Page 20 of Naked Coffee Guy
I hear the yelling in the background grow fainter, and I know Hattie has moved to a separate area from him.
“Anna’s little boy is sick, and she asked if I could stay on.”
“But you worked all night,” I say, as if she needs reminding. “Aren’t you exhausted?”
“I’ll grab a nap when he’s sleeping. It’s fine.”
I can still somewhat hear Benji yelling from the other room. “It sounds like today’s been difficult.”
“He woke up in a mood and has been calling me an intruder all day.”
Hattie is a saint for what she puts up with. Generally, she’s great at helping Benji re-center when he gets confused. She’s been with Benji long enough that he usually recognizes her, though occasionally he forgets. This time, he seems more agitated than normal. His time is running out, and I’m not sure if I’m ready. At the same time, I know things will be easier once Benji does pass. A lot of problems will be solved, which makes me feel like an ass because we’re talking about the man who took me in at a time when no one wanted me.
“I have a few things to wrap up at the office, then I can come home and let you go early.” I mentally go over my list of appointments today, thinking of which ones I can cancel.
“Nonsense, Mr. Dermot. Benji is fine, he’s just agitated. His afternoon nap might reset him. Besides, he’s my only patient, and I have nowhere else to be. I might as well stay here for the job you overpay me for.”
I chuckle at this. She’s telling the truth. I give each nurse more than they make a year for a job that probably won’t outlast the month. But peace of mind, knowing he’s well cared for, is priceless.
“When’s the last time you stayed at your own house, or even had a night of fun?” she continues. I rub the back of my neck, stalling to answer as I pull into my parking spot at the office. There was a time when I thought having your own parking spot meant you’d made in life. Facing the sign in front of my car with my name on it, it’s ironic that it’s just the least of the privileges I’ve gained in this fortunate life. Behind me is a whole office of agents who work under my license, and a staff who answers to me. It’s a far cry from the fifteen-year-old thief I used to be, now that I’m more than twice that age.
“It’s been a while,” I admit, answering Hattie’s question.
“It’s been never, since you hired me,” she pointed out. “You need a break, Mr. Dermot.”
I laugh. “Me? You’re there more waking hours than I am.”
“It’s my job, sir.”
“And I owe this man my life,” I counter. She sighs, but I can practically hear Hattie smiling through the phone.
“With all due respect, Benji wouldn’t want you burning out at both ends just for his sake,” she says.
She’s wrong, of course. Benji was a hardnosed motherfucker who expected everyone who worked for him to give more than they got. He may have taken me under his wing as my guardian, but make no mistake, I was also his employee. I worked from the moment I woke up to the time I went to bed. I earned my meals and his respect, neither of which came easy. Burnout was a foreign concept to this man.
“Don’t come home, Mr. Dermot. Go to your house and recharge, or go out and do something fun. Lord knows you need it.”
“But Benji. He’s being—”
“He’s fine, and so am I. It’s you I’m worried about. In the past month, I have not seen you rest for a moment.”
I want to argue with her, to pull rank and let her know that I’m the boss, and what I say goes. But that’s not how things are with Hattie, or any of the nurses who seem to be watching out for me just as much as they care for Benji. I might sign Hattie’s paychecks, but she’s quickly stationed herself as the one in charge, at least in a motherly kind of way. It’s been so long since I’ve had a mother, I can’t help but bend when she insists.
Besides, I have a sweet little brunette who has made a deal with the devil, and I plan to cash in. Tonight could be the perfect night.
“You’ll call me if he gives you trouble. And if…” If his heart stops beating.
“I’ll call,” she promises, “Now, I don’t expect to see you again until tomorrow.”
After we hang up, I grab my briefcase and set the alarm on my car. I’m greeted as soon as I walk through the double doors, and my assistant Tara jumps up from her desk with a notebook. Immediately, she starts going over what I’ve missed since this morning. I’m barely listening to her, my mind distracted as I think about tonight’s possibilities.
“Tara,” I interrupt. She stops her roll as we stand outside my office.
“Yes, Mr. Dermot?” Her eyes are wide, and I realize not for the first time, how eager she is to please me. She’s a sweet girl, and admittedly hot as fuck in her pencil skirt and long hair wrapped in a bun, but I don’t fraternize at work.
“Make a reservation at the Seafarer Hotel for tonight. Get the largest room they have.”
Tara’s breath hitches, and I don’t miss the moment her eyes move from excitement to understanding and then to disappointment.