“Lori, I missed you. Where were you?”
“I had my day off.”
“Did you get to see your parents?”
If only I could. “Unfortunately, no.”
“Did you bring me anything?”
I laughed. These kids really did think of me as their mother. “Sorry, no.”
Most of the counselors told me they missed me. Their job was more difficult when I wasn’t there to run interference.
Amber stood up, unclipped the radio from her pocket, and bent at the waist, holding her arms forward as if it were a sacred offering. “Lori, thank you for entrusting me with the responsibility of being in charge.”
I hugged her. “No, thank you, Amber, for allowing me to be off without worrying.”
That night I got to Mindy’s room on the early side and ran through the evening ritual of mixing drinks. I wanted to catch up with my friends but was anxious to see Teddy. He walked in with Bob about twenty minutes later. I barely looked at them as I prepared their drinks.
Teddy smiled. “Thank you, Lori, I missed your G&Ts when I was off.”
I gave the other to Bob. “I missed them too—Lori was off the same days as you,” he said.
“I hope you enjoyed your time off as much as I enjoyed mine. Cheers,” Teddy said.
It took every ounce of willpower to keep a straight face.
“Ted, tell us what you did. You haven’t looked this relaxed in years,” Mindy said.
“Yeah, you’re right. I caught him daydreaming with a grin on his face this afternoon,” Bob said. “He only smiles when he’s with his son, and Max was not around. Come on Ted, spill, who is she?”
“I have not come here this evening to be interrogated. I’ve come to enjoy the company of my peers.” His upper crust accent stopped that conversation.
“Sooner or later, the truth always comes out,” Bethany said.
Since Teddy wasn’t talking, the subject changed.
“Isn’t Chip due any day?” Mindy asked.
“Yep, usually comes a week or so into the second half. So, yeah, soon,” Bob said.
“Who’s Chip?” Abby asked.
“Silent partner in the camp. The money guy,” Bob said.
“Jack and Marilyn don’t own the camp?” Abby asked.
“Part owners,” Bob said.
They were telling stories about Chip; I wasn’t really paying attention to anything but my inner thoughts. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Teddy nod his head slightly. I stood up and stretched, said my goodnights, and headed to my cabin.
27Carnival
The days melted into each other. If it weren’t for the calendar tacked to the wall in my room, I’d have no idea what day it was. As long as I got the campers to where they were supposed to be on time, I was golden.
I highlighted my days off. I certainly didn’t want to miss those.
Sunday rolled around once again, and the temperature promised to hover in the nineties. Since the specialists were off, there would be no waterfront activities.
