quickly. I doubted
either had even gotten a good look at each other.
“Neither.
Hopefully I never will.”
He chuckled. “I’m
sure you’ll be forced to eventually. Some kind of horrible dinner to get to
know him, or something.”
“Like she’d ever
be able to convince me to do that.”
A quick rapping on
the door interrupted the conversation and the guy I’d met downstairs popped his
head in without waiting for a response. “You kids need to get out of ‘ere,
someone is coming over. Sorry ‘bout the short time, but this is something big.
You’ll ‘ave to come back some other time.”
My dad grimaced,
but there was nothing he could do about it. I’d have to find out about his
connection to this guy next time I came to visit. “It was really good to see
you dad,” we all stood up and I embraced him in a tight hug. “I’ll come and
visit again soon, I’ve really missed having you around.”
“I’ve missed you
too, honey, but maybe it would be better if you didn’t come back here again.
Wait until I’m more sorted, or come and meet me in a coffee shop. And if you do
insist on coming back here, bring him with you,” he stuck his thumb towards Luke
before releasing me.
“I will, don’t
worry. I’m not just not going to see you because my mum’s forced you into this
situation, though.”
“I’m sure we’ll
work something out,” he turned to Luke and shook his hand once more. “Good to
meet you. Make sure you look after her while I’m not around.”
“ Dad. ”
Luke was quite
clearly on the verge of making an uncomplimentary remark, but the sentence had
clearly struck closer to home than either of us would have liked. We needed to
be looking out for each other for sure, because this stalker thing didn’t look
like it was going away any time soon. “I will do.”
“You really need
to go,” the guy at the door stressed once more, apparently not moved by our
goodbyes.
“You two should head
off. Stay safe and I’ll see you again soon.”
I gave a sad wave
before exiting the door and starting down the stairs. It looked as though we’d
not been quick enough because the door opened just as I reached the ground
floor. The bald guy who was trailing us pushed his way through and quickly
shook the hand of the man at the door. “’Ey up, mate, good to see you, sorry
about these, they’re just leaving,” he ushered for us to hurry up and leave.
The man at the
door gave us a once over and I realised he had a glass eye. I tried desperately
to stare, keeping my gaze glued to my scuffed up converse. “It’s no problem, I
feel better in your business model if you’ve actually got customers at the
house.”
“Right, right,
yes,” my dad’s landlord coughed awkwardly and stared us down, letting us know
that we still had to leave straight away. I wanted nothing more than to get out
of this building as fast as possible. “Still, they were just leaving. We can
talk alone.”
“Excellent,” he
took a step forward so the exit was free and I went straight for it, keeping my
eyes completely downcast. I almost jumped when I felt his gloved hand on my
arm. “Just know that if you ever need anything straight from the source, you
can always find me here,” he handed me a car with a number on and I stared at
it in horror.
I definitely
didn’t want anything to do with that.
Luke gave me a slight
push from the other side and we exited together, both with pale faces. “I don’t
want to go back there again, no matter what I said,” I stuck close to his side
even when we were back on the street. “I don’t know what the fuck he’s doing in
there.”
“I’m not letting
you go back there, whether you like it or not,” Luke even looked slightly
annoyed by the entire thing. “So I’m glad that’s your opinion. What a bunch of
sleazeballs. Your dad seems nice enough, anyway.”
I chuckled, but
held up my
either had even gotten a good look at each other.
“Neither.
Hopefully I never will.”
He chuckled. “I’m
sure you’ll be forced to eventually. Some kind of horrible dinner to get to
know him, or something.”
“Like she’d ever
be able to convince me to do that.”
A quick rapping on
the door interrupted the conversation and the guy I’d met downstairs popped his
head in without waiting for a response. “You kids need to get out of ‘ere,
someone is coming over. Sorry ‘bout the short time, but this is something big.
You’ll ‘ave to come back some other time.”
My dad grimaced,
but there was nothing he could do about it. I’d have to find out about his
connection to this guy next time I came to visit. “It was really good to see
you dad,” we all stood up and I embraced him in a tight hug. “I’ll come and
visit again soon, I’ve really missed having you around.”
“I’ve missed you
too, honey, but maybe it would be better if you didn’t come back here again.
Wait until I’m more sorted, or come and meet me in a coffee shop. And if you do
insist on coming back here, bring him with you,” he stuck his thumb towards Luke
before releasing me.
“I will, don’t
worry. I’m not just not going to see you because my mum’s forced you into this
situation, though.”
“I’m sure we’ll
work something out,” he turned to Luke and shook his hand once more. “Good to
meet you. Make sure you look after her while I’m not around.”
“ Dad. ”
Luke was quite
clearly on the verge of making an uncomplimentary remark, but the sentence had
clearly struck closer to home than either of us would have liked. We needed to
be looking out for each other for sure, because this stalker thing didn’t look
like it was going away any time soon. “I will do.”
“You really need
to go,” the guy at the door stressed once more, apparently not moved by our
goodbyes.
“You two should head
off. Stay safe and I’ll see you again soon.”
I gave a sad wave
before exiting the door and starting down the stairs. It looked as though we’d
not been quick enough because the door opened just as I reached the ground
floor. The bald guy who was trailing us pushed his way through and quickly
shook the hand of the man at the door. “’Ey up, mate, good to see you, sorry
about these, they’re just leaving,” he ushered for us to hurry up and leave.
The man at the
door gave us a once over and I realised he had a glass eye. I tried desperately
to stare, keeping my gaze glued to my scuffed up converse. “It’s no problem, I
feel better in your business model if you’ve actually got customers at the
house.”
“Right, right,
yes,” my dad’s landlord coughed awkwardly and stared us down, letting us know
that we still had to leave straight away. I wanted nothing more than to get out
of this building as fast as possible. “Still, they were just leaving. We can
talk alone.”
“Excellent,” he
took a step forward so the exit was free and I went straight for it, keeping my
eyes completely downcast. I almost jumped when I felt his gloved hand on my
arm. “Just know that if you ever need anything straight from the source, you
can always find me here,” he handed me a car with a number on and I stared at
it in horror.
I definitely
didn’t want anything to do with that.
Luke gave me a slight
push from the other side and we exited together, both with pale faces. “I don’t
want to go back there again, no matter what I said,” I stuck close to his side
even when we were back on the street. “I don’t know what the fuck he’s doing in
there.”
“I’m not letting
you go back there, whether you like it or not,” Luke even looked slightly
annoyed by the entire thing. “So I’m glad that’s your opinion. What a bunch of
sleazeballs. Your dad seems nice enough, anyway.”
I chuckled, but
held up my
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