Sorry for the long wait. I promise I'll be more, you know, not horrible when it comes to this. Peace, hug and a bunch of love.
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“Franco, where are those files I asked for?”
I held them up for Jean to snatch them out of my hand. She flipped through them quickly before slapping my back and walking away. Apparently, that was her way of saying ‘good job’ though the sting spoke a different message.
I ignored the pain and continued typing. My cell phone rang a second later, forcing me to stop and pick it up without even looking at the caller.
“Hello?”
“Mr. Rodriguez? Hey, it’s Pat.”
“I’m sorry, who?” I muttered, barely listening as I continued to type.
“Pat, Michael’s teacher? We met a couple of weeks ago at the play.”
“Right, I’m sorry,” I chuckled at my stupidity, “Kind of distracted right now. What can I do for you, Pat?”
“Well, there was a gas leak at the school so we’re sending all the kids home. Can you come and pick Michael up?”
“A gas leak?” my fingers froze over the keyboard, “Is everyone okay over there?”
“Yeah, we detected it before anything happened,” he assured me, “We’re just sending the kids home now so we can deal with it properly.”
“I see,” I glanced at the time. An early lunch break wouldn’t hurt and I could just drop him off at my mom’s house until I get off. “I’ll be there in maybe ten, twenty minutes. Is that okay?”
“Yes, perfect. I’ll see you then?”
“Yep, see you.” I hung up and stood, grabbing my jacket. “Hey, Jean,” I yelled across the room. She was standing near one of my colleagues, looking over some papers. “I’m taking an early break.”
“What?” her head snapped up like I said I was planning to murder someone, “Wait, why?”
I sighed, “I have to pick up my son.”
“What son?” she said incredulously.
“Long story, gotta go.” I walked out the office, ignoring her complaints. She was always on us about being ahead of schedule so whenever someone took a step out of routine, she would whine and moan but ultimately, she had a heart of gold.
I drove down to Michael’s school and found Pat waiting in front with Michael and a couple other kids. I got out my car and jogged up to them, matching Michael’s wide smile with my own. His mahogany curls bounced as he ran right into my arms.
“Hi daddy,” he chirped, kissing me on the cheek.
“Hey, baby boy,” I kissed his forehead, “Had a good day?”
He nodded, “I’m kind of sad we have to leave so early.”
Unlike Michael, I had never liked school, at all, so his statement made me laugh. “Don’t worry, you’ll be right back here tomorrow.”
I was startled when I heard Pat chuckle beside of me. He must have noticed me start because he laid a comforting hand on my bicep and smiled almost shyly. “Sorry for interrupting,” he apologized, “But can I talk to you alone for a minute?”
Michael and I glanced at each other curiously before I nodded. “Sure.”
Pat smiled gratefully and led me out of hearing range of the kids. I could see Michael inching closer curiously, too preoccupied with trying to listen to hear his friends trying to get his attention. I chuckled.
YOU ARE READING
Treasure Box
Romance(Spin off of Not so Bad, Just Violent) Franco was twenty-six and single. Not single by choice, single because he always managed to screw up his relationships in one way or another. Then he became single with a nine year old kid. And with the nine ye...
