Page 35 of Tempt Me

The girl tossed her heavy black braid over her shoulder. “My program does the first thing, but then it hangs. It won’t do the second thing even though I told it to in the code.”

“That happens to me all the time.” But instead of telling Ana Maria how to fix it, Jamila asked her questions about how she could approach the problem. As they talked, the scowl melted off the girl’s face. I snapped pictures as quickly as I could.

After a few minutes, Ana Maria’s eyes brightened. “That’s it! That’s what I did wrong!” She peered at the screen, positioned her cursor, and typed in a few commands. A second later, she shouted, “It worked!”

Jamila held out a fist, and Ana Maria bumped it. “Way to go!”

“Thanks, Jamila.” Ana Maria turned her attention back to the screen, and Jamila moved on.

I scored a seat next to her at lunchtime.

She glanced at me. “What, you’re not going to document lunch too?”

“Nope. You can eat your sandwich in peace.” I nodded at her plate. “I promised Felicia.”

She chuckled. “Felicia thinks I don’t eat enough.”

“I bet you’d forget if she didn’t remind you.”

“Maybe. Sometimes I forget on the weekends.”

“You need a weekend Felicia.”

“No, thanks.” She crunched into a chip. “I like to have my weekends to myself. No one telling me what to do.”

“Oh, come on. You’re the CEO of your company. No one can make you do anything you don’t want to do.”

“Really? That’s what you think?” Jamila sipped her water. “Everyone tells me what to do. The board, Felicia, my management team, Kenneth Royal, and even you, Miss Bossy Pants. I can’t even get away for a couple of days without you following me and nagging me to smile for the camera.”

“I did not nag you.” I set down my fork with a clatter that was swallowed up by the noise in the dining room. “I took candid shots. I never said a word.”

“Hmph. Well, I was always conscious of you with that phone. You might as well have been nagging me.”

“Sorry.” I hated that I’d ruined her enjoyment of the camp. “Would you like me to stop for the rest of the day?”

“Nah. It’s fine. I know you’re trying to help.”

My chest swelled. “I promise, you’re going to love the posts. I got some great shots. You’re doing so much for these girls.”

“Thanks.” She lifted her sandwich and took a bite.

“I noticed you’re staying another night. Are you going to see your grandmother?”

Her lips turned down as she chewed. She swallowed with difficulty. “Nah.”

“Oh. Is she—”

“She died.” She blotted her lips with her napkin. “Ten years ago.”

“Oh.” My hands felt too big, so I folded them in my lap. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. We weren’t that close.”

“But you—”

“We were different, okay? She never got me, and I sure as hell never understood her.”

I grimaced. Suddenly, the air conditioning was too much. I shivered. “Sorry.”

---