Page 46 of Up In Smoke
“Making sure you’re not left here stranded,” she says, folding her arms and flicking her eyebrows at me. “We can’t have you left here all alone.”
I glare at her and Klaus shifts by my feet. “The second watch are literally inside,” I remind her. “I’m hardly alone.”
“Yeah, but they’re not going to be able to give you a ride if your guy is a no show,” she says triumphantly. “They’re on call. Lucky for you, I’m feeling like a good Samaritan today.”
“Hmm, lucky me,” I agree with a hefty dose of sarcasm. I’m torn, because on the one hand, she’s right. If Jesse is MIA for whatever reason, I’d appreciate a lift.
On the other hand, if he does make it, I’d really rather none of my colleagues start poking into Jesse’s life. Just a simple question like ‘So what do you do for a living?’ would probably be enough to make him uncomfortable. Maybe even trigger him.
If he could just get some damn financial stability in his life, he’d almost certainly feel less insecure and therefore be lesslikely to freak out and—god forbid—relapse. The job market is bleak, though. I naively thought there would be plenty of opportunities for him. But apparently, a little town like Redwood Bay doesn’t have much to offer for recovering addicts who barely passed their GED with a spotty employment history in the entertainment industry.
All things considered, however, I’d prefer Jesse comes now and gets lightly grilled by Lili than if he doesn’t show at all. What if he’s in trouble? What if he’s fallen off the wagon? What if?—?
“Hey!” Lili cries, pointing down the street. “Isn’t that your car?”
Relief floods my system as a silver Toyota comes into view. “Yeah, it is.” I rub my chin, reminding myself that Jesse hasn’t let me down yet, so I need to keep my anxiety in check. Even when he intended on stealing my car on that very first day, he didn’t, and we’ve come so far since then.
We’ve still got a way to go, though, so I turn to Lili and arch an eyebrow at her. “Not my boyfriend, okay? Please be nice.”
She snorts at me and waves her hand dismissively. “Relax, Lieutenant. You know me.”
That’s the problem.
Jesse swerves into the parking lot just fractionally too fast, but I manage not to wince outwardly at least. The engine barely stops before the driver’s door flies open and Jesse practically falls out.
“Rico!” he cries, stumbling to a halt in front of me. “I’m so sorry! I fell back asleep after my alarm! Have you been waiting long?”
I open my mouth to assure him it’s fine, but Lili beats me to it. “Naw, you’re good, kid. I’ve been keeping the lieutenant here company. You must be the new roommate we’ve heard about.”
Jesse blinks, like he didn’t quite see her standing there until now. “Uh, yeah.” He throws an uncertain glance my way. “I’m Jesse.”
“Lili, nice to meet you.” She shoves her hand his way and when he reciprocates, gives him a firm shake. “And this here is Klaus.”
Upon hearing his name, the dog’s ears perk up, and he looks between Lili and Jesse.
I tense, really regretting not messaging ahead of time. I thought this was a conversation best had in person. But in the moment, it’s feeling kind of like an ambush.
Except I don’t have time to panic. Because Jesse’s face breaks into a breathtaking smile as he and the dog look at one another.
“Oh. Hello, Klaus,” he says breathlessly, crouching down and offering his fingers to sniff.
“You can also say guten tag,” I tell him. “Klaus knows a lot of German.”
“Really?” Jesse says. “Wow. Guten tag, Klaus. Aren’t you beautiful?” the dog barks and lifts his paw to rest on Jesse’s outstretched hand, eliciting a startled laugh from him. “Smartandbeautiful,” he murmurs as he shakes with Klaus before scratching between his ears. “Is he yours?” he asks Lili.
“Nope, he’s yours,” she says with a grin that shows she’s aware of exactly how meddlesome she’s being.
Jesse snaps his head to stare up at me, his eyebrows raised.
“Yeah,” I say slowly, only flicking a brief frown at my colleague before giving Jesse my full attention. “He’s a retired sniffer dog from the police department. He just needs fostering for a few weeks and I volunteered our place. But only if it’s okay with you?”
“Are you kidding? Of course!” Jesse cries. But then a look of concern flashes across his face as he glances back over at Klaus. “I’ve never owned a dog before. What if I mess it up?”
“Then we’ll figure it out together,” I tell him. “I’ve never had a pet in my life.”
Jesse still looks a little concerned, but Lili leans down to pat his shoulder. “Don’t overthink it, man. Klaus is a clever guy. He’ll help you out. So long as you walk him and feed him, I bet he’s going to be your new best friend.”
Something soft and vulnerable flits across Jesse’s face. He looks back at Klaus from where he’s still crouched in front of the dog, stroking his thick fur. “I’ve never had a best friend before,” he says quietly.