One Bossy Dare

I look behind her, again fixing my eyes on Destiny.

“Just thought you’d want to know. I’m going to go catch up on the filing. I’ll leave you two to talk it out.” My assistant retreats with her usual tact, knowing when to leave things in my hands.

My gaze on Dess hardens.

“Explain yourself,” I say.

She sucks in a deep, frustrated breath, no doubt spinning teenage half-truths by the second. “Okay. So, like, don’t be mad, but I was going to this new pizza place just past Pier 67 and the fancy hotel, but I stopped by the ferries to Canada and there was this cluster of baby seals. They were all—” She pauses, imitating fins with her arms. “Arf, arf, arf! Take a picture with me—”

Goddamn.

It’s torture keeping a straight face. She might be fifteen, but she’ll always be an adorable little girl to me, and her seal impression doesn’t help me stay mad.

Still, I try like hell not to laugh, pressing my lips together into a thin line.

“So, um, I had to take pictures with them. I threw them up on Instagram and I got over a hundred likes and comments before I even left! I was there for over an hour, Dad, so by the time I got to the pizza place...it was late and I was starving, okay? And like how important can these files be if they’re not even digital? Why does your company still have so much paper?”

I suck in a breath, mulling it over.

“Destiny, you’re fifteen. You’re here on assignment in a grown-up work environment. You can’t just disappear unsupervised for hours—no matter how cute the wildlife might be. This isn’t just about your work schedule, either. How many times have I told you Seattle isn’t always safe when you’re alone?”

“Dad, in three years, I’m going to be completely unsupervised. Basically forever. I’m thinking about New York City...” Her eyes flare, taking the chance to rub it in. She’ll be on the other side of the country. “Do you really think you need to worry about me for a couple measly hours?”

“Worrying is what dads do. You know that. I think you’re taking advantage of this job shadowing situation because I’m your old man. You need to put work first, little bee. Your future before internet likes.” I lean back in my chair with a muffled groan of exasperation.

She rolls her eyes, huffing a breath.

“Okay, but—I don’t actually love coffee, you know? I definitely don’t love filing, data entry, and the other boring stuff Katelyn has me do. Kinda hate it, actually.” She sighs and looks away before meeting my eyes again. “What if I don’t want anything to do with Wired Cup someday? What if I want to be a marine biologist or something? Shouldn’t I be shadowing seals?”

“The seals aren’t biologists, Dess,” I point out.

“Well, neither is anybody here.” She huffs out a breath.

That makes me crack a half smile.

“You really want to be a marine biologist?”

“Arf. Yes!” She does the fin thing with her arms again.

I shake my head, grabbing my phone. “Hold on. I’m recording that for posterity—or just your friends.”

“Dad, no!” Her jaw drops. She crosses her arms in front of her chest. “Be serious.”

The heavy look I give her could break weight records.

“If you’re completely serious about this new passion, I’ll see about getting you an internship at a marine sanctuary,” I say.

“Really?” She brightens, her dirty-blond ponytail bobbing behind her.

“Yeah. Back in my Navy days, they were marked on the maps all the time. Hmm.” I pause, stroking my chin thoughtfully. “If I recall right, there’s a fine one in Barrow, Alaska. That should keep you out of my hair for a while. As long as you like husky sleigh rides and all the hot chocolate you can drink.”

“Dad! That’s just...brrr. No.” She clutches her shoulders like she’s freezing.

You know you’ve got a teenager on the ropes when you’ve rendered her speechless.

“What do you have against Alaska, Destiny?”

But before she can answer and beg for an internship in SoCal or Mexico, there’s another knock at my door.

“Not again. I’m dead in here!” I call through the door, properly annoyed.

“He’s alive,” Destiny calls after me.

“Snitch.”

The door opens and Eliza Angelo stands in front of me, looking like every man’s mad scientist fantasy with her chestnut hair blown back, framing those strawberry lips and caramel eyes too perfectly. She clutches a thermos in each hand.

“Did something escape the lab? You look like you’re on the hunt,” I joke, mostly for Destiny’s sake. Mostly.

“And you missed our appointment for the tasting.”

My eyes flick to the clock on my computer.

Shit, she’s right.

“My apologies. Unexpected disruption. My daughter found some baby seals and ghosted us for a few hours. I was just trying to help her understand why that’s not a good idea in a professional environment.”