by Simon Archer
“You need to go plug that list in for an update then!” Ellie yelled through her laughter and threw the towel again. It was an inside joke between the girls. Since Kennedi couldn’t update wirelessly, whenever Ellie wanted to jest with her, she found some way to work it in that Kennedi needed to ‘plug in.’ It was one of those things that, if anyone else ever said something like that to Kennedi, Ellie would rip their heads off, but it was ok for her to do it. Kennedi, however, had a comeback of her own.
“When was the last time you had that virus checked, Ellie? I’ll plug in if you’ll close your firewall!” Kennedi hollered as she hurled the towel back once again. She was referring to a time when she was inspecting Ellie’s neuro-net because she had been glitching. She’d discovered a nasty virus trying to penetrate Ellie’s wifi firewall. The way she’d described it to me made me cringe. Now, it was a running joke between the two of them.
I sat back in my seat and crossed my arms, enjoying the fake ‘catfight’ the two of them were having. Krysta and Rosie had scooted their chairs closer to mine so they would have a clear view of the faux battle as well.
Ellie crouched in front of the sink, towel in hand. Kennedi was standing in front of the three of us, facing Ellie. From my position, I saw Ellie wink at Kennedi, then she said, “Well, Kennedi, I’ll close my firewall if you convince Krysta not to get freakin’ kidnapped again!” Just then, Ellie threw the towel, Kennedi crouched down, and the towel hit Krysta dead in the face. Her ears turned back as she reached up to remove it. When she pulled it away, she had a steely look in her eye but a grin on her mouth.
None of the girls had let her live down the fact that just a while back, an evil CG who was working with an Omnicorp saboteur had been able to deactivate part of her systems and kidnap her. I turned my chair to make sure I was out of the line of fire as Krysta pulled back her arm, towel in hand.
“The only reason I’ll never get kidnapped again is that I know none of you would find me!” Krysta yelled.
The whole room busted up laughing. Krysta had been found by Rosie, a stranger at the time, in an abandoned alleyway, so Krysta liked to joke that she would’ve been lost forever otherwise. She launched the towel back at Ellie’s head, but Kennedi stood up, and it hit her right in the back of the head. Before she could reach up to take hold of the towel, Rosie stood up on her seat, leaned over the island, and used her tail to grab the towel.
As she pulled it away from Kennedi’s head, she must have charged it a tiny bit because suddenly, Kennedi’s hair was standing straight up from static. Ellie, Krysta, and Rosie doubled over laughing. Kennedi looked from one to the other, trying to figure out what they were laughing at when she caught a glimpse of reflection in the kitchen window. Her mouth dropped open, and she spun around to look Rosie directly in the face. Kennedi surged forward, trying to get the towel from Rosie’s tail, but Rosie was too quick and pulled it out of arm’s reach.
“Give me that so I can tie you to a tire with it!” Kennedi yelled at Rosie.
Rosie slid off her seat and ran around the island to the side Krysta was on. She tried to dart across between Ellie and Kennedi, but Ellie reached her tail across and wrapped it around Kennedi’s leg, effectively creating a tripwire. Rosie fell to the floor. Kennedi had just started towards Rosie and hadn’t had time to slow herself when she felt Ellie’s tail around her leg, so she fell too. When Kennedi was down, Ellie’s tail got stuck, so she added a third cat girl to the pile in the middle of the floor.
The only girl left standing was Krysta, but that didn’t last for long. All three tripped-up CGs reached out and grabbed her legs, and tail, and wrestled her to the floor with them. I couldn’t help but laugh at the giggling pile of arms, legs, and tails, there on the floor. They were the majority of what made my everyday life interesting, and in cases like this, comical. I stood up and walked around the island, making sure to keep clear of any hands, or tails. I knew they wouldn’t hesitate to pull me down with them if they saw the opportunity.
“Now girls, do I need to zip-tie you together until you learn how to be nice to each other?” I pretended the part of a disappointed guardian. I should’ve known better than to ask something like that, though.
