Page 16 of My Secret Snowflake
“Pregnant Anita who works in the mailroom?”
“Yes.”
“You’re lucky. That’s so easy. There are so many gifts you can buy.”
“If you’re familiar with pregnancy and babies. I have no idea what to get her.”
“My oldest sister has three kids and my younger sister is pregnant, so I can definitely advise you. And if she has a registry, you can just pick up some stuff off there. Have you given any more thought to what I could give Ernest?” she asks.
“Not really. He has a lot of accounting books around his desk. He often gets a coffee from Starbucks, so you could get him a gift card there.”
“That’s boring. Does he have any hobbies?”
“Like I said, he plays golf, but I’ll have to ask him if he has a secret passion for stamp collecting.”
“You shouldn’t knock it. People with hobbies are supposedly happier.” She finishes her burrito.
“Do you have a hobby?”
“I play video games in my spare time, but it’s more like an obsession than a hobby.”
“Is that how you got into cybersecurity?”
“Yes. And other reasons.”
“Other reasons?” I lean in.
“Other reasons,” she repeats.
“But you don’t want to share them?”
“It’s not that mysterious. My grandmother had a small business. She got phished, and they stole almost all her savings. That inspired me to learn about information security. I started a small side consulting business when I was in high school, where I helped mom-and-pop businesses implement cybersecurity measures. I kept doing that in college and graduate school—until I began working full-time at a company.”
“That’s so cool. Why wouldn’t you share that?”
She shrugs. “Do you game?”
“I played a lot when I was growing up, but I’ve been working too much lately. And the priority is getting a squash game or run in now so I can stay in shape. I wouldn’t consider myself a gamer, though.”
That’s probably an important hobby for her partner to share.
“Actual exercise is much healthier for you.” She shrugs. “Does Ernest read books? Have you ever seen him with a book in hand on his way in the office?”
“Ah, I actually asked him that question, and he said he didn’t consider himself a bookworm.”
“That’s too bad. Books are such good gifts.” Iris scrunches up her nose, deep in thought. She looks cute.
“But his mother likes romance,” I say.
“He told you that?” Iris asks.
“Yes. You can always give him a gift to give his mom. He lives at home,” I say.
“I live at home,” Iris says. “Since the breakup.”
Way for me to put my foot in my mouth.
“But I’m planning to move out by the end of the year. What did he say he did this past weekend?” she asks.
