Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
Dex
After our successful brainstorming session, Sayla and I head to Bob and Hildy’s office to present them with the new plan.
They seem thrilled. Dare I say, impressed.
Honestly, I’m impressed with us, too, although collaboration or not, we’re both leaving here tomorrow focused on the same end goal we had when we arrived: Landing the grant money.
Only one of us can win. And the more I learn about Sayla and her department, the less I want to take the grant away from performing arts. But I guess we’ll just have to cross the FRIG bridge when we get to it.
Friggin’ bridge.
In the meantime, Bob and Hildy send us off to join a group slotted for an afternoon trail hike. Tori and Caroline are in the group, too. So are the nurses and the guys in pharmaceutical sales.
And Hogan.
I grunt when he lines up behind Sayla at the trailhead.
The man’s not evil or anything. I just don’t love the way he always finds excuses to brush up against her.
And his eyes follow her around, whether or not they’re paired up or in the same group.
It’s like his corneas have strings attached to her, and I need some metaphorical scissors to cut the thread.
So I make a point of squeezing in between them, my back to Hogan. “We should be on the lookout for poison ivy while we’re hiking,” I warn Sayla. “It’s got the same oil as mango skin, so let’s stay to the center of the trail if we can, away from any foliage.”
We. Yep. I said it.
“How did you even know that?” She blinks up at me, bewildered. “I had multiple outbreaks before the doctors made the connection.”
“I couldn’t fall asleep for a while last night, so I did some research on my phone. After you told me you’re allergic, I wanted to know more.”
This is all true, but Hogan sends up a scoff behind me. He must be skeptical about my motives. “Really going the extra mile there for a coworker, huh, Dexter?”
I glance over my shoulder. “She’s also my roommate, and I don’t want her up at all hours scratching because of a rash.
” I figure with this answer, I’m not only proving my loyalty to Sayla, I’m also reminding Hogan that she and I share a cabin.
And as we head up the trail, I make sure I’m positioned directly next to her, keeping my body between her and the edge of the mountain.
Since the path is only wide enough for two people, there’s no room for Hogan.
Sorry, not sorry, man.
The two of us set a brisk pace, instinctively pushing each other and pulling ahead of the rest of the group. Without the distractions of phones or clipboards or forced collaborations, we slip into easy conversations about our lives before we met.
Like the time Sayla got to bottle-feed a baby monkey at the Lincoln Park Zoo. Her mom was working at a restaurant there and dating the manager, so he arranged the special treat. “I’ll never forget cradling this tiny animal that seemed more human than the people at the zoo,” she says.
Unfortunately, a few months later, the manager cheated on her mother with a woman working at the aviary.
“Per her usual pattern, my mom immediately gave notice and broke our lease. So long, Illinois.”
“Rough pattern.” I wince, wishing I could defend young Sayla.
“Eh.” She shrugs. “Drop in the bucket by then.”
I nudge her shoulder. “Having a bucket full of hard drops doesn’t sound so hot, either.”
“You’re right about that.” She puffs out a laugh, panting while we climb. “So what about your bucket? You must have at least one or two hard drops in there.”
“Yeah, sure, I do.” My chest goes tight. Sayla’s opening up to me. Letting me in a little. And I want to do the same. But I never talk about the hardest drop with anyone. So instead, I tell her about the time I lost a tooth at school, and caught my mom slipping money under my pillow that night.
Sayla groans. “You figured out the truth about the tooth fairy pretty young, then.”
“Yep,” I say. “The dominoes fell for Santa and the Easter Bunny, too. All the magic lost, all at once.”
“Brutal,” she says. “Mr. Choose Happiness hits rock bottom at six years old.”
My chest goes tight, and I slow to a stop, pretending like I need to stretch and catch my breath, but that’s just an excuse.
The truth is, I can’t think of how to respond.
If I tell Sayla I went through way worse as a kid, she’ll ask for details.
And I’m not willing to go there. So I take a few deep breaths, willing my chest to stop constricting.
Sayla waits with me.
“I wish I’d grown up in Harvest Hollow like you did,” she says. At this point, Hogan’s fallen even farther behind on the trail, walking with Tori and Caroline. The pharmaceutical guys are just after them. The nurses bring up the rear.
“We moved to Harvest Hollow when I was twelve, actually,” I say.
“Ah, well, that changes everything,” she snarks. “I guess you never can tell the silent struggles other people are going through.”