“Yes!” the girls responded in unison amid another burst of laughter. I rolled my eyes and laughed with them. It was at least another two minutes of laughter before the pile in front of me started to untangle. When everyone was on their feet, they headed back to their original positions. Krysta, Rosie, and Kennedi were sitting with me at the island, and Ellie went to pull the omelet skillet out of the oven. All three girls had that after-belly-laugh glow that I loved to see on them. They all worked so hard that it was great to see them have random, unexpected fun.
Kennedi pushed a blue and red nano-glass potholder over to Ellie when she approached the island with the skillet. It was a hand-blown piece that Kennedi had made as a gift for Ellie a while back. The skillet itself was made of nano-glass as well. Ellie was the final stage of testing for the pan before we planned on releasing it for sale. Ellie set the skillet down on the potholder as Krysta handed plates and silverware across to all of us. Since it was a new dish, the girls were going to eat today. Kennedi grabbed a knife from the nearby holder and started slicing the omelet and dishing it out while Ellie pulled up a chair. A moment later, we were all served and taking our first bite. Ellie always waited with an air of anxiety surrounding her when she needed to get feedback on a dish, and although she’d made the omelet before, she’d never cooked it in that type of pan.
It only took one bite for me to be able to tell Ellie that her creation was better than ever. She’d layered egg, onions, mushrooms, cheese, and peppers, and spiced it perfectly. The egg was fluffy but not wet, and the whole thing melted in my mouth. I tried to pinpoint what spices she had used, but she was so great at blending flavors that pepper was the only one I could pick out. I glanced around at the girls to see their reactions. They were much more technical in their evaluations of her food than I ever was, but I couldn’t think of a single thing I’d change about that omelet.
“Ellie,” I said after swallowing my second bite. “I know you’ve made this for me before, but did you change something? It is even better now.” She smiled and waited for the girls’ reactions before responding. Kennedi was the next to pipe up.
“You nailed it, Ellie,” she said, smiling. Ellie’s face became more serious.
“Changes?” Ellie asked Kennedi.
“Finer-ground pepper,” Kennedi replied. “Only for texture, though. The taste is spot on.” Ellie nodded her head and filed away the advice. Krysta spoke up next.
“The egg is fluffier than last time. How did you get the cheese to melt without making the eggs soggier?” Krysta asked her. Again, Ellie smiled but waited to answer. She looked at Rosie.
“The temperature of every ingredient is exactly the same, Ellie. I tested them. It’s delicious!” Rosie told her. Ellie’s smile grew.
“Thank you, all,” she started. “The skillet is the only real difference. I’ve made that same dish multiple times for you. Kennedi, you are right about the pepper. I ran out of fine-ground.” Ellie looked at me and raised her eyebrows. “Let’s get this pan to market so I can start using it at Belavi!” She turned around and bounced over to the sink, happy with her accomplishment.
“You’ve got it!” I told her. I looked at Rosie, and she nodded at me, then turned to Krysta.
“I’ll have the specs on your desk by this afternoon,” she told Krysta. Both Rosie and Krysta looked at Kennedi.
“I’ll have embellishment options drafted by tonight,” Kennedi added. I marveled at the efficiency with which the girls worked together. I was literally sitting with product development, testing, merchandising, and marketing all at one kitchen island.
“Perfect, now, finish eating so Clark can get to Theo’s house,” Ellie instructed. She picked up a mini-cooler and held it up to get my attention. “I’ve packed lunch for you and Theo.”
&nb
sp; “Thank you,” I told her. “How much food is Bev going to try to get us to eat?” I joked. Between the two of them, I’d be a hundred pounds overweight if I didn’t say no quite often. Ellie giggled.
“I already talked to Bev. She is going to stick to beverages and snacks.” Ellie flipped her hair as she turned around to make sure the cooler was securely closed. The girls and I went back to eating. By the time my slice of omelet was gone, I was perfectly satisfied. I took a sip of the new cup of coffee Kennedi had placed before me and stood up. Breakfast had already taken a bit longer than I’d planned, even though the fun was worth it.
