Page 34 of Class Clown

“Yes.”

“Oh boy. Do you have time for me to get the others on a conference call? Because there’s no way they’ll believe me if they don’t hear it straight from you.”

“Absolutely.”

An hour later my phone battery was dead, and my face and stomach hurt from laughing. The call with my friends had gone as most conversations did, with a lot of teasing and heavy doses of total support. I came away feeling lighter. I’d promised to send regular updates on Quinn, and Nico, and the progress of some girl winning his heart. They’d given me a million useless matchmaking ideas, and a few gems that I was still thinking about.

I stepped out of Cole’s office and made my way into the main room of the lodge. Darkness had fully fallen outside, and the sound of rain patteredon the roof above me, catching me off guard. I must not have heard it over the conversation with my friends.

The lodge was mostly quiet. With the campers gone, the counselors and some staff had the night and next day off. Some who were more local went home to sleep in their own beds and do laundry without fighting for the limited on-site facilities. Others went out to have the kind of fun you still wanted to have in your twenties. That meant only a handful of people were around now. Most likely those who were still here had chosen to stay in their cozy cabins rather than venture out in the rain.

A shape appeared out of the shadows and I squeaked as I froze in my tracks. He stepped into the light and I put a hand on my chest.

“Nico Crawford, you have got to start making yourself known. You’re not on some deployment where you need to be cautious about being caught. One of these days you’re going to regret scaring me.” I relaxed and shook my head. “Seriously. Two words: karate chop.”

“You know karate?” he asked.

“I know enough,” I stated. “What are you doing lurking in shadows?”

He stepped closer and lifted his arm, bringing something with it. “It’s raining. I brought you a poncho to keep dry.”

I took the offered poncho, and our fingers lightly brushed as I did. His hand darted back quickly, and my fingers curled into a fist as I hugged the poncho against my chest. Confusion kept me from knowing how to respond. I’d never had a guy go out of his way to see to my comfort before. Most guys I’d been around wouldn’t have thought about keeping me dry, much less have left their dry spot to bring me a poncho.

I had only had one true, steady boyfriend, and that had been during college. But his tendency to see me as an afterthought had been what ultimately led to our relationship falling apart after seven months. I wasn’t going to live life as an afterthought.

And yet, I’d repeated the same dynamic over and over again.

“This was really nice of you,” I managed at last.

“Sure.”

“Is it a Marine thing? Being prepared?”

He moved back to the shadows where he’d been waiting and picked up a poncho of his own, which he pulled on quickly. “I guess.”

“Does this mean I’m part of your squadron?” I teased. “Marines look out for each other, right?”

He offered me a slight nod before turning to go. An overwhelming urge to keep him talking longer had me following. Maybe I could get to know him better. It seemed like a good idea if I was going to figure out who would suit him. I tugged my poncho over my head and hustled to match his longer gait.

“Are you heading back to Funky Bunks?” I asked him as he pushed open one of the big double front doors.

He paused and looked over his shoulder. “Yeah.”

“Mind if I walk with you?” His lips formed a little smile and he stepped to the side, gesturing with his head for me to go through first. “Did you happen to see a self-important, ego-maniac porcupine when you walked up with the poncho?” I asked. I stepped to the edge of the big wrap-around porch and scanned the area. “He’s sneaky.”

“No.”

“Probably because Quinn didn’t want to be seen.”

“Quinn?”

“I named him, or her. It seemed prudent for the police report.” I pulled the bear spray out of my pocket and started down the steps. “I wish I knew what the stupid thing wanted from me.”

“What do your stalkers usually want from you?” Nico asked, humor lacing his tone.

I grinned at the show of humanity from him. He was slowly but surely proving there was something inside that quiet shell. Maybe even something I could make friends with.

“Nico, please. Do you really have to ask that question?” I teased back. “I am the entire package, and they know it. Apparently, my natural magnetism has gone beyond the human realm and I’ve entranced a rodent. It’s pretty flattering, actually. Except for the part where I hate it.” I stopped walking and turned to face him when he stopped too. “Do you have any super stealthy, possibly questionable advice for me on how to deal with unwanted attention?”

---