Setting down the boxes I brought from home, I look around at all the things I’m going to have to remove. The truth is, I love my space as-is. Not the grey walls and fluorescent lighting, but my personal touches really make it mine. My favorite books are on the shelf as well as my collection of miniature rockets that I build in my free time.
Serafina can’t see these after the fuss I made on national television about how I don’t care about ambience. She’d know what a big liar I am if she got a look at my rockets. There are thirty-eight of them.
If the rockets don’t make me the captain of the nerd squad, my complete collection of Star Trek action figures (from the original series obviously, and still in their boxes) would certainly tip her off.
Those are the first to get packed up, followed by my Space Thinking Putty, my astronaut cell phone charger, the mug my mom gave me that says “Warning: May Start Talking about Physics,” and my 3D Solar System Crystal Ball (including all eight of our solar system’s planets — not Pluto, of course, since it’s NOT a planet).
By 7:30, the entire place looks as bare as I claimed it would. All that’s left on my desk is my computer and phone. The only things on my bookshelf are books (Carl Sagan’s greatest hits included). I quickly boot up my computer and bring up Ewan’s article so I can have it done before he gets in.
A sense of dread comes over me as I imagine how starstruck the men on my team are going to be. They talk incessantly about how beautiful Serafina is. Even Carla told me she’s “totally been fangirling over her,” whatever the hell that means. Although in her case, I don’t even mind too much because it’s better than hearing her blather on about Chewy’s digestive tract (but only by a very slight margin).
At twelve thirty, Serafina texts me.
StarNut: We’re here in the lobby. Is there a chance you can help us carry everything up to your office?
* * *
ObiWan: Sure. I’ll be right down to sign you in.
Dammit. She’s early. I quickly toss my coffee cup and sandwich wrapper in the garbage and hurry down the hall to the elevator. When I get off, I see her, looking lovely as usual. (Why does she have to be so darn beautiful? It’s horribly inconvenient.)
Her arms are loaded with two boxes and there’s a teenage girl with her. The girl is holding one end of a rolled-up area rug as she looks around with wide eyes.
“Ben, this is Charley,” Serafina calls out. “She’s my neighbor, friend, and one of the best hackers out there.”
The girl blushes and offers me a shy smile. “She’s exaggerating.”
“Am not. She also got accepted to Yale and she’s only fifteen.”
“Really?” I ask.
Nodding, Charley says, “It’s no biggie.”
“I beg to differ,” I tell her. “That’s a very big deal.”
Serafina smiles down at her companion, looking like a proud mother. “Charley’s a genius. She’s behind the algorithm for the dating feature on my app.”
“Really? What does a fifteen-year-old girl know about fixing people up?” I can’t help but ask.
“Nothing,” she says brightly. “The computer will make the choices based on the data the participants give us when they sign up. You should try it.”
Like I need more people pressuring me to date a strange Capricorn or something. But an intriguing idea pops into my head. What if I sign up for this stupid dating trial using a fake name? I could go on a couple of dates and then call foul on how poorly it works. Then I could tell the world how dating for your star sign is a load of hooey. Hmm, this is certainly something to consider.
I pick up the other half of the rug Charley is dragging and say, “Shall we?”
Leading them over to the elevators, I press the up button, then do my best not to look at Serafina while we wait. When the doors slide open, Charley says, “This is so cool. I’ve never been to NASA before.”
“Not even space camp?” I ask as we step on.
She shakes her head and I start to wonder if maybe her family can’t afford it. Because, honestly, that’s the only reason I can think of that someone wouldn’t go to space camp. “Everyone should get a chance to go to space camp — it’s life-changing. They have scholarships, you know. I can get the forms for you if you’d like.”
“That’s really nice of you, but it’s not necessary.”
“I’d be happy to help,” I tell her. “We can use all the brilliant minds we can get around here. And I’d like to be part of setting you on the right track.”
