Page 61 of Nerdplay
“In her own way.”
Jeannie’s expression conveys that she knows I’m full of shit but is too polite to say so. She has a maternal quality that I appreciate. She doesn’t try to act as a stand-in for my mother though. More like a no-nonsense aunt who would throat-punch a pack of hyenas to protect me.
“Tell me about camp.”
“What do you want to know?”
“I was checking out the website. It actually looks fun.”
“I mean, it isn’t the kind of place I would’ve chosen for myself, but it has a certain appeal.”
“Are there any Trekkies there?”
“Not that I know of, but maybe I haven’t met them yet.” I tell her about the Star-Warlord and Chewy.
Her face lights up. “Do you have a photo?”
“No, but I can send you one.”
“Please. It’ll make my day.” She leans the side of her head against the doorjamb. “I’m a little jealous. I wish they would’ve sent me with you. Camp sounds like a dream. Do you roast marshmallows at night and sing songs?”
“There’s a bonfire and apparently singing in the shower. There’s karaoke too.”
Jeannie claps her hands. “What will you sing?”
“Nothing. I’ll wear my earbuds and clap politely.”
She narrows her eyes. “That’s not very community-minded of you.”
“I’m not very community minded.”
“Nonsense. I watch you buy Girl Scout cookies every year.”
“Because their cookies are delicious.”
“You can get delicious gourmet cookies from the firm cafeteria for free any day you want. You go out of your way to support the Philadelphia troop and buy cookies from them specifically.”
I look up and realize Jeannie is staring at me. “What?”
“That’s the third time you’ve checked your watch since we started talking. Is there another appointment I should know about?”
“No, I’m wondering whether I’ll make it back to camp in time for combat archery. They’ve been hyping it up so much, I’d hate to miss out.”
“If you leave now, you should bypass the worst of the traffic.”
My gaze lingers on my desk. “What about Matt?”
“That piece of garbage in human form? Don’t worry about him. He’s not the one at camp. You are. Go back and shoot some arrows or whatever combat archery involves.”
I crack a grateful smile. “I’ll let you know when I find out.”
* * *
The drive back to camp is a Mad Max: Thunderdome exercise and I can’t wait to park my car and leave traffic behind for another week. It takes an extra ten minutes to get here, and my body feels every second of it. As soon as I exit the vehicle and hear the birdsong, my muscles relax.
My phone pings with a message from Elizabeth. There’s no text, only a photo of an empty pickle jar.
You owe me, I reply.
