Wild Heart - Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell

2. Nice to Meet You, Officially

"Hi Penny!"

"Hey Bradley! Thanks for the music."

"My pleasure, anytime. This is my friend, Finley. Fin, this is Penny, she runs things around here."

"Nice to meet you."

"You as well."

"You're not a pilot," Penny observed.

"Good guess."

"You carry yourself differently than them - not in a bad way, mind you, just different. My dad was an Admiral, so I've been around this kind of crowd a long time, my whole life."

"Yeah, no pilot here. I'm a teacher."

"Very nice."

"Thanks."

"How's Amelia?" Bradley asked.

"She good, struggling with school though."

"Uh oh, anyone we need to beat up for her?"

This made Penny chuckle. "Thanks, but she's struggling with her classes. I think she might have to get a tutor, but I know she'll be resistant to the idea."

Fin assumed that Amelia was Penny's daughter. "I know lots of students who are hesitant to seek help, but often end of thriving once they've got it," Fin said.  "They've got someone helping them and cheering them on. I've tutored some students before."

"What grades?"

"Middle and High."

"Amelia's fifteen." Penny considered a moment.  "Would you consider helping her out? I know you must be extremely busy, but even if you were to meet with her..."

"Oh yeah, I'd love to."

"Yeah? We'd pay you of course."

"Oh, no, you don't have to, I'm happy to-"

"I insist." Penny smiled. 

"You'd better listen to Penny," said Brad. "Or she'll throw you overboard."

Like the guy from earlier.

They exchanged contact information and set up a day later in the week so Finley and Amelia could meet. 

What a strange but exciting night this was turning out to be.

-----------------------------------------

"I take a lot of notes," Amelia said, spreading her several pages across the bar counter.

"That's good. I love a good note-taker."

Later that same week Finley met Amelia and Penny back at the Hard Deck where, while Penny worked, Fin and Amelia would study together. The bar wasn't open yet and actually proved to be a good study spot. 

Finely was just heading out of the washroom when she heard Amelia calling to someone. 

"Hey Mav!" 

"Amelia?" came a male voice. 

"I know, I got big."

"Yeah. How are you?"

"Good. You?"

"Good, yeah. Is your mom around? I have to pay off a debt."

"Yeah I heard you got thrown overboard the other night. Mom! Mav's here - he says he owes you money!"

Finley rejoined Amelia and found her chatting with a guy, none other than the guy from the other night, the one who had literally been thrown out of the bar by Bradley's friends.