” She sat back down in her chair and looked at the man sitting across the table from her. Awkward silence fell between them. What did he want from her? A river of years and experiences separated them from old memories. There was really nothing to talk about.
Drake took his hands from his lap and put them on top of the table, the fingers of one drumming lightly. He stared down at his hand as if its movement had taken him by surprise. Nervous? Drake Malinson?
“You know that night…prom night. I thought about that for a long time after.
Wanted to talk to you but then I thought, what’s the point. You and I ran in different circles. Nothing would’ve changed that.”
“You could have. You didn’t have to hang around with criminals like Vin Crawford. You could’ve changed.”
“Naw. I really couldn’t. There were things going on in my life you have no idea about. I didn’t know how to act any differently or how to turn my life around.” He snorted. “Apparently still don’t. Anyway, I can’t believe I brought this up. It doesn’t matter. It was a long time ago.”
The weird thing was that right at that moment prom night didn’t feel like a long time ago. Jen remembered every detail with startling clarity considering she’d been stoned most of the time. How could one day in the entire course of her lifetime have left such a lasting impression?
“I don’t remember if I ever thanked you at the time, but you really helped me feel better on what was otherwise one of the worst nights of my life. At least up to that point.
I was devastated to find my date making out with another girl, although looking back I can see Tom was a jerk from the beginning. I was just too naïve to realize it. But hanging out with you turned that night around and made it a good memory instead.” She couldn’t believe she was talking about this either, dredging up old memories and feelings that were best left untouched.
She laughed. “Anyway, this is weird, running into each other like this.” Drake looked around them. “Definitely weird and not too pleasant. Wish I’d seen you someplace else, but I don’t know where else we would’ve bumped into each other.
We’re still in different circles.”
“Okay, you’re probably going to be pissed at me, but I’ve got to say it.” Jen folded her arms on the table and leaned against them. “Have you ever considered legitimate employment? Maybe going to college and taking some courses?”
“I’ve done both. But easy money can be hard to pass up compared to a minimum wage job.”
“The money’s not so easy if it leads to jail. It’s your life, but I know you have potential and to throw it away is just…wrong.”
The furrow between his brows deepened at the same time another of those small smiles quirked his lips. “You think I have potential?”
“I know you do. We only talked a couple of times but I could tell how smart you were and how…” She stopped herself from saying ‘sensitive’. Not a term most guys took as a compliment even when it was intended as such. “You had a way of looking at things, at the small details of life and appreciating them. I know you can do more with your life than sell drugs.” She sat back and held up her hands. “That’s it. Stepping off my soapbox now.”
Drake stretched and rearranged himself in the folding chair with that lean, alley cat grace she remembered so well. He was wearing a T-shirt as always, and Jen noticed that his shoulders and chest had filled out. She flicked her gaze away, checking her watch. “Well, I should go.”
“Did you go to any of
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