Chapter Four: A Prank
Emily held true to her promise over the next few months and made an effort to keep the tension between herself and Jerry to a minimum. Eventually, both she and Jerry reached an unspoken agreement to put it all behind them and, for Katie's sake, get along. She began going with Katie to Victoria whenever her schedule allowed and even dropped by a few times on her own, finding that she loved the fresh, robust, All-American feeling and – an extra incentive – that the dogs had warmed up to her and greeted her enthusiastically whenever she stepped off the plane.
Evenings at Victoria were the most enjoyable, when the whole staff was inside, eating dinner and trading stories. Jerry talked endlessly about the dogs – whom Emily was beginning to love almost as much as he did – while Cooper always embarked on another campaign to convince everyone else that he really did have a girlfriend at one base or another. Andy and Rosie would share their recent discoveries and Katie and Emily would take turns telling their own adventures, as well as filling them in on news and gossip from Outside – as they'd all come to refer to the rest of the world.
Katie and Emily made themselves at home on such evenings, even volunteering to wash the dishes or put the food away. Rosie graciously shared her room with them whenever the weather kept them overnight, and they gladly accepted. After cleanup, Jerry, Cooper, and most of the time, Katie would sit down to a game of poker while Emily – never a big one for cards – would curl up on the sofa between Maya and Shadow with a book.
On one of their first visits, Emily had dragged Cooper off to do something else, leaving Jerry and Katie some time alone together. This became a regular routine – always masterfully done to avoid embarrassing them – and Emily learned more than she ever cared to know about navigation, cartography, and Cooper's love life as a result of it.
One such pleasant evening, a few months into the summer season, after the older residents of the base had tactfully left the younger group in peace, Jerry surprised Emily. "So, Emily," he drawled, leaning back in his chair and fixing her with a level stare, "is there any love-sick surfer-boy waiting for you back in California? Some shallow rich boy with a tan and bleached-blonde hair who has you wrapped around his finger?" He winked briefly at Katie before turning his attention back to Emily.
"Two years is a long time for any guy to wait, Jerry," Emily replied, completely unruffled by the teasing in his voice, "and that's how long it's been since I've been home. If – assuming I have a boyfriend – he did wait this long, he's either a loser with no life, or a heck of a lot deeper than you." Her eyes twinkled teasingly. "Although that isn't hard to accomplish." Cooper sucked in his breath and flashed Emily a discreet thumbs-up.
Jerry's blue eyes flashed indignantly as all four legs of his chair hit the ground with a thump and he grabbed his glass of water. "Why you…" he cried, splashing it in her face before diving out of his chair and darting out of reach with a devilish grin. Katie jumped to her feet and retreated to the far corner – wisely choosing not to get involved.
Cooper remained in his seat at the table. "Score, Jerry! It's one to one now."
Emily stared at Jerry, astonished and dripping wet. For a moment, no one moved, then Emily jumped to her feet and shot into the bathroom, slamming the door. Jerry's smile changed to a look of alarm and regret and he bolted to the door. "Emily! I'm sorry!" he yelled, pounding on the reinforced wood paneling, "Open up, Em! Look, I was kidding! I didn't mean to get you so wet! I'm sorry!"
Abruptly the door flew open, causing Jerry to nearly lose his balance. Emily – still wet – leaned against the doorframe, looking up at him innocently. "You're really sorry?" she asked, her eyes wide and hopeful.
Jerry sighed. "Of course."
She bit her lip and nodded. "Truce?" she asked, extending her hand.
He grinned. "Truce."
"Jerry, look out for –" Katie began to warn him, but it was too late – he clapped his hand into her handful of shaving cream.
"Oh!" Emily said, feigning surprised innocence, "I'm sorry! Guess you'll just have to clean that off." With a wicked gleam in her eye, she reached up and patted his cheek with her other, lipstick-covered hand, dragging the red smear halfway across his face. Then, turning to Katie, she grinned mischievously. "You're not wearing any lipstick today, Katie. Want to help him get that off?"
Katie stared agape at her best friend. "You little devil! You have a mean streak to match your red hair!" she said, playfully slapping Emily's arm. The other girl only smiled sweetly and ducked into the room she shared with Katie and Rosie to change.
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