Page 8 of Role Play (Off the Books #1)

Forrest

Watching the dark-haired woman storm out of Papa Beans, I can count at least three things I should’ve done differently in that conversation.

I only approached her again because Dakota begged me to.

The woman looked near tears after that guy she was with left.

Maybe I caught her in the midst of a breakup?

I was a fool in line earlier. I’m pretty sure I did the adult equivalent of pulling her pigtails to get her attention.

I still don’t know what threw me off my game.

I know how to be whatever a woman wants.

But they usually tell me as part of my employment contract.

I might’ve forgotten how to talk to women when I’m not hired to.

Not to mention, I probably should’ve kept my mouth shut about the parenting stuff, but it’s a sore spot for me. If Hannah says no, everybody respects that. When I try to set rules, it’s laughable. I’m Dakota’s parent too. It’d be nice to be treated as such sometimes.

When my parents got divorced, my mom was the “fun” one.

She bought me everything I wanted, then would disappear for months.

As a kid, it was great. Mom would bust in like Santa Claus with a sack full of bribes in the form of toys and electronics.

She never made me do anything I didn’t want to.

My rancher dad, on the other hand, made me do chores to earn an allowance.

He taught me to take pride in a day filled with hard work.

Dad made sure I got a good education and even set me up with a savings account that he faithfully contributed to for over a decade.

I’m twenty-eight now… Guess which parent I respect.

And guess which parent I still talk to.

“She didn’t want to play?” Dakota asks, looking up from my phone as I sit down across from her.

“What’s that?”

“Where did your friend go?”

I shrug. “She left. I think I upset her.”

Dakota frowns as she eyes the bakery treat still in my hand. “You didn’t give her the cookie.”

I nod, then relax into my seat. “I tried. She didn’t want it.”

“Daddy, do you have friends?” Dakota crosses her arms and grabs her elbows. Her smile is weak…almost pitying.

“Of course I do. You’ve met Taio and Saylor.”

She presses her fingers against her temples and groans. “No, girlfriends. ”

I laugh at the annoyed expression on her face. “What, you’re exasperated with me now?”

She screws up her face in confusion.

“Yeah, that’s right, smarty pants. Bet you don’t know what that word means.”

Dakota scowls at me. “I do, too.”

“Mhm, sure.” I give her a teasing wink. “Why are you suddenly worried about if I have friends? Or girlfriends?”

“Because…who do you play with when I’m at school or when I’m with Mommy and Henry?”

I pout at her, puckering my bottom lip. “I don’t play. I sit and sulk until I get to see you again.”

“ Daddy .”

“ Koda ,” I mimic in her whiny tone. “Is that why you wanted me to go give the lady her cookie back?” For fuck’s sake. Apparently my dating life is so sad that my four-year-old daughter is trying to be my wingman.

She hangs her head. “She’s pretty.”

She definitely is…

“What’s her name?” Dakota asks.

It suddenly dawns on me that I never even asked for her name. Nor did I introduce myself. Okay, make that four things I should’ve done differently.

Before I can save face and make up a name for the woman to appease my kid’s curiosity, my phone rings.

Dutifully, Dakota hands over my phone. That’s the one rule she respects.

I let her play Kiddopia as much as she wants, but she is never, ever to answer my phone.

My burner number still connects to my device and one of my worst fears is my clients knowing about my daughter.

These are two worlds I work desperately to keep apart.

I mouth “thank you” to my daughter, then glance at the caller ID. Finally.

“Hannah, where are you?” I ask, slightly panicked. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. I just finished a hot yoga class at the club. Why?”

“Koda’s school called you like four times. They said you didn’t answer.” I press my lips together hard, bracing myself. “I took her home early. She’s with me. I know it’s not my day, but some punk in her class was bullying her and?—”

“Forrest. It’s fine.”

“You’re not mad?” Now, I’m puzzled. Taking our daughter without her permission is a prime opportunity for her to yell at me. Hannah loves any excuse to bite my head off. She’s still mad at me for being the cause of our breakup, and I think she’s determined to punish me until the end of time.

“No. She’s been asking for you, anyway. It’s good you’re spending some quality time together.”

“Were they handing out edibles at this yoga class or something?”

Hannah chuckles, and now I’m very suspicious. “No. I um… Well, hey, can you keep Koda tonight?”

I tap my fingers against the table. “Why?”

“What do you mean why? Don’t you want to keep her?”

“Of course, but it’s not my weekend. And I have to work tonight.”

Hannah grumbles into the phone. “What kind of financial consultant has to be on call on Friday evenings?”

“It’s for a big acquisition overseas. They requested a video chat.

It looks better if my client’s advisor is there as a show of support.

” I stare at the wall as I lie. I hate to say it, but it’s becoming easier and easier to fool everyone into believing my pseudo-career in financial consulting.

No one wants to hear about finance portfolios, so my fake profession tends to shut down probing questions quickly.

