My gaze on Dess hardens.
揈xplain yourself,?I say.
She sucks in a deep, frustrated breath, no doubt spinning teenage half-truths by the second. 揙kay. So, like, don抰 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棓 She pauses, imitating fins with her arms. 揂rf, arf, arf! Take a picture with me棓
Goddamn.
It抯 torture keeping a straight face. She might be fifteen, but she抣l always be an adorable little girl to me, and her seal impression doesn抰 help me stay mad.
Still, I try like hell not to laugh, pressing my lips together into a thin line.
揝o, 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抮e not even digital? Why does your company still have so much paper??
I suck in a breath, mulling it over.
揇estiny, you抮e fifteen. You抮e here on assignment in a grown-up work environment. You can抰 just disappear unsupervised for hours梟o matter how cute the wildlife might be. This isn抰 just about your work schedule, either. How many times have I told you Seattle isn抰 always safe when you抮e alone??
揇ad, in three years, I抦 going to be completely unsupervised. Basically forever. I抦 thinking about New York City…？Her eyes flare, taking the chance to rub it in. She抣l be on the other side of the country. 揇o you really think you need to worry about me for a couple measly hours??
揥orrying is what dads do. You know that. I think you抮e taking advantage of this job shadowing situation because I抦 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.
揙kay, but桰 don抰 actually love coffee, you know? I definitely don抰 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. 揥hat if I don抰 want anything to do with Wired Cup someday? What if I want to be a marine biologist or something? Shouldn抰 I be shadowing seals??
揟he seals aren抰 biologists, Dess,?I point out.
揥ell, neither is anybody here.?She huffs out a breath.
That makes me crack a half smile.
揧ou really want to be a marine biologist??
揂rf. Yes!?She does the fin thing with her arms again.
I shake my head, grabbing my phone. 揌old on. I抦 recording that for posterity梠r just your friends.?
揇ad, no!?Her jaw drops. She crosses her arms in front of her chest. 揃e serious.?
The heavy look I give her could break weight records.
揑f you抮e completely serious about this new passion, I抣l see about getting you an internship at a marine sanctuary,?I say.
揜eally??She brightens, her dirty-blond ponytail bobbing behind her.
揧eah. Back in my Navy days, they were marked on the maps all the time. Hmm.?I pause, stroking my chin thoughtfully. 揑f I recall right, there抯 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.?
揇ad! That抯 just…brrr. No.?She clutches her shoulders like she抯 freezing.
You know you抳e got a teenager on the ropes when you抳e rendered her speechless.
揥hat do you have against Alaska, Destiny??
But before she can answer and beg for an internship in SoCal or Mexico, there抯 another knock at my door.
揘ot again. I抦 dead in here!?I call through the door, properly annoyed.
揌e抯 alive,?Destiny calls after me.
揝nitch.?
The door opens and Eliza Angelo stands in front of me, looking like every man抯 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.
揇id something escape the lab? You look like you抮e on the hunt,?I joke, mostly for Destiny抯 sake. Mostly.
揂nd you missed our appointment for the tasting.?
My eyes flick to the clock on my computer.
Shit, she抯 right.
揗y 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抯 not a good idea in a professional environment.?
She looks at Destiny with a fondness shining in her eyes. 揇on抰 piss your dad off, young lady. It doesn抰 get any easier than this. You抣l be back in school soon and the rest of us still have to deal with him.?