Fit for the Job (8 page)

“I know how screwed up this is,” Bodie said. “It’s murky waters for me, too. But I really think you can help Sassy. Not just with prying her from her room and getting her off her ass to exercise. But with getting her out of her own head for a while.”

Jay sighed.

“She wasn’t always like this,” Bodie said. “This behavior is very recent. The old Sassy was a normal kid, polite, funny, happy. And she’s still in there somewhere. I’d really like to get her back.”

Jay drummed his fingers on his knees, silent. This went on for so long that Bodie grew uncomfortable, but finally Jay spoke. “All right, I’m willing to reconsider. But I have conditions. I want you to talk to Eben for me.”

Bodie made a sour face. “About what? Eben is preparing for a major character role right now. Invading his headspace at the moment is not a good idea.”

“Fuck Eben’s headspace,” Jay said. “He lied to me. If he wants me to train his complex, stubborn, highly difficult child, I have conditions. If he doesn’t like it, he can suck my left nut.”

Bodie raised an eyebrow. Yep, he’d definitely been wrong in his initial creampuff assessment of Jay Capello. “Okay. What are your conditions?”

“I want to take Sassy out of the house a few times a week.”

Bodie winced and shook his head. “Can’t you ask for something else?”

“No. I want to be able to take her out of the house. I need to be able to design her fitness plan. As I see fit.”

“And if Eben says no?”

“Then it’s a deal breaker. Let him hire someone who can figure out how to exercise a kid that can’t leave the house, won’t set foot in the gym, and identifies with Colonel Kurtz from
Apocalypse Now
. And good luck to him.”

Bodie scowled. He couldn’t really argue with that. “If Eben agrees,” he said to Jay, “and that’s a big
if
, he’s going to want me and likely Evelyn too, to accompany you wherever you go with Sassy.”

Jay nodded. “I have no issue with that.”

“And I want your word that if Sassy valves off, or tries to run away in the process, you won’t interfere if we have to subdue her.”

“Agreed. Just don’t hurt her.”

“I would never hurt her!” Bodie said, rising from his chair.

Jay held his hands up. “Okay, okay. No offense intended.”

“I don’t
like
having to deal with the kid’s emotional breakdowns, Jay. This job isn’t exactly fun for me at the moment,” he said, surprising himself by using such candor with this stranger.

“Then why...” Jay hesitated, glancing at Bodie as though afraid to incur his rage.

“Why what? Say what you were going to say.”

“Why do you do this job if you hate it?”

Bodie eased back into his chair. “Well, I’m hoping this madness will end soon, and Sassy will go back to being just a normal teenager. And I care about her. I was at her first birthday party, for Christ sakes. At least I’m family, she knows me. If I quit, Eben will just hire more strangers to do exactly what I’m doing. And as much as she professes to hate me right now, I feel like that would be even harder on her.”

Jay stared at Bodie, an odd expression on his face.

“What?” Bodie asked.

Grinning shyly, Jay cast his eyes down. “Nothing.”

Bodie scowled, leaning forward. “Use your
words
, Jay.”

Jay looked up at him and chuckled. “I just...had you pegged wrong is all.”

“And how did you have me
pegged
?”

Jay shrugged. “I don’t know.” He glanced at Bodie. “Silent badass, no feelings, cyborg type.”

Bodie huffed, trying not to smile. While he liked the rapport forming between them, his instincts were at odds with themselves, and part of him felt the need to shut down and not let Jay in any closer. Jay made him feel funny, and not just in his loins. Until he sorted out just exactly what that funny feeling meant, he shouldn’t risk letting his drawbridge down. He’d trusted people completely in the past, people who with all his heart he thought were friends. And they’d turned on him in a heartbeat. He wasn’t exactly chomping at the bit to try friendship again anytime soon.

“Yeah, we’ll you weren’t
too
far off in that assessment,” Bodie said, and pulled his phone out of his jeans pocket. “Do you want to wait in here while I go call Eben? He’s out right now. Working. Just so you know, he’s gonna ream me out for calling him. You’re welcome.”

“Actually,” Jay said. “I’d like to talk to Sassy again before I leave. Alone.”

Chuckling, Bodie shook his head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“It’ll be fine, I promise,” Jay said. “I need to earn her trust if she’s going to work with me and not against me.”

