“Oh. So it’s an experiment?”
Not really, but… “That’s one way of looking at it.”
“And what other jobs have you had before? I’m only asking because they weren’t listed in your file.”
He was looking at my file?
“Oh. Carol probably didn’t list them down because they’re only odd jobs that last like only a few weeks long and some were just like once a month.”
Randall nods. “I see. So, that’s why.”
What did he think?
“Anyway, do you want to play just one more game?” I ask in hopes of distracting him from asking more questions, stretching my arms. “I have to keep at this if I want to beat David.”
He glances at his watch. “Okay. We still have time.”
“Cool.” I go through the games on the floor. “Why don’t we play a different game? How about… a racing game?”
I lift the cartridge.
“Sure there’s no weightlifting game?” Randall asks.
“Very funny. Well, maybe you should have one made.”
“Maybe I will.”
“So, racing game?”
“Okay.”
I put the cartridge in and hand him his controller.
He goes down to the floor. “So, if I win, do I get a kiss?”
I freeze.
Randall laughs. “Just kidding. I thought it would be more interesting if we put something at stake, since you are all about playing for stakes. How about if I win, you’ll go to the gym with me again. Just cardio. If you win, you can ask for whatever you want.”
Oh, good. He was just kidding about the kiss. Still, whatever I want?
“Fine.” I reach for my own controller. “Let’s do this.”
Taking a deep breath, I start the game, both Randall and I going through the tutorial before heading to our first racing battle.
“Ready?” I ask him.
“Ready.”
At first, I struggle with the controls, always slipping off the tracks but eventually, I get the hang of it.
Come on. Come on.
At the end of three minutes, I win.
“Yes!” I cheer, giving Randall a hug.
Wait. What?
As I feel his chest against mine, my heart starts pounding. I can feel his heart doing the same, too, and I quickly pull away, blushing.
“Sorry,” I say.
“For what?” He puts down his controller. “Congratulations.”
“Thanks.” I put a strand of hair behind my ear.
“So, what do you want? You won, so you can ask me anything.”
Right. I can’t seem to think of anything, though.
Think, Sabrina.
“Surely, there must be something you want,” Randall says.
I look at him, my gaze wandering over his arms. I want to see his bare arms again, to be wrapped up in them, to be scooped in them and…
No. I mustn’t want him.
“Maybe just a new lipstick,” I say the first thing that comes to mind. “My old is almost out.”
“Sure. I’ll ask Tess to get you one. Anything else?”
I blink. I thought I was only allowed one.
He looks into my eyes. “You know, if there’s anything you want to tell me or anything you need help with, anything at all, feel free to tell me, okay?”
“You mean about David?”
“Or about you?”
About me. Anything I need help with.
I have to say it’s tempting to ask him to punch Vince for me but no. That’s my problem. I can’t get Randall involved.
I shrug. “I can’t think of anything, but if there is, I’ll let you know.”
He smiles. “Great.”
I look away from that smile, stilling my beating heart as I get on my feet. Once again, it seems to have been a bad idea to be in a room alone with Randall.
You should be more careful, Sabrina.
Yes, I should be, which is why I’m leaving now.
“I better go,” I tell Randall as I glance at the clock. “David will be home soon.”
“Sure. I need to get back to work, too, or Tess might get mad at me.”
“We wouldn’t want that.” I look at Zombie, who’s in the corner. “Come on, Zombie, let’s go wait for your master, okay? I bet he can’t wait to play with you when he gets home.”
***
David, however, doesn’t seem happy when he gets home. He looks sad, in fact, and frustrated. He changes his clothes without a word then he goes to his drums, banging on them.
“Hey.” I go to his side. “What’s wrong?”
He doesn’t answer, banging his drums louder.
“You can tell me, you know.”
Still nothing.
I put my hand on his shoulder. “Everyone has bad days at school. Even I did. Some days, I got a bad test score or got yelled at by the teacher. Some days, someone was mean to me and made me cry. Some days, I just couldn’t understand the lessons. That’s all part of school.”
He still doesn’t answer, so I leave his side, sitting on a chair near him.
“I can see you’re using the music to express your anger. That isn’t bad. I used to do the same.”
“You played drums?” he asks, looking at me.
“I played guitar,” I confess. “I know someone who was very good with drums.”
“Josh thinks he’s the best at drums,” David says, stopping. “But I’m going to show him at the school recital.”
“Wow. You’re going to be at the school recital?”
He nods.
“Who’s Josh?”
“I thought he was my friend but then he beat me in the spelling contest at school today, and now he’s saying he’s the best at everything.”
“Well…” I go back to his side and put my hand on his shoulder. “Everyone is good at something. You don’t have to be the best at everything, you know, because you can’t.”
“But I am the best at playing drums,” David says.
“I believe you, and during your recital, everyone else will, too.” I touch the tip of his nose. “Including Josh. Then you can be friends again, if you still want to be. I think friends should be people who stand by your side no matter what, but it’s also good to give people a second chance.”
David nods. “I think I want Josh to be my friend again.”
“Then I’m sure he will be.”
He looks at me. “Are you a teacher? Because you sounded like a teacher just now.”
I chuckle. “No, but there are things I can teach you if you let me.”
“Like what?”
“Like how to put some gel in your hair and how to climb trees.”
His eyes grow wide. “Climb trees?”
“And how to make different animal sounds and how to…”
Desire
Randall
Listening outside David’s bedroom to David and Sabrina laughing, I smile.
It seems like those two are already getting along, even though Sabrina has yet to pull off the third challenge, which I’m sure she will based on how she played today. It just goes to show how amazing Sabrina is.
Indeed, I wasn’t kidding when I told Gil she’s the best nanny so far. Some of the previous ones were good, yes. Some were really bad, obviously only after living in a mansion or getting into bed with me. Still, Sabrina is the only one who’s really made an effort to reach out to David and understand him, to be his friend.
As a father, I feel really relieved. Finally, David has someone here at home that he can really be comfortable with and count on, someone like a mother.