When the doors open to my floor, Serafina says, “He’s trying to get you away from the crazy zodiac woman who’s wasting her brain getting rich when she could be doing something useful like contemplating the cosmos.”
I glance back at her and see she’s got a wry smile on her face. Then, looking at Charley, I say, “She’s not wrong.”
“Did you just say I was right?” Serafina asks me.
I chuckle, then nod. “Don’t get used to it.”
When we get to the Exoplanet Research Center, I swipe my key card and the door swings open leading to the large bullpen where most of the team sits. The screens lining the walls are filled with images of faraway solar systems as well as graphs and charts depicting wobbles, temperature changes, shadows, and all sorts of things that bore the heck out of most people, but I find it positively exhilarating.
The entire team is so quiet, you could hear a Post-it note drop. They’re all hiding behind their computer screens while simultaneously peering over them to take in the newcomers. We’re a roomful of mostly socially awkward intellectuals and I’m their leader. We should just put on our headgear and be done with it. I ignore their gawking and lead Charley and Serafina to my office.
“Wow, you weren’t kidding about not caring about decor,” Serafina says.
Shrugging, I say, “Did you expect to find a bunch of Star Trek figurines or something?” I’m totally pushing it, but there’s no way she can really know what my office usually looks like.
She stares at me for a moment before asking, “Are you not even a Star Trek fan?”
Lifting both hands in the air, I say, “That’s like asking a teenage girl if she likes K-Pop.”
I give Charley an am I right look and she nods while asserting, “Love it.”
“I rest my case,” I say with a grin. “Listen, I don’t want you to go to too much trouble with this. I’m not going to keep whatever it is you do to the office anyway.”
“How do you know when you haven’t seen what I’m going to do?”
“I need to reduce distractions and maintain a professional decorum at all times,” I say. “No offense, but based on what you already told me about adding a bunch of bright colors, I’m kind of expecting it to look like a Ukrainian Easter egg when you’re done here.”
“Clearly you meant no offense …” Serafina says, raising one eyebrow.
Urgh. I should not be allowed to talk to women. “That came out wrong. What I meant to say is that I don’t want you and Charley to kill yourselves. You don’t really know me, so making these types of choices on my behalf means you have an extremely low probability of success.”
“Your faith in me is underwhelming,” she practically growls.
“I just don’t want to set you up for disappointment,” I tell her. “Anyway, is there anything else you need to bring up?”
Nodding, Serafina says, “One more trip.”
“Let’s do this,” I say, glancing at my watch.
By the time the film crew shows up, I’m a little sweaty from lugging the world’s heaviest boxes up from the lobby. One of the makeup artists comes at me with some powder and I try to avoid her only to end up having her powder my ear. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” she tells me.
I pause for a second, tempted to ask for her to enumerate the differences, but settle for a nod, before standing still so she can do her worst. One of the crew opens a large box of donuts and sets it on a table that’s been set up just outside
my office. That ought to draw the team out from behind their computer screens.
Inside my office, Serafina and Waltraut are engaged in a lively conversation, both of them pointing at items in the boxes, and areas in the room. I sigh, wishing we were done already. Charley, who seems to be finished with her duties, stands awkwardly by the donut table, looking very much alone. I walk up to her after the makeup lady is done with me. Folding my arms, I ask, “So, do you think anyone noticed me getting my makeup done?”
She giggles and nods. “Pretty sure a few of your staff were making videos. You might want to check YouTube later.”
“Perfect,” I mutter. “How do you know Serafina?”
“She lives in my building,” Charley says. “She’s amazing. I’ve learned so much from her.”
I glance down, feeling slightly concerned about exactly what she’s learned from my nemesis. “I was serious before about helping you get a scholarship. When I was growing up, my mom couldn’t afford to send me to space camp, but one of my science teachers helped me fill in the forms and I got to go. Greatest experience of my life.”
Charley looks at me like I’ve sprouted extra arms. “Umm, thanks, but really, it’s okay.”
