Page 12 of A Hard Fit

Rory laughed. “I don’t have to deal with clients much, usually. I’m the one in the back Quasimodo-ing over my keyboards. I was kind of excited to be sent ‘into the field,’ as they say.”

This time their shoulders brushed over a particularly uneven corner. Finn’s heart skittered.

“And how long have you been in Oakport?” Rory asked.

“Just over four years. I moved here when my grandma died. She left me her house. And then Ilona hired me.”

“I’m sorry about your grandma.”

An unexpected pang hit Finn. “Thanks. I didn’t see her much—my mom was…is pretty toxic…” He trailed off, not wanting to peel off that particular scab in front of Rory. “Anyway. What about you?”

“Born and raised, actually. I’ve been working for my parents doing IT and data analysis since I was about twelve. I was ready to move on.”

“Were they okay with you leaving?”

Rory gave a rueful chuckle. “They said they understood, but…I think they were sad. And it was hard to walk away, to be honest. Pretty much the whole family works there.”

Another shoulder bump, with a whiff of sandalwood. “Do you have a big family?”

“Yup. Mom, dad, two brothers and a sister, plus tons of aunts and uncles and cousins. My parents both come from big families, and they almost all still live here.”

Finn nodded, wondering what that would be like. Growing up, it had been him, his mom and his sister. His mom had pissed off or otherwise cut off every other living relative they had, not that there were a lot of them out there. He’d never even met his dad.

The train rattled, and this time their shoulders and their knees brushed together. But when the train shifted again, their knees stayed touching. Finn started sweating. The tank top was not cool enough.

“What made you choose Breakpoint?” Finn asked, happy he managed to ask a normal question despite his dancing heart.

“My parents’ plant makes rebar. Not the most exciting thing, you know? I liked the idea of working for a company with a creative side, with lots of types of people working there. Artists and such. Like you.”

“Oh, well…” Finn blushed. “I’m not exactly an artist.”

Rory shot him a surprised look. “Of course you are. Designing is art. Plus, I’ll bet you do other stuff outside of work.”

“I just…paint, a little.”

Rory’s smile sparkled. “Sounds like an artist to me, Finn. What kind of painting?”

Finn’s face got hotter. He didn’t talk to a lot of people about his art anymore. “Er, acrylic on canvas, mostly. Abstract expressionism.”

Rory looked absolutely enchanted for some reason. “I’d love to see your work someday.”

“Oh, uh. It’s only…” The only place his art hung was his house.Shit. Do I invite them over? Is that weird?“I’m not that good.”

They were saved by the doors sliding open and a gang trooping in, two women with a stroller each and five small kids, squealing and giggling and climbing on the seats.

Finn wondered, briefly, what his sister’s kids would think of Thrill Island, then pushed that thought from his mind. “Wouldn’t it be cool,” Finn said instead, “if the Thrill Island experience began on the train? Like there’s a countdown— ‘three stops until the thrill begins’ or something.”

“That’s a great idea,” Rory said. “Build up the excitement.”

Finn pulled out his phone to take some notes, and they bounced ideas back and forth a little longer until the train pulled into their station. They hopped off with the moms and their pack, and only a trickle of other people. Granted, it was a Wednesday and school was back in session, but Finn had still been expecting decent crowds.

The first thing they saw was the front gates. ‘THRILL ISLAND’ the sign screamed at them, in a cheesy ‘slasher’ font with faded red letters. Otherwise, the entrance was unremarkable. The view of the harbor was wasted—nothing but lampposts, garbage cans and railings leading up to the ticket booth, and a few dreary gulls circling in the breeze.

“So.” Finn blew out a breath. “There’s work to do.”

“It should be exciting when they get off the train,” Rory agreed.

“Imagine, like, a selfie-station…signs for the rides, those things where you put your face in the cutout, all with the ocean view behind you.” Finn took a few pictures and added to his notes.

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