Build a Nerd

by Wendy Smith

  Everyone walks off to go about their day, and I sit back at my desk only to look up and see Bridget and Molly in conversation in the corner. Bridget’s arms are crossed and her jaw’s ticking. Whatever they’re talking about isn’t pleasant.

  I’ve never been huge on gossip, but I’d love to know what’s going on over there.

  Bridget leaves to go outside, and Molly fixes her gaze on me. With a smile, she walks toward me.

  “How are we going with the new game-line development?” Molly asks.

  “It’s in the document I sent you two days ago.”

  She nods. “I know, but now you’re back in the office with me and I’m delegating more, I’d like to actually have a conversation about it.”

  I chuckle. “I’m surprised you’re asking about that and not the construction project. The roadmap for the games is almost nailed down, and the former Psycom staff are excited about it, for the most part.”

  She smiles. “I’m glad. I want to stay involved on the development side. Miranda will be dealing with the more day-to-day things I’ve handed off to her. And I’m not concerned about the construction. I know I need to give Bridget room to do what she’s good at, and you to settle into it.”

  I frown, and she studies me closely.

  “What’s that for?”

  “Are you really sure you want me across this? I know we’ve had our first meeting about it, but …”

  Molly grips my shoulder. “You’re the only one I trust with it. You’re methodical, and even though you’ve never worked on a project of this type, I know you’ll do everything you can to learn the ins and outs. And Brad wouldn’t have put Bridget on this if she didn’t know what she was doing.”

  “We had dinner together last night.”

  “So the grapevine told me.” She laughs, and all my tension disappears. “Besides, your text last night told me you two had at least had a conversation after work.”

  I lick my lips. “I went into town after I unpacked in the motel. Ended up at Jackson’s Bar.”

  “Jackson’s a good guy. Brad and I went to school with him.”

  “So I hear. I stayed for dinner, and then Bridget drove me back to the motel.”

  Molly’s lips twitch. There’s something behind it. She’s trying to hold something back.

  “What?” I ask with a laugh.

  “I think she likes you.” Molly smiles.

  “Why would you think that? She’s just being nice.”

  Molly chews on her bottom lip. “She was pissed about the motel I put you in. That was one crazy conversation I just had.”

  I stare at her. “Why?”

  “Because it’s so far out of town.”

  I shrug. “It only took me an hour to walk to Jackson’s Bar.”

  Molly laughs. “I know, but I think Bridget thought I was being mean to you. There’s a much-closer motel. But their Internet is awful.”

  “Then you put me in the right place. It’s not the greatest, but the Internet’s decent at Lakeside.”

  “It’s better than my mother’s place. And it’s faster than the Internet cafe seeing as you’re the only person staying there right now.” She shrugs. “You could always come and stay with Brad and me if it is too far.”

  I shake my head. “You guys have enough on your plate without the stress of a houseguest. I’m fine. Bridget said she’d bring me to work in the mornings, and she’s going to help me find a place of my own.”

  “Told you. She likes you.” Molly nudges my arm.

  “Stop it.” I laugh. “I’m sure she’s just being nice.”

  “Maybe. I think you like her too.”

  I hold my hands up. “I’m pleading the fifth on that one.”

  Molly shrugs. “It’s okay. Let me know if you need any help looking. There’s quite a bit of real estate going around here, both for sale and rent.”

  “I get the feeling that Nettle Downs is really going to benefit from our presence.”

  She nods. “Me too. And I’m happy about that. I think at least with the amount of time it’ll take to construct our building, we can ease into it too and not overwhelm the town.”

  “That’s a good point.”

  The door clicks and I look up to see Bridget walk back in. My breath catches.

  I’m so screwed.

  5

  Bridget

  When I’m calm again, I walk back into the office.

  Molly’s at Tom’s desk, and they’re laughing.

  I know they’ve been friends for a long time, but I hate seeing her with him too. It’s irrational, and I’m being ridiculous. I don’t even know him.

