to go to Bible study with him.”
“Bible study?” Trey Woods said. “Good for you. Praise the Lord in all ways at all times.”
Mike Lombardo didn’t seem nearly as thrilled about their plans for the morning. “You kids big God-squadders or something?” he asked.
Stevie noticed Trey Woods visibly flinch.
“I guess you could say that,” Susan Carol said. “My dad is a minister.”
“Oh, I see,” Lombardo said, clearly a little embarrassed.
“A minister,” Trey Woods said. “I’m a minister, too.”
Now it was Lombardo’s turn to flinch.
“Really?” said Susan Carol.
“Oh yes,” Woods said. “I was ordained online last year. I’m a minister of the Church of Righteous-Thinking Athletes.” He leaned toward Susan Carol. “Someday you and I will pray together.” He didn’t make the same offer to Stevie. Hallelujah for that, Stevie thought.
“Praise the Lord,” Susan Carol answered, her smile beginning to waver.
“Five minutes to air,” Jerry Ventura said—four of the sweetest words Stevie had ever heard.
Susan Carol pumped Jerry’s hand. “Thanks again, Jerry. It was great to meet all you guys.
Please
be sure to bring home a Purple Tide victory tonight, okay?”
“We’ll do the best we can,” Lombardo said.
“Praise the Lord,” Trey Woods said, clasping both of Susan Carol’s hands in his massive paws. “I hope we meet again, young lady.”
“Oh gee, me too,” Susan Carol said, appearing just a bit unnerved.
Stevie was now firmly convinced the guy was an out-and-outweirdo and decided he would have thought that even if he hadn’t been ordained online. He waved halfheartedly and turned away, hoping Susan Carol would follow. She appeared to be having a little bit of trouble extricating herself from Trey Woods’s grip. “Come
on
, Susan Carol. Dad’s waiting,” he said.
“Thanks,” she said after they were away. “He was creepy.”
Their new key whisked them by security one more time. Once on the elevator, Susan Carol pressed the button for the forty-first floor. Stevie felt his heart starting to race again.
“You ready?” he said to Susan Carol as the elevator shot upward.
“Ready,” she said. “But we aren’t there yet. There could be security on the floor.”
“Or he might not be there right now,” Stevie said.
“That’s not a problem,” she said, holding up the magic key. “We can come back.”
They were alone on the elevator all the way up, a pleasant surprise. There was no sign of security when the elevator doors opened on 41, which was an even more pleasant surprise.
“So far, so good,” Susan Carol said.
They got off the elevator and glanced around—no one in sight. They followed the sign pointing to rooms 4101 through 4115. Two-thirds of the way down, the hallway veered to the right. Stevie was thinking about what their opening line would be when they got to Graber’s door,when he heard a voice say, “Hold on there, kids, where do you think you’re going?”
He looked up and saw a security guard, who had been sitting in a chair just around the corner. He stood up to a height that Stevie estimated to be at least six foot eight and blocked them from going any farther. Peering around him, Stevie could see the door to 4101. They were
so
close.… But, looking at the giant in their path, still
so
far.
As usual, Susan Carol was cool as could be.
“Oh, hey,” she said. “We’re just going to see Chip.”
The guard narrowed his eyes, looked down at Susan Carol without even the hint of a smile, and said, “There’s no visitors allowed up here. Players and coaches only on this end of the floor. You should have been stopped getting off the elevator. I don’t know where my partner is.” He reached for a walkie-talkie in his pocket.
“Hang on there, buddy, don’t get all bent out of shape,” Stevie said, suddenly emboldened for reasons he could not have explained if asked. “Chip’s my cousin, he’s in room 4101, and he’s
“Bible study?” Trey Woods said. “Good for you. Praise the Lord in all ways at all times.”
Mike Lombardo didn’t seem nearly as thrilled about their plans for the morning. “You kids big God-squadders or something?” he asked.
Stevie noticed Trey Woods visibly flinch.
“I guess you could say that,” Susan Carol said. “My dad is a minister.”
“Oh, I see,” Lombardo said, clearly a little embarrassed.
“A minister,” Trey Woods said. “I’m a minister, too.”
Now it was Lombardo’s turn to flinch.
“Really?” said Susan Carol.
“Oh yes,” Woods said. “I was ordained online last year. I’m a minister of the Church of Righteous-Thinking Athletes.” He leaned toward Susan Carol. “Someday you and I will pray together.” He didn’t make the same offer to Stevie. Hallelujah for that, Stevie thought.
“Praise the Lord,” Susan Carol answered, her smile beginning to waver.
“Five minutes to air,” Jerry Ventura said—four of the sweetest words Stevie had ever heard.
Susan Carol pumped Jerry’s hand. “Thanks again, Jerry. It was great to meet all you guys.
Please
be sure to bring home a Purple Tide victory tonight, okay?”
“We’ll do the best we can,” Lombardo said.
“Praise the Lord,” Trey Woods said, clasping both of Susan Carol’s hands in his massive paws. “I hope we meet again, young lady.”
“Oh gee, me too,” Susan Carol said, appearing just a bit unnerved.
Stevie was now firmly convinced the guy was an out-and-outweirdo and decided he would have thought that even if he hadn’t been ordained online. He waved halfheartedly and turned away, hoping Susan Carol would follow. She appeared to be having a little bit of trouble extricating herself from Trey Woods’s grip. “Come
on
, Susan Carol. Dad’s waiting,” he said.
“Thanks,” she said after they were away. “He was creepy.”
Their new key whisked them by security one more time. Once on the elevator, Susan Carol pressed the button for the forty-first floor. Stevie felt his heart starting to race again.
“You ready?” he said to Susan Carol as the elevator shot upward.
“Ready,” she said. “But we aren’t there yet. There could be security on the floor.”
“Or he might not be there right now,” Stevie said.
“That’s not a problem,” she said, holding up the magic key. “We can come back.”
They were alone on the elevator all the way up, a pleasant surprise. There was no sign of security when the elevator doors opened on 41, which was an even more pleasant surprise.
“So far, so good,” Susan Carol said.
They got off the elevator and glanced around—no one in sight. They followed the sign pointing to rooms 4101 through 4115. Two-thirds of the way down, the hallway veered to the right. Stevie was thinking about what their opening line would be when they got to Graber’s door,when he heard a voice say, “Hold on there, kids, where do you think you’re going?”
He looked up and saw a security guard, who had been sitting in a chair just around the corner. He stood up to a height that Stevie estimated to be at least six foot eight and blocked them from going any farther. Peering around him, Stevie could see the door to 4101. They were
so
close.… But, looking at the giant in their path, still
so
far.
As usual, Susan Carol was cool as could be.
“Oh, hey,” she said. “We’re just going to see Chip.”
The guard narrowed his eyes, looked down at Susan Carol without even the hint of a smile, and said, “There’s no visitors allowed up here. Players and coaches only on this end of the floor. You should have been stopped getting off the elevator. I don’t know where my partner is.” He reached for a walkie-talkie in his pocket.
“Hang on there, buddy, don’t get all bent out of shape,” Stevie said, suddenly emboldened for reasons he could not have explained if asked. “Chip’s my cousin, he’s in room 4101, and he’s
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