Nerds Are From Mars

by Vicki Thompson

“Did they steal anything?”

  “I don’t think so. My laptop’s here and it doesn’t seem to have been tampered with. Nothing else was in here except my clothes, and they’re all put away like I left them. I had my wallet when I came to your room. So that’s it.”

  “Then how do you know someone was there?”

  “They left a broken toy rocket and a typed message. Mars and bust. Leave the project or feel my wrath.”

  Darcie shuddered. There was nothing funny about a message like that, especially with the broken rocket added for emphasis. Someone meant to scare Nolan and perhaps even harm him. “Did you call hotel security?”

  “Yep. They’ve been and gone. They apologized, rekeyed the room, and said they’d look into it. The staff has been stretched thin with this conference, but they’ll investigate the situation and try to pin down what happened.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to spend the night in my room?”

  “I’m sure. I don’t want some wacko to mess with what is an excellent plan. The room’s secure. I just . . . wanted to tell you.”

  “I’m so glad you did. I want to help.”

  “You are helping by talking to me. Hearing your voice has calmed me more than I can say.”

  “I’m glad, but I want to help in a more specific way.”

  His soft chuckle sounded intimate and sexy. “By distracting me with your sweet body? I’ve considered it, but we made a decision. Let’s stick to it.”

  “Believe it or not, I wasn’t thinking about sex.”

  “Damn.”

  “Unless that’s what you need.” She would go to him in a flash if he asked.

  “I do, but I don’t, if that makes sense.”

  “It makes perfect sense. You’re being strong, because that’s how you are.” She smiled. “Strong and noble.”

  “Yeah, well, if we talk much longer, nobility will go out the window. We should both get some sleep. What were you working on, by the way?”

  “I decided to do a comparison of our charts.”

  “And?”

  “I’m not going to tell you over the phone. We can talk tomorrow, after I make a quick trip to Ojai.”

  “You’re going back home?”

  “I need to get something.”

  “If it’s a black negligee, I can tell you right now that’s overkill. In fact, if it’s anything designed to make our next encounter sexier, don’t bother. We don’t need enhancements.”

  “It has nothing to do with sex. It’s something I want you to have.”

  “What?”

  “It’s a surprise. I’ll tell you when I see you. I should be back by lunch time.”

  “Should I meet you somewhere?”

  Darcie grabbed her conference program. The panel of luncheon speakers was a group of people who were all somehow associated with Star Trek, both on the big screen and the small. They included performers, directors, costumers, and writers. Nolan would want to be there. “I’ll meet you in the banquet room for lunch. Save me a seat at your table.”

  “I don’t have to attend that luncheon.”

  “Of course you do! I want to go, too. It’ll be the beginning of my education on Star Trek.”

  “I could ditch the morning lectures and come to Ojai with you.”

  “That would be crazy. You’re one of the stars of this conference. You can’t disappear. I won’t be long. I’ll leave first thing in the morning. I considered going tonight, but I’m getting sleepy, too, and I’m not dumb enough to drive when I’m tired.”

  “Glad to hear it. Then I’ll say goodnight so you can get plenty of rest before making the round trip.”

  “Goodnight, Nolan. Sweet dreams.”

  “They will be. I’ll dream of you lying in the grass.”

  Heat sluiced through her veins. “You would bring that up. Now I’m not sleepy anymore.”

  “Me, either.” He blew out a breath. “Goodnight, Darcie Ingram, you sexy woman. I’ll see you at lunch, which seems a hundred years away.”

  “See you then, Dr. Bradbury, you sexy nerd.” Then she disconnected the call and sat at the desk holding the phone and smiling like a fool. She hadn’t been this excited about a man since . . . ever. She’d never felt this giddy, not even at eighteen.

  Nolan Bradbury was a keeper, and she would make sure he stayed safe to the best of her ability and knowledge. His danger-sniffing dog was on the case.

  Chapter Eight

  Nolan had hoped Darcie would show up before the banquet room doors opened, but so far she was nowhere in sight. He couldn’t believe how much it had bothered him knowing she wasn’t in the hotel this morning. He hadn’t asked when she’d planned to leave, and now he wished he had so he’d have a better idea where she might be right now.

