“So Zinny seems to really like your hockey player,” Ellen said after Zinny had gone to bed. She was zonked from all the swimming and hadn’t even protested when Dakota said it was bedtime.
He’s not my hockey player, Dakota thought. Unfortunately.
“Cam’s a really nice guy and he’s so patient with her.”
“Maybe he’s a little too nice,” Ellen said, pulling two mugs from the cupboard for tea. The mugs, of course, matched. “I mean, how well do you really know him? I don’t think it’s wise to leave him alone with her. You can’t be too careful these days. Think of how you’d feel if you found out he was one of those sick individuals who…” She trailed off and shuddered. “You should at least look him up on the Internet and see if he’s a registered sex offender.”
Honestly, Dakota hadn’t thought twice about it. Guilt lanced through her. What kind of person gave a little girl over to a man she hardly knew? What if…
No. No. Cam was exactly what he seemed to be. Every instinct she had told her he was a humble, kind and fun-loving guy who didn’t have a sick or devious bone in his body. She’d seen his face when Zinny had fallen into the pool that day. The terror there mirrored what she’d felt herself.
“I trust Cam completely, but if it’ll make you feel any better, I’ll check online.”
She’d also reinforce the stranger danger lesson with Zinny tomorrow. Just a few weeks ago at school, they’d covered appropriate and inappropriate touching and what to do if it happened but a little review couldn’t hurt.
Ellen didn’t look convinced as she dropped two tea bags into the mugs and Dakota steeled herself for another lecture, probably on character judgment, recklessness, and how she needed to accompany Zinny to the restroom every single time. But she didn’t get a lecture. Instead she got a question that seemed to have come from left field.
“Do you know if Thomas ever taught Zinny how to do anything?”
Before Dakota even knew Thomas, he and his mother had a falling out. Dakota had never found out what the problem was between them but it had been serious enough for him to cut off all contact with her. As a result, Ellen had missed the first four years of her granddaughter’s life.
Feeling an unusual warmth toward the usually cantankerous woman, Dakota came around the counter to pour hot water into the mugs. “Sure. I know for a fact he taught Zinny how to tie her shoes and how to bounce a ball.”
Sniffling, Ellen nodded. “Zinny told me that hockey player of yours got her a rock for her collection. I thought that was just between Zinny and her daddy.”
“You know when Cam first suggested it, my first inclination was to say no, but then I thought, Thomas would have wanted Zinny to keep adding rocks, as long as it was fun for her. We’ve marked the rocks Thomas gave her with a red heart, so we know which rocks are which.”
“Thank you,” Ellen said, clearly touched. “I just don’t want Zinny to forget who her daddy was. It’s our responsibility to keep him alive for her.”
“I know. Her mommy too.”
That was a continual problem. Ellen only really thought about and mentioned her son. Maybe the falling-out had to do with Rose. Maybe Ellen hadn’t approved of Rose, and Thomas had stood firm and defended her. She wondered if she’d ever find out what had happened.
Dakota didn’t end up telling Ellen about Cam’s job offer. It seemed as if she’d had enough Cam talk for the day, what with Zinny crowing about her afternoon and making her feel as if her son Thomas was being forgotten. They watched an episode of Tanked, a show about two guys who made custom aquariums on a grand scale. Oddly enough, tonight they were making a tank for the San Jose Sharks arena, where Cam had last played. But Dakota hardly paid any attention to the show. She was too busy thinking about what it might be like if she started working for Cam full time.
He’d texted an offer that was basically twice what she made with the school district. That in and of itself was enough to give her pause. She’d been thinking about dropping Eye Candy Maids but staying on with the school district, but given this salary, if she lived frugally, she might just be able to afford a small apartment and cheap health insurance, and still have a little left over to put aside in savings. Not having to cater to Ms. Peterson’s persnickety demands was her idea of heaven, and maybe if Dakota wasn’t on campus everyday as a visual reminder, the kids would stop teasing Zinny.
There was also the matter of having to cater to one person’s needs and wants, not a staff of thirty teachers, especially considering that one person was nice, generous, and a gorgeous hunk of man.
The more she thought about it, the better it seemed. She really couldn’t think of any downsides, except for the fact that the more she hung around Cam, the more she was aware of him as a man. Was her inclination to say yes to his job offer due to her attraction to him? Was she letting her hoo-hah make decisions for her now? She honestly didn’t know. What she did know was if her choice was between dealing with a little unwanted lust for her boss and cleaning Ms. Peterson’s fish tank, she’d choose Cam a million times over.
The moment she walked into the school office the next day, the secretary told her the principal wanted to talk to her.
Strange how being called to the principal’s office as an adult could foster the same dread one felt as a child.
“Dakota,” Principal Vickers said, “I’m afraid we have a situation.”
Dakota’s heart skipped a beat as she sat. “What’s wrong? Is Zinny okay?”
Quickly, Principal Vickers nodded. “Zinny is fine. I’m sorry. I should have said that to begin with. No, the problem is unfortunately with you. It’s been brought to my attention that you have a second job with a company called Eye Candy Maids.”
Dakota froze in her chair. How did Vickers find out? Dakota had been so careful to keep her real name confidential. At ECM, Gwen was the only one who knew it. Maybe one of her clients had a child who went to Shiloh Elementary, recognized her as the janitor, and mentioned it to the principal.
“Yes, I do.” There wasn’t any point in denying it.
Principal Vickers sighed. “Oh, Dakota. Why?”
“I need the money.”
“Does Zinny know?”
Dakota recoiled. “No. She doesn’t know a thing.”
“That’s good.” Vickers seemed relieved. “But why not just a regular maid service?”
“ECM pays more. A lot more.”
“Are you…do you expose…?” Vickers seemed to be at a loss.
Dakota gave her regular line about covering up more than some women did on the beach everyday.
Vickers folded her hands on her desk and sighed. “Be that as it may, the school district is letting you go.”
“What?” Dakota sat straight up. “You’re firing me?”
“I’m not firing you. If it were up to me, as long as you quit the other job, I’d keep you on. You’re an excellent worker, Dakota, and I have very few complaints about you. But I’m sure you understand that the parental outrage would be too much for the district to bear and they’ve tied my hands. I’m sorry this had to happen, but as we tell the children, choices have consequences.” Vickers stood and held out her hand. “I wish you all the best.”
Dakota was almost at the door when she turned and asked, “Just out of curiosity, how did you find out?”
“An email from a parent. There was a photo and I recognized the tattoo.”
Dakota mentally kicked herself. When Rose died, Dakota got a tattoo of a rosebud and Rose’s birthday as a way to honor and cherish her memory. Even though she knew the police used tattoos to help them identify criminals, she hadn’t ever thought that strategy would be applied to her.
As Dakota left the principal’s office, the three office ladies who had always been nice to her, looked at her as if she’d been diagnosed with gonorrhea or arrested for soliciting on street corners. Dakota wanted to argue with them that all she was doing was cleaning houses and that the garments she wore weren’t much different than bathing suits. But she didn’t because she knew it wouldn’t do any good.
At least Zinny wasn’t present to see her walk of shame.