I know she’s only kidding, but I can’t meet her gaze. I’m worried she’ll see right through me. So I push off again, starting back up the mountain.
Sayla scrambles up beside me, glancing over her shoulder. “Tori’s watching us.”
“You think so?”
“I know so.”
“Huh.” Either way, I’m just grateful for the change in subject.
“Maybe we should do something about that,” she says. “Just to be sure she believes we’re a couple.”
My pulse picks up, wondering what she’s thinking. “What did you have in mind?”
“I don’t know. Maybe something like this …” Her hand brushes mine, just a fleeting touch, and that’s when I realize Hogan’s probably watching us too. But I’m not going to point that out to Sayla. If she hasn’t noticed his attraction on her own, I don’t have to make it obvious.
Not that I have a right to be jealous or possessive of her. But okay, yeah. I am a little possessive and jealous. What can I say? I’m a human man who finally got my coworker to not hate me. Maybe.
So I reach out and hook my pinkie around hers. And when the rest of our fingers entwine, heat jettisons up my arm like a rocket ship launching to the moon. To calm myself, I rub slow circles around the base of her palm with my thumb.
Full disclosure: I am not calm.
She inches closer to me, pressing the side of her body against mine, so I let go of her hand and wrap my arm around her.
Just for a moment. I’ve barely gathered her in when she spins toward me, gives me a flirty little head tilt and a smile.
“Good job,” she whispers, and my heart starts pinging around behind my ribs.
Man.
If this is how it feels when Sayla Kroft pretends to aim her sunshine at you, actually being the object of her affection must be jet fuel.
“Hey! Slow down, you two,” Tori squeals.
Yep. She’s definitely clocking this.
“It’s not a race,” Hogan calls out.
“We’ll meet you at the top,” Sayla chirps. “We’re almost there.”
And in this moment, I feel like I’d go anywhere with her.
Back at camp, we’re supposed to gather in the main lodge again for another mystery activity.
The other half of the group is already there, just finishing a facilitating session with Fern.
Bob and Hildy direct everyone to break up into pairs, with or without any of our coworkers who may be here at Camp Reboot.
Hogan immediately swoops in and asks Sayla if she’d like to partner up. She glances at me, like she’s waiting to see what I’ll say. But what am I supposed to do? I’m not her keeper. If she doesn’t want to turn him down herself, I can’t exactly step in and claim her.
“You’re just going to let them pair up like that?” Tori says under her breath, moving up from behind me. “Doesn’t that bother you?”
Yes. I grit my teeth.
“Nah,” I lie. “I’m confident in our relationship.”
Even I can’t believe how easily that statement slips out of me. And I’m not proud of it. I’m not proud of anything going on in my head right now.
“Well, I’d offer to be your partner,” Tori says, “But I don’t want Sayla to think I’m jumping in on her territory.”
“Whose territory?” Caroline asks, appearing next to us.
“Oh, just the pharmaceutical bros,” Tori says, darting her gaze to me. “They were telling us about their big new sales territories earlier. Kind of bragging, honestly. Right, Dex?” Tori widens her eyes, letting me in on her ruse.
Clearly, she hasn’t said anything to Caroline about Sayla and me being a couple. A pretend couple, but still. Tori doesn’t know that. So her loyalty is noted. I almost feel bad about her buying into our story so readily. Then again, I didn’t mind the excuse to cozy up to Sayla on the hike.
“You and Caroline should be a pair,” I say. “You’re roommates.”
“I would, but Chad already asked me,” Caroline says. “It’s fine. You two go on ahead.”
Once everyone’s paired up, Hildy and Bob instruct us to settle onto one of the many benches that run along the walls of the room. Tori and I take a seat on the nearest bench, across the room from Sayla and Hogan.
“Do you have any idea what this mystery activity is?” Tori asks.
“Zero.” I’m just glad it’s probably not horseback riding. In pairs. Inside.
Bob taps the mic. “All right, folks,” he booms at us.
“We’re going to play a little Camp Reboot trivia, so I hope you all have been paying attention, getting to know each other while you’re here.
Part of being a good employee and collaborator is listening.
Prioritizing details. Now you’ll get the chance now to prove how well you’ve done at that, without knowing you were supposed to. ”
From across the room, Sayla grins at me. “I told you,” she mouths, pumping her fist, anticipating victory. She looks so excited and proud of herself, I can’t do anything but enjoy the moment for her.