May shakes her head. “No, it would officially come from Thibault or Ozzie. But I know there’s a job opening. I guess you just need to let them know you’re interested. Everybody has kind of gotten the impression that you’re on the fence about it, and nobody wants to push you.”
I nod. “That’s a fair assessment. I am on the fence about it. I can see all the benefits, and I really do need a job right now, but there’s still that element of risk there . . . So, I’ve decided to think about it a little bit longer.” I pause for a few seconds and then try to act casual. “So, you know where that big dent in the door came from? Who did it?”
May nods. “I guess I can tell you that much. You’ve signed an NDA and you were kind of involved.” She sighs. “We think we know. We had surveillance set up around the building, and we caught some images on tape. Ozzie and Thibault are looking into it right now . . . along with Toni.”
The way she mentions Toni’s involvement makes me pay extra attention. “Does it have something to do with her? Toni, I mean?”
“I think so. Ozzie’s not positive, but based on some of the things that we’ve seen, and some of the things that Toni has said, I think it has something to do with her past. With her ex.”
“Ooh, gossip. Tell me.” I have to believe that anything having to do with Toni’s ex will be an interesting story. In fact, I can’t imagine anything about Toni’s life being boring. I’d bet even her daily routines would make mine look positively stodgy in comparison. She probably brushes her teeth while twirling nunchucks and puts on mascara while throwing Chinese stars into targets across the room. I wait anxiously for May to spill the beans.
Normally, my sister would jump all over the opportunity to gossip with me about interesting people, but she’s chewing her lip, acting like she’s not sure that she wants to.
“What’s up? What are you thinking? ’Fess up, sister, or I will be forced to withhold muffins.” I snatch one up and hold it by my shoulder.
“Ozzie has told me some things about Toni’s past, but I’m pretty sure it’s not something he’d want me to discuss.”
Of all the things that May has said or done since she met Ozzie, this one makes the biggest impression on me. She has never kept a secret from me in our entire lives as far as I know. Until now. It makes me both sad and happy.
May throws a big muffin crumb at me. “Why are you looking at me like that? You look like I just slapped you across the face or something.”
I pick the crumb off my shirt and throw it back at her. “No, I’m just thinking how much it sucks when your baby sister grows up and leaves the nest.”
“Oh, that’s so sweet,” she says in a mocking tone, right before going totally serious. “What the hell are you talking about?”
I unwrap the muffin slowly as I respond to her command. “Dev and I were talking, and he was sharing his opinion about you with me, and it really got me thinking about a lot of things.”
“Like . . . ?”
“Like, how I’ve always looked at you as my baby sister, as somebody who I needed to protect. But how, now that we’re older and we have our own lives, that’s not an accurate picture of who you are or who I need to be.”
“Uh-huh . . .”
I sigh in frustration. “I don’t know if Dev is some sort of guru or whatever, but every time I talk to him, I feel like I get a clearer picture of who I am and what my life is all about.”
I feel sad about the next part. Admitting it out loud is harder than just thinking it inside my own head. “And I don’t necessarily like everything that I’m seeing. I feel like I’ve been afraid of way too many things for way too long, and I’ve basically become a turtle hiding in a shell, letting an adventurous life pass me by. I guess that’s why I feel so conflicted right now about Bourbon Street Boys, about the kids, about the whole dating thing . . .”
“It sounds like you’re having a midlife crisis.”
I shake my head. “No, I don’t think it’s that. I don’t have the urge to go out and buy a Corvette or date an eighteen-year-old or anything. But am I ready to jump into being a freelancer with a security firm? I don’t know. This job has really changed you, May, and I have to believe you see that.”
She nods. “I do. But I think they’re all good changes. And what do my changes have to do with you? We’d be doing different jobs. You could work from home most of the time. It’s not the same thing.”
“I agree they’re good changes in you. Now I do, anyway. I didn’t agree last week, but after getting to know the team a little bit better, and seeing them in action, I realize the big attraction. I see why you’re excited about going to work in the morning, and I also see why you find Ozzie so attractive. He’s confident, he’s smart, and he’s very loyal.”