He's a Wildcard

Chapter 2 - Air Horns and Coffee Stains

“No thanks, I’d really like to see him.” With a lot of the surgeons on vacations dad worked way more than usual and I hardly ever got to see him.

“Okay,” she clicked some buttons on the keyboard. “He should be out from his meeting by now, you can try his office.”

I mirrored her smile and told her thank you before following the familiar route towards the office I had visited frequently after school before senior year had caught up with me.

He was sitting at his desk, head bent, engrossed in the papers he was quickly shuffling through, leaving his signature in various places. He pushed his reading glasses further up his nose and stretched his back slightly. A groan escaped him and I couldn’t help but smile as he dragged a hand through his blonde hair as I so often did myself.

“Knock knock,” I said and his head snapped up.

“Riley!” He beamed and got up from his chair to hug me. “I didn’t hear you come in. How is my little girl doing?”

“Your not so little girl is here to deliver this,” I held out his phone and a sheepish smile etched itself onto his face.

“Ah yes, that’s where it was, I wondered where I’d put it. Thank you,” he ruffled my hair and chuckled. “I have some free time on my hands, what’d you say kiddo? Want to have lunch with your old man?”

“I just ate breakfast, but I’m always up for some coffee?”

He switched his pager from his coat to the waistband of his scrubs and left the white coat over the chair before leading the way towards the cafeteria.

“Brody woke me up with an air horn,” I said as I sipped my coffee, but it was scorching hot so I put it back down. My statement caused dad to begin to chortle with laughter. I scowled at him. “It’s not funny,” I said.

“It’s a little funny,” he bargained. “I wish I’d been there to see it, I bet your mother had a fit.”

“Actually,” I said sourly, “she was the mastermind behind it.”

This made him laugh even higher and the people at the nearest table smiled in our direction from his outburst. “I bet she was,” he choked out once he’d calmed down a little. “Is there anything I can do to make this day a little more bearable?” He offered.

I grinned. “Mom already beat you to it,” I waved the car keys in his face and he pinned me with a look only parents possess; the one where you know you shouldn’t cross them because you know it will be hell to pay, but stay inside the lines and you will live to see another day.

“Riley Reynolds you treat that car as if –“

“As if it was my life, yes I know dad. Relax! You act as if I’m a complete delinquent who trashes cars on a daily basis. Treat me like the model citizen that I am, will you?”

His pager beeped then and whatever he was about to say got lost on his lips as he read the message. I knew the look that passed over him in that fleeting second, it signalled that our lunch was over.

“I need to run, honey.” He stood up and reached for the food.

I shook my head, “I’ll clean it up, you run to wherever they need you and save some poor guy’s heart.”

“Okay kiddo, I’ll see you tonight, okay?”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” I said as we hugged goodbye and he chuckled. “And thanks for the coffee!”

I watched him half walk, half run away and fetched a lid for my coffee so I could take it with me, before throwing the rest of our lunch into the trashcan.

I called Trix up as I walked to the parking lot and she picked up at the third ring.

“Good morning sunshine!” She chirped on the other end, making me smile.

“Morning to you too, are you busy?”

“Is that a trick question? And if this is your way of asking if you should pop by then my answer is that you definitely should, I think my brain is about shrivel up from boredom. Some company would be nice.” She rambled.

“That bad huh?” I placed the coffee in the cup holder and started the engine.

“Worse. I don’t understand why they insist on having these outside booths, people hardly stop by since it’s too hot to be outside.”

“It’s not that hot,” I bargained.

“Try telling that to the shoppers! They prefer the air-conditioned insides as opposed to the natural outdoors. Can’t really say I blame them, though, it’s scorching outside with all this asphalt and shit.”

“If this is you trying to convince me to keep you company you’re not doing a very good job,” I joked even though we both knew I was already on my way.

“You love me too much to leave me hanging,” she retorted.

“Truer words have never been spoken my dear.”

“How far away are you? I’m counting the seconds.”

I looked around at the traffic at the intersection I was at. “Uhm, ten minutes maybe?”

“O true apothecary! Thy drugs are quick!”

“Yeah yeah Romeo, calm your knickers I’m coming alright?”

“And thus with a kiss, I die!” Trix exclaimed theatrically.

“Bye drama queen, see you soon!” I hung up and shook my head in amusement.

It took me a little under ten minutes to reach the mall, but I had to circle the lot twice before I found a parking space. I mentally gave myself a pat on the back since it was so close to the entrance, even though I couldn’t really take credit for it.

I grabbed my coffee and phone and locked the car behind me when a text from Trix ticked in. I walked slowly as I read the caption to the picture “hurry up Juliet, I’m dying!” and a picture with her eyes rolled back and her tongue sticking out. I couldn’t help but laugh.

I looked up just in time to see the idiot on the bike coming straight for me. I jumped backwards on reflex; only an inch of space saved me from a trip to the emergency room. My back arched away from the spilled coffee as the lid fell off from my hard squeeze and the hot liquid spilled everywhere.

Although most of the content spilled onto the ground, my shorts and legs still got a fairly large amount on them, but at least my shirt was still clean.

My hand was dripping and I threw the cup into the bin next to me and shook the drops from my hand. I looked up to glare at the biker who had just gone off and was now circling around; coming back the other way around.

“Well excuse you!” I exclaimed as he came to a sudden, controlled stop by my side.

His skin had a golden tan to it, as if he spent way too much time outside and his hair was jet black. Large biceps protruded from his white shirt and I was almost certain he had abs to match.

“I was aiming for the shirt,” he said and flashed me a set of pearly white teeth, distracting me from studying him further.

Asshole. I clenched my wet hand at my side and set my jaw, working very hard not to snap back at him. I wanted to walk away, but there was something about his cocky attitude that told me walking away would mean giving up.

“Do you consider yourself the fashion police murder squad, running over pedestrians with clothing you don’t approve of as you see fit?” I wanted to slam my head into a brick wall, could I have come up with anything lamer?

Judging by his answering grin, I’d say not.

“Just doing my citizen duty little smurf.”

I pinned him with my dirtiest glare, which I had perfected throughout the years of being the middle child in the family. “I hope you and your bike get run over,” I told him before walking away to find Trix.

I didn’t normally curse complete strangers, or anyone except for my brother, but for him I’d make an exception.