I say, and she gives me a flirty little sway of her hips as she heads down the hall of the assisted living home. I park myself in a leather chair in the fifth-floor lobby and return to the game on my phone.
I scan the board quickly, eyeing the possibilities. R. I tap my chin. Something with an R. Or a C. Or maybe . . .
I smile. Devilishly, I’m sure. Because I’m going to mess with Arden. Peering down the hallway, I see no sign of the nurse, so I open the chat with MustLoveBooks.
Gabe: Is R-A-B-E a word?
Arden: As in broccoli rabe? Yes. Whether it should be considered a food is debatable though.
Gabe: What in the holy hell is broccoli rabe? Why isn’t it just broccoli? Why do we need to keep adding things to vegetables?
Arden: Don’t you know? Vegetables now must be hipster hybrids of other vegetables. Also, rabe is the stalky, leafy part of the vegetable, if you want to get technical.
Gabe: You mean the part of the veggie that should go in the recycling bin?
Arden: Let me guess. You hate broccolini too.
Gabe: I’m not fooled by broccolini. If someone can’t tell that word is a patent ruse to trick people into thinking broccoli is cute, they’re a fool.
Arden: Obviously, you’re no fool. You are a broccoli hater though. Now c’mon, play a word. A customer just walked in, and if my book-buying radar is still top-notch, I’m predicting he snags a hardback of the new Koontz.
Gabe: If you’re right, bowling is on me.
As I planned all along, I form a word with my kickass bank of letters, and I swear I can hear her jaw dropping as I play—BROCCOLI.
Arden: You tricked me by building off my C!! I thought you were spelling RABE.
Gabe: Rabe is child’s play. *blows on fingers*
Arden: And you used all your letters! You know I have to pay for bowling now. That trumps everything else.
Gabe: Oh, well, what do you know? I did play all my letters.
Arden: Also, the customer has the new Koontz tucked under his arm.
Gabe: Damn, you’re sharp. But close is only good in horseshoes. Bowling’s still on you.
I exit the app when the thunk of Darla’s shoes grows louder. She turns the corner and wiggles her fingers, giving me come-hither eyes, too, as she’s done for the last few visits. “I’ll take you to Suite 505 now.”
Once I stand, she sets a hand on my arm, even though I know precisely where Suite 505 is since I’ve been visiting its resident as often as possible for a year now.
But Darla is persistent, and last time I checked, I was still single . . . ergo . . .
“My shift ends at five,” she says.
“Good to know.”
“And I don’t have any plans tonight.”
“Is that so?” I arch a brow.
She gives me the flirtiest smile in the history of smiles. “That is very much so.”
I tell her to enter her number in my phone, and it takes less time than a peregrine falcon capturing a fish for her to type in those digits. I give her mine too.
“Text ya later.” She spins on her heel and heads the other way.
I turn into Suite 505 and flash a smile to the man slouched in the blue upholstered chair, staring at the screen of the laptop perched on a bureau. I check out the action on the diamond. “Pops, are you watching last night’s Giants game?”
“Yup. Posey hit a three-run homer.”
But when I peer more closely at the screen, that’s not Buster Posey running the bases. In fact, that’s not who the Giants are playing this week. I’m pretty sure that’s a game from last season.
“Pops, that looks like a game from last season,” I say, gently trying to guide him back to the present.
He waves it off, tsking at the video. “You could have mowed him down with your curveball.”
I laugh and clap him on the shoulder. “Doubtful, but glad you think so.”
“I know so. I watched all your games.”
That he did.
I settle in and enjoy the year-old game with him, catching up on things that happened yesterday and years ago, too, reminding him as best I can of what took place when.
Later that day, Darla texts me, asking if I want to get together.
I say yes, even though I’m wishing I could figure out the best way to broach the same subject with Arden.
Do you want to see a movie? Grab some dinner? Go to a beer festival? Drive