“I’ve got to be going, ladies,” I told the girls. Ellie, Krysta, and Rosie lined up to kiss me on the cheek and tell me goodbye. Kennedi walked up to me last and stood on her tiptoes to plant her pouty pink lips directly on mine. She wrapped her tail around my leg, and her arms around my neck as she pressed against me. The way she kissed almost made me want to say ‘fuck it’ to any previous plans and take her to bed. I swear she knew it too, because just before I made the decision to do just that, she uncoiled herself from me, turned, and walked away, swaying that perfect ass of hers back and forth on her way out of the room. I took a deep breath to get my mind back on track and then headed to the door.
The door to the outside from the kitchen opened up on the side of the house opposite the garage. I had parked my 4Runner there last night, knowing I’d be leaving early this morning. I clicked the button on my remote and heard the doors unlock and the engine start. I tossed the cooler in the passenger seat as I climbed in. A minute later, I was flying down the dirt path that had been created by the myriad of trips taken between my house and Theo’s.
3
By the time I pulled in Theo’s drive, he was already standing on his front porch, waiting for me. As was typical for him, he had a beat-up old baseball cap covering his silver hair. His hair was the only thing about him that showed his age, however. He had a solid build as a result of years of hard work, and his resting facial expression could make anyone who didn’t know him cower. He was three inches shorter than me, but I still had a feeling he’d give me a run for my money in a fight. That was one theory I was never going to test out.
I parked and turned the engine off. I opened the door and slid out, reaching behind me to grab the cooler Ellie had sent with me. I held it up for Theo to see and shrugged. A warm smile crossed his face. He knew as well as I did that there would never be a shortage of gourmet food at either of our houses. He walked down the porch steps and waited for me to cross the drive before heading around the side of the house. I followed him until we were behind the house where he stopped. I stood beside him, and we both looked out at the open desert in front of us.
“Here it is,” Theo said, spreading his arms wide in front of himself. “Bev’s horse corral.” He’d already marked the borders of what would soon be the fenced-in corral with string and wooden stakes.
“I’ll get started with the backhoe if you want to measure out and cut the fence posts,” I offered.
“Sounds good,” he answered. The two of us had worked together on various projects in the past and had gotten to the point where few words of planning were needed. I headed over to the backhoe that Theo had pulled off to the side of the corral area. He went to the woodpile on the other side. He already had the sawhorses and equipment set up and plugged in. We both got to work immediately.
The hard Nevada ground proved difficult to break up, even with the large backhoe I was operating. The dirt in the center of the corral only needed to be churned up and packed back down, but the edge where the fence posts would be going, needed to be dug out six feet deep. Theo had plans to cement the posts into the ground and use replaceable slats for the crossbars. He knew that wood wasn’t his most sturdy option for fencing, but he didn’t want an eyesore on his property either. He was done cutting his fence posts a full thirty minutes before I was finished digging.
After I’d dumped my last bucket of dirt, I parked the backhoe and jumped down. The temperature was in the nineties, and I was drenched with sweat. I took a brief moment to towel myself off, dump some water over my head and in my mouth and met Theo at his sawhorse area. It was mid-morning by then, and I felt behind.
“I underestimated the dig time,” I said as I strolled up to Theo.
“I didn’t,” he replied with a grin. “You weren’t there when Kennedi and I dug out the ground for the firepit. I got a good idea that day about what it would take.”
“Information shared is a bonus around here now?” I joked. Theo chuckled.
“Regardless, you did a great job,” he said. “Next, we’ll have to clear out the individual holes by shovel. Then we can start pouring the cement and setting the posts.” Both of us were reaching for shovels when we heard a voice behind us.
“Put those shovels down before you collapse from dehydration!” It was Bev. She was a short woman but had attitude in spades. She had her long black hair pulled back in a low ponytail, and one hand on her hip. Bev wasn’t a waif, but she wasn’t overweight either. She had some meat on her bones, but I couldn’t imagine her any other way. Her light blue eyes shone with stubbornness from underneath black lashes. In her other hand, she held a tray of ice tea and some type of mini sandwiches.