  He and Bill stood near the front of the line because they both wanted a table as close to the podium as possible. Aaron Blackstone was only a few people behind them, and he called out to them to save him a seat at their table.

  “Be glad to!” Nolan called back.

  “You really think we should sit with him at lunch?” Bill looked unhappy about it. “Harcourt won’t like it.”

  “Harcourt won’t be here. You know he doesn’t bother with these mob scenes unless he’s the featured speaker. And I need to talk to Blackstone about these pranks.”

  “You think he had something to do with them?”

  “No, but somebody on his team might be goofing around. I want to alert him in case he notices any funny business going on. I can’t imagine why his team would be harassing me, though. They’re really close to developing a viable rocket and we’re still months away.”

  “Don’t remind me. That trip to the Amazon will be a welcome relief if it gets Harcourt off our ass for a couple of weeks.” The crowd jostled him from behind as the doors opened. “Here we go. You’re bigger than me. I’ll let you be the linebacker.”

  Nolan headed toward the front of the room with Bill close on his heels. “We need Blackstone. He’s the jock.”

  “Did I hear my name?” Aaron shouldered his way toward them. “That table, right there. Grab three seats.”

  “Four,” Nolan said.

  “Four, then.”

  They snagged the chairs facing the podium and Nolan tipped a chair forward between him and Bill. He didn’t want Darcie sitting next to a ladies’ man like Blackstone.

  Aaron glanced at the empty seat. “Who isn’t here, yet?”

  “My friend Darcie, the one you met last night.”

  “Oh, yeah! The astrologer. She’s a babe.”

  “Watch your language, Blackstone. She’s spoken for.”

  “By you?” Aaron’s eyebrows lifted. “Nice job.”

  “Yeah,” Bill piped up. “She’s crazy about him. He’s the reason she came to the conference.”

  “Then where is she? I’d think she’d be front and center for this deal. People were paying cold, hard cash to move up in line so they could get a good seat. You’ll have to guard that chair.”

  “I will. Listen, I need to alert you to something. I’m sure it’s not your people doing it, but somebody’s decided to pull some pranks on me. I haven’t told Harcourt because I’m afraid he’d assume it was you guys and go ballistic.”

  Aaron frowned. “First of all, I don’t have any pranksters on my team. And second of all, why would we bother you when at this point, we’re pulling ahead?”

  “I know that, but –”

  “Don’t get me wrong. I’m not bragging about it. Everything could change tomorrow. You have a helluva lot of talent on your side, and as you know, I think we should all be working together on this. But everything considered, now would be a dumb time for us to be jerking your chain.”

  Nolan sighed. “You’re right. It’s frustrating because I don’t know why anyone would do it. It’s juvenile, for one thing, but when they managed to get access to my room, I got a little nervous.”

  “Someone got in your room?” Aaron’s eyes widened. “How?”


  “Security finally pieced it together. Yesterday a guy in a Vader costume bumped into me in the hall. It was after that I noticed my name tag was gone. Apparently he used it to convince the front desk he’d locked his key in his room and needed another one. Then he went in when I wasn’t there and left me a note threatening me harm if I don’t give up the Mars project.”

  “That’s ballsy.”

  “And makes absolutely no sense. Like I’m going to give up the chance of a lifetime because of a stupid note.”

  “I know, right? I tell you, there are some nutcases out there. It’s probably somebody who tried to get on the team and didn’t make it. You’re lucky he’s only leaving notes and not coming after you with an assault rifle.”

  “Oh, thanks! Way to make me feel better, Blackstone.”

  Aaron grinned at him. “Hey, you’re a rough, tough astrophysicist. You can handle him. Or her. I suppose it’s possible it’s a woman. Jilted anyone lately?”

  “I’ve never jilted anyone. I’m not the jilting type. You know that.”

  “Yeah, I do. It was a joke. You’re the true-blue, ‘til-death-do-us-part kind of guy. Darcie’s a lucky lady. I’ll be happy to tell her so if she ever gets here. But they’re serving the salads, so she’s officially late.”

