“I wish I got that excited about working.” I could hear him smiling.
“Never know if you don’t try.”
He laughed, and we sat in contented silence. “So you didn’t call when you went to your interview today, which I can’t say I’m not a little hurt about.”
“Aww, is Giant Hammerhead Cooper pouty?”
“Nah. The beast has been fed and is content. For now, at least. I can wake him up, though — just say the word.”
I laugh burst out of me. “Oh, my God, Coop. Never call it ‘the beast’ again. Like, ever.”
“You and your rules. Ever think about just throwing them all out the window?”
“Nope, not really.” I smiled. “Sorry I didn’t call. I knew I’d see you tonight, and I didn’t want to bother you.”
“You’re never a bother, Mags.”
“You say that now, but wait until my brother’s chasing you with a baseball bat and then let’s talk.”
It was his turn to laugh. “Are you sure I can’t change your mind?”
“I’m sure. I’m already in bed.”
“That’s not a convincing reason. I’m right around the corner.”
I pulled a pillow into my chest. “We’ve got to be smarter about this. Your face is too pretty to risk West’s wrath.”
“You think I’m pretty?” he asked.
“Ninety-eight percent of all humans who have seen your face think you’re pretty.”
“Only ninety-eight percent? My numbers have slipped.”
“The other two percent just think ‘tall, dark, and handsome’ is passé.”
He laughed again. “Text me tomorrow and let me know how your day is.”
“I will.”
“And Maggie?”
“Yes?”
“I really am sorry about tonight.”
“I wouldn’t take it back, but I don’t want to put ourselves in this spot again.” I squeezed the pillow a little tighter.
“I know. Me neither.” He took a breath and let it out. “All right. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Sleep well, Mags.”
“You too, Coop.”
I hung up and laid my phone on the nightstand before clicking off the light. And then I lay in bed, the room in such deep shadows that I couldn’t make out much, though I stared into the dark all the same, trying to make sense of what was right in front of me.
Two weeks. Really, it was twelve days before we’d end it. I was resolute, not willing to hurt anyone else for something I wanted, someone who I couldn’t have in any real way, anyway. The thought gave me comfort. I ignored the niggling of dread.
STARVING
Maggie
I PULLED OPEN THE DOOR to Project Homestead the next morning armed with textbooks, my laptop, iron will, and a smile, ready to crush the day. I headed back to my new boss’ office and found her sitting behind her desk. Her hair was a dark, rich gray, pulled back in a clip, her brown eyes shining from behind red-framed glasses.
She smiled up at me with rosy cheeks and stood.
“Good morning, Maggie.” She extended a hand.
“Hi, Susan,” I said as I took it. “Good to see you.”
“Have a seat.” She motioned to the chair, and I sat down. “Thank you so much for starting on such short notice. We’re lucky to have you. Our benefactor is coming in tomorrow, and we’ve had a lot of trouble finding a qualified candidate to run the reading enrichment program.”
“It’s my pleasure, really.” I set my bag down next to my chair and folded my hands in my lap.
She leaned on her desk. “Your credentials are just outstanding, and the references we spoke to had nothing but good things to say. We’re feeling a bit like we’ve won the lottery,” she said with a smile. “Today I’ll need you to fill out some paperwork, and we’ll be touring the facility. I want you to meet the kids, and then we’ll need to sit down and talk through some curriculum points. I’d like to have a loose plan in place for the meeting tomorrow.”
“I’m sure I can get something together in time.”
Susan adjusted her glasses on her nose. “Perfect.” She picked up a packet of papers from her desk and handed it over to me. “So, just to go into a bit more detail on what we touched on yesterday, your volunteer position will be three days per week for the kids in the shelter, similar to library programs. We want to bring reading into the children’s lives in a way that shows them the magic of books and imagination. We’d also like to discuss an adult reading workshop, which we would schedule based on the interest we receive.”
I flipped through the packet, a set of paperwork to fill out and some program overviews.
“This summer we’ll have larger groups of kids than you’ll have starting out, once all of the kids are out of school. It’s when they need us the most, the time when they’re unsupervised. Our shelters are mostly families trying to get back on their feet. Most have jobs, the kids in school, trying to maintain their lives even though they’ve lost their homes. It’s a transitional place for them, a place for them to find solid ground again. Any questions so far?”
“No, ma’am.”
She smiled and stood. “Great. Let’s have a look around.”
I gathered my things and followed her out of the office and through the building — through the kitchen and rooms, the common areas, the playroom where I met the kids who weren’t old enough for school. We ended up in the common office, a room set up with a few older desktop computers, round tables and chairs, a wall of packed bookshelves, and one super hot guy.
He was a bit older than me, with blond hair and a killer smile that he shot at me like a laser beam.
Susan gestured to him, and I think his smile got even brighter. “Maggie, I’d like you to meet Brian, our illustrious chef and head of our kitchens.”
He stood and extended a hand. “Nice to meet you, Maggie.”
“Likewise,” I answered, taking it with a smile. He gave it a solid squeeze.
“Maggie will be heading up our reading program.”
He nodded amiably. “Great. Catherine will be glad to hear we finally found someone.”
“Yes, she will.” Susan sounded relieved and turned back to me. “You can store any supplies you have here and use the space for anything you may need. For the meeting tomorrow, if you could put together a proposal for your plan for the children’s program as well as a general supply list, that would be a great start. And, no pressure, but if you have any ideas for the adult program, I’m sure Catherine would love to hear them.”
“All right. I think can manage. I have some good ideas on where to start.”
“Wonderful, Maggie. Let’s plan on meeting this afternoon to go over what you come up with. I can’t thank you enough for your help. Are you all right to set up here in the office? Do you have everything you need?”
“I do. Thank you, Susan.” I adjusted my bag on my shoulder with my mind already turning over ideas.
“Just let me know if you have any questions or need any guidance.”
“I will.”
I moved to sit a table away from Hottie Von Chefpants as Susan left the room, feeling him watching me with his pencil hovering over his clipboard.
“You’re welcome to sit over here, if you’d like.”
I smiled politely, since refusing wasn’t an option, not after he’d offered. “Sure.” I set down my bag and took a seat across from him. “What are you working on?”
He leaned back in his chair and ran a hand through his golden hair. “Menus for the next month and our grocery list for Catherine. She helps procure the donations we need to keep this place up and running.”
I pulled a binder of lesson plans out of my bag and set it on the table. “How long have you worked here?”
“Two years. Doesn’t pay much, in money at least.” He smiled at me again — it really was a pretty smile, kind and genuine.