Build a Nerd

by Wendy Smith

“If she wants to rent to you, she’ll wait.”

  I chuckle. “You’re the ‘no prisoners’ type, aren’t you?”

  She grins. “I can be bitchy. I should probably warn you of that.”

  “I’m sure it’s when you have a good reason.”

  Bridget cocks an eyebrow. “You really do believe only the best of people, don’t you?”

  “I try. Let me go get some clothes on, and I’ll be with you in a minute.”

  Taking a deep breath, I enter the bedroom and pick up my jeans from the floor. After tugging them on, I grab a T-shirt from my suitcase. I’m not sure what time I went to sleep last night. Brad’s request came out of left field, and I got nowhere, despite trying for hours.

  I’d ask Mark and some of the others in the programming team to help, but I don’t know if the message is personal. If Molly’s told Brad to decrypt it, I suspect it is.

  For today, I need to forget about it and focus on searching for a house. Spending the day with Bridget is the best bonus I could get out of this.

  I pick up my phone and tap out a text to Amy.

  Me: Hi Amy. It’s Tom Jarvis. Sorry. I slept in. On my way now.

  Amy: Not a problem. I’ll be waiting.

  Throwing the phone on the bed, I pull my T-shirt over my head.

  Time to find a place to live.

  The first place we look at is a small apartment. It’s got less space than the one I had in San Jose. It’s pointless moving into this place. I’d still have to maintain some kind of external storage.

  “I thought this might be a long shot, but it’s available immediately.” Amy smiles.

  I shake my head. “I need more room than this.”

  She nods. “The next place is bigger, and also available straight away. I’ll text you the address, and you two can meet me there.”

  “Thanks.” I turn to Bridget, and she looks at my phone when the message comes through.

  “Let’s go. How many places are left for you to look at?” Bridget asks.

  “Four, as far as I know. Sorry you came with me?”

  She shakes her head. “No. I’m just looking forward to lunch.”

  Laughing, I follow her back to her car. “That does sound good. I didn’t have any breakfast.”

  “Neither did I. I don’t really do breakfast.”

  “Let’s get this over and done with then.”

  Bridget grins as she climbs back into the driver’s seat.

  I get in the passenger seat. “Thank you again for coming with me. I really appreciate it, and not just for the car ride.”

  “You’re welcome. I know what it’s like to be new to this town. Brad kinda took me under his wing the first week or so when I came. It helped a lot.”

  “I’m sure it did. This takes a bit of getting used to after the big smoke.”

  She laughs. “I understand. When you can’t just go to Starbucks and get a caramel macchiato, it hits hard.”

  I stare at her. “I didn’t even think about that. I’ve been living on filter coffee and the machine at work all week. Now you’ve got me craving a latte.”

  That just makes her laugh harder, and I smile. I love the sound of her laughter. She doesn’t hold back.

  “What’s the next address?” Bridget asks.

  She frowns when I give it to her.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “If it’s the place I’m thinking of, it’s not that big either. But we’ll go and take a look.”

  I nod. “You know this town a lot better than I do.”

  “Let’s go find somewhere to store your Starship Enterprise.”

  I grin. “You remembered?”

  Bridget cocks her head. “Of course I do. You’re so easy to tease.”

  We both laugh as we pull out onto the road and head toward our next destination. It’s only two blocks from the first site, and Bridget shakes her head as we come to a stop outside.

  “What do you think? I ask.

  “This is the place I thought it was. It’s not much bigger than the last place.”

  “Did you want to take a look inside?” Amy strides toward us.

  Bridget winds down the window. “No,”

  “How big is it?” I lean toward Bridget and ask.

  “It’s two bedrooms,” Amy says.

  “I’m really looking for something bigger than I used to have. I thought I put that in the email.”

  She straightens up. “Well, yes, but I thought a single man doesn’t need a huge amount of space.”

  “Can’t you just … I don’t know … show him what he actually wants?” Bridget asks.

