Page 6 of The Taste of Humility
“I told you—”
“Tomorrow, I have you down for nine… again,” I cut in, not giving him the opportunity to spew his bullshit excuses. I find it unacceptable and honestly, disrespectful to our mission here at the community center. “Hopefully, you’ve learned your lesson and will be on time.”
“My lesson?” he asks, the smirk melting from his face.
“Yes, for every hour you missed today, you added ten more hours. It’s in the terms of your agreement, or did your lawyer forget to tell you?”
“You added ten more hours?”
“No, I didn’t add any time. You did.” I smile sweetly, watching his face sink further. “And it wasn’t ten. It’s forty. You’re four hours late.”
* * *
MAVERIK
I slamthe heel of my palm against the steering wheel and release a flurry of curses.
“What do you mean, I can’t transfer locations?” I bark into the phone, my panic turning into rage.
“The judge wouldn’t even consider the request,” my lawyer, Rowan, says, sounding as puzzled as I feel.
What the hell is going on?
Rowan didn’t inform me of the terms in my court ordered community service. But even if he had… I would’ve been late. Staring at the fountain in the middle of my front lawn, I drag in a deep breath.
“It makes no sense. The man asked for my autograph to take home to his wife—he knows who I am.”
“The only thing I can figure is the community center’s director must’ve called ahead of us.”
“How? I called you as I was walking out of the building?”
“You talked to her last night. Did you say something that could’ve pissed her off enough to pull strings like this?”
“I say a lot of things that piss people off—”
“As your lawyer and your friend, Maverik, I need you to be serious for a moment. You know who the woman’s father is.” Rowan cuts me off, talking like I need a reminder. I’m the one who gave him that bit of information when I saw the list of facilities I had to choose from. “Pissing her off could cause enough backlash to end your career.”
Wait. What?
Could she do that?
“She wouldn’t do that,” I bite, but I’m not entirely convinced she wouldn’t. After all, her father is a man you don’t fuck with in the film world. I would assume that could extend to any member of his family.
“What did you say?” Rowan asks, because he knows me well enough by now. It’s just a matter of admitting I fucked up and figuring out how to fix it.
“I might’ve suggested she sign off on my hours without me actually serving them, for a favor of her choosing in return.”Fuck, I’m so stupid, I think hearing the words for the first time out loud, in a lucid moment.
“Maverik…” he trails off in a way I know he’s pinching the bridge of his nose because he’s trying not to lash out over my stupidity. “I told you that was a bad idea.”
“I know, I know,” I breathe, but what’s done is done. Nothing I do or say will undo that conversation.
Unless…The wheels turn inside of my head as I plan my next move.
“You’re lucky the judge went lenient with you. Sixty hours is nothing compared to what I’ve seen ordered in that very room.” I hear Rowan say, but the words don’t completely compute.
“Row, I’ve got to go. I think I might know how to deal with this problem.”
“Problem? Maverik, don’t do anything stupid,” he shouts a second before I disconnect the call.