Simple by Dena Nicotra Read Free Book Online

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    The figure in the distance continued forward.  I noticed that Fish was opening his laptop, but I didn’t stop to question why.
    “Is there Wi-Fi in there?”  He asked urgently.
    “Is there what?  How the fuck would I know?”  I didn’t look at him.  Instead, I focused on my target and steadied my breathing.
    “Is there Wi-Fi?”
    “Dude, I have no idea.  All I know is that your buddy Giz sits in the cafeteria all day so that he can connect.”
    “That’s all I need to know,” he said.
    “I drew back and missed my target because I was too focused on his response.
    “Shit!”  I snapped, and dug another rock from my front pocket.
    “Don’t bother, I’ve got this,” he said somewhat casually.
    I was about to aim again when the shadowy figure slumped to the ground.
    “What the fuck?  Did you do that?”
    “So, you know who I am?”  He said, ignoring my question.
    “Yeah.  I know exactly who you are.  Who wouldn’t?”
    “Okay, fair enough.  Can you take me to Giz now?”
    I glanced at the body in the parking lot and then turned to him.  “Yeah, I’ll take you to him.  What the hell did you just do?”
    “I shut down his central processor.”
    “How?”
    I found his IP address and then I used a code I’ve written.  It’s something Giz and I have been working on together for a while.”
    “Is that right?”
    “Yeah, that’s right.  Sorry to disappoint you with my unethical bullshit.”
    “Whatever.  C’mon.”
    “I’m right behind you, slingshot girl.”
    “Great, geek boy, let’s go.”
    He laughed and followed as I walked back to the sliding double doors.  We rode the elevator in silence, although I’m sure he was checking me out beneath the florescent lights as much as I was checking on him.  His light brown hair looked impressively orderly and there wasn’t a trace of stubble on his chin.  His white t-shirt was ridiculously clean and free of wrinkles…Christ, he even smelled good. I silently wondered how bad I looked.  I mean, I’d had a shower but makeup wasn’t something I kept in my backpack.  The days of trying to impress a man were long behind me.  So why did I feel so on edge?  I focused on the tiled ceiling of the elevator in order to keep my eyes off him. 
    The doors opened to the level with the cafeteria, and I exhaled a deep breath.  “This way MicFish.”
    “Cute,” he said sarcastically.
    The door to the cafeteria had a glass pane in it, so I could see that Giz was hunched over his keyboard.  His back was to us.  Mic pushed around me and opened the door.  “So what kind of progress have you made?” he asked.
    Giz whipped his neck and almost knocked his chair over in his attempt to reach his friend.  “Mic! Man, I thought something happened to you!”  They embraced in that awkward guy hug that is more like the chest slam followed by the double pat on the back.  I crossed my arms and leaned against the far wall.  This was bound to be boring as hell.  They immediately started sharing updates with each other and it sounded like they were speaking another language.  I rolled my eyes and got myself a cup of coffee and a bag of miniature chocolate doughnuts from the vending machine, then I pulled out a chair and sat down across from the two men.
    I bit the package open with my teeth and popped one of the small doughnuts in my mouth.  Mic, without asking, reached across the table and helped himself to one.  I would have said something, but I figured it was a fair trade for the cigarette he’d given me, and if I wanted another it wouldn’t pay to be petty. 
    “May I?”  Asked Giz.  I slid the package across the table to him.
    “You can finish them.  They taste like waxed crap.”
    “Appetizing description, Hailey,” Mic said.  Giz shot me a sideways glance as he stuffed the last two in his mouth.  He chewed them down and talked at the same time.  Seeing his half-chewed food was disgusting, and I had to look away.