“Yikes. Well, you don’t want a half-cooked alien.”
“So now I’m stuck in bed.”
“You mean you’re literally lying around all day? Sounds amazing.” Cameron wrings the mop.
“It’s horrible! I’m so bored.”
“At least Brad’s waiting on you hand and foot, right?”
“He tried to make me a grilled cheese sandwich and the fire department came.”
In his earbuds, Elizabeth laughs, and the sound seems so close. Suddenly, an awful, hollow feeling settles in the pit of Cameron’s stomach.
“Anyway,” Elizabeth goes on. “I was watching some show on the travel channel the other day. Because this is how I spend my days now. I swear I watch fourteen hours of pointless television a day.”
“Still sounds pretty awesome,” Cameron says. He bends down to pick up a candy wrapper from the floor.
“It sucks. But anyway. Simon Brinks was on the show. They were interviewing him about trends in vacation home sales or some boring thing. I hadn’t been paying much attention, until I heard the name. It made me think of you. Thought I’d call and see how it’s going.”
“Not making much progress on the Simon Brinks front, unfortunately.” Cameron fills her in on his dead ends so far.
“Do you like it up there, at least?” The question is punctuated by an alarming grunt. “Sorry, my back is killing me. I had to turn over. Just imagine a whale trying to flop itself over on a beach.”
“Damn, Lizard-breath. That’s quite an image.” He laughs. “But yeah, I guess I like it all right.” He pauses. “I met a girl.”
Elizabeth squeals, and the next section of tile-mopping goes by quickly as Cameron gives her the PG version of his evolving relationship with Avery.
By the time they hang up, he’s looped all the way around, back at the octopus exhibit again. The big fella is hanging out in the lower corner of the tank, watching him as its arms waft lightly in the water.
“Good boy. Good octopus,” he mumbles.
Keys jingle from the front lobby.
Tova? He’s surprised at how happy this makes him.
But the footsteps that follow are too heavy, their clip too quick. After a moment, Terry comes striding around the bend. Cameron tries to hide his disappointment.
“Hey, kiddo.” The boss man smiles broadly. “Everything going okay?”
“Yeah, everything’s great.” Cameron lifts his chin, trying to look professional. Good thing he didn’t get caught talking to Elizabeth on the phone.
“Excellent. Just popping in to check up on your work.”
Cameron’s eyes widen.
“Totally joking! I left something in my office earlier.” Terry chuckles.
“Good one, sir.”
“Keep it up, kiddo. I’ll go around the other side so I don’t mess up the clean floor.” He’s almost around the bend when he pauses and turns back. “Oh, Cameron. I’ve been meaning to check on that paperwork. You have a chance to fill it out yet?”
“Um, not yet.” Terry has been periodically prodding him to fill out some housekeeping personnel form for a while now.
Terry folds his arms. “It’s been two months.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“Make it a priority,” Terry says. “I know it’s a pain, but I’ve let it slide long enough. Rules are rules.”
“I’ll do it tonight.”
“Oh, and could I trouble you for another copy of your driver’s license? I know we made one when you came on board, but I can’t seem to find it.”
Cameron pats his back pocket. His wallet is there. “Uh, sure.”
“Wonderful,” Terry says. “Leave it on my desk before you go tonight, okay?”
“Will do, sir.”
PAPERWORK IS NOT Cameron’s strong suit. Sitting at the table in the aquarium lobby, pen poised over the crumpled hiring form bathed in blue light from the tank, Cameron can’t help but remember the Merced Valley drama.
Merced Valley Technical College might not be Ivy League, but they recruited Cameron once. They even offered him a full scholarship. All he had to do was fill out some paperwork. Free money for signing some forms.
Cameron browsed the course catalog and picked out his classes. He was especially looking forward to philosophy. But the scholarship forms sat in a pile on his coffee table, collecting grease spots from pizza crusts and sweat rings from beer cans.
Aunt Jeanne had been furious. Accused him of throwing his future away for no reason. All he had to do was fill out some damn forms! It would’ve taken twenty minutes. What’s wrong with you? she asked.