Earn her trust
. Well, that was exactly what Eben said he wanted. Bodie stood. “I’ll take you up.”

“No, I can find the way.” Jay stood.

Bodie frowned, conflicted.

“It will be fine, Bodie. Just let me go up and talk to her. You can call Eben in the meantime. I’ll be back down shortly.”

Finally, Bodie nodded. “All right. But tread lightly. And shout down if you need me. I’ll be in the kitchen. And don’t...let her know we discussed this. About her problems with Eben.”

Jay smiled at him and made a zipping gesture over his lips. “Not a word, I promise.”

Once Jay left the room, Bodie strolled out into the kitchen and leaned on the counter, staring at his phone. Dreading the call he had to make. He was sure he was about to incur Eben’s wrath for interrupting him at work. For intruding on him when he was
in the zone
, as he put it.

Tate stepped into the room. “You okay?”

“Yeah. Thanks for covering my shift today. We’ll be leaving again in a few minutes, but I’ll be back soon.”

“No problem,” Tate said. “It’s not like I have a whole lot else to do. This neighborhood is quiet. You sure you’re okay?”

Bodie smiled. “Fine. Just need to call Eben at work.”

Tate chuckled and patted Bodie’s shoulder. “Good luck with that.”

Tate left the room and Bodie stared down at his phone again. He knew that Eben might very possibly just say fuck it, and let Jay go. Hiring Jay could have simply been another one of his whims. He’d had several hair-brained schemes in the past two months to try and lure Sassy from her ice cave, but nothing had panned out so far. But if Eben did want to keep Jay around, he’d have to yield to his demands.

And Bodie really hoped he would. Because he was convinced Sassy would like having Jay around.

And I wouldn’t mind keeping him around a while longer myself
.

With that thought, he steeled himself, and dialed Eben.

****

Jay knocked on the girl’s door. “Sassy, it’s Jay. Can I talk to you for a minute?”

He heard murderous shrieks and growls behind the closed door, but was fairly certain they were coming from the television.

He waited, and when a minute passed with no response, he knocked again.

Sassy pulled open the door and looked at him, her eyes puffy from crying. She frowned as she peered out into the empty corridor. “Where’s Bodie?”

“He’s downstairs,” Jay said. “I was hoping we could talk alone for a minute.”

Face set in a pretty scowl, she looked at Jay. “Fine.” She turned and re-entered her suite.

Jay followed her in and closed the door behind him. When Sassy returned to her place on the sofa, he wandered over and took the chair beside her once again. Glancing at the TV screen, he saw Brad Pitt on an airplane bashing a zombie in the head with a piece of carry-on luggage.

“So I’m gonna try and help you out,” Jay said.

Sassy cocked a skeptical eyebrow. “With what?”

“Your home confinement problem. We’re going to see if your dad will let you do activities off the property.”

Sassy let out a guffaw. “Yeah. Good luck with that.”

“Hey,” Jay said. “I’m doing what I can with what I’ve got to work with. I wasn’t expecting to have to work with all these...restrictions. Your own personal ones included.”

Sassy looked stunned that he’d dare confront her on the topic. “What
personal
ones?”

“Well,” Jay shrugged, “you won’t go to the gym, or the pool, or play tennis, or any of the other fitness tools I have
available
to me here. If your father won’t let me take you elsewhere for exercise, I’m at a loss. I can’t do it.”

Straightening in her seat, her expression showed real interest for the first time. “You’re gonna quit?”

Jay nodded. “I might. What choice do I have?”

“So you’re not a friend of my father’s?” she asked.

“No,” Jay said. “I just met him yesterday.”

Sassy studied him a moment, then said, “Wait here.” She got up and took off down the hallway, disappearing.

Jay followed with his eyes, confused. “Okay,” he muttered.

Sassy returned shortly after with a decorative, rectangular box, and set it on the coffee table in front of the sofa. She opened it with a small key, and raised the lid. “This is all my jewelry,” she said, lifting a small handful of shiny trinkets out and placing them on the coffee table. “This ruby cross I got appraised a while back, the rest of it I’m just guessing, but I’d say the whole lot is worth about twelve thousand dollars.” She looked at Jay.

“Um, okay. Why are you telling me this?”

“Jay.” She shuffled closer to him. “My father has cut off all my money. If you take this jewelry and hock it for me, I’ll give you a cut.”

