"Cook, Robin - Invasion Txt" - читать интересную книгу автора (Cook Robin)

"Orange juice for everyone?" Marjorie the waitress asked. She'd appeared at the tableside. Before anyone could answer she began pouring. It was all part of the normal morning ritual. Then Marjorie took their orders and barked them in Greek over the counter to the two short-order cooks.

While everyone was enjoying their juice, Beau's cellular phone's muted ring could be heard under the fabric of his jacket. In his haste to get to it, he knocked over his juice glass. Pitt had to react instinctively to avoid a lap full of OJ.

Cassy shook her head captiously as she pulled out a half-dozen napkins from the holder and blotted up the spilled juice. She rolled her eyes for Pitt's benefit and mentioned that Beau had been pulling off equivalent stunts all morning.

Beau's expression brightened when he realized his hopes had been answered: the call was coming from Randy Nile's organization. He even made certain to pronounce the name, Cipher, very clearly for Cassy's benefit.

Cassy explained to Pitt that Beau was looking for employment with the Pope.

"I'd be happy to come for an interview," Beau was saying with studied calmness. "It would be my pleasure indeed. Whenever Mr. Nile would like to see me, I'd be happy to fly east. As I indicated in my cover letter, I'll be graduating next month, and I'd be available to begin work... well, really any time thereafter."

" 'Thereafter!' " Cassy sputtered. She choked on her orange juice.

"Yeah," Pitt chimed in. "Where'd that word come from? That doesn't sound like the Beau I've learned to love."

Beau waved them off and shot them a dirty look. "That's correct," he said into the phone. "What I'm looking for is some permutation of the role of personal assistant to Mr. Nile."

"Permutation?" Cassy questioned, suppressing a laugh.

"What I like is the muted but fake English accent," Pitt said. "Maybe Beau should go into acting and forget computers."

"He is a rather good actor," Cassy said, tickling his ear. "This morning he was pretending to be a klutz."

Beau batted away her hand. "Yes, that would be fine," he said into the phone. "I'll make arrangements to be there. Please tell Mr. Nile I look forward to meeting him with great alacrity."

" 'Alacrity'?" Pitt voiced, pretending to gag himself with his index finger.

Beau pressed the end button and flipped his cellular phone closed. He glared at both Cassy and Pitt. "You guys are like really mature. That was possibly the most important call in my life, and you're clowning around."

" 'Like really mature'! That sounds more like the Beau I know," Cassy said.

"Yeah, who was that other guy talking on the phone?" Pitt asked.

"He's the guy who's going to be working for Cipher come June," Beau said. "Mark my word. After that, who knows? While you, my friend, are going to be wasting another four years in medical school."

Pitt laughed out loud. "Waste four years in medical school?" he questioned. "Now that's a curious, albeit twisted perspective."

Cassy slid over next to Beau and started to nibble at his earlobe.

Beau pushed her away. "Jeez, Cass, there are professors in here that I know, people who might be writing me letters of recommendation."

"Oh, don't be so uptight," Cassy said. "We're just teasing you 'cause you're so wired. Actually I'm amazed Cipher called you. It's quite a coup. I'd imagine they'd get lots of job inquiries."

"It's going to be even more of a coup when Randy Nile offers me a job," Beau said. "The experience would be mindboggling. It's a dream job. The man is worth billions."

"It would also be demanding," Cassy said wistfully. "Probably twenty-five hours a day, eight days a week, fourteen months a year. That doesn't leave much time for us, especially if I'll be teaching here."

"It's merely a way to get a jump on a career," Beau said. "I want to do well for us so that we can really enjoy our lives."