  I press my lips together to hold in laughter at Bridget’s words.

  Amy takes a deep breath, focusing on me. “I think you’ll like the next one a lot better, then.”

  “See you there, then,” Bridget says.

  It’s a short drive, but I recognize the scenery. It’s the closest place we’ve seen to the new headquarters.

  We pull up outside and Bridget gasps. It’s a house, and it’s so much bigger than the last two properties. The two-storied colonial house complete with a large garden and a garage is fully fenced and large enough for a family. There’s more than enough room for me. Perfect.

  “This is for rent?” Bridget asks.

  “Apparently so. You like it?”

  “I might have to fight you for it. It’s so much bigger than my place. Although, I’m not sure I could afford it.”

  Scanning down my message, I check the price. It’s less than half what I pay for my San Jose apartment, and it has three bedrooms.

  If the inside is as perfect as the outside, I’ll take it.

  “If Amy bats those eyelashes at you again, I’m going to punch her.”

  My mouth falls open in mock surprise. “Why, Bridget Walsh. A man might think you were jealous.”

  She rolls her eyes. “She just annoys me. You’re actively looking for a place to live. She doesn’t need to try so hard.”

  Placing my hand on my heart, I smile. “I’m sure she just loves tall, geeky men.”

  “You are impossible.” She laughs.

  “I’m not interested in Amy.”

  An awkward silence falls over us. I didn’t mean to imply out loud that I was interested in Bridget, even though I am.

  Is Bridget jealous or does she just not like Amy?

  Women are so confusing.

  “Let’s go look at this place,” Bridget says.

  I nod. “It’s not immediately available. The current tenants move out in six weeks.”

  Bridget screws up her face. “That’s a shame. From the outside, it’s perfect.”

  I shrug. “I’m fine in the motel until then if this works out.”

  Amy pulls up behind us, and we get out of Bridget’s car to greet her.

  She leads us through the gate and to the front door. “The family that lives here is inside, but they’ve said we can take a look around. I know it’s not great that you’d have to wait, but it’s a lovely house.”

  “I think I’d have liked to look at this one first. It looks perfect.”

  Amy cocks her head. “I really thought that you would want something sooner. And if it’s just for you, a smaller place would work.”

  Bridget tucks herself in against my side. My heart races. “I think room for expansion can’t hurt.”

  Amy looks between us, and I bite down on my bottom lip. I hope this is the place I’m looking for, because I’m not sure I can do this for the rest of the morning.

  “The current tenants have bought a place of their own, but they’re just waiting for the settlement date. So, if that works for you and you like it, it’s yours. Pending the paperwork, of course.” Amy seems to force a smile.

  “That sounds great,” I say.

  Bridget beams up at me. “I think so too.”

  The inside is as nice as the outside.

  Large, spacious rooms are well lit by the sun flowing through big windows. It’s about as far from my ol
d apartment as you can get.

  It’s the perfect place to make an identity that doesn’t revolve so much around Mollab and computers. This could be just the right place to do it.

  “Oh, Tom. This place is beautiful. I had no idea,” Bridget says. “That third room is just perfect for your Star Wars collection.”

  I have to take a moment, and clear my throat. “What do you think? Should I take it?”

  “If you don’t, I’ll never forgive you.” She laughs.

  Upstairs, the bedrooms are just as airy, and I leave Bridget in the master bedroom to walk out onto the balcony that overlooks the backyard. For the first time ever, I’ll have a lawn to mow, and there’s a vegetable garden in the back corner.

  It’ll be more work but worth it.

  “It’s a lovely view.” Amy appears in the door, and I turn to acknowledge her.

  “It is. Would the owners be interested in selling?”

  One of her eyebrows rises. “I could ask, but I don’t think so.”

  “If you could, I’d appreciate it.”

  “So, you’re interested?”

  “Very.”

