18
Jack
For once, there isn’t a welcoming committee waiting for us at the dock when we come in. Things are finally going right. No sign of Harper lurking, waiting for a status report. But Marci is at the desk when I walk through, and she pounces on me.
“Hey, how did it go?”
“Fine.” Gave him the red light special, but I leave that part out.
“What are you doing later?”
I glance around like this is a trick question. “Will this involve more charades?”
She laughs, shoving at my arm like we’re good friends. “No, silly. Nate found a spot in the woods that’ll be good for a bonfire. We’re gonna sneak a few drinks and some marshmallows from the kitchen and go hang out. You want to come?”
A week ago, I would have said no. I had no interest in being here or socializing with the rest of the staff. And I still don’t know who Nate is. But today? Maybe it’s the last of the orgasmic afterglow, but hanging out in the woods making small talk doesn’t sound so bad. If I have to be here all summer, I’ll need a reason to enjoy myself here even after David leaves. I have to make more of an effort to get to know the people I work with. Otherwise it’ll be very lonely.
“Sure. Sounds like fun.”
Marci claps her hands like this is the best news she’s heard all day. “Do you think you can get him to come too?”
“Who?”
Her eyes widen. “Him. Da—” Then her gaze drops down to the ground suddenly. “I mean, Mr. Morgan.”
“Everything okay?” Harper has walked into the lobby and joined our little twosome.
“Fine.” I tug at the zipper of my coat where it’s done up to my chin, then ball my hands into fists because Harper can’t know what David and I did on the boat by looking at me, but if I squirm like a guilty child, she’ll find out one way or the other.
“Will you be going back out again tomorrow?” she asks.
“I believe so.” Really trying not to think about what we’ll do because it’ll be hard to hide my face turning bright red.
Still, it would be nice to find a place with a little more room. Too bad I never found one of those beaches perfect for a picnic... or other things. They must exist. If Marci can find a place big enough for a bonfire, surely we can find enough space to—
I hop back like I’ve been burnt and both Harper and Marci stare at me with confusion.
“Sorry,” I say. “Got a chill. It’s drafty in here. I’m gonna go take a shower. I’ll see you both later? At the bonfire, right?”
“Bonfire?” Harper asks, and I notice Marci’s frantic motions signalling me to keep it a secret too late.
“Nothing. Sorry. I’ll... I’m off to my room.”
The last thing I see is Harper rounding on Marci, and I feel pretty bad about it. I didn’t mean to share something I shouldn’t, but blurting out Marci’s secret is better than blurting out mine.
As I walk into my room, I see my laptop is open, showing an incoming call from Stef. I scramble to answer it before she hangs up.
“Hello?”
“Hey.” Her brown hair is piled up in a messy bun, and she gives me a thin smile. “How was your day?”
“Not bad. Nice weather.” Got a blow job from an incredibly good-looking man, and I’m not allowed to tell anyone. I bite my lip to squash that thought. “How’s Robbie?”
“He’s good. Working on a dichotomous key for fish species identification.”
“What’s that?”
She shrugs. “Something he saw in a textbook, but he felt he could make a better one.”
