Rock Bottom (Dawson Family 6)

“I haven’t heard anything,” she repeats. “No request for a second interview. None of my references contacted. Nothing. Ugh. This is the fourth year I’ve been trying to get a principal job.”

“You will get one, I know it.”

“I hope so. And I’m super bummed I won’t be by you. It would have been so cool, and I know you don’t like being alone.”

“I’m totally alone here.”

“You know what I mean. I’m better than any new friends you could make anyway. Right?”

“Right,” I laugh. “But I’m kind of dating someone now.”

“Shut up! When did this happen?”

“This morning.”

“Who? Tell me everything!”

“Remember the hot guy I was supposed to go on a blind date with but ended up sleeping with anyway?”

She laughs. “How could I forget—no fucking way! You said he wasn’t a relationship kind of guy.”

“One night with the old Royster and he changed his ways.”

“Don’t ever refer to yourself as Royster again,” she says. “You sure you’re dating and not reading into casual sex?”

“Yes. Long story short, he was in Miami and—”

“What? I need to hear the long story, and why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t want to make it a thing in case it didn’t turn out to be, well, a thing.” I shut off the Jeep’s engine and unbuckle my seatbelt. I tell Lennon about what happened in Miami and everything that’s transpired since.

“Go bring your new man his lunch,” she says. “I’ll call in a panic over switching careers later next week, I’m sure.”

“Don’t quit. You love being a teacher.”

“Today I didn’t.”

“It’s Saturday,” I remind her.

“Exactly my point. Love you, Ror.”

“Love you, too, Len.” I end the call, check my makeup, and scroll through social media, wasting another few minutes before going into the office.

Since it’s Saturday, the secretary isn’t sitting at the front desk. I slowly walk down a hall, looking at the names on the doors. Dean’s office is right across from Harold Dawson’s, who I assume is Dean’s father.

I can hear voices coming from a conference room at the end of the hall, and since the door to Dean’s office is open, I go inside and sit at one of the chairs in front of his desk. I log onto a Dungeons and Dragons message board that I used to frequent and read through the posts. There used to be a thread to find local players. Maybe I’ll find a group who plays around here.

The meeting disperses, and a few minutes pass before Dean walks down the hall. He’s not headed to his office, but he turns as he passes, looking right in at me. The biggest smile takes over his face when our eyes meet.

“Rory,” he says, and the man walking next to him looks in too. “Dad, this is Rory. Rory, this is my dad.”

I get up, and Dean and his father come into the office.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Mr. Dawson says. “I hope you weren’t waiting long. I didn’t know we had any client meetings this afternoon or else I would have wrapped up that meeting sooner.”

“Rory isn’t a client, Dad.” Dean strides across the room. “She’s meeting me for lunch because we’re dating.”

Mr. Dawson’s eyes widen, and he smiles. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Rory. I’m Harold.” He holds out his hand for me to shake.

“I’m Rory,” I say and internally wince. “Which you already know.”

Harold chuckles. “Whatever you brought smells delicious.” His eyes go to the cloth shopping bag I set on Dean’s desk. “Enjoy your lunch,” he tells us both. “It was nice to meet you Rory. Maybe I’ll see you again.”

“You will,” Dean says confidently, and I do my best not to smile like a goon. The beginnings of relationships are always the best, and this time, I don’t have a sense of impending doom like I have with almost every other relationship I’ve had.

“You weren’t waiting too long, were you?” Dean asks.

“Not at all. I kept myself busy looking at a D&D site to see if I could find any local players. I’d crash their party. In costume.”

“You said you’re a sexy half-elf who wears those degrading slutty leather outfits, right?”

“Aww, you paid attention.”

“There was a slight chance of actual role playing. Of course I paid attention.”

“But you added in the slutty costume part.”

He tips his head to the side. “I can dream, right?”

Laughing, I move into his arms. “I wouldn’t have thought Elven warriors were your thing.”

“If you’re dressed like it, anything is my thing.”

“I do have a few costumes. I might bust one out tonight if you’re lucky.”

He laughs and kisses my forehead. “Don’t tease me now.”

“I take my costuming very seriously.”

“Wait,” he says and picks up the bag of food. “You were looking for strangers to play D&D with?”

“Yeah. I haven’t played in a while, and since we talked about it, I’ve been wanting to play again.”