19

Cory notices that Lisa and Jasmine are engaged in the usual post meeting ritual and goes over to where Damien is sitting. Damien and Cory had somehow became close over the past few weeks, they had shared a drink or two outside working hours and had their way of keeping work and personal life apart. Damien knew a few things about Cory that the other guys didn’t. They had discussed their childhood and growing up as immigrants in gang ravaged communities.

Cory was certain no one had noticed the recent closeness with Damien, considering they never really had a full conversation while at work. All they ever did was stick to routines, disseminate instructions and respond to cues via simple nods when they looked at each other. Regardless, the two were close friends and Cory was grateful this work also gave him someone like Damien.

“Hey man” Cory says to him, after glancing around quickly to ensure no one was close enough to hear them talk.

“Sup” Damien replies with a grin.

“What do you have for me?” Cory asks regarding work. It was easy to talk about work with Damien, it didn’t require any formal approach or seriousness, it was just two friends going through the day’s work detail.

“It’s Peters” Damien stated, as if he was expecting Cory to know everything else that he was about to say.

“Brown hair Peters?” Cory asked, taking the tablet Damien was handing over to him.

“Yep, he’s not turned up for multiple shifts now. I’ve just been told that he relapsed” Damien tells him.

“Relapsed?” Cory asks in disbelief as he quickly swipes through the pictures in front of him.

There were pictures of Joe Peters, at a location approximate to a cheap motel or bordello. He was crouched in a corner of the small cubicle, littered with cigarette butts, thrash bags, rolling papers, an artificially made bong, numerous used syringes and utter filth. The place resembled a rubbish dump but for closer inspection. He looked like he had od’d and he still had a needle sticking in his arm.

“Goodness!” Cory says, scanning through the pictures.

“I know. That’s not all” Damien adds as he moves the screen sideways showing Cory further evidence.

“how did we miss this?” Cory exclaims, as he reads through while waiting to hear what Damien had to say.

“I’m shocked! The boss can send us packing for this. I mean look at his statements, apparently, he’s was chronic gambler” Damien remarks. Corry shakes his head in disappointment. He turns to Damien to say something, but stops as he realizes there was more Damien had to say.

“And” Cory asks with a raised brow.

He’s been relieved with immediate effect. “Here’s his replacement” Damien tells him, pointing him to the profile on the last slide.

Cory scans through it, affirming with a nod the preliminary information he had taken in. He was already liking the new guard; a 6ft tall 24-year-old African American who carried a huge grin in all his photos and a scar under his left eyes. Cory assumed it was a childhood scar, because he had one just like it.

“Looks good. Thanks man” Cory tells Damien, handing over the hardware to him.

“That would be all then” Cory says.

There is an awkward silence for a little while before Damien interrupts just as Cory turns to leave.

“Some of the guys are talking Cory, I’m sure you’ve noticed”

“I figured” he replied, knowing exactly what he was taking about.

“New clothes, shopping bags, sneaking out? What’s going on?”

“Nothing man, for real! She insisted, I couldn’t do anything.” Cory said, trying not to sound defensive.

“I know, but not everyone does. You’re great at your job, don’t mess that up” Damien says, almost like he was pleading.

“Thanks man” Cory replies. I hear you.

“Plus, I can’t be head of security, Sophie would kill me” Damien jokes.

“That girlfriend of yours still scares me” Cory joins him, and the two both laugh and let themselves relax as Cory turns and returns to his seat.

*********************

Cory watched Jasmine head straight upstairs as they arrived at the Grant residence, they had not said a word to each other since they had taken off and Cory felt guilty. For some reason, he had avoided them conversing on purpose, because a few times, she had turned towards him in an attempt to say something, but realized that he had his face almost deliberately thrown the other direction.

The talk with Damien had him feeling somewhat uncomfortable and he wondered why he was feeling this way. Weren’t him and Jasmine just friends? For now, at least? Wasn’t that allowed? He tries to shake the thoughts away as he heads towards the kitchen from where he was perceiving the evidence of his mother’s mastery in intercontinental cousins. He could really do with a little portion of some of her cooking to compensate for all the unfamiliar eatables he had been made to try out in Beijing.

“Hey momma” Cory says, announcing his presence and getting her attention from what she was stirring on the burner.

“Cory! Oh, my boy” she exclaimed, before moving into his embrace.

“I missed you too” Cory says with a chuckle as he wraps his arms around her.