CHAPTER TWENTY
Our black limo stops outside the cobalt blue office building Finn picked up the baseball tickets from last weekend.
“The party is at your office building?”
“Yeah, the renovations are done. Trey figured it was time to show it off and save us some money on our first annual RDA – Kids in Technology event.” Finn shrugs over his answer.
The door facing the street opens and he steps out before reaching a hand back in for me. Jake’s pleasant face greets me as I stand on the curb. “Have a wonderful evening, Ms. Adams.” My nerves decide to make an appearance and I only tilt my head back in reply. Jake closes the door behind me and I brace for what I’ll see when I turn to face the building.
Finn slips his arm through mine and we turn together. I expect to see a red carpet and people taking pictures. Isn’t that what happens at big charity events? I’ve only ever watched these things on television. The front sidewalk is empty and I release the breath and overly happy expression I was forcing.
“Don’t be nervous. We’ll chit chat for a few, eat some food, then make a beeline home. You’ll be fine.,” Finn tries to reassure me.
“No, I’m okay. I expected there to be more people out front or… a carpet…or something.” Now having expressed my thoughts out loud, they sound ridiculous.
He ushers me through the front door where we stop on a marble floor. “It’s our first year doing the charity and we’re fairly new in town. So we don't expect a lot of press. Plus, Trey made it invitation only.” Finn leads me to the right where a red oak circular desk takes up a portion of the area. I imagine this is where a company secretary will sit during the day. “Next year we’ll make sure you get a red carpet.”
“What? No, thank you. No red carpets for me.” Although Finn thinking of us in terms of years is thrilling, and I swear my heart skips at beat as he says it.
Lined up in rows on top of the large desk sit black paper gifts bags with twine handles. Finn grabs two from the back as we pass. “Can’t forget our gifts. They’re the main reason I agreed to be here.” He passes one to me. “Hold on tight to this. There’s some good stuff in there.”
I’m laughing at his childlike excitement over whatever is in these bags as we pass through the lobby door and stop on the other side. Finn looks down at me with his own blissful reaction displayed prominently on his face. We’re two people caught in a happy moment with one another. A flash bulb pops and the area around us glows with light from a camera. It startles us both and our moment fizzles away with the glare. Stolen.
Straight ahead two photographers wield large black cameras. “If you two could stand to the left here, we’ll take a promotional image, Mr. McRyan,” the short pudgier one says. I’m pretty sure they already took a picture of us on the way in, but I swallow my sarcastic comment and follow Finn to where we’ve been directed to stand.
With only a white backdrop behind us, we’re missing the cheesy decorations, but I’m still reminded of taking pictures at every high school dance. All we need are a few game boards and for me to sit on Finn’s knee and we could recreate my senior prom. Of course my dress and date are both more pleasant tonight. Finn and I stand next to one another but barely touch. We face forward and smile as the camera flashes once more.
Light flickers across my face another four or five times before the photographer waves us off with thanks. Yes, definitely senior prom.
The space before us is vast and completely devoid of everything office like. Instead of cubicles or desks, round tables fill up the area. A small, but raised stage has been set to the side, but there is no podium. Along the back wall, there are five large poster board displays on easels — three boys and two girls. Each board displays facts about the person pictured. High school, college, and intended major are all listed in standard type font to the side.
Finn notices my curiosity and answers my unspoken question as we sit at a table close to the stage. “Our scholarship recipients for the year.”
I start to reply, but his phone chimes. He eyes the screen for a moment before his head pops up in a rush and swivels as he takes in the entire room at a slow pace.
“What’s wrong?” I ask and start to mimic his actions even though I have no idea what I should look for.
Finn returns the phone to his pocket. “Oh, nothing. I thought I turned this it off.”
I want to believe him, but the way his eyes continue to sweep the space tells a different story.
Holding my black gift bag in front of me I swing it a few times. “So what’s in these that you couldn’t wait to get your hands on?" I ask in an attempt to change the subject.
It works. Finn takes the opportunity to open his and paw through it. I read each item as he pulls it out and puts it on the table in front of him. A sixty-day free trial of Dragons Reborn. Three codes for free downloads of phone apps the company has released. A few sealed envelopes he doesn’t bother to open and then, from the way he handles it, what I can only assume is the piece de résistance. His hands buried deep in the bag, Finn is slow to remove them. As he does, inch by inch, the item he’s mesmerized by becomes more visible.
It’s a gold-plated video game controller for the system he brought to my apartment. The metal controller sits on a wooden base with a brass plate and a date from last year etched into it. The date holds no significance that I can think of, and I immediately wonder if it’s the day RDA was formed. I’m not sure and none of it makes any sense to me, but Finn stares at the object as if it holds some special power.
The room has continued to fill with people since our arrival. I start to put his individual papers back in the bag, not sure he’ll be able to part with the weird trophy. Eventually he returns the trophy to the bag and moves the bag to the center of the table alongside mine.
Finn’s phone vibrates against his leg, the motion causing it to hit the side of my chair. He reaches in his pocket and the vibrations stop, but he doesn’t pull it out to read the text or email.
“Are you su—”
“Finn, my boy,” a loud boisterous voice from behind us cuts off my question.
Finn stands and turns to the voice. “Aspen, my dad, Richard. Dad, Aspen.”
