Page 95 of Derivation

“I think they’re sexy,” Sarai replied. “And contacts are not that bad. I have them now.”

“Is this you trying to help move me down from a five to a four?”

“I was going for a three, actually.”

“You’re doing great so far,” Gabi said and then looked around.

“What are you–”

Gabi found a table right next to them, leaned down, and set her glass on it before she stood tall again and wrapped her arms around Sarai’s neck.

“I see you went with the less risky, table option,” Sarai joked. “But I think me putting my glass on the ledge there, taking the risk that I might lose my drink, shows some personal growth on my part, don’t you?”

Gabi laughed a little and replied, “Yes, so much growth in so little time, babe.”

They stood there, staring at one another for a long moment, and Gabi licked her lips, hoping to give Sarai the hint that she was more than ready for their first kiss.

“I want to get a picture before we get too far away,” Gabi heard someone say from behind her.

“We can take one on the way back,” someone else said.

“It’ll be too dark by then.”

Gabi felt a little bump and turned to see a couple trying to take a picture right next to them. She nodded for Sarai to move over a little bit, and they did, but the couple only got closer to them.

“I’m so sorry. We were hoping to get some pictures for our followers.”

Gabi looked over and noticed two people who looked to be in their early twenties. They were very dressed up and with some pretty intense makeup for a basic dinner cruise on a river.

“We’re influencers, reviewing this dinner cruise thing.”

“We’re on a date,” Gabi said. “Trying to enjoy the view. Do you mind maybe taking pictures about five feet that way?”

“Sorry, the light is perfect here, and we’re contractually obligated to post from this spot, so…”

“It’s fine. Let’s just go,” Sarai suggested.

“Are you sure? We can wait. Not like they’re going to be here forever.”

“We’re about to set up the ring light behind you, so…”

“Do you end every sentence in so?” Gabi asked, getting irritated.

“Not every sentence, but since we’re technically working for the cruise company tonight, I can get someone out here to ask you to move, so…”

Gabi gritted her teeth, preparing to fight for their right to enjoy the spot they’d taken first, but then, she heard Sarai laugh, so she looked back at her and saw the wide smile on Sarai’s face, which calmed her immediately.

“You won. We’re leaving,” Sarai said to them. “But you might want to try enjoying an experience instead of just taking pictures of it on your phone for likes and views.”

“You sound like someone with no followers,” the girl stated.

“I have a hot date, though, so I’m all good.” Sarai took Gabi’s hand. “Let’s go, babe.”

Gabi smiled at Sarai using that term for her, left her wine behind, and they decided to take a stroll around the deck hand in hand as the world passed by the boat that slowly moved down the river.

“So, if you really want to work in hardware, why are you essentially volunteering your time and ideas to us? I know the market is tough, but you went to MIT and have the perfect degree for it.”

“When I got out of school, I needed something right away, and I couldn’t find anything in hardware. I had a few interviews for places I really wanted, but one of them decided to go internal with the position instead, another gave the job to someone with five years of experience, which I couldn’t argue with, and the third one was in medical tech, and I wasn’t really interested in that. I made it to the final round of interviews, but I bombed it because my heart wasn’t in it. By that time, I’d already applied for a few software roles, and I knew I had one pretty much in the bag, so I went that route thinking I’d work my way back to hardware.”