“Well, fine. Can you bring Koda to my parents’ house, then?”

“Will they be there?” My eyes snap to my daughter who is lost in her bag of pretzels. She’s sticking her finger deep into the bag, trying to catch the loose grains of salt.

“I don’t know… The housekeeper should be, though.”

“The housekeeper? Do you even know the housekeeper?”

“Forrest, don’t tell me how to be a mom. My parents have security cameras all across their estate. It’s fine. She’ll be safe.”

I can’t believe the words that are about to come out of my mouth. “Can she just stay with Henry if you’re going out? At least that’s her home and her toys are there.”

“No… Henry and I have to sort some stuff out tonight. In private.”

There’s something tension-ridden in her response, but I can’t understand what’s going on. “Hannah, I’m about to text you.”

I pull the phone from my ear and quickly send her a message so Dakota doesn’t hear.

Me:

Are you pregnant?

As soon as the swoop of a sent message sounds, Hannah responds into the phone, “ God, no. Why would you ask that?”

“Because last time you sounded this cryptic and stressed out, you were. Then, Koda came along.”

“Well, I’m not,” she snaps.

“Okay, okay. I just wanted you to know, if that’s what you and Henry want, it’s fine. I wouldn’t give you a hard time about it.”

Hannah scoffs. “It’s most definitely not what Henry wants. So, drop it, detective.”

“Sorry.”

There’s a silent lull between us. I watch Dakota tip the pretzel bag into her mouth, then lick her lips as she savors the last remnants of salt and crumbs.

“I’ll keep her tonight,” I finally say, running my fingers down the buttons of the client-gifted, expensive shirt I’m wearing.

“What about your meeting?”

“I’ll figure it out.”

“But—” She stops short. “Okay, never mind. Thank you. Kiss Koda goodnight for me.”

“Do you want to talk to her?”

It takes a few seconds of silence for me to realize that Hannah already hung up. Sighing, I quickly make another call.

“Yes?” Rina, my boss, never answers “hello.” Always “yes” or “what do you need?” In her defense, I suppose none of us ever call her to chitchat, only when we need something.

“Hey, what are the chances you can get coverage for me tonight?”

“None. Impossible.”

“ Rina . You didn’t even check.”

By the extremely loud clicking of her acrylics against the keyboard, I know she’s holding the phone on speaker right next to her laptop. “Look at that,” she says immediately, “just checked. No chance .”

“Hilarious,” I grumble. “But I can’t make it tonight.”

“It’s a five-thousand-dollar night, Hawkins. She specifically asked for you. No one has deeper pockets than Mrs. Connor. I’m not going to risk pissing her off.”

“Saylor told me Mrs. Connor is aggressively handsy. And that’s before additional payment.”

Rina laughs into the speaker, causing a crackle in my ear.

“What you guys do off the books is your business, but you better keep it clean when you’re on the clock.

Her limo is picking you up at seven. Before I forget, she also requested that when you shower, you can use scented soap, but absolutely no cologne. It triggers her migraines.”

“Are you even listening to me?” My eyes hit the ceiling. “I said I can’t make it.”

She grumbles in agitation. “What’s your excuse? And, Hawkins, it better be damn good .”

“My daughter.” I smile at Dakota across the table. She pokes out her tongue and crosses her eyes, making a silly face. “I unexpectedly have my daughter tonight.”

Based on Rina’s long, exaggerated exhale, I know I’ve won the argument. “Playing the kid card? You’re a real pain in my ass, know that?”

“Cam’s free tonight.” I picture Rina scowling at my very helpful suggestion.

“Cameron is a buffoon.”

“A buffoon who doesn’t mind being shamelessly groped.”

“Fine,” she huffs. “I’ll figure it out. But you owe me, and I’m going to make it hell. You think Mrs. Connor is handsy? Your next job is going to be with the woman Levi calls the human octopus.”

“Wait, what?—”

But like Hannah, Rina also ends our call without saying “bye.”

Human octopus? That can’t be good.

I unzip Dakota’s pink backpack that was resting by my feet. “Any chance you have pajamas in here, baby?” Dakota only has two pairs of PJs at my shoebox of an apartment, and not expecting her until next weekend, I haven’t done laundry quite yet.

She shakes her head aggressively, her hair whipping her in the face.

“I guess we’re going shopping.”

“Why?”

“Because I just talked to Mommy, and you and I get to have a sleepover tonight.”

Her big blue eyes widen to startling proportions as she clenches her little fists tightly. “ Yes !” she squeals, attracting the attention of our fellow patrons.

The look of glee on her face almost makes up for the fact that my next job is going to be with a woman that I’m mentally picturing as the sea witch from The Little Mermaid .

I stare at Dakota’s smile that’s so big, her eyes cinch closed.

Ah, who am I kidding? That smile definitely makes up for a date with Ursula.