  Amy seems to read more into what I’m saying as she leans closer, and I have a moment of panic, my heart racing as she lays her hand on my arm. “Well, if you’re interested …”

  “Tom, come and look at this,” Bridget calls.

  With a sense of relief, I walk back in off the balcony. She’s standing at the door to the bathroom. “What is it?”

  “Check it out. There’s a spa bath.”

  I hold up my palms. “Well, I’m sold.”

  “Let’s go back outside,” Amy says.

  Bridget and I follow Amy back down the broad staircase that leads to the front door and out onto the path.

  I like this place. Even if it’s just a rental, I could put roots down here. And I can give myself time to work out what I want when I buy a home if the owners aren’t interested in selling.

  “What do you think?” Amy asks.

  “We’ll take it.” Bridget squeezes my arm, and it takes everything in me not to laugh out loud. I’m not sure if she’s enthusiastic or trying to send Amy a message, but she’s just so damn excited.

  Amy looks between us and nods. “I’ll need you to fill in the application form I emailed you with your personal details.” Amy’s red lips curl into a smile. “And I’ll need a reference.”

  I nod. “I can do all that.”

  “Good. Email it to me, or you can drop it into my office in person.”

  “I’ll get that emailed to you before the end of the weekend.”

  She extends her hand and I shake it. “Great. I’ll hear from you then.”

  I nod, and Bridget squeezes my arm harder. “I’m so excited,” she says.

  “If I get it, do you want to help me move in?”

  She nods. “I’d love to.”

  I grin. “I can’t wait.”

  “Let’s celebrate. Want to go and get lunch at Jackson’s?” Bridget asks.

  “Sounds good to me.”

  She smiles. “I know it’s a few weeks away, but I’m so glad we found somewhere for you to live. It’s such a cute place too.”

  “With plenty of room for my Star Trek collection.”

  She blanches. “I said Star Wars, didn’t I?”

  I nod, laughing. “You sure did.”

  “I’m so sorry, Tom. I didn’t confuse them, but I said the wrong thing.”

  “It’s okay. It just means you’re paying for lunch.”

  She shrugs. “I can do that.”

  “As if I’d make you.”

  Her eyes glisten with amusement. “Are you teasing me again?”

  “It’s fun. You bite so well.”

  Her smile grows. “I’m glad you moved here, Tom. Having you around is fun.”

  “You have no idea how much fun I can be. Wait until I have a decent computer to play games on and completely ignore you while I do it.”

  She laughs. “I’ve got a console if you want to play games. I don’t really know why I bought it. I think I’ve played on it once.”

  “Which one is it?”

  “An Xbox something. I’ve only got one game for it.”

  I lick my lips. “Well, you’re in luck. Most of the Mollab games are available on Xbox. So, I can give you those if you want them.”

  “We could go to my place to play them.”

  I can’t stop grinning. “I like that idea.”

  “We can grab some takeout for dinner.”

  “Lunch and dinner? Sounds serious.”

  Bridget laughs, and says the words I’ve been dreading. “I’m really glad to find a friend. They’re in short supply around here.”

  My stomach clenches.

  That’s all she wants. Friendship. Maybe I shouldn’t let hope die, but it’s hard when you’ve dealt with this before.

  9

  Tom

  “Excuse the mess,” Bridget says as she opens the door.

  I can see as soon as I step in that she’s not the only one who needs more space. Her apartment is cramped, and her things are scattered everywhere.

  My anxiety rises just looking at it, but I don’t want to say that out loud. I know I’m a bit of a neat freak, but this is her space and I can’t be critical.

  “So, this is your home.”

  She nods. “You can see why I loved the look of that house so much. So much space. Give me a second, and I’ll clear the sofa. I should have done this last night.”

  “It’s okay. I’m glad I’m here.”

  Her smile sets my heart alight. “I’m glad too. I’ll get this Xbox set up, and you can do whatever you want on it.”

  “I’ll get you some free games. What’s your Internet like?”