  When Molly goes back to her desk, I walk over to his. He beams, and I love that he looks genuinely happy to see me.

  “Did you want to talk about the ground breaking?”

  “Actually, I wanted to ask you something a bit more personal.”

  His eyebrows rise. “Sure.”

  “I wondered if you wanted to hang out on Friday night. Grab some takeout, and we can go to my place.”

  He frowns. “Sorry, Bridget. Molly just invited me to dinner at their place on Friday. Maybe I can ask her if you can come too.”

  I freeze. “Uhh. I’m not sure if that’s a good idea.”

  His brows knit. “Why not? You’re friends with Brad.”

  I close my eyes and huff out a breath. “It’s complicated.”

  When I open my eyes, he’s got curiosity written all over his face. “Complicated … Oh.” I see the moment it registers. “You and Brad?”

  “No.” I swallow. “Brad and I were never together, but I had a thing for him for a really long time.”

  “How long?”

  I wring my hands together. I’ve never said this out loud to anyone before, but I don’t want Tom thinking I’m still hung up on Brad.

  “Well, I never did anything because he was married, and then he got divorced, but then Lane got sick. And then she died …”

  “And Molly came back.”

  I nod. “I already made a fool of myself with him, and since then, things have been okay between us, but it’s all been professional.”

  “And dinner with them would just be uncomfortable.”

  “It wouldn’t be fun.” I shrug. “But you go. We can catch up later.”

  “I was going looking at houses on Saturday if you want to tag along. I’d appreciate your opinion.” He smiles.

  “I’d love to.”

  “I emailed Amy at Nettle Downs Realtors last week. She said there were a few places closer to work.” He looks at me from over his glasses. “She seemed nice.”

  I bristle. Amy is a notorious flirt. Not that I should care. If Tom likes her, then he likes her. But I kind of like him too. “I’ll come and get you from the motel. What time?”

  “Nine.” A smile spreads across his lips. “I really do appreciate you driving me around.”

  “It’s no problem. I have no life.” I shrug, and he grins.

  “That makes two of us.”

  6

  Tom

  It’s Thursday, and my finger hovers over the friend request button.

  Should I do it?

  Bridget and I talked about it a few days ago, but finding the courage to send a request has been surprisingly difficult. My Facebook friends are generally Mollab employees. They’re who I’ve spent the last few years of my life with, and the people I’m closest to.

  Bridget gives me butterflies.

  For years, I’ve hidden my nervous state as best I can. No one needs to know I have issues with anxiety at times. My mind keeps returning to that first night in town and how comfortable I feel around Bridget.

  That’s not something that’s common for me.

  But we just clicked, even though we’re so incredibly different.

  She likes my nerdy side. I love that she’s so strong. Maybe it’s because I’ve always looked up to Molly, and Bridget reminds me a lot of her. They both make me think of my grandmother who raised me. She
was a strong woman too.

  I take a deep breath and hit the button. Bridget accepts it in seconds and I grin.

  Bridget: What are you doing?

  Me: Mucking around on the Internet. You?

  Bridget: I just cooked a huge stir-fry in an attempt to eat healthily tonight. There’s plenty left for lunch tomorrow if you want some.

  Me: Sounds great. I ordered some chicken thing from room service.

  Bridget: Wow, you get room service there?

  Me: The company’s paying for it. Why get out of bed when you don’t have to?

  Bridget: LOL. I’m about to get into bed. I watched Star Wars while I ate dinner. That’s your thing, right?

  I roll my eyes.

  Me: No. I mean, it’s okay, but I’m not crazy about it. Are you?

  Bridget: Nope. I’m not into space movies. It was alright though.

  Me: Which movie did you see?

  Bridget: There’s more than one?

  I laugh, shaking my head as I grin at the screen. There’s so much I have to teach her. But she seems to be eager to learn.

