“I know,” he grins. “Nowgo.”
“Um, OK. Fun fact, fun fact,” I stall. What’s fun about me? I rack my brains and come up with nothing. “I once bought a purse from a thrift shop and found forty bucks init?”
“Weak,” he says. “I need something stronger for the slide deck.”
“All right then,” I say. “What’s yours? I’m ready to be dazzled.”
He pauses like he’s about to blow my mind. “When I was a kid I won a chess tournament—at Disney World.”
I burst out laughing. “I can’t believe it. And yet I absolutely can.”
“Wait until you hear about the prize. I got to play chess against Buzz Lightyear!” His tone makes it clear that he still considers this to be a huge honor.
“How old were you?”
“Nine,” he says.
“Lifetime dork award,” I tell him. “Did you win or lose?”
“Well,” he starts, but I don’t get an answer. Connor’s attention is diverted by something out of my eyeline. “Oh shit. I gottago.”
“Oh, OK,” I say, feeling deflated. “No worries.”
He says a hasty goodbye and then he’s gone. Twenty minutes later, my messenger pings.
CONNOR:I won, obviously. But I’ll never truly be sure I beat him fair and square.
Ten
Mom and Dad are driving up north to visit some friends this morning, so it’s decided that Shannon will drive me to the airport, even though I tell them over and over I’ll just take a taxi. Dad is scandalized at the suggestion. We’re not the kind of people who let one of our own spend seventy-five bucks on a cab ride.
Mom insists she wants to lock the house up as they’re leaving, refusing reasonable suggestions like leaving me with a spare key or letting me exit through the garage. In her infinite wisdom she decides it makes the most sense for me to sit outside and get some freshair.
“It’s a beautiful day,” she reasons, like she is in fact doing me some big favor here, and then they go, leaving me on the front step to wait for Shannon, who won’t be here for almost an hour…exactly the amount of time it would have taken me to get a taxi to the airport.
The Wi-Fi signal carries to the front lawn, so I can at least get some work done while I wait. In all honesty, though, I just lurk around the company Slack channels aimlessly, which is exactly how I notice the precise moment the little green dot beside Connor’s name flickers to life.
ANNIE:Hey good morning
ANNIE:It’s your favorite strategist
His reply is immediate.
CONNOR:Oh hey Ben
ANNIE:I meant me, actually
CONNOR:But you said favorite…
I decide not to dignify that with a response.
ANNIE:I just sent over that report you asked for
CONNOR:Wow. Speedy
ANNIE:What can I say, I’m amazing at my job
CONNOR:Where did you pull the data from?
