Talk Nerdy to Me by Vicki Lewis Thompson Read Free Book Online Page B

have found out, regardless, but Charlie didn't like the
idea that Manny and Kyle were in on it. What did Charlie know about these two
men? Nothing.
    He
turned toward the backseat. "Are we all agreed that we don't talk about
this invention to anyone?"
    "Sure thing,"
Manny said.
    "No problem,"
Kyle added.
    Charlie figured that was
about the best he could do, short of threatening them with. . . something.
Charlie wasn't into that. "And Rick, you're cool with keeping this quiet,
right?"
    "You
betcha, cuz. I have a feeling I'll be too busy with a certain Eunice Piven to
care about some purple hovercraft."
    Charlie
considered mentioning Eunice's alien abduction claim but decided against it.
Rick was a big boy. He could take care of himself.
    Rick
braked the Subaru at the four-way stop. "Speaking of inventions, have you
heard what your mom and my mom are up to?"
    "Well,
I know they were talking about a new sign out front."
    "This
is way more than a new sign, cuz." Rick accelerated through the
intersection. "This is a whole new image.
    They're thinking of ditching the old name
altogether."
    Charlie
frowned. "Why? What's wrong with the Pastry Parlor?"
    "Too tame, I
guess."
    "Too tame? Charlie could have sworn he
heard a snort from the backseat. "It's a bakery, not a massage
parlor."
    "Don't
give them any ideas," Rick said. "That could be next."
    Charlie
glanced over at his cousin. "Okay, what's going on?"
    "It started with the
cinnamon buns."
    "Yeah."
Charlie could go for one right now. In the excitement of Eve's hovercraft,
he'd forgotten all about dinner.
    "Here's
how they tell it. A couple of days ago they had one of those buns in the case
and it had one lone raisin at the top, right in the middle. A customer called
it a 'booby bun.' She said if they had any more like that, she'd take them home
to her husband as a joke."
    "Hm." Charlie had
a feeling he wasn't going to like this.
    "So
they promised to make some more. Turns out the woman spread the word, and for
the past two days there's been a run on booby buns. They couldn't bake those
things fast enough. When I showed up this afternoon they'd already taken in
more in one day than they normally earn in a week."
    Now
there was no doubt that Kyle and Manny were quietly cracking up in the
backseat.
    "It's
probably just a fad." Charlie sure as hell hoped so. The thought of his
mother in the booby buns business wasn't a comfy one.
    "Maybe."
Rick seemed to be trying not to laugh. "But they're pretty high on the
success of those buns. There was some talk of expanding the offerings."
    Charlie
turned to him in horror. "Like what, for God's sake?"
    "Like
tonight they're going to create bawdy breadsticks."
     
    That
should give his cousin plenty to think about. Rick was pleased with himself as
he dropped Charlie off at the Rack and Balls and drove on over to his mother's
house. Bless his mother and Aunt Rose for dabbling in X-rated bakery products.
That would help distract Charlie, and right now Rick wanted Charlie to be very
distracted. Rick needed to raise some cash.
    That would have been
simpler if his mother had been able to loan him a couple hundred grand, but
she'd said that was impossible. If he'd told her it was life or death, she
might have found a way to get the money, maybe put the bakery up as collateral.
After all, he was her only kid. But he hadn't wanted to scare her, and now it
might not be necessary.
    Maybe his luck was finally
turning. If Charlie, the family brainiac, thought the hovercraft was a valuable
invention, then Rick would make book that it was extremely valuable.
Charlie's comments were always on the conservative side.
    Rick
didn't think it would take much effort to secretly get some pictures of the
hovercraft. Then maybe he could temporarily borrow some of the plans he'd
noticed sitting on Eve's workbench. All he needed was enough info to sell the
concept to the highest bidder. Eve made good money. She really didn't need the
income from this thing. But Rick