“Oh, I get it,” I tell her. “You’re proud. I was the same way, but you shouldn’t turn down a great opportunity just because you’re embarrassed you can’t afford it. If I’d done that, I sure wouldn’t be here now.”
“What are you two talking about?” Serafina asks, grabbing a donut out of the box.
“Space camp,” I say. “I was telling Charley my mother couldn’t afford to send me either.”
Serafina narrows her eyes, looking utterly confused. “Umm, Charley’s dad is a judge and her mom’s a heart surgeon.”
I freeze for a second, feeling my face heat up one degree at a time. “Oh. And they live in your building.”
Nodding, Serafina says, “I told you I make bank.”
“Right.” Turning to Charley, I offer, “I’m sorry for assuming you couldn’t afford it. It’s just that I can’t imagine anyone choosing not to go to space camp. It makes absolutely no sense to me at all.”
Serafina and Charley both seem to be biting back laughter, while I stand here feeling like a complete idiot. Finally, I clear my throat. “Should we get this over with?”
Seventeen
Serafina
While Waltraut talks to Ben, Charley whispers, “He’s adorable. You should totally tap that.”
“Charley!” I do my best to sound shocked, but the truth is, even though Ben annoys the snot out of me, I’ve totally been drooling over him. I like a smart guy who believes in bigger things. The only fly in the ointment is that he doesn’t have an open mind as far as my scientific views are concerned, and that’s a deal breaker.
“Seriously, Sera, you need a social life,” my young friend persists.
“There will be no tapping,” I tell her. “Not unless Ben transforms his personality and quits making derogatory comments about how I earn my livelihood. Plus, if you’ll remember, I have a blind date this afternoon that your program set up for me.”
“I didn’t forget, and I’m totally jazzed to see how it goes. I just like Ben. He’s super passionate about space. I mean, he seriously thinks the only reason people don’t go to space camp is because they can’t afford it. How cute is that?”
“You weren’t offended that he thought you were poor?” I ask.
“Not in the least. I don’t think the guy’s a bigot. Well, actually, yes I do. He’s bigoted against people who don’t love astrophysics, but that’s not a skin color issue.”
I throw an arm around Charley. “You really are an exceptional human, you know that?”
Waltraut waves in my direction so I give my friend a final squeeze before disengaging. “Wish me luck. It looks like it’s go-time.”
I approach Waltraut and Ben with a smile. “You ready to rumble?” I ask jokingly.
Ben is standing so stiffly he appears to have been carved out of wood. He gives me a quick nod. “The sooner we start, the sooner it’s over.”
“Why don’t you sit at your desk, Ben, and we’ll start filming with Serafina walking in?”
Ben follows orders and I turn around and walk back to the doorway. I wait while Waltraut counts us down, “In five, four, three, two, we’re rolling!”
“Hi, Ben! How are you today?” I stride into his office like I haven’t been here for the last thirty minutes.
He hurries to stand. He’s so tall he makes me feel petite. As I’m five feet nine inches, few men manage that. “I’m well, Serafina, thank you for asking. How are you?”
“I’m super excited to show you what I have in mind for your office. You ready to get started?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be, I suppose.” He isn’t selling it at all.
I call out, “Charley, can you bring in the first set of items?” Charley drags in a large box before hurrying out of the room.
I open it up and say, “I’m going to need you to keep an open mind, Ben.” He looks like he’s about to throw up. “Go sit down and close your eyes.”
Once he’s situated, I turn to the camera and whisper, “Check this out.” Then I pull out a wall sticker of an opening into space. Stepping onto a chair, I hurry to unroll it and stick it to the ceiling in the corner of his office.
After several moments, Ben asks, “What exactly are you doing?”
“Open your eyes,” I tell him.
As soon as he does, he looks around and says, “It looks like the same old room. What did you do?”
