Page 21 of Nerdplay
Adam thumps his chest panel. “With one notable exception.”
“Gloria’s right,” Ben says. “Charlie is a lawyer who works for the emperor, and he’s clearly infiltrated our ship in an attempt to gain intel to crush the rebellion.”
I sort of hate that they’re giving a voice to my suspicions. I would love to be wrong. I want to believe he was so enamored by his visit that he immediately decided to spend two weeks in blissful tranquility.
My next T-shirt purchase should read ‘Naive by Nature.’
“Well, you agreed to let him stay,” Laura says. “You didn’t agree to make his experience a pleasant one.”
“You should sign him up for cosplay and have him wear Princess Leia’s gold bikini,” Bradley suggests.
“Pretty sure that’s where he’d draw the line.” Although the image I’ve conjured in my mind is hilarious perfection.
“Don’t be so sure about that,” Laura says. “If he needs this deal badly enough that he’s agreed to stay here for two weeks, there’s no telling what he might do. Test the limits and find out.”
I laugh. “Your heart is as black as your eyeliner, Laura.”
Stefan lifts his head to regard us. “We come here to escape the bullies in our lives. It wouldn’t be fair to behave that way to someone else, regardless of their ill intentions.”
Angela tugs the horn of his helmet. “Hmm. This man may resemble a Viking, but he sure doesn’t sound like one.”
Laura shrugs. “It would only be a bit of fun before we send him back to the Death Star.”
“What kind of fun?” Stefan asks, uncertain.
Angela’s mouth curves in self-satisfaction. “I can think of an idea or two.” She flicks her slender fingers. “Benjamin, be a dear and fetch my scarves from my cabin.”
“There’ll be no bondage at camp.” I place a hand on Ben’s shoulder to keep him rooted in place.
“What about good old-fashioned pranks like when I was a boy?” Ben offers. “We can short his sheets.”
Angela perks up. “Steal his towel when he’s in the shower.”
“Disembowelment,” Olivia adds with an air of excitement.
Multiple heads jerk toward her.
“What?” she replies with a casual shrug. “I watch nature shows. The animal kingdom is brutal.”
It sure is.
“I’ll put plastic wrap on his toilet,” Bradley volunteers. “I brought plenty with me.”
I dare not ask why.
“And I can pay him a visit in the middle of the night,” Angela says.
Adam shivers. “That would scare me senseless.”
Based on the predatory gleam in Angela's eye, I think ‘scare’ is the wrong verb for that sentence.
“I wouldn’t advise that,” I tell her. “The guy seems pretty fit. Wouldn’t surprise me if he knows how to throw a punch.”
Angela touches her taut cheek. “Hmm. This facelift was too expensive to risk injury. I’d need at least one more husband before I could replace it.”
“We should view this as an opportunity,” Stefan insists. “If we can make him see the camp through our eyes, maybe he’ll see the value in it and persuade his client to walk away.”
The rest of us burst into laughter.