“I see. And what do you plan to do with this money?”

She leaned close and lowered her voice. “I need to get out of here. My parents are nuts. They don’t love me. I want to live on my own.”

Jay’s lips tightened as he pondered how to handle this new curveball. “I know twelve thousand might seem like a lot, but that’s not going to get you very far.”

Sassy’s pretty face scrunched and she snorted in derision. “I know
that
. I have a plan for getting more money. But I have to get out of here first, so I can get it set up.”

“Sassy,” Jay said, “I’m not hocking your jewelry for you. Even if I did want to do that, which I don’t, Bodie pats me down. I
think
he’d probably find a box of jewelry stuffed down my pants.”

He expected a tantrum, but Sassy’s eyes widened, and she giggled. “Bodie
pats you down
?”

Jay shrugged, then grinned. “Yeah. I’m afraid so.”

“You better watch out, I heard he’s gay, you know. Oh! You could swallow something. Here, these are worth like two grand.” She held up a pair of diamond tear drop earrings.

Jay was still lingering on the ‘
I heard
he’s gay, you know’
as Sassy waved the earrings in front of his face. He forced the shock of that statement away for later pondering. “You want me to swallow your earrings?”

“Why not? I saw a movie where people swallowed diamonds. You just poop them out later.”

“Maybe you should stop watching so many movies,” Jay said. “And I’m not going to poop out your diamonds, Sassy. I get enough fiber in my diet.”

Sassy let out a full belly laugh, and it made Jay feel like he’d won the lottery.

“Okay,
fine
. I didn’t think you’d do it anyway.” She tucked the jewelry back in the box and locked it up.

“Speaking of diets,” Jay said, “How’s yours?”

Her smiled wilted and she scowled at him. “Why? Do
you
think I’m fat, too?”

“Of course not,” he said. “At your age, I’d be more worried about an eating disorder.”

Her shoulders relaxed. “Oh. No, my diet’s fine.”

“What do you like to eat?”

“I don’t know. Turkey sandwiches. Salads. Seafood. Libby makes me eat, so you don’t have to worry about an
eating disorder
.”

“Who’s Libby?” Jay asked.

“The lady dad hired to clean the house and make food and stuff for us. Except for dad, he’s on this stupid crazy diet so his food gets delivered. Libby’s weird, but all right.”

“Sassy, who called you fat?”

She rolled her eyes. “My dad said I was gaining weight from sitting around so much. But now I realize it was probably just another one of his manipulation tactics. So I wouldn’t argue when he got me a trainer. When he sent
you
.”

Eben had seemed like a super nice guy when Jay met him, but suddenly he wanted to hunt the actor down and strangle him. “Well, you’re not overweight at all,” Jay said. “But some movement would do you good. If we can get your father to lift the restrictions, would you be cooperative?”

Her suspicious frown returned, pinching her brows. “Like what sort of movement?”

“Well, we talked about rollerblading. There are so many things. Hiking for one. There are some great places to hike around here. I think you’d really enjoy that if you gave it a chance.”

“I
have
been hiking before, Jay. I’m not some inner city charity case you have to take out into the woods so I can see a flower for the first time.”

“Well good, then. If your father agrees, I’ll arrange some activities. But I want something in return.”

“I’m not going to sleep with you,” she said.

“Oh for Christ sakes, Sassy,” he said, frowning. “Cut that crap out.”

Her eyes widened and she raised her arms. “Okay, sorry. Touchy, touchy. So what do you want in return?”

Jay leaned forward, clasping his hands, and looked her in the eye. “I want your promise that you won’t try to take off while you’re in my charge.”

Her cheeks reddened, and she crossed her arms. “Bodie will just catch me if I try, anyway.”

“I’d appreciate it if he didn’t have to. I’d like it if you didn’t
try
.”

She sat sulking for another minute. Jay remained silent. Finally she glanced at him. “Fine. I won’t run off while I’m with you. But my dad won’t agree to it anyway.”

Jay stood. “Well, we’ll find out soon enough. If all goes well, I’ll be moving into the guest house tomorrow. You want to go rollerblading? You can pick the time.”

“I like to sleep late,” she said.

“That’s okay. How about around one in the afternoon?”

She cocked her head, thinking, then nodded.

Not wanting to push his considerable luck, Jay made his escape. “Okay then. I’ll see you tomorrow.”