Kitchen Timer

Chapter 6

Rodney parks at the campsite. Riley bounces in the car chair, ready to get out. He chuckles at her behavior and hops out. He pops open the trunk and unloads while Riley gets out. She stares at the beach that sits just a few steps from their campsite.

Bob, Chelsea, Theodore, and Carrie are already there setting up their tents. Riley waves at them and walks back to Rodney. She carefully wheels her bag over to the campsite’s table.

“Hi! I’m Riley,” she says, holding her hand out to Bob.

Bob shakes her hand and looks surprised. “Hi, Riley. I’m Bob. This is my girlfriend, Chelsea.”

Chelsea nods at Riley and says a quick hello, but she doesn’t shake Riley’s hand.

Rodney sets everything down, closes the trunk, and joins them. He watches as Chelsea and Carrie disappear into their tents.

“Uh, hi Chelsea and Carrie…” He looks at Bob and Theodore. “Where can we set up our tent?”

Theodore points to an empty spot next to his and Carrie’s tent. “We saved that spot for you.”

“Thanks.” Rodney goes to set up his and Riley’s tent.

Riley stares at Bob and Theodore before glancing at the tents. But neither Carrie nor Chelsea joins them. Rily walks over to Rodney, feeling uncomfortable. Bob and Theodore lean in close, whispering as they stare at Riley.

“Rodney?”

Rodney finishes the ten and glances at his friends. He turns his gaze to Riley. She places her bags inside the tent and sits down, staring at her hands. Rodney follows her and pulls his bags inside.

Something pops out of the side pocket and lands on a bed of leaves. Bob spots it and walks over, looking down at it. He picks it up and shows Theodore.

Inside the tent, Rodney sits next to Riley. “What’s wrong, Riley?”

Riley moves closer to him. “I don’t know, but ever since we got here, I feel like your friends don’t like me,”

Rodney shakes his head. “No, Riley, they just need to get to know you better. That’s all. And once they do get to know you, they’ll love you. Just like I love you.”

Riley smiles but she isn’t convinced. “I love you, too, Rodney.”

Riley sighs and follows Rodney out of the tent. Bob and Theodore are setting up the bonfire while Chelsea and Carrie set up for dinner. Riley walks over to ask if she can help them, but the girls shy away from her.

Rodney walks over to Bob and Theodore. “Hey, what’s going on? Is something wrong with Riley or what?” He clenches his teeth, growing frustrated. Maybe Bruce was right, and they wouldn’t understand his love for Riley.

Theodore holds up the kitchen timer that had fallen out of Rodney’s bag earlier. “Is this yours?”

Rodney swallows hard. “Umm…”

Bob cocks his head to the side. “Rodney, is this yours?”

Rodney glances back at Riley. He stands up straighter and faces his friends, taking the timer back. “Yes, it’s mine. I need it to keep Riley from turning back into a mannequin.” He waves his hands at them. “I know it sounds crazy, but it’s the truth. Riley is a mannequin from the store in the mall, Outdoor Express.”

Rodney looks down at the timer and notices it is almost at zero. He gives it a quick spin. “That day we went, and I said she was pretty, I met a guy named Bruce. He gave this to me. I didn’t believe him at first, just like I know you don’t believe me now, but I met him again three day later. I gave it a spin and well…” He looks at Riley again.

Riley walks over and takes Rodney’s hand. She leans against him and he smiles at her.

“Here we are.” Rodney kisses her hand.

Bob and Theodore look at each other and burst into laughter. Rodney and Riley stare at the two, shocked by their reaction. Behind them, Carrie and Chelsea laugh as well. Riley looks down, hurt by their laughter. Rodney looks like he is about to punch Bob and Rodney.

Bob holds up his finger, still laughing. He and Theodore disappear into their tents while Carrie and Chelsea joins Rodney and Riley. Bob and Theodore reappear, holding their own kitchen timers.

Rodney’s jaw drops then looks at Carrie and Chelsea. He looks harder at the two women and notices how they do resemble live mannequins like Riley. He lets out a laugh and hugs his best friends.

A few hours later, the sun sets and the friends sit around the warm bonfire on the beach. Bob and Theodore tell Rodney and Riley how they also met Bruce at the mall, same store. They tell them how they met his mannequin wife, Barbara, how he warned them how Rodney wouldn’t understand their love for Carrie and Chelsea. But they never told Bruce that their friend was Rodney.

Apparently, the day Bruce met Rodney, he hadn’t seen Bob or Theodore’s faces so he wouldn’t know Rodney knew them.

The night sky grows darker as the friends and eat the dinner the girls have made. They take a picture together and send it to Bruce and Barbara. Rodney tells his friends about the group meetings with others in love with mannequins and how when they get back, they are going to make plans with Bruce. He tells them that they will have to come with them, and they plan a movie and dinner date.

Rodney hears his phone buzz, and he opens a message. He laughs and shows the others the message from Bruce. Bruce is shocked they know each other but are glad they do. He puts his phone away and wraps Riley in his arms.

The group stare up at the sky, growing quiet as they listen to the ocean. Soon, they grow tired and retreat to their tents for the night.