Page 70 of The Alibi Club
All of them looked over at Justin as he bobbed his head to a tune only he could hear and took a selfie by his mini fort. They all turned back to Jamie.
“That’s pretty spot on,” Kyle said.
“Uncanny,” Shannon said.
“So, how does it work?” Rick asked.
“What do you mean?” Jamie asked.
“You’ve been around us for a bit. Did you assess us?”
Cliff saw Jamie squirm ever so slightly. Uh-oh.
“I mean, it’s sort of second nature, but we don’t have to talk about—”
“Do me!” Shannon implored.
“If I had a dime every time a broad said that to me…” Rick chuckled.
“You’d be dead broke,” Holly answered Rick’s joke.
Cliff attempted to rescue her from the situation. “You guys, I’m sure Jamie doesn’t want to go into this and besides, do you really want to be boiled down to three characteristics?”
Shannon, Kyle, Rick, and Holly all looked over at him and said in unison, “Yes.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Unintended Consequences
JAMIE
Jamie tried to dissuade Shannon from demanding a personal assessment lest she be ostracized from her little group of singles and pelted with fresh garlic knots. So, she agreed to tell Shannon but she would soften her original judgments from unsophisticated, gullible, whiskey tango South Florida vibes to …
“Well, I pick up down to earth, positive outlook, and possibly new here?”
Shannon blinked at her and then her eyes went wide. “Oh my God. I just moved here from Florida! And my psychic said the same thing. She said I was sunshiny!” She sat back, satisfied with Jamie’s assessment. Kyle beamed at her.
Rick cast a more skeptical expression her way. “I could have told you that. She has a pineapple tattooed on her ankle, still smokes cigarettes, and drinks like a fish. Nothing screams South Florida like that does.”
“Hey!” Shannon protested. Kyle put a supportive hand on her shoulder and said, “I like pineapples.”
“See? It’s not much a gift really,” Jamie said, relieved the focus was off her.
“Seriously, I think I could give this a shot and be just as accurate.” Rick jutted a thumb in Kyle’s direction. “Take nerd boy over here.”
Kyle, clearly offended, piped up, “I’m not a—”
“I’d bet a grand that he works in computer science, still calls his mom on Sundays, and his only friends are fellow nerds. Am I right?”
“No,” Shannon said. “His other friends are gamers.”
“Fine,” Rick allowed. “Gaming nerds.”
Kyle looked as if someone had ripped off his pants. Instantly nervous, he said, “I have to go to the bathroom.” He got up from the table. Shannon shook her head and smiled, then got up and followed him.
Jamie said, “I don’t think this is the best way to—”
“See? I’m a genius.” Rick, self-satisfied, sat back.
