I take off in a sprint to the bay door and find him. “Sir, I’m here. Eight-thirty is what it said on my schedule.”
He grins and slaps his hand on my shoulder. “I know, son. Just giving you a hard time on your first day. Come to my office.”
I follow him to a room, not an office, and he sits down in the chair. He motions for me to sit, so I do.
“Don’t let your guard down. Sometimes, they like to mess with the new guys. Damon will show you around, and you can call me if you need anything today. Good luck,” he says, extending his hand for me to shake.
“Will do, sir. Thank you.”
What is this, a fraternity? Who the fuck hazes grown ass men? Maybe this isn’t the right place for me, but I’m stuck here now.
Damon’s waiting outside the door, posted up against the wall. “Let’s check the place out.”
He walks me around and shows me the sleep room and kitchen area. Most of the guys are sitting around playing cards or watching tv already. I always wondered what they do when they aren’t on a call.
“It’s been a fucking morning, bro. Hazel is on my damn case about Raquel.”
“Oh yeah, I remember you talking to her at the party. Heard she is going to be taking care of your dad.”
Jesus, the word gets around fast. Even Damon knows.
“Yeah, but we are just friends. She doesn’t want to lose her job over it, which I respect, but damn. The first girl in a while and she’s off limits. Go fucking figure.”
He laughs, and sits down at one of the round tables, and picks up a stack of cards. “Sit down and play. This might be an uneventful first day for you.”
I let him shuffle the cards while I read her reply.
Raquel: Great. Wonder if my brother knows, too.
My eyes go wide, and fight myself to look around the room. Is Eli here today? I’m not even sure what the guy looks like, and I left before they could introduce me to him. The last thing I need is drama here too.
Damon deals out the cards, and I hurry out a reply.
Me: Not sure. Haven’t seen him yet.
A couple of guys stroll into the kitchen and open the fridge. Is one of them Eli? It’s not like I can just ask Damon. One of them grabs a Styrofoam container and sits down at the table next to us, but we lock eyes. That has to be him. I try to keep my focus on the game, but it’s hard when someone is staring you down.
“Hey, what’s up? I’m Jeremy.”
He leans back in his chair and chews his food before speaking. “Yeah, I know. Heard you’re trying to bang my sister.”
Look, I’m not the confrontational type, but if someone starts some shit, I’m not afraid to finish it. That is one of the good things that came out of being in foster care, learning to defend myself early on against the older kids wherever I was. It is something that happened at every home.
“We are just friends. She’s going to be taking care of my dad,” I say.
He scoffs. “Yeah, well, stay the fuck away from her. Everyone here knows she’s off limits. You aren’t the exception, new guy.”
Deep down, I want this guy to keep up and try something, because the need to knock him down a peg is on the forefront of my mind. Yet, it’s my first day and already there’s drama. It’s not Raquel’s fault, but it seems like shit is coming from every direction. Nobody wants us to have a shot. I try so hard not to get smart back, but I can’t help it.
“If your sister wasn’t taking care of my dad, then there would be no reason for me not to be with her. I could give a fuck less if you think she’s off limits. She’s a grown ass woman.”
The guys in the room are staring at us now, both standing up, and only about three feet apart from each other. All I’m waiting for is for him to make a move so I can deck him in the face. Please. Come closer, draw back, something.
Damon stands up and pushes us apart. “Come on, what are we, five? Grow the hell up.”
I fix my eyes on him, and even though I know it’s a bad idea, I say one more thing.
“Your sister might be scared of you, but I’m not.”