Page 7 of Hacking the Holidays
I crossed the street to the library, my mind already shifting into hacker mode as I pushed through the front doors.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get far …
“There he is!” Eleanor Vanders, the library director, appeared from behind the circulation desk with a suspicious gleam in her eyes that immediately put me on high alert. “How was everything at the community center?”
“It was great—amazing, actually,” I said, still thinking about encrypted bank transfers and anonymous donations. “The turnout was even better than last week.”
“Wonderful! I’m so eager for you to meet our new volunteer. Follow me …” Eleanor gestured toward a woman near the reference section, then we headed in her direction.
Since when did we need more volunteers?
The woman sensed our presence, turned and smiled, then walked toward us. She appeared to be forty-ish with shoulder-length brown hair. She had an understated, wholesome appearance, with brown eyes that sparkled with wisdom—the kind of person who probably read encyclopediasfor pleasure, but also knew how to change a tire in the snow.
Wait a minute …
I glanced at her outfit as she stopped in front of us.
Jeans. Gray cardigan. Navy Hokas.
Then I glanced down at my clothes.
Jeans. Gray sweater. Navy Hokas.
She seemed to be doing her own assessment, and I caught the exact moment she realized we were dressed alike.
“Sam, this is Rose Thompson,” Eleanor announced with obvious delight. “Rose, meet Sam Monroe, our archivist and the man who practically runs half the community programs in town. He also makes my job easier, even though I never asked for his help. I really don’t know how he has the time for it.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” I said, extending my hand while trying not to glance at her clothes again. “Thank you for volunteering—that’s very kind of you.”
Rose’s handshake was firm and brief. “Happy to help.”
“I’m surprised our paths haven’t crossed before,” I said. “Leavenworth’s pretty small—I thought I knew everyone.”
“That’s because Rose just arrived from Seattle!” Eleanor chimed in with the enthusiasm of someone sharing delicious gossip.
“Ah, that explains it,” I said. “Are you here permanently?”
“It’s temporary, actually,” Rose replied with a slight shrug. “I’ve got the entire month of December off fromwork, thanks to way too much accumulated vacation time. I figured Leavenworth would be the perfect place to escape the city during the holidays.”
“Smart choice. December here is pretty magical,” I said.
“Where are you staying?” Eleanor asked.
“The Bavarian Lodge,” Rose said.
“You chose well,” I said. “Right in the heart of the action.”
“And we’re so lucky to have you,” Eleanor added, then her mouth dropped open, like she’d just witnessed a shooting star. “Look at you two! You’re matching! What are the odds of that happening?”
My brain kicked into analytical mode before I could stop it. “Well, assuming a random selection from a typical adult wardrobe of approximately forty clothing combinations?—”
“Actually,” Rose surprisingly interrupted, “you’d need to factor in seasonal preferences, regional climate, and the demographic likelihood of shopping at similar stores within a five-mile radius.”
“I was just about to say that,” I said, surprised and oddly energized by having someone actually follow my logic. “So we’re looking at approximately fifteen viable winter combinations for this geographic area, making the odds roughly six-point-seven percent.”
“But that assumes completely random clothes selection,” Rose countered, and I could see her mind racing in real-time. “Given the location is a library, there’s a higherprobability we’d choose ‘professional casual,’ which narrows it down to maybe eight realistic combinations.”
“So approximately twelve-point-five percent,” I calculated.
