Sunday, Dec 22, 2021
When I returned to the office, I found Sara sitting in the big chair behind the computer. She looked at me the way only she could, as if she was x-raying me, and not in a see-through-my-pants kind of a way.
“What’s with the running back and forth to Kim’s? Why was it so important to send Sofie and Pete out together? What did you tell Pete just now?” she demanded.
“Oh, nothing, nothing. I just thanked him for helping out. And it goes twice as fast when they work together,” I said, and made my escape toward the coffee maker in the foyer.
Sara followed me there.
“I know what you’re doing. You’re trying to set them up. I see how you try to create serendipitous meetings between them. Oh, man, I bet this is yet another twisted plan so that you can get close to Jennifer,” she said.
“Oh, no–“ I said.
“Just so you know, two can play this game,” Sara said and disappeared in the office again.
She slammed the door shut. That was not good. It was hard enough to act as Pete’s Cyrano/Marty McFly, I didn’t need an angry Sara standing in my way, making my life more difficult.
About 45 minutes – and four cups of coffee – later, Pete and Sofia came back to Atlas, laughing about something that had happened. That was a good sign. Whatever Sara had in mind, I had got a head start.
Before they saw me, I ran down to the basement and then, as if I had been there for a while, called out to Pete.
“Pete, is that you? I need a hand here,” I yelled.
As he skipped down the stairs, I heard Sofie call Sara’s name.
“Pete,” I whispered. “Where’s the tape? Did you have fun? She’s a lot of fun, right? Where’s the tape?”
He looked at me as if I’d lost my mind.
“Um, yeah, she’s fun. The tape’s here,” he said and pulled it out of his jacket pocket.
“OK, put it in, press Play,” I said and run up the stairs, two at a time.
I knocked on the office door, and when there was no reply, opened it and walked in whistling Foreigner’s “Urgent”.
“Sofie – sorry, Sara – I need your help with something,” I said, and gesticulated for her to hurry up.
“What is it?” she said.
“Yeah,” Sara said. “What can be so urgent?”
“It’s just … a thing with … a thing – come on, Sofie,” I said.
I opened the basement door to her, and watched as she walked down, carefully, as if she was expecting it all to be a prank.
“Could you help Pete take down the Ghostbusters II reels, and see if you can find some of the old posters?” I said, and then I closed the door.
As I heard the door click shut, I realized that my jacket was on the shelf behind the armchair in the basement.
And so where my keys.
That had not been my plan. But on second thought, it was pretty much what had happened to Jennifer and me at the bomb shelter.
It was serendipity.
Now Pete and Sofie could really talk and get to know each other.
I just hoped I’d have time to get the spare keys before Rexi arrived and realized the reels were behind a locked door.
➡️ More on Someday Jennifer (HarperCollins Canada 2019)