Over the next couple of days, Reed began to settle into the routine of life on the Hill: up at seven, breakfast, work, lunch, more work, off at five, and supper. He even ate each night with his roommates and the same group of their friends. But, the more he learned about his new home, the greater it seemed to grow and the wider its possibilities seemed to blossom. It was almost like a coconut, Reed thought: tough and unpleasant to start with but pretty great once you got past the outside. A whole new world was opening in front of him, and the pulsating life of it nearly took his breath away. Everything was new, everything was different, and everything seemed to be clamoring for his attention.
Even the girl behind the front desk at the factory wasn’t the typical receptionist. Reed hadn’t talked to her since their first encounter, but her constant cheerfulness radiated like sunbeams into the gray foyer every morning. He could feel it even on his short walks through the lobby each day.
Someone else who struck him as a little unusual was Nathan. Everything Reed had observed about him on his first day remained unchanged. He didn’t talk much but, when he did, it wasn’t with the awkward fumbles of a poor conversationalist. Despite his affable disposition, he kept to himself, even at lunch. Sometimes he took his lunch and slipped out of the room for the noon break.
Reed watched him day after day. All the little details jumbled together and began to form an overall impression; there was something underneath the squeaky-clean exterior. It was like the set for a TV commercial, built to be believable but too perfect to be real. Reed’s curiosity was roused and tinged with a hint of suspicion.
One day, he decided to get to the bottom of the matter. When the noon whistle screeched, he picked up his lunch and walked over to the crate where Nathan sat by himself. “Mind if I sit here?”
Nathan, his mouth full, smiled and shook his head. Reed sat down. They ate their sub sandwiches and made small talk for a while before Reed got down to business. “So can I ask you a question?”
Nathan bit off the end of a carrot. “Sure, go ahead.”
Reed opened his mouth and then stopped. He had no idea how to bring up the subject. His mind groped for anything to say instead. “I was wondering where you go when you leave the room with your lunch sometimes.” Random, but it was the best he could do at the moment.
Nathan swallowed his mouthful. “Well,” he said lightly, “since my company’s usually not in high demand in here, I go eat with friends in another room.”
Hmm. Reed finished off a package of crackers. So he does have friends. He dusted crumbs off his fingers and tried to make the best of a pointless question. “That’s cool. In another packing room?”
“No.”
Short answer—very short. It sparked Reed’s curiosity. “Well then, where? If you don’t mind me asking.”
“A break room for the office employees. I know a couple of them.”
Office people—why did that ring a bell? Then he remembered: that scene between Nathan and the receptionist. Things were getting more interesting. Perhaps it was time to dig a little deeper.
Reed pulled his mind to a halt. What was wrong with him? It would be the most natural thing in the world if Nathan had a crush on the receptionist, and it was none of Reed’s business. He hardly knew the other boy. Shut your mouth and finish your sandwich.
That resolve didn’t last long. They ate in silence for half a minute before Reed’s curiosity overpowered him. “Is one of them that girl at the front desk? You know, the blonde one?”
The top to Nathan’s water bottle jumped out of his hand and rolled to the floor. He scooped it up in an instant. “Excuse me?”
“You know, the receptionist at the front desk; is she one of your friends?”
Nathan replaced the bottle cap deliberately and shot him an odd look. “Yes,” he said. “Why?”
“Oh, I was just thinking.” Reed swung one leg smugly and tried not to sound overly pleased with his sleuthing. “She seems like a nice girl. How do you know her?”
Nathan was really eyeing him now, more than the situation required, Reed thought. “We’re in a small group together,” he answered guardedly.
“Cool.” Reed bit into an Oreo. “What kinda group?” His instincts warned him to stop his questioning, but he ignored his better sense.
“It’s kinda hard to explain…”
The whistle broke in, sounding the end of lunch break. Nathan leapt off the crate.
“Back to work!” he said, snatching up the remnants of his lunch and dashing for the nearest trashcan.
Reed pondered the short interview during the remainder of the afternoon. He didn’t know if he’d succeeded in his original mission or if he’d struck on something new. There was no doubt that something was going on between Nathan and the receptionist, but why would Nathan be so nervous about it? It was the most natural thing in the world. But there had been something odd in his manner and face. Reed had been right in the first place: there was more going on here than met the eye.
When five o’clock came, Nathan, as usual, was one of the first out of his station and through the door. Reed watched him leave as he shut down his own station. “Watch,” he told himself. “Ten bucks says he’ll be hitting up his girl.”
Sure enough, as Reed was swept through the lobby in the rush for the door, he caught sight of Nathan by the front desk, arranging pens in a cup and listening. The girl was talking, leaning both elbows on the desk. The crowd swallowed them in an instant, but that was all it took to cement the situation in Reed’s mind. He grinned. Sparks were flying, but if Nathan wanted his little game to be a secret, Reed could play along.
Outside, his grin faded. The icy air and sharp wind that seeped through his light jacket smacked him back into reality. “Man, I can’t wait to get paid,” he hissed through chattering teeth, pulling the windbreaker tight around him. “Then I’ll buy a…” He spent the rest of the walk to the gate thinking of all the things he wanted or needed. A thick, warm coat was at the top of the list.
By the time he reached the main entrance, thoroughly chilled, Nathan and his affairs were completely out of his mind. He waited for Reagan and Riley before climbing onto the bus.
After getting comfortably settled and exchanging the usual greetings, Reagan loosened his collar and stretched out his legs. “So I don’t know about you guys, but I’m ready for a little fun. How ’bout going into town tonight?”
Reed jumped at the chance. “Sure!” He hadn’t seen much of the city so far. “What’ll we do?”
“Oh, maybe hang out at a coffee shop or catch a movie.” Reagan folded his hands behind his head. “Or we could just walk around if you want to see the sights.”
“That would be great! Oh,” Reed looked down at his jacket and thought of the relatively short walk from the factory, “but…”
“Aw, don’t worry about that,” Reagan reassured him. “Between Riley and me, I’m sure we’ve got one you can borrow. Payday’s still a ways off, and you don’t want to miss out on everything until you can get your own.”