INSTALOVE

Chapter 34: Smooth

Chapter 34: Smooth

E L L I E

Dr. Carlyle scratches his chin, considering the 3-foot tall platform that Maddox and I spent the past two days constructing. "Would you consider adding a railing?"

No, no, no! There can't be a railing, or the demonstration won't work. The code I wrote won't trigger an alert. It has to be a hazard—that's the whole point!

"Umm," I answer slowly, playing for time as I desperately seek eye contact with Maddox. He's too busy swinging his hammer to look up.

Crap. What would Maddox say in this situation? What would a smooth-talker do?

He would lie. That's what he would do. Lie through his teeth.

I wave a hand vaguely toward the platform. "No railing, but the extra padding is going all the way around the perimeter. Not that we need it, but just to be extra safe—"

"Padding?" Dr. Carlyle narrows his eyes at me. "What sort of padding did you have planned?"

Yes, Ellie. What sort of padding did you have planned?

See, this is the problem with lies. They have a way of multiplying. And right now my mind is a total blank.

"What are we talking about?" Oh thank God. Maddox to the rescue. He inserts himself in the space between Dr. Carlyle and me.

"The padding," I reply slowly, making heavy eye contact for emphasis. "You know, all the extra safety padding, to go around the edge of the platform?"

He doesn't even miss a beat. I swear, the boy could win awards for his smooth-talking abilities. "Oh right. I meant to ask you, Dr. C... Is it cool if we borrow the gymnastics mats from the student fitness center?"

Dr. Carlyle frowns. "The fitness center is closed for the summer."

"Exactly!" Maddox grins. "So nobody's using the mats."

Dr. Carlyle seems like he's wavering. I bite my lip.

"I suppose..." he murmurs.

"You can never be too careful," I add tentatively.

Maddox cocks his thumb at me. "Seriously. Especially with this one around."

His face goes deeply somber, and I have to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from cracking up. I could swear Dr. C. looks like he might be on the brink of laughter himself, but he manages to maintain a stern look.

"All right, you two. Plenty of padding. Carry on."

As soon as the door swings closed behind him, Maddox's knees buckle and he collapses to the floor. He has his hand covering his eyes, but his mouth is bubbling with laughter.

I kneel down on the floor beside him and he sits up. "Padding, Ellie? What the hell?"

I cringe. "Sorry. I told him about the demo. He seemed concerned."

"Concerned about what? It's three feet off the ground!"

"But theoretically if someone fell off—"

"No one's falling off!" Maddox points to my laptop. "That's why we wrote the program."

"Well, in case the program doesn't work for some reason..."

"It'll work." He tilts his head at me. "I have total faith in your software development skills, Miss Sandberg."

Gosh, he's a smooth-talker. You'd think his abilities would have less effect on me since I'm well aware of the smoothness of the talking. But no. It doesn't seem to work that way. Especially when he does little things like he's doing right now, running his fingers down the length of my bare arm.