Page 39 of The Interception
Panic washes over me but there is no time to swallow it down before we reach the office the organizers are using for the time being. Ender knocks on the door.
“Come in,” someone says.
He pulls the door open, and I come face to face with a woman I’ve never met, seated behind a desk, smiling up at me. I thought I’d met all of the organizers, but they keep popping up everywhere. “What can I do for you Ms. Rossi?”
“Oh, um…we were wondering…I mean, if it’s possible to talk to someone about a scheduling issue?”
“Certainly. If you would have a seat, I’ll see if I can get someone from the team. One moment.”
I take the opportunity to sit and observe the room. It feels a lot like being in a doctor’s office waiting room with its bland wallpaper, confetti-colored carpeting, and basic furniture with an array of magazines across it. It’s eerily identical to the teamdoctor’s office, which is probably why I feel as if I’m about to have a full body shake down when a side door opens and a man peeks his head through.
“Ms. Rossi? Mr. Langley, come on in.” The man, who I now recognize as one of thebigevent coordinators, motions for us to enter the back area with him. “I’m Arnold Waynes, one of the bosses around here. What can I do for you?”
Ender pulls out a chair for me before nervously sitting beside me. “I’m not sure where to begin really, so I’ll dive in. One of my games was rescheduled for the same day as the finals. I can’t be sure I’ll make it back to Charleston in time. We wanted to see if it’s possible for her to begin on her own, and I’d join her as soon as possible.”
The man frowns and puts on a pair of glasses. “That is unfortunate. Let me reference the rule guide and see what we’re allowed to do.”
Ender and I wait as patiently as we can while he scrolls through page after page of information. Finally, the man squints and leans forward.
“Ah, here we are. Looks like…huh…well, as long as you’ve designed the dish together, only one of you needs to be present at the finals. Uh…looks like you also incur a ten-second penalty, but given your position, I doubt that will cause much of an issue for you.”
A ten-second penalty on top of having to prepare everything myself? I’d say that’s a major issue, but I can’t make a big deal out of something I can’t change. We’re lucky I even get to try.
“Thank you so much. I can’t tell you what a relief that is. I’ll do my best to return on time, but if the game goes into overtime, there’s not much I can do.”
Mr. Waynes nods his agreement. “I understand. Is there anything else we can do for you?”
“No, I think that settles it. We should probably head out and get started figuring out what we’re going to do.” Ender stands and offers me his hand. In auto mode, I accept it and glaze over while he says our goodbyes.
It isn’t until we’re back outside that he notices I’m basically a zombie. He squeezes my hand, reminding me that we are holding hands again. “You’re going to do amazing things in the finals, Layne. I know you can do it. I looked over the recipe ideas you sent last night, and the garlic butter chicken sandwich sounds phenomenal. I think we can get that one done the fastest with the biggest payoff.”
“Your faith in me might be misplaced, but I’ll do my best,” I mumble and wiggle free to wipe the stress from my face.
“I’m still really sorry, Layne. Never in a million years did I expect that game to be rescheduled for the same day as the finals round. I’ll try to get back in time, but I can’t promise.” Ender ruffles his hair for the tenth time, but it isn’t his fault. None of it is his fault. I try to remind myself I didn’t evenwantto enter this contest and only did it to appease Lottie. I just…didn’t realize how much I grew to want it in such a short time.
“I know. I totally understand. We’ll do what you said: work on our plan, let me do it myself a few times and shave off seconds where we can, and we’ll pray you make it back to help me.”
Ender grasps my elbow and slides his hand down to mine before lacing our fingers together. “You’re the best partner I could have asked for. Thank you for being so understanding about everything.”
“I’d ask you to lunch, but I need to get home so Sarah Beth can use the truck. Can I call you later, and we’ll sync our schedules to get this final recipe nailed down?”
“Sure, sounds good.”
He stops at my truck and waits for me to unlock it before helping me in. Since he’s holding my right hand, he has torelease me or else get all tangled up in the cab of the truck with me…which I think he fully considers before reluctantly releasing his grip.
When I’m settled, he leans on the door frame. “I really do think doing something with chicken will be best for the final. If that’s okay with you, I’ll get the groceries so we can test it all out?”
“I think that’s fine. We’ve done beef twice, and I hate fish. We could do pork, but chicken really would be easier if I have to do it on my own.”
“I’m sorry. I—”
I reach for his hand again. “Hey, it’s okay. I didn’t say it to make you apologize again. I’m only thinking out loud about what would work best.” I’ve brought his hand onto my lap, and now I don’t know what to do with it. He’s closer in my orbit now, standing right beside me.
Ender sucks in a breath and licks his lips. “I meant it when I said you’re the best. I hope we can still be friends when you have to go back to Savannah. I’d miss you if you ditched me.”
I force a smile. The very thought of not seeing him every day makes me nauseous. “I thought we already established that you would come eat at my place?”
“We did, but it doesn’t hurt to confirm. I mean, we did also bring up the topic that the tension between us might be maybe more than friendly?” He’s leaning closer, his shoulder brushing against mine. “Layne, I wanted to ask you—”
