Page 53 of Old Habits

She lets go of my hand. “Well, don’t tell her I’m here…”

“I won’t.” We sit down and I swipe the screen to answer. “Hey, Sara. What’s up?”

“Please tell me you’re sitting at home doing nothing right now,” Sara says.

I glance at Jovie. “Not exactly. Why?”

“I have an assignment due online by midnight and Andy is driving me nuts. Can he hang out with you for a few hours so I can get some peace and quiet?”

“Well… can’t you get Mom to take him?” I suggest. “She’s been begging to babysit more.”

“No, if he goes with her, then she’ll fill him with sugar and then he’ll be up all night.”

“So, just tell her not to give him sugar.”

“Will,”she whines.

“Sara, I’m sorry, but I’m a little tied up right now.”

“With what?”

“Just…” I pause, feeling a rush of rebellion as I gaze at Jovie’s defiant eyes. “No. I can’t help you tonight, Sara. Sorry.”

“Okay, but—”

I hang up before I hear the rest of her response.

Jovie leans in. “And how did that make you feel?”

I exhale a hefty weight. “Pretty good,” I answer.

“Welcome to the dark side, Will Myers,” she says, hooking into my arm. “We have high self-esteem and shiny, iron spines.”

I drop the phone back into my pocket. “I feel like that’s going backfire on me tomorrow.”

“Sara will get over it,” she says. “And she has options. Rachel and Dave can take the kid.”

I nod. “Right.”

My phone rings again and we groan together.

“Jeez, she’s awfully persistent,” Jovie says.

I slide it back out and pause. “It’s Tucker.”

“Oh.” She lightens up. “Tell him I said hi. And then, you know, piss off. We’re busy.”

“Hey, Tuck,” I answer.

“Can you be on-call for me tonight?” he asks.

I flex my jaw. “You want me to work the tow for you tonight?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“I’m, uh…” He feigns a cough. “I’m sick.”