  Me: There are a few. Where have you been that you don’t know that?

  Bridget: Sitting at home, teasing you via direct message

  Me: …

  Bridget: It was the first prequel film. The Phantom Menace. I like Jar Jar Binks.

  Me: Oh? You and I cannot be friends.

  Bridget: I’m heartbroken.

  For a moment, I just look at the screen.

  Me: I’m sorry. Did you know there’s a fan cut of the movie without him in it?

  Bridget: Ha ha ha no. That’s funny.

  I find an article online about it and message it to her.

  Bridget: Crazy. Anyway, I’m gonna go now. My finger’s sore from all this typing.

  I laugh

  Me: Are you using your phone?

  Bridget: Yep

  Me: Use your laptop

  Bridget: But that means I have to find the charger. That could be an impossible task. Ha ha. Good night xx

  Me: Good night

  For the longest time, I look at that last message. Maybe she signs off all her messages like that, but I love those two little x’s on the end.

  They make me smile.

  On Friday morning, she’s full of smiles, and my heart lurches over the thought that I’ll only spend a little time with her today. After work, Molly’s taking me to her place for dinner.

  I love getting to spend time with my friend outside of work, but every little moment with Bridget leaves me wanting more.

  She arrived at my motel room a while ago, and I’m taking my time packing up my bag to slow us down.

  “Ready to go?” she asks.

  “You seem extra … what’s the word? Enthusiastic, today.”

  “I slept well. After we finished talking, I went to straight to bed. Which is not like me.”

  “It’s not?”

  She shrugs. “I’m more of a night person than a morning one. But after I watched the movie in bed, falling asleep was easier than I’d expected.”

  “You enjoyed the movie, though?”

  “I have seen it before. I was kidding about Jar Jar. Isn’t Star Wars your thing?”

  I cock my head. “Not really.”

  “Oh.” Her expression falls.

  “I mean, it’s okay, but I’m the Star Trek fan, remember?”

  “I knew it was Star something.” She laughs.

  Shaking my head, I smile. “I’ll make a nerd out of you yet.”

  In an instant, she’s back with that beaming grin. “You could try.”

  “I think I’m already succeeding. Did you find your laptop charger?”

  Bridget sighs. “I haven’t looked. But I promise I’ll look tonight. When you abandon me for Molly.”

  For a moment, I think she’s serious, but then she laughs and nods toward the door. “Let’s get to work.”

  “It’s not too late for me to ask if you can come too. Molly would understand.”

  Bridget shakes her head. “I’m fine. It’ll be good for you to spend some time with her.”

  “I’m looking forward to seeing her place, and getting to know Brad.”

  We get to the car, and I climb in and look around. “Your car looks different.”

  Bridget gets into the driver’s side. “I tidied it last night. Even vacuumed it. Thought I’d better with a passenger every day.”

  “You didn’t have to do that on my account.”

  She nods. “I know, but I feel better about it now.”

  “Maybe next time, I’ll watch Star Wars with you. Even with Jar Jar Binks.”

  “I’d love that.”

  My heart’s light the whole day as I think about us watching a movie together. She seems to be making an effort to pay attention to my interests, even if she got it wrong. While I’m not sure if it’s out of friendship or more, I appreciate it.

  Bridget’s outside for most of the day as the digging equipment arrives, and I bury myself in other project work before loading up Aeon to play a game with Mark in our Friday afternoon competition.

  When Bridget comes back in, it’s nearly three, and she heads straight for my desk.

  “I’m going over to see Brad. Some of the equipment didn’t arrive, and I need to organize someone from that site with the right digger license for the groundbreaking. I should probably get one myself. But I guess I’ll see you in the morning?”

  I nod. “Thank you again. I really appreciate your help.”

  She shakes her head. “You’re so welcome. I’m looking forward to it.”

  “Really? I thought you’d get bored with house hunting.”

