“He’s getting his drugs,” Kelly said. “Apparently, he can’t go a day without them.”
I frowned and looked at Samuel for an explanation.
“Pain killers,” Samuel said. “He got shot a few months back. Still dealing with it.”
“Oh my god!”
“Drug bust gone bad,” Samuel said. “But he’s fine now. Just a bad leg that constantly nags at him.”
“And of course, it’s affected his capacity for rational thinking,” Kelly muttered.
I laughed again, and Samuel ruffled her hair once more, quickly dodging as she tried to slap his hand away. “I say get this one some food before her mouth gets the better of her.”
I took their orders, relayed it to the kitchen, and returned a few minutes later just as Alex walked in. He wore an open flannel shirt over a white t-shit that gave me the perfect idea of just what was hidden underneath, and I began undressing him with my eyes as he approached us, only realizing I was doing it when he frowned at me over a confused smile. I quickly snapped out of it and smiled back.
“Good morning,” Alex said, taking the seat beside his daughter.
“Afternoon, dad, seriously,” Kelly replied.
“She still hasn’t eaten anything?” Alex asked, looking at Samuel.
Samuel only shrugged and chuckled.
“Food’s on its way,” I said. “You want to give me your order so they can fix it up and bring them all together?”
“God no, get Kelly’s food first,” Alex said. “Or we’ll be facing the wrath of the antichrist before we know it.”
Kelly looked at him, shook her head in disapproval, then looked back at me while rolling her eyes. The dynamic betwee
n the two of them was entertaining.
The bickering and snarky comments went back and forth even as they ate, and I found myself amazed at just how sarcastic Kelly was, and witty. I had read somewhere once that wit was the sign of great intelligence, and the way this girl was shooting remarks back and forth had me smiling the entire time.
By the end of their meal, Samuel had to practically drag her away from her father, making up some excuse about showing her around town. When Alex offered to join them, Samuel quickly refused.
“I’d rather the two of you spend some quality time away from each other,” Samuel laughed and winked at me.
We watched them leave before Alex turned back to me and shrugged. “Sorry about that,” he said. “We do get along on most days.”
“I think it’s cute,” I replied, gesturing to the coffee pot. He nodded and refilled his cup. “You’re doing a great job with her.”
“Thanks,” he said. “Sometimes I feel like I’m in over my head, but she’s quick to put me back in my place.”
I laughed at that. I could only imagine what it was like behind closed doors between the two of them. Alex watching TV, Kelly glued to her phone, the two of them throwing side remarks at each other every few minutes just to see who cold annoy the other more. I felt like their life mirrored the life of roommates more than that of father and daughter. I found myself wondering what it would be like to share a living space with the two of them.
Careful, there, missy. You’re treading into dangerous territory.
“You never mentioned you were a cop,” I said.
Alex nodded. “DEA,” he explained. “Fighting the never-ending war on drugs and losing miserably one day at a time.”
“That’s a bit cynical,” I laughed.
“It’s the truth,” he replied. “Sure, we do the best we can, but the truth is we’re only getting small wins here and there. You’d be lucky to take down any of the big fish.”
“Must make the job hard.”
“It does,” Alex replied. “All you can really do is wake up, go do your job the best way you can, and pray you don’t get shot in the process.”