I took a deep breath and looked her straight in the eyes. “I can wait for Jack to apologize himself. If you wanted to apologize to me, I’d be willing to listen.”
She stared at me, the paddle across her lap and her mouth gaping open. Mindy had a look of astonishment on her face. Nothing was said for an uncomfortably long time.
“Okay, then I’m off to do my job.”
A few nights later I was slicing limes for G&Ts when Mindy said, “I heard that Jack’s coming back tomorrow.”
“I hope whatever he’s been up to the past few days helped to calm and center him,” Bethany said.
“I’ll drink to that,” I said and held up my cup.
“It’s great that he’s feeling better and all, but since he’s been gone, have you noticed how everybody’s been smiling? It feels like, you know, the way camp’s supposed to be,” Bob said.
“Like we all got a Get Out of Jail Free card,” Gilda said.
Teddy was nodding in agreement. “Every single person in this room is great at their job. If Jack could only appreciate that he assembled a group of clever, motivated people, he would be so much less stressed, and we would all be better off.”
“It’s true, we’re a well-oiled machine.” Bethany swirled her jungle juice.
“I hope all of you, my drinking buddies, my comrades, my friends”—Teddy looked around the room acknowledging every person—“will return next summer. I have a feeling it’ll be even more memorable than this one.”
Mindy laughed. “Oh crap, I hope not.”
After lights out, Genie followed me out onto the porch. “Lori, I need to talk to you.”
“Sure, what’s up?”
Genie moved close to the railing so we couldn’t be heard. “I think there’s something wrong with me.”
“What do you mean?”
“I was with Connor on the golf course last night and, well . . .”
“Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”
“No, nothing like that, it was actually beautiful and romantic.”
I found it difficult to believe having her body humped into a putting green was pleasurable.
“Really?”
“Well, yeah, it was a magical night, the moon was out, and there were like a gazillion stars.”
“That’s great, but what’s wrong?”
“I’m pretty sure there’s something in my vagina.”
“Did he use a condom?”
“Of course. Do you think it could be gonorrhea or herpes or syphilis or leprosy?” Genie asked.
“I’m one hundred percent certain it’s not leprosy. The STDs I’m less sure about, but I don’t think it’d incubate so quickly.”
“What should I do?”
“Come with me and we’ll figure this out.”
“Where?”