  Bridget shrugs. “I like the idea of finding you the perfect place to live. Besides, Amy can be a bit …” She pauses, running her tongue across her top lip. So distracting. “Pushy.”

  “I know what I want. She’s not going to bully me into anything thing.”

  Bridget brushes my cheek with her fingertips. “Oh you sweet, innocent boy. I wasn’t talking about the house.”

  For a moment, I just stare at her, but she lets out a hearty laugh and shakes her head. “I’m teasing, Tom. She flirts with Jackson all the time, and he’s made it clear he’s not interested, but she persists.”

  “I’ll be fine.” I grin. “I’ll have my protection with me.”

  Her eyebrows rise before understanding crosses her expression. “Oh, you’re talking about me.”

  “What or who did you think I was talking about?”

  She shrugs. “Anyway, I’ll get going. But if you need anything, give me a call or a text.”

  I nod. “See you tomorrow, Bridget.”

  “Have fun tonight.”

  My eyes don’t leave her as she walks to the door. When she turns and waves before exiting, my stomach does a little flip.

  Molly walks toward me, and keeps her voice low as she reaches my side. “You really like her, don’t you?”

  “Yep.” My focus is still on the door as I nod again.

  “I’m happy for you.” She nudges my arm.

  “You know me. Friend zoned forever.”

  Molly cocks her head. “Don’t sell yourself short. I’ve told you that a million times before.”

  “I don’t know what I’d do without you, Moll. You’ve just always been there for me. Whatever happens.”

  A smile spreads across her lips. “I’m so glad you decided to move. Now I’m just missing Miranda.”

  “Is she not moving?”

  Molly sighs. “Not yet. With me here, I still need someone to run things in San Jose. If she’d stayed as my PA, she’d be here with me.” She pauses. “I’m glad I promoted her, but I think she still feels obligated to look after me and she shouldn’t. She can spread her wings now.”

  “If you weren’t such a control freak …”

  Molly slaps my arm. “Yes, I know I should have recognized it and promoted her a long time ago. There are a few more promotions I think I should look at too.”<
br />
  I shrug. “I’m happy with what I’m doing.”

  “You’re supposed to wait until I ask you to turn it down.” She laughs. “You’re so capable in your job, Tom. And reliable. I’ve always been able to count on you.”

  “I love working here. I love working for you.”

  She beams. “I love working with you. I’m just going to pop out and get Grace, and when I get back, we’ll get going.”

  “Sounds good.”

  As she packs up her things, my eyes stay on the door Bridget went out.

  I think my heart just left with her.

  7

  Tom

  I’m still thinking about Bridget when we get to Molly’s and sit in the living room.

  All I can think about is how she asked me to spend time with her tonight. I could be at her place with her.

  “Earth to Tom.” Molly’s voice snaps me back to reality. “Are you okay?”

  “Sorry?”

  “I asked if you wanted a beer. Brad has some in the fridge. He’ll be home soon, but he won’t mind if we start now.”

  I nod. “A beer would be great.”

  “Distracted?”

  “You could say that.”

  She walks into the kitchen, and I stand and follow her.

  “Bridget asked me over to her place tonight.”

  “She did?” Molly reaches the fridge and smiles. “Told you she liked you.”

  I shrug. “She knows I’m new in town.”

  “And you think she’s just trying to make you welcome.”

  “Maybe.”

  Molly uncaps two beers and hands one to me. “You could have said no to me and gone to see her.”

  “I know, but I want to spend time with you too. We’ve barely had time to talk outside of work since you moved here, and your friendship is important to me.”

  She holds up her bottle, and clinks it with mine. “Your friendship’s important to me too. I’m glad you’re here.“

  Brad walks up behind us. He grins at me and holds out his hand. “Tom. Molly said you were coming over for dinner. Good to see you.”

  I shake his hand. “You too. Molly was just saying how good it’ll be for more of us to move here when the building’s finished.”