I point at the ceiling and watch as he opens his mouth, closes it, tilts his head back, all before looking back at me.
“Do you like it?” I ask. “It’s designed to look like a hole in your ceiling that’s showcasing a distant galaxy.”
He nods his head once. “Not bad.”
“I was worried you’d think it was too ‘little boy’s room’ or something.”
“Every astrophysicist was once a young person dreaming of outer space. If I’d had wall art like this as a child, I’m not sure I would have ever wanted to leave my room.”
“Ben Williams, are you actually complimenting my design choice?”
“Just because I don’t buy your zodiac nonsense doesn’t mean I think you lack any talent whatsoever. Of course, this is only one thing. I haven’t seen everything you’ve brought.”
I look into the camera. “As far as compliments, he almost gave me one, didn’t he? Quick, someone mark this day on the calendar, so we have proof!” Then I turn back to Ben. “I’m delighted you like it, and I can’t wait until you see your brand new, fabulous workspace.”
Stuffing his hands in the front pockets of his trousers, he shrugs. “To be honest, you could stick my desk next to the garbage bins outside. As long as I have power for my computer, I’ll be productive.”
Rolling my eyes, I ask, “How can someone so intelligent be so wrong?”
“Are you talking about yourself? Because I’m not wrong. Work is work. You set your mind to whatever task is before you until you complete it. I don’t need trinkets or curtains or whatever else you’ve got in the boxes to make me a good astrophysicist.”
“Okay, Dr. Stubborn. Get out of here so I can transform this place.” Before he can protest, I add, “Shoo!”
“And cut,” the director says. The moment the words leave her mouth, Ben turns to me. “You want me to leave and give you free rein?”
“Thought you didn’t care…” I taunt.
Waltraut walks over to Ben and explains that the network decided he should leave me to it because it’ll make for better television if there’s a big reveal. “Also, it’ll give us time to interview you so that you can explain to our audience what you do in a really in-depth way.”
He glances back and forth between Waltraut and me, looking pretty rattled for someone who apparently could work between two stinky garbage bins. “Fine,” he says before surreptitiously creeping toward th
e door.
Once Ben is gone, Charley and I hurry to pull in all the boxes before releasing the blinds on the glass wall. Then we get busy transforming Dr. Ben’s inner domain.
Waltraut pops her head back in. “You have two hours, can you do it?”
“I thought we only had forty-five minutes?” That’s what Ben said anyway.
She shakes her head. “NASA approved Dr. Williams to tell us about some of the logistics of the Earth Two project. We probably won’t be able to air much of it, but we’re going to set him loose and let him talk about what he wants. I’ll text you when we’re about to come back.”
Then she’s gone; Charley and I get busy. The first thing we do is pull out all of the old furniture, then we assemble a replica of a mid-century modern boomerang desk in blond wood. The only thing we have to do is screw the legs on. Then we bring in a matching chair with a chartreuse seat cushion.
We don’t have time to paint or anything, but I’ve picked out a great quote for the wall opposite Ben’s desk. Charley gets busy putting the letter stickers up while I arrange the knickknacks I bought to make this room feel right for the Gemini physicist’s psyche.
Nothing is more agitating than fluorescent lighting, so I’ve brought several lamps along. That way Ben will never need to turn on the overhead. Then I unpack the two posters I had framed for his walls. One of them is of Neil Armstrong standing on the moon with his trademark quote “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” The other is a picture of the Tardis from Dr. Who. The quote on that one is, “It’s bigger on the inside …” I’m gambling with the Tardis, but even if Dr. Pragmatic doesn’t think time travel is possible, who doesn’t love Dr. Who?
After assembling a sleek glass console table, I place two coffee table books about outer space on it, as well as a lamp and a couple Star Trek figurines — from the far superior first series. Charley is just finishing the quote on the wall when Waltraut texts that they’re on their way back.
Text Wars: May the Text be With You ... (An Accidentally in Love Story Book 3) Page 9