The Bookish Life of Nina Hill(37)

“Really?” said Archie. “Now you’re attacking Peter?”

Lydia pointed her finger angrily at him. “Archie, stay out of this. You shouldn’t even be here. You get more money than any of us. Why do you care?”

Archie flushed. “You mean because my mother is dead? Yeah, it’s a great trade. You might be happy to exchange your mother for cold, hard cash, but Becca and I . . .”

And suddenly everyone was talking at once, and none of it was very nice.

“Oh for God’s sake,” said Nina loudly, bringing the argument to a sudden halt. “You’re all mad. I’m not coming to the will reading, I don’t want anything he left me, and good-bye.”

Lydia looked smug. The lawyer looked worried. Everyone else looked embarrassed.

Nina got up and left the room, making it out into the fresh air before she ran out of oxygen completely. She leaned against the building and slowly slid down until she was sitting on the sidewalk. She put her head between her knees and waited until normal service was resumed. She was going to go home and have a brandy, and change her phone number, and possibly her name, in order to be done with the Reynolds family.

She just fervently hoped they were done with her.





Twelve




In which Nina gets another chance

to act like a human being.

Once Nina got home, however, she found herself putting all thoughts of her dumb family aside. It was Tuesday, which meant it was Trivia Night, and this evening was particularly significant because it was another chance to qualify for the regional Quiz Bowl semifinals. And why was winning the Quiz Bowl so important? Well, there were the prizes: $10K to the charity of your choice, and T-shirts that said, I had all the answers and all I got was this lousy T-shirt. Second prize was, in true movie-buff fashion, a set of steak knives. Third prize? No third prize. There was the winning team, there was the team who came in second, also known as the losing team, and that was it. Nina’s team had come in third the previous year, and it had awakened a competitive spirit that had yet to be quenched. This was their year.

Nina had devoted considerable time to reading the last six months of Sports Illustrated and several books about the history of baseball (America’s Pastime), football (America’s Sport), and, just in case, ice hockey (Canada’s Thing). She read Wikipedia entries on as many athletes as she could, and felt—if not actually competitive in this category—at least less likely to have to crawl out of the bar on her belly.

Tonight’s venue was in Los Feliz, at a bar called Arcade. Nina looked around and saw the whole story: Someone had come across fifty of those tables that used to be so popular, with video game consoles sunk into their surfaces, and had gotten them cheap. Having been carried away in the moment, they then realized they had to do something with them, and opening a bar sounded like a good idea at the time.

The rest of Book ’Em were already there, seated at a Galaga table that actually worked. Lauren was playing while Carter and Leah heckled from the side.

“Ladies,” said Nina, as she settled herself down. Leah handed her a glass of wine, which she immediately started drinking. She must be more nervous than she thought.

“Thanks,” said Carter. “I realize I am a sensitive guy, but I’m not actually a lady.”

Nina shrugged. “How’s she doing?”

Leah looked up from the game. “Well, if the fate of the planet were in Lauren’s hands, we’d all be doomed.”

“Just as well it isn’t, then,” said Lauren, throwing her hands up in frustration as her rocket was utterly destroyed.

“My turn,” said Carter, reaching down to put in some coins.

Nina looked casually around the bar. She’d finished her wine already and reached across the table to steal Carter’s half glass.

“They’re not here yet,” said Leah.

“Who isn’t?” Nina asked innocently.

“Don’t pretend. Quizzard. They’re not here yet, but they are on the board. We’re up against them in the second round, assuming we can beat Menace to Sobriety.”

“Which we presumably can?”

“No clue; new team.”

“Where are they?”

Leah pointed to a group of guys on the other side of the bar. “Ms. Pac-Man table.”

Nina looked and grinned. “Oh, we’re totally good. That guy used to be in Tequila Mockingbird. He’s half-drunk already; let’s send over a round of shots.”

“That’s cheating.”

Nina looked scandalized. “That’s not cheating. That’s being supportive.” Then she looked at the door and Leah whacked her on the arm.

“Stop obsessing over that guy. It’s going to weaken your attack. Stay focused, Hill. We win this, we advance to the semis.”

“I’m not obsessing.”

“Sure.”

Carter suddenly let out a whoop. “I’m on the leaderboard!” He stood and shimmied around the table, kissing everyone extravagantly, which is of course exactly when Tom walked into the bar. He was with the girl from the movie theater, Lisa. She went off to find a table, and Tom headed to the bar. Not that Nina was keeping track or anything.

“You can go order your round of sabotage shots now,” said Leah. She looked at Nina. “Go say hi to your little friend.”