Noah paused, turning back. His gaze passed over her hesitantly. “You sure?”
AJ shrugged. “You’re not going to aggressively quote every line, right?”
Noah’s eyes lit. “No, but I will say ‘This is funny’ right before anyone says anything funny.”
AJ laughed and Noahgrinned.She’d never seen him smile before, and it transformed his entire face. It transformed this entire town. AJ caught herself staring and quickly busied herself finding the spare folding chair for him.
Noah clearly loved the show as much as she did and knew it even better. Though he didn’t quote, he’d quietly offer trivia as they watched. Again and again, the two of them cracked up at the same parts. Noah’s laugh—deep and rich and sometimes a bit giggly—made AJ laugh harder.
When the episode finished, he returned to the back room. AJ didn’t move for several minutes. Then, curiously, she opened her most recent fic. She stared at it for a long time, puzzling over its various beats. They weren’t quite a game…yet.
AJ hit edit, determined to write one good joke. Justonejoke as funny asAstronauticals.
The Science Fiction Societyof the Berkshires met in the basement of a Methodist church that doubled as a preschool. As AJ sat in a circle of nerds, sandwiched between Mike and Noah Drew, she stared at a finger painting and wondered how this had become her life.
It had been about a week since she and Noah had discovered their mutual love ofAstronauticalsand embarked on a tentative friendship. They’d watched a few more episodes and joked around in passing, though he still kept to the back of the store, and she to the front.
That had changed yesterday, when AJ’s little brother had dropped by to register a complaint.
“Pat can’t drive me to the SFSB meeting anymore,” said Mike, giving her cast a resentful glare. “I don’t think Rick or Jamie will be pleased.”
“I’m so sorry my broken arm offends your friends,” said AJ.
“It’s just really annoying, AJ,” said Mike. “I told them I would be there.”
“Be where?” said Noah, emerging through the beaded curtain.
Mike, who was about a third of Noah’s size, immediately shut up.
AJ laughed. “Relax, he’s a Nautical,” she said, then summarized their predicament.
Noah’s brow creased. “What time is it?”
“Six-thirty,” said Mike glumly. “Well, seven officially, but six-thirty for the inner circle.”
“I can take you,” said Noah, looking curiously from Mike to AJ, who realized that he thought she belonged to SFSB. Sure, she wentoccasionally,but she wasn’t a full-blown member.
“Oh, that’s—”
Mike’s eyes went cartoonishly large, imploring her not to blow it. In truth, AJ enjoyed the SFSB meetings. And she didn’t mind the idea of spending time with Noah outside work, even if this forum was decidedly nerdy. She blushed. “Thank you. That would be great.”
“Great!” said Mike.
“Great,” said Noah.
This afternoon, they’d all piled into Noah’s red Camaro and headed for Pittsfield.
“Whatisthis stuff?” said Mike from the back seat, surrounded by a dozen parcels of various shapes and sizes, all markedReturn to sender.
Noah frowned. “My aunt has a badly managed addiction to the Home Shopping Network.”
“Your aunt’s Glimmette, right?” said Mike.
“Right.”
“Good to know.”
By the time they arrived in the parking lot, Mike had his game faceon.