“One more hour, babe. Then we’ll come in,” Theo tried to protest our impending break time.
“Nope,” was all she said as she walked towards us. She stopped and handed us each a tall glass of iced tea with lemon, and a small sandwich. The sandwiches ended up being chicken salad and rather refreshing against the heat.
“Thank you, Bev,” I told her after taking my sandwich.
“You’re welcome, Clark,” she replied and then gave her husband an ‘isn’t he so nice’ look.
“Thank you, babe,” Theo said sarcastically but with a smile on his lips.
“You two would collapse out here before taking notice of your lack of liquid intake!” Bev scolded us. Both Theo and I knew better than to argue with her. After we’d eaten a sandwich each, and finished our tea, Bev collected our glasses. She turned a cheek to her husband for a quick kiss before returning to the house. As usual, she’d been right. We both felt a bit more energized after her forced refreshment. Theo grinned at me, and we both reached for our shovels again.
Three hours later, we were still clearing out the post holes. We had three left to do when Bev showed up again. This time she didn’t say anything. She just grabbed the cooler that Ellie had sent with me, looked at us briefly, and walked back in the house. Theo glanced at me and shrugged.
“I guess it’s lunchtime,” he said, laughing.
“How long do you think it would take her to come back out here and drag us in by our ears?” I joked.
“Not long enough for us to finish these holes,” Theo replied, knowing that I hated stopping a job without an ending point. He shrugged and said, “finish the hole you are on, and then we’ll go in.” I just smiled and shook my head.
“It’s crazy how being so well taken care of can be such a nuisance, isn’t it?” I commented sarcastically.
“I’ll take irritated over having to cook for myself any day,” Theo said matter-of-factly as he kept digging. I was in complete agreement with him.
Fifteen minutes later, Theo and I were pulling our boots off on the front steps. Just as we were about to walk in the front door, it opened. Bev was standing in the doorway, holding clothes out to both of us.
“Here,” she said. “Straight into the bathroom and change into these. Clark, you can go first.” I looked at Theo, a little puzzled.
“Once again, you weren’t here for the last dirt project,” Theo chuckled. “There’s no way we will be bringing the corral to the lunch table.” I shook my head once again.
“I didn’t bring any extra clothes. Does she expect me to wear yours?” I was puzzled.
“Kennedi brought those to me yesterday,” Bev called back to me as she walked back into the house. I looked closer to the
garments in my hands. I did, indeed, recognize them. I waited for Theo to disappear into the house and return before heading for the bathroom myself. I changed, hung my dirty clothes over the edge of the bathtub, and walked into the dining room.
Bev had laid out everything Ellie included in the cooler, on the table. She added more iced tea and some condiments to the spread. I sat down at what had, over time, become my seat at the table while Theo sat at the head of the table. I looked at the various plates before me. Ellie had outdone herself as far as packed lunches go. There were wraps, sandwiches, vegetables for dipping, and custom dipping sauces in travel containers. She had made her own potato chips for us and included a bowl of cheese to add to them if we wanted. At the end of the table, Bev had laid out the desserts she’d found in the cooler. Miniature pecan and cherry pies. As was typical at this table, I was seated before I realized just how hungry I was.
I reached for one of the wraps. Upon inspection, I saw that it was filled with shaved roast beef, turkey, swiss cheese, sprouts, diced pickles, and chopped tomatoes. I took a bite, and it felt like summer burst in my mouth. The tenderness of the perfectly cooked meats contrasted with the fresh crunch of the vegetables perfectly. The tortilla had been coated with some sort of sauce that reminded me of both ranch dressing and Italian dressing at the same time. Combined, it was too good to rush through, so I took another bite, sat back in my chair, and just enjoyed my food.
I looked over at Theo. He had picked one of the flatbread sandwiches. From what I could see, it was pastrami and was having the same effect on him that my wrap was having on me.
After a few trips to the kitchen and back, Bev sat with us and picked out a wrap for herself. The three of us ate in a comfortable silence until our wraps and sandwiches were finished. After Theo had taken his last bite, he leaned back in his chair and took a deep breath.
