Page 56 of Everything's Coming Up Rosie

Daisy pulls out another bowl. “For a health-care professional, you have the worst eating habits I’ve ever seen.”

Louie rubs his ample belly. “I’m built for comfort, not for speed.” He sticks out his tongue and gyrates, and she just shakes her head.

Booker leans against the counter and watches me the same way he did at the bus station before we’d ever spoken a word to each other. And as Daisy and Louie continue bantering, we both start to smile, as if we have our own silent conversation happening in the footnotes.

After a beat, Booker asks, “You are staying, right?” It’s almost like he hadn’t considered I might not until Daisy said something, but now that the question was out there, he needed an answer.

Or maybe he’s just making conversation because he’s friendly. That’s more likely.

Daisy and Louie stop talking and look at me.

I shrug. “I already unpacked my stuff, so now I have to stay.”

Daisy’s grin is wide. “Oh good! Oh my word, we’re going to have the best summer!”

“I’m not so sure,” I say. “That Belinda lady doesn’t think I can do the job.” And I’m afraid she might be right.

There’s a collective groan and shift at the mention of her name.

“I’d tell you her nickname, but we just met and I don’t know how you feel about swearing,” Louie says, fishing a spoon out of a drawer.

I laugh a little to myself. “What’s her story? She told me I wasn’t cut out for this.”

“Who cares what Belinda thinks?” Daisy says with a scoff. “She’sbeen miserable since she got here. She was like, Miss Maryland or something in the 1970s, and she treats everyone like we’re all her little minions.”

“She was supposed to direct the show this summer,” Booker says with less emotion that Daisy.

I frown. “What happened?”

“The residents who do the shows complained,” Louie says. “Pretty much all of them.”

My eyes go wide. Ouch.

“She’s not very nice.” Daisy’s tone implies she’s underselling Belinda’s lack of warmth. “So nobody wanted her in charge. She does have sway, though, because people are afraid of her. Everyone who complained did it anonymously.”

I groan. “What if they complain about me?”

“Just... be yourself.” Booker is watching me again, and I wish I knew what he was thinking.

Daisy’s eyes widen. “Yeah, Rosie! Just be yourself. You’re going to be great.”

“Thanks.” My smile is lame as I pick up my bagel and take a bite. “Connie said she was going to get me a team, so at least I won’t be totally on my own.”

I don’t miss the crisscrossing oh-craplooks flying around the room.

“What?” I ask nervously.

“Oh, yeah—”

“No, nothing—”

Daisy and Louie are tripping over themselves.

“What is it?” I ask again.

The room goes silent.

“It’snothing,” Daisy says. “I am sure Connie is going to assemble the Avengers of theatre crew just for this production.”

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