CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

                                    

                                          
JASON
                          
                   
                          
Blaire. Damn it, I knew I wasn't going to get away with working here undetected until I could switch to Haven Software. The look on her face made my skin prickle with sweat. Before I could say a word to her, she'd gripped Tinley's little hand in hers and started toward the door.
                          
"Trouble in paradise, sugar?" Marla asked. I'd forgotten who I'd been standing with. She shoved me in the direction of the door. "You'd better chase her down. Don't just stand here like a lump on a log."
                          
Fuck. I ran my fingers through my hair. Marla was right, I had to chase Blaire down. She had to know that I was only working here for a few more days and then I truly was starting at Haven and interning at the children's home. I dashed from where I stood to the walkway leading to the parking lot.
                          
"Whoa, where's the fire, bro?" Matt asked as I nearly plowed into him in my effort to get to Blaire in time. 
                          
"I'll be right back," I shouted over my shoulder. "Cover my section."
                          
Pausing at the top of the stairs, I searched the crammed parking lot for her car. She was standing beside it, fighting with the clasp on the back of Tinley's vest thing. Thank goodness for small favors.
                          
"Blaire!" I shouted. "Blaire, wait."
                          
She didn't look up at me. Her movements became more frantic, though, letting me know she was desperate to get away from me.
                          
"It isn't what it looks like," I said. Although, I wasn't sure what it looked like to her. Was she pissed I worked here and had lied about it or that she'd seen me with Marla talking? Both? How could I apologize for something when I wasn't sure what the problem actually was?
                          
"Oh, really?" The clasp she'd been messing with finally unhooked and she slipped the vest off Tinley's arms. "Climb in, Tin."
                          
"I didn't swim, Aunt B, I didn't," Tinley whined.
                          
"Don't leave," I said. "Please, let her swim some so we can talk." I was grasping at straws here, but that was all I could think of to say.
                          
"No." She bent down and flashed Tinley a sweet smile. "I think we should go get some ice cream with lots of chocolate syrup and sprinkles, don't you?"
                          
"Yumm!" Tinley shouted. Her eyes grew wide and she reached out to close her door. Blaire let the door close and then walked around to the driver's side.
                          
"Stop." I grabbed her arm. "Please, talk to me. Tell me what has you so upset. Is it because I work here?"
                          
She shook me off and opened the driver side door. Leaning in, she turned the car on and blasted the AC. "Here." She handed Tinley her phone. "You can play that ABC game you like. I need to talk to Jason for just a minute, okay? Then we can go get our ice cream."
                          
Tinley nodded. "Okay!"
                          
Blaire closed her door and folded her arms over her chest. "Talk."
                          
My heart raced and I stood there like a freaking idiot. She was pissed, that much was clear, but I wasn't going to start naming out random things to be sorry for when I wasn't sure what had her riled up enough to leave in the first place. "Tell me why you're mad. Please?" It came out in a more pleading tone than I'd intended.
                          
She rolled her eyes and left them glaring up at the sky. "What are you doing here, Jason?"
                          
Okay, so she was angry that I'd said I worked someplace else. I could fix this.
                          
"I work here. I have been for a little while. The money is pretty decent and I needed something, so when Matt said his dad had a few openings for lifeguards I jumped on the opportunity." This was the truth, whether it would pacify her anger or not was a whole other story.