“My lips are sealed.” She traces her smile and mimics the motion of turning a lock and tossing the key.
Damn, she’s adorable. I may not survive the next few weeks.
IT’S TRIVIA TUESDAY ATTrick’s. Dunc and Bets are at a holiday concert for his school, and Gav is on a trip, but Nick and I are committed to our weekly beer and fact fest. The questions started out pretty easy. Nick nailed the answer toThe crosses of St. George, St. Patrick, and St. Andrew make up which flag?with “Union Jack.” Then came two gimmes in a row. It’s like they knew I’d be here tonight, and they wanted to give me a gift (or two). First, I answeredWhat do the letters in CD-ROM stand for? (Compact Disc-Read Only Memory). And right after that, we gotWhat actor voiced Darth Vader in the iconic Star Wars trilogy?(Seriously?????? James Earl Jones.)
We faltered a bit on the next question, and the Ps nabbed it.What snake, whose untreated bite is nearly 100% fatal, is the fastest on land?(Black Mamba).
Still, it’s been a great night so far, and for once, my mind is completely free of Elaine.
At least until I see the next question on the screen in front of me.
What type of romance novels are typically set in the early 1800s, before the dawn of the Victorian Era?
Nick’s giving me the side-eye as I pull the keyboard in my direction and type the word Regency.
We win the point, and that’s the end of round one. Time to refill our drinks and grab some more food. Round two has ten questions and the answer time shrinks to twenty seconds.
“You holding out on me, Walker?” We slide off our stools and head to the bar.
“What are you even talking about?” I tug at the hem of my t-shirt. It’s green, and it’s got a picture of Chewie on it, wearing a Santa hat. I like a little holiday cheer now and then.
“Regency novels? And you answered in, like, two seconds.”
“I’m smart, Nick. We know this.”
“Blah, blah, blah, genius IQ, blah, blah, blah… That’s so much bullshit. Your IQ has nothing to do with knowing a subgenre of romance novels.”
“Maybe it does. Maybe I’ve got a photographic memory, and I happened to have read an article on the resurgence of popularity of Regency-era novels in an online publication weeks ago and socked that knowledge away for moments such as this.” I turn to Tina and order another IPA and a dozen buttery Old Bay wings.
Nick steps up behind me and places his own order, then turns to me and says, “Bullshit.”
“I do have a really good memory. But you’re right, it’s not photographic.”
We carry our food and drinks back to our two top and settle in to eat before the next round begins. Nick says nothing. That’s his superpower. The man can handle silence longer than any other person I’ve ever met.
“Fine. Elaine reads romance. And while I was staying at her place, she had books on nearly every available surface. A few of them were Regency.”
He shakes his head as if in defeat. “You are so hung up on her.”
“Your point?”
“My point is that she dicked you over. Twice. So, why are you still in her dirty book club?”
“It’s Daryl’s fault. I submitted my resignation, but he won’t approve it until I get the online store up and running. Fine, no big deal. Except, I have to collaborate with Elaine on the whole thing. But, once we’re done, I’m a free man, and Drew and I will have the funds to launch our app.”
Shit. At the mention of Drew’s name, Nick’s features melt into a scowl. Like I said, nobody knows the whole story, but whatever happened, clearly wasn’t good. An awkward silence descends, and since Nick doesn’t mind silence, it stays.
Time for a subject change. “So, hey, since Dunc and Bets aren’t here tonight, I’m thinking we should all hang out soon. They’re showing the original trilogy at The Majestic next weekend. I can get tickets for all of us. “
“Sure thing, Simon. I’ll wear my Wookie costume.” He laughs, the awkwardness is lifted, and we head back to the trivia table.
Who am I kidding? There’s no need for practice. My fake smile is my best feature.
I SHOULD PROBABLY BEa mess of nerves right now, but I’m not.
I should probably be second-guessing this and looking for a back exit, but I’m not.
I should probably be making a list of all the reasons this is a terrible idea that will never work, but I’m not.
