Hitman's Creed - 50

 

"So," Eck said with studied casualness after he and Joey pulled out of the station house parking lot. "Is Mary… you know… seeing anyone?"

Joey tensed as he looked at his partner. "Not that I know of," he replied cautiously. "But then she's still pretty young to be getting serious about someone."

Eck nodded. "She's eighteen, right?"

"And you're twenty-five if that's where you're going."

"It's only seven year's difference."

Joey would have smiled at that if it didn't immediately remind him that he'd once wanted someone who was much older than him, someone who had major issues with the age difference. But that was well in the past. Now he had to deal with Eck's apparent interest in Mary.

"If you were thirty and she was twenty-three it might not make such a big difference…" Joey began.

"And when I'm fifty she'd be forty three which hardly counts at all."

"True, but neither of those is the case. She's barely out of high school."

"She acts much older, well from what little I've seen of her. She sure does when she's working."

"You've been there?" Joey wondered why his mother hadn't said anything, although he supposed it was because he hadn't seen much of her or Mary since he'd started his own job.

Eck shrugged casually. "I stop by there sometimes for coffee, just like everyone else in town."

Joey nodded, looking at his partner whose eyes were focused on the road. "Does Mary know she's the reason you're there?"

"Hell no. I mean, well no. I just talk to her sometimes when she brings my coffee over to me. Last night was the first time I've ever really, you know, been around her for so long."

"What about Judy?"

"It was just a date, not a commitment. And when she dragged her cousin along it wasn't really even that anymore."

"If I hadn't brought Mary would you have thought differently?"

Eck frowned. It took him a minute to answer. "Maybe. I probably would have made a move on Judy when I took her home, after we'd ditched Nate."

"So you're not really all that interested in Mary other than as another conquest."

"Hang on there, when did I say that?"

"When you admitted you'd have made a move on Judy."

Eck sighed as he steered the patrol car around the corner. "You're right, I did. But a man's got needs, you know that, and Judy would have put out in a second."

With a scowl Joey told him, "You stay away from my sister, got that?"

"Damn Joey, I wouldn't come on to her. She's… well… different."

"Eck, you barely know her."

"Yeah. So see if I'm going to get to know her I have to ask her out."

"You're asking my permission?"

Eck nodded. "Weird, huh?"

"Very." Joey chuckled. "What the hell, go ahead and ask her. But so help me if I find out you've even thought about trying something I'll… I'll set mom on you."

Eck grinned. "Now that's a threat I respect."