  “She’ll be here.” Nolan believed that, but California traffic was always a dicey situation. He was determined not to picture a freeway pileup, especially not a freeway pileup with Darcie in it, but he wished she’d appear. She’d said lunch time, and that was now, damn it.

  “Speaking of the fairer sex,” Aaron said, “I was hoping to see Jan at this conference.”

  “Yeah, she couldn’t make it. I’ve forgotten why.” Nolan turned to ask Bill, who knew Jan better than he did, but Bill was deep in conversation with a guy on his right. “I think she had some family thing in Barstow.”

  “We used to date. Did you know that?”

  “No, I didn’t.” Nolan tried to picture his team member Jan Upton, a sweet person but fairly plain, dating Aaron Blackstone. “When was that?”

  “A few years ago. I was hoping maybe we could hook up this weekend.”

  Nolan felt a protective moment coming on. “I may be out of line saying this, but she doesn’t seem like your type.”

  “You’d be surprised.” Aaron gave him a man-to-man wink. “She’s dynamite in the sack.”

  Nolan had no idea how to respond to that. Served him right for commenting on something that was none of his damned business. Finally he came up with a lame “if you say so.”

  “I do.” Aaron picked up the communal salad dressing pitcher and poured some on his greens before passing it over to Nolan. “Too bad she’s not here.”

  Nolan was glad she’d had other plans. He couldn’t be positive, but he’d bet money that she would have been a momentary distraction for Blackstone and nothing more. Maybe she would have been fine with that, just as he would have taken a night or two with Darcie if that’s all he could have had. But Jan deserved better. Now he realized that he did, too.

  As the meal progressed, he wouldn’t let the servers remove any of Darcie’s food. He used his place as extra storage when they brought out the chocolate cake and Darcie’s chicken and veggies still sat there getting cold. But she’d told him she liked to eat everything, so she might not mind cold chicken.

  The panel discussion was about to start, and Nolan finally allowed a server to take away the salad and the main course, but he kept the cake for her. Because he was facing the front of the room, he couldn’t keep checking the doors to see if she was coming in. Someone tried to appropriate her seat, which was admittedly prime real estate for this program. He refused to relinquish the seat, and the woman who’d wanted it gave him the stink eye for standing firm.

  Earlier he’d set his phone to vibrate, and at last he felt it move in his pocket. The text was from her. Traffic jam 3 miles from hotel. Kept thinking it would clear. Been here an hour. Could be another thirty minutes, at least. Sorry.

  Nolan sighed with a mixture of disappointment and relief as he texted C U soon. At least she was okay, although he’d wanted to share the Trekkie experience with her. But she wouldn’t have understood most of it. Maybe starting with the original TV series was the way to go, instead.

  Turning, he beckoned to the woman who’d wanted Darcie’s seat. She hurried up and took it. She also ate Darcie’s chocolate cake. Nolan thought of snatching it away from her and decided not to. Darcie might not arrive until they’d all left the banquet room.

  The panel was good, but not as much fun as it would have been with Darcie there. If she hadn’t understood all of it, they could have talked about it later. Instead he sat between a woman who felt entitled to a second piece of cake and Blackstone, who fidgeted through the entire presentation.

  Nolan had never realized that Blackstone did that kind of thing. Maybe he always had and Nolan hadn’t been around him enough to notice. First he played with his coffee cup, rotating it back and forth in the saucer. Then he jiggled his leg for awhile. Then he picked up a fork that had been left at his place and began flipping that back and forth. The noise was minimal because the fork rested on a folded cloth napkin, but the constant movement was annoying as hell.

  Nolan considered reaching over and taking the fork away. Ah, hell, he should just ignore it. If Darcie had been here, he probably would have. If someone hadn’t decided to make him the butt of some practical jokes, he wouldn’t care about the damned fork flipping. If he’d had some actual sex last night, that would have helped, too.

  Instead he was wound way too tight and Blackstone was driving him batshit crazy because the man literally couldn’t sit still. When the panel finally concluded amid a standing ovation, Nolan was in a foul mood. He hadn’t been able to concentrate on any of it. He’d totally missed what might have been the greatest panel of the entire conference, but he stood and clapped as if he’d soaked up every word.

  Someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around and his world, which had been seriously wobbling on its axis, tilted right back into place where it belonged. There stood Darcie, smiling at him. He was so happy that he almost grabbed her and kissed her.

  But he would have embarrassed both of them, so he settled for smiling back. “Glad you made it.”

  “Not in time, I see.”

  “No, but that’s okay. Let’s get out of here so I can buy you something to eat.” He pulled his phone from his pocket and flicked it on. “I have exactly one hour before my panel discussion at three.”

  Aaron turned around. “Hey, if it isn’t the missing Darcie! This guy fought like a lion to protect your food and your spot. You should have seen him. Impressive as hell.”

  Nolan’s irritation with Blackstone evaporated in the warmth of Darcie’s presence. He laughed. “You’re full of it.”

  “I’m not kidding! Tell her, Jenson. Wasn’t Bradbury her knight in shining armor?”

  Bill grinned. “I have to admit he was. Darcie, we haven’t officially met, but I’m Bill Jenson. I work with your knight in shining armor.”

  “I know,” Darcie said. “I heard about your adventures yesterday afternoon when you both geeked out getting autographs from the stars.”

  “You guys went for autographs and didn’t tell me?” Aaron feigned great disappointment. “Guess I know where I stand around here. I don’t suppose you’ll want to sit with me at the banquet tonight, either.”

  “We wouldn’t,” Bill said, “and not because you’re not a charming dinner companion. But Harcourt and Sterling are the speakers and they wouldn’t be happy about us fraternizing. I see no point in stirring them up.”

  “I’m tempted to do it anyway,” Nolan said. “This rivalry is dumb.”

  “So let’s do it!” Aaron clapped him on the back. “Let’s show a little aerospace solidarity.”

  Bill shook his head. “I think we’ll be baiting the bear, or bears, in this case.”

  “Then let them growl.” Nolan glanced at
Aaron. “I’ll handle Harcourt if you’ll handle Sterling.”

  “It’s a deal.” Aaron smiled. “Just because they’re billionaires doesn’t mean they get to tell us we can’t be friends.”

  “Billionaires who pay our salaries,” Bill said. “I, for one, wouldn’t relish losing my job over this. My oldest is talking about going to MIT, and she’s only four years away from graduation.”

  Nolan realized that the stakes for him and Aaron were different from Bill’s. “You don’t have to go along with it. You have a family and financial obligations Blackstone and I don’t have.”

  Bill let out a mighty sigh. “Yeah, but I support the principle of it. I’ll sit with you guys. My kid shouldn’t have a free ride compliments of dear old dad, anyway. She has the brains to earn a scholarship, so she should work to get one.”

  “That’s the spirit,” Aaron said. “Makes ‘em appreciate it all the more, right, Bradbury?”

  “It did for me.” With all the talk about solidarity, Nolan decided not to point out that Aaron had a free ride to Stanford courtesy of his wealthy parents. The Blackstones were loaded and gave generously to the university. Nolan was fairly sure they knew Harcourt personally, too, which might be why Aaron had chosen to work with Sterling. That way he’d be confident that he got the job on his merits instead of on his parents’ connections.

  “Then it’s settled,” Aaron said. “We’ll get a table together. Darcie, you’ll be joining us, I hope?”

  “I haven’t asked her,” Nolan said, “but I’d like that, Darcie.”

  “I’d like it, too.” She gave him a special, I-only-have-eyes-for-you smile.

  He felt ten feet tall when she did that, especially when they were in front of other people, specifically people like Aaron Blackstone. Nolan might object to competing with him as a scientist, but he’d always felt a jab of envy for the guy’s ease with women. Unfortunately, Blackstone’s talent for impressing the ladies allowed him to snow somebody like Jan Upton. Thank God she wasn’t here this weekend.

  Nolan checked the time again. “I need to get Darcie something to eat since she missed lunch. Blackstone, I’ll see you at three on our panel. Bill, see you tonight, but please back out of this cozy arrangement if it worries you.”