The Choice - Nicholas Sparks [37]
“Anyway, you’ll love it. You’re not afraid of heights, are you?”
“No. I mean, I’m not thrilled with them, but I’m sure I’ll manage.”
“It’s no big deal. Just remember you have a parachute.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
In the distance, a car door slammed, and Stephanie sat up straighter.
“Here come the Clampetts,” Stephanie remarked. “Or, if you prefer, the Brady Bunch. Brace yourself. Our relaxing morning is about to end.”
Gabby turned and spotted a rowdy group rounding the side of the house. Chatter and shouts rang out as the children ran in front of the adults, moving in that wobbly way that made them seem as if they were constantly on the verge of falling.
Stephanie leaned closer. “It’s easy to distinguish them, believe it or not. Megan and Joe are the ones with blond hair. Laird and Allison are the tall ones. And Matt and Liz are . . . less thin than the others.”
The corners of Gabby’s mouth curled up slightly. “Less thin?”
“I didn’t want to call them plump. But I was just trying to make it easy for you. In theory, I’d hate being introduced to a bunch of people and forgetting their names a minute later.”
“In theory?”
“I don’t forget names. It’s kind of strange, but I never do.”
“What makes you think I’d forget their names?”
Stephanie shrugged. “You’re not me.”
Gabby laughed again, liking her more by the minute. “How about the kids?”
“Tina, Josie, and Ben. Ben’s easy to figure out. Just remember that Josie has the pigtails.”
“What if she’s not in pigtails the next time I see her?”
Stephanie grinned. “Why? Do you think you’ll be coming over regularly? What about your boyfriend?”
Gabby shook her head. “No, you misunderstood what I meant—”
“I was teasing! My, you’re touchy.”
“I’m not sure I can keep them straight.”
“All right. Try these memory association tricks. For Tina, think of Tina Louise from Gilligan’s Island. Ginger? The movie star? She has red hair, too.”
Gabby nodded.
“Okay, for Josie, think of Josie and the Pussycats. And for Ben—who’s kind of big and square for his age, think of Big Ben, the giant clock in England.”
“Okaaay . . .”
“I’m serious. This’ll really help. Now, for Joe and Megan—the blonds, imagine blond GI Joe fighting a megalodon—you know, one of those giant prehistoric sharks. Really picture it, okay?”
Gