“Great.” To Casey’s amusement, irritation spread across Jasmine’s face. “Thanks again for the new spark plugs. What do I owe you this time?”
“One lasagne, extra cheese.”
“You got it.” Their bartering had worked well over the past five years. All Roberto ever asked in payment was a home-cooked meal and the occasional relationship advice.
“So, what are you up to today?” he asked.
“Filling in for Marie on the M10.”
“I’m surprised. Lou’s driving that one today.”
“Stan’s made an exception, I guess.” Or maybe he hadn’t realized. Stan believed that office romances distracted staff from their tasks, so he rarely scheduled her to work with Lou.
Roberto turned to Jasmine. “Want to go dancing tonight?”
“I wish I could, but I’ve made plans.” She clasped his hand. “Why don’t you come for dinner tomorrow? Jeremy would love to see you.”
“Sounds good.”
While Jasmine beamed, Casey sighed. Roberto owned three address books filled with women’s numbers. He could do far better than a bitchy woman with a two-year-old. On the other hand, Roberto was shallow enough to only see Jasmine’s slim build, waist-length hair, and a heart-shaped face guys seemed to think was cute.
“Hi.” Lou joined the group and kissed Casey’s cheek.
She loved the way his eyes filled with warmth when he looked at her. She swept back strands of thick brown hair from his forehead. “You and I are riding together.”
“Really? Cool.”
“Hi, Lou,” Jasmine said. “Our fourth shift together this week. I’m a lucky girl.”
“You sure are.” Casey put her arm around him and grinned at Jasmine’s souring expression. The sweetie-pie act wouldn’t get her anywhere with Lou.
“See ya, babe.” Jasmine wrapped her arms around Roberto and planted a lingering kiss on him.
Lou chuckled as he and Casey headed for the M10. “I hope Stan’s not watching.”
“I hope he is. That was completely unprofessional.”
Jasmine followed them onto the bus and sauntered to the back. Casey chose a seat in the middle. Unzipping her jacket, she checked her pockets to make sure her ID and handcuffs were within easy reach. Thankfully, she didn’t need the cuffs often. Most kids were pretty scared when she caught them committing some petty crime, but adults with drug, anger, or mental issues were another story. After five years in security, she had to admit that she still loved this job. The only boring part was waiting for the police to show up. Petty offences were a low priority and she’d clocked many hours waiting to transfer offenders into police custody.
Casey opened a window to get rid of the sweat and garbage smells. Since management started cutbacks two months ago, Mainland’s fleet wasn’t as clean as she would have liked. Fifteen minutes later, five sullen white kids —two of them female—and all wearing a ball cap on backward, slumped into seats near the front of the bus. A group of South Asian preteens, including one girl, all sporting black leather jackets, boarded next and strutted past Casey. The last boy in their group gaped at Casey’s chest. She glared at the twit until he got the message and joined his friends in seats behind the center exit.
With voices raised, the jackets started yakking about the girl with long, red hair at the front. The girl, sitting sideways in her seat, scowled at the boys. Two older passengers in front of Casey exchanged wary glances. Lou eased the bus forward and glanced in the rearview mirror. One of the boys up front, a cutie with freckles and blond curls poking out from beneath his cap, stared past Casey’s shoulder. Casey followed his gaze to the South Asian girl who suppressed a smile at the boy’s goofy stare.
“Stop looking at my sister, freak!” a boy shouted at the freckled cutie.
“Shut up.” The sister punched her brother’s bicep.
“Why are you assholes looking at me?” the redheaded girl yelled at a couple of the South Asian kids. “Mind your own damn business!”
Casey stood and saw Jasmine just sitting there, staring at the kids. Why wasn’t she stepping up to control the situation?
The boy who’d leered at Casey’s chest shouted, “When are you going to grow boobs like her?” He pointed to Casey.
Ignoring the laughter, Casey removed her ID card from her pocket. “All right, settle dow—”
“Who wants to look like that fat cow?” the girl yelled.
Fat cow? Casey moved closer to the redhead. A few extra pounds around the middle hardly qualified for cow status. Somewhere behind her, a woman laughed. Probably Jasmine.
“I said settle down.” Casey flashed her ID at the girl.
“You should scrape the fat off your big ass and put it some place useful, ho-bag!” one of the jackets shouted at the redhead.
The redhead’s face turned crimson. “You’re dead!”
“Enough!” Casey’s voice rose. “Everyone calm down.”
The words were barely out before an apple flew past Casey and struck the freckled cutie’s shoulder. The jackets whooped and high-fived one another. The ball caps began scrambling through their backpacks.
“Keep the food in your packs,” Casey ordered, “or you walk home.”
Passengers mumbled and shook their heads. The exit bell rang
Jasmine stood and said, “Do as you’re told.”
A banana flew past Casey and nearly hit a passenger. Lou stopped the bus.
Jasmine marched up to the jackets. “Put that pear down!”
Casey glanced at the ball caps when something thunked the side of her head. “Ow!” She looked down to find a partially eaten pear rolling along the floor.
“Oops,” one of the jackets said. “Sorry, lady.”
“How stupid are you?” Jasmine said, shoving her ID in the kid’s face.
Casey gaped at her colleague. Jasmine knew better than to insult passengers.
“Leave my brother alone!” His sister swatted Jasmine’s arm.
“Don’t tell me what to do, little girl.”
Why was she making things worse? As Lou stopped the bus, Casey watched Jasmine grip the girl’s shoulder. “You’re out of here,” Jasmine said.
The girl punched Jasmine’s stomach. Jasmine recoiled and then slapped the girl’s face.
Casey gasped and rushed toward them. “Jasmine!” What the hell was she doing?
The jackets swarmed Jasmine, who screamed, “Get out or I’ll charge you with assault!”
“Good lord,” a middle-aged woman muttered as she hurried to the front exit.
“You kids in the black jackets will have to go.” Casey kept her voice firm but calm while Jasmine stood there, hands on hips, glowering at the group who were either too smart or too inexperienced to retaliate. Lou joined Casey as the jackets exited the bus while muttering obscenities.
“You’re in so much trouble!” the girl yelled at Jasmine from the threshold. “My parents will have you fired, bitch!”
“Tough talk for someone in a training bra,” Jasmine shot back.
Casey shook her head. Stan would be furious.
“Can you get this bus moving?” a passenger yelled at Lou. “Some of us have appointments.”
Lou hurried back to his seat. “Sorry for the delay, folks.”
Before he could pull away from the curb, the ball caps opened the windows and shouted more obscenities at the jackets.
Casey approached the group. “Stop that right now, or you’re all out of here at the next stop.”
The freckled cutie, who hadn’t taken part in the verbal abuse, turned his back on Casey while his friends complied. Casey walked the length of the bus, apologizing to passengers for the altercation. Jasmine slumped back in her seat and looked at Casey with disgust.
Casey kept her voice low as she leaned close to her. “Where in the operations manual does it say you can slap anyone?”
“She punched me first, and if you didn’t see it, then you need glasses,” Jasmine replied. “You are thirty, after
