The lie detector flies off the charts.
“Try again,” he says with a hard stare.
I sigh. “Pink.”
It goes on and on like this, and just when I think maybe he’s going to keep this test pretty benign, he kicks it up a notch.
“Are you a virgin?”
“No.”
“Were you in love with any of your previous girlfriends? “
“No.”
“Have you ever stolen anything?”
“No—wait, yes. A pack of gum in the ninth grade.”
“Are you a trustworthy person?”
“Yes.”
“Are you taking advantage of Jessie?”
“No.”
“Do you love my granddaughter?”
“Yes.”
He takes in a deep breath after that last question and sits back in his chair, resting his hands on his stomach. He holds my gaze and now I’m sure sweat is running down my face. Finally, after a painful amount of time, he nods.
“Okay.”
He stands from his chair and starts detaching the wires from me.
“Okay?” I say with a slightly wobbly voice that’s definitely embarrassing. “That’s it?”
“That’s it,” he says.
I let out a breath and shake my shoulders out, wiping the sweat from my brow. “So what now? Did I pass? Do I get to live?”
He chuckles lightly, but I don’t know what’s funny about what I just said. This whole thing has some serious hostage vibes. I mean, I respect it, but I’ll definitely never forget it.
Finally, after binding up all the cords and setting the polygraph back on the shelf (like he’s planning to use it again next week or something), he comes and sits down beside me. His face is back to
sweet old man, but I won’t let myself be fooled again just yet. He rests his elbows on the table and sets his chin on his fist, staring across the room.
“Drew, that girl in there is my whole world.” He pauses, and I don’t say anything. “I don’t know what all she’s told you, but her life didn’t start out like a fairytale. And then everything that happened with that Jonathan fellow, well…it tears me up inside.”
I know the feeling.
He swivels his aged, knowing eyes to me, and I see nothing but tenderness now. “She deserves the world. Jessie is prickly sometimes because she has a lot of hurt, but underneath all that, she has the kindest, warmest, most giving heart on the planet, and all I want is for her to be safe and taken care of.”
“I want that for her too.”
He smiles at me for the first time since the bedroom incident. “I can see that. I trust you, Drew, and I can see that Jessie does too. I think you’ll be good for each other. Just, please, I’m asking you to make sure to put her and that sweet baby first. Because if you hurt her, I might have to kill you.”