  Bridget’s eyes dart from one side to the other and she shrugs.

  I chuckle. “It’s okay. We’ll work it out.”

  While she rearranges things, I locate the Xbox by the television and untangle the cables that should connect it. It doesn’t take long to get it set up, and she slaps my arm when she realizes what I’ve done.

  “I was going to do that.”

  “Well, it’s done now. It connected to your Wi-Fi, so we should be good to go.”

  She shrugs. “Brad helped me with it. I have no idea what I’ve got.”

  “Have you played on it?”

  Bridget shakes her head. “I watch Netflix on it sometimes.”

  “Okay.” That doesn’t help, but I hope the Internet’s good enough to get some games going. I like the idea of sharing something of myself with Bridget.

  With the sofa clear, we sit on the couch together.

  “Are you going to play too?” I ask.

  She shakes her head. “I suck at games.”

  I nudge her arm. “Come on. Play with me.”

  Her lips twitch. “You want me to play with you?”

  I grin. “On the Xbox?”

  “Oh.” She forms a perfect O with her mouth. It’s the cutest expression I think I’ve ever seen. “I’ll play with you, Tom.” Her eyes are so full of promise. At least, I think they are., but she’s already made it clear what she wants. Friendship.

  “I’ll create a Mollab account for you and then I’ll give you access to the games.”

  Bridget leans against me as I start the set-up.

  “What’s your email address?” I ask, and tap it in while she watches.

  “Does Molly know you’re giving me free stuff?”

  I shrug. “Molly will be fine with it. She’s pretty giving when it comes to friends and family.”

  Bridget stiffens beside me. “Sounds like it.”

  The first download starts, and the download estimate is decent, so I back out of it and take a look at the games she already has.

  “Don’t you get sick of playing the same games? Or do you play a whole range?”

  I chuckle. “I play others, but mostly the Mollab titles. I’m always looking out for bugs, but I love the games. The tea
m’s getting more and more creative all the time as it grows.” The one game she has is Lego Star Wars, and I smile as I load it up. “I haven’t played this in forever.”

  “The first day I bought this, I was up until after midnight with it. I’ve barely touched it since.”

  “It’s more fun with two players.”

  She looks at me with a grin on her face. “Let’s play.”

  It’s easy to lose track of time. I haven’t played co-player on a console in forever, and Bridget seems to be having as much fun as I am.

  The first Mollab game downloaded in the background a couple of hours ago, but we’re still playing Lego. The sky’s grown dark outside.

  “What do you want for dinner? I’ll call Madison’s Diner and organize something to pick up.”

  “Not Jackson’s?”

  She laughs. “We had Jackson’s food once today, and I feel like something different. Madison’s do the best pasta carbonara. Just don’t tell Jackson I said that. Do you like pasta?”

  “Love it.”

  “Then I’ll order two for pickup.”

  “Thanks. I’ll give you some cash.”

  “I’ll pay.”

  My eyebrows creep up. “We’ve had this conversation before.”

  She wrinkles her nose. It’s so cute when she gets irritated. “I know, but I invited you over.” When she licks her lips, it’s insanely distracting, and all thoughts of anything other than kissing her disappear from my mind. “Besides, you’re giving me games for free.”

  Her grin is infectious. “I like the way you think.”

  I pull out my wallet and offer out her a couple of twenties. “This is my contribution.”

  Bridget’s eyes narrow. “I said I’d pay.”

  “I know, but I feel bad. You drove me around today as well.”

  “It’s too much.”

  I shrug. “Don’t worry about it. Buy a couple of drinks too.”

  She nods, takes the cash from me, and picks up her phone to order. “I’ll drop out of the game. You keep playing.”

  “Why don’t I quit and get this other game loaded while you sort out dinner?”

  “Sounds good.”

  I finish out the level just as she’s walking out the door. And then I’m left alone for a few minutes. It gives me a moment to think about our day.