“Well I’m glad I know now and I still think you look like Casper.”
“I’m glad too and I don’t mind when you call me Casper, its kinda sweet. Besides when you first started it I thought I was special, none of the other girls ever got a nickname you just called them sweetie, or babe, or honey.”
“You are special, you were special then too I was just too stupid to see it.”
“I don’t think I would have been ready for you then.”
“Are you ready for me now?”
“Any time.”
The hushed conversation gave me a whole new insight into the girl that was starting to mean so much to me. It also brought up a lot of questions that I couldn’t ask of my deceased brother. I wanted to know why if he had known she had a thing for me, he let me and the rest of the family happily believe they were an item for all those years. It seemed deceitful and shady and so not like Remy. I also wanted to know why he hadn’t said anything to me about her, I thought we shared everything and not that I had been in a place in my early teens to offer Shaw anything it still seemed odd he hadn’t mentioned anything about her feelings to me so that I might have treaded more carefully around her instead of trampling across her feelings like a herd of buffalos.
The quiet conversation took place early in the morning while she was stumbling around my room trying to get ready for school. She only had her fancy dinner with mom clothes and didn’t want to run back to her apartment so I told her to take one of my t-shirts out of the closet. It was fun to watch a hot chick scramble around half naked and pick through my pretty basic guy wardrobe. She ended up in her leggings and boots and my Black Angels t-shirt that hung almost to her knees and suddenly getting up to take her to school seemed a lot more fun. She dodged my grabbing hands with a laugh while trying to pull her hair into a ponytail. This was the kind of interaction I missed by only engaging in meaningless one night stands. I liked playing with Shaw, liked having her using my bathroom and being all up in my stuff and the more I thought about it the more I realized I had missed her in more areas of my life than my bed this last week.
She pressed a quick kiss to my mouth and told me she was going to make coffee and something for breakfast so I struggled to get up and searched around for my phone to call Mark. I wasn’t going to waste any time trying to put as many roadblocks between Shaw and Davenport as I could. I pulled on a pair of dark jeans and a shirt and went into the bathroom to splash cold water on my face. The phone rang while I brushed my teeth and Mark picked up just as I was spitting into the sink.
“What’s up kid?” I was checking out my stubbly face in the mirror and decided since I didn’t have any hair at the moment I was just gonna let it go, maybe try and grow it into a goatee or something.
“Hey Mark, sorry to bother you but I have a problem and I need some advice.”
“You piss off that pretty girl of yours?”
I laughed and leaned against the sink. “Yeah but I managed to fix that all on my own, but she is the reason I am calling. She has a lunatic ex who doesn’t seem to want to take no for an answer. He’s been showing up at her work, following her around, calling her a million times a day and he’s a friend of the family so her parents keep making excuses for her to be around him. This weekend he cornered her when she was alone shook her up and grabbed her. He left bruises on her arms and made a bunch of threats about what he’s going to do to her if she doesn’t take him back.”
“I’m surprised you’re not in jail.”
“Well she didn’t tell me about until after we left her parent’s house and I’ve already told him in no uncertain terms to leave her alone.”
“What’s his name?”
“Gabe Davenport.”
There was a low whistle and I could practically see Mark pacing back and forth. “He wouldn’t happen to be Judge George Davenport’s son would he?”
“Probably. He keeps throwing around that there isn’t anything I can do to him because of who his dad is.”
“He might be right. I would say we need to get a personal protection order in place as soon as possible, but there is a good chance if Davenport sees his son is involved it might not get passed.”
“That’s bullshit.”
“It is, but we still need to try otherwise there won’t be anything on file. You need to keep a clear head about this kid. The name Davenport is pretty powerful in our legal system and you don’t want to end up on the wrong side of it.”
I ran an agitated hand over my head. “I’m not going to let him anywhere near her Mark, plain and simple.”
“That’s fine but don’t go looking for trouble. She’s going to be a sitting duck if you go after the son and end up locked up.”
“I’m pissed Mark, not stupid. I want her safe and his guy taken down a notch or two but I’m well aware that me rearranging his face isn’t going to accomplish either of those things, however if he comes at me I make no promises.”
“If he comes at you take him out, but remember guys like this use laws and regulations to fight not bare knuckles and fists. Tell Shaw to be extra careful, tell her to try and be around someone else at all times, look at getting her a Taser or some mace and tell her if he shows up or put his hands on her again to call the police. She can get a harassment order in place if he keeps hounding her and once the police are involved there isn’t much a judge can do to make the report go away. Give her my number just in case, tell her to call me if she has questions or just needs to talk. Like I said that’s a special girl you got there, Kid. You wanna keep an eye on her.”
“I’m doing my best.”
“I know you are and Rule,” I waited a moment while he finished. “It’s good to see you finally settling down. You’ve always reminded me a little of my son, wild and carefree but you needed something to give you purpose. For my son it was fighting for our freedom and protecting his country, for you I think it’s figuring out you are worthy of the kind of love and affection a girl like that can offer. You two take care I’ll be in touch.”
I hung up the phone just as the door swung open and Shaw stuck her head in. “Come on let’s eat so we can go.”
I looked at her, I mean really looked at her and that slippery stuff in my chest suddenly settled right in the center. Her green eyes got wide when I tugged her into the bathroom and pulled her between my spread legs so that she was up against my chest and I rested my chin on the top of her head. Sometimes the difference in our height was just delightful.