“That’s right. And you did the right thing, telling me about this. I owe you.” She went silent again.
She owes me. Does this mean I proved myself? Yeah. Probably. God!
“Is Cowboy with you?” she asked.
“Not right now. I got away from him to call you.”
“Does he know about any of this?”
“No. I kept it quiet. I didn’t tell anyone. I figured nobody oughta know except you. I mean, it’s sort of a personal thing, and…”
“That’s good. Don’t tell anyone. This is our secret, just you and me. You said she’s still there on the boardwalk?”
“Yeah. Singing a bunch of stupid songs.”
“Okay. Will you do me a favor?”
“Sure. Anything.”
“Keep an eye on her. Follow her if you can. I want to know where we can get our hands on her tonight.”
“I don’t have a car.”
“That’s okay. Just do the best you can. And give me a call when you find out something.”
“I will.”
“Good. Good man. We’ll get together later. Just you and me.”
Thirty-four
It was a very long afternoon. Robin tried to lose herself in the music, and often went for several minutes without thinking of Nate. The tunes with lyrics were the best for that; she had to focus on the words. But between numbers and when she played those that didn’t require singing, her mind lingered on him.
She felt comfortable and full and glowing. And excited and a little nervous when she wondered what would happen next.
There’s no reason to worry, she told herself again and again. The Big Thing was already taken care of. It wouldn’t be hanging over their heads, making them nervous and awkward. They’d be free to enjoy themselves…
If five o’clock ever arrives.
Sometimes she ached to be with him. When the ache got very bad, she took breaks and went into the arcade, and just the sight of Nate was enough to soothe the longing. They talked and she followed him around, enjoying his friendly manner with the customers. Most of the kids treated him like an old pal. He passed out coins, showed newcomers the basics of some of the games, and insisted that Robin play Space Invaders and Jet Assault and Super Mario Brothers. But she never stayed long, for she didn’t want him to think she was taking advantage of the situation.
The best time had been their lunch break. They picked up pizza slices and Pepsis at one of the stands, and ate in the back room. “My home away from home,” he’d called it, and Robin had commented that it looked more like a sporting-goods store. A desk cluttered with paperwork stood in the center of the small room, but in the corners were volleyballs, running shoes, and a Frisbee. Several swimsuits, towels, a face mask and snorkel, a sweatshirt, and a wet suit hung from hooks. Propped against one wall was a surfboard.
“Will you teach me to surf sometime?” she’d asked.
For just a moment his eyes looked bleak. Robin wondered if he’d had a bad experience surfing. Maybe a friend had drowned or something. But the look passed quickly. He nodded while he chewed his pizza. “Sure thing. I’ll turn you into a California girl.”
“Like, rad, man.”
And when they finished eating, he leaned back against the door to prevent anyone from barging in. Robin leaned against him. They held each other and kissed for a long time.
She wished she were in his arms right now.
It must be almost five, she thought as she played her Beach Boys medley. The last time she’d asked someone the time, it had been four-thirty-five. That seemed like an hour ago.
Time may fly when you’re having a good time, but it creeps when you’re waiting.
She segued from “Surfin’ USA” into “California Girls.” And smiled at the reaction. Whenever she went into that one, her audience went wild, cheering and clapping. It had been that way since her arrival at Funland. She picked and strummed, thumb plucking the drone string, and saw Nate behind a couple of teenage girls who were mouthing the words, waving their arms, and gyrating.
She finished to cheers and applause. People wandered in from the crowd in front of her, from the Ferris-wheel line behind her, tossing money into her banjo case at her feet, several stopping for a moment to offer compliments. She thanked them all, then announced, “That’s it for now, folks.” She heard some moans and protests. Then came more applause, and more people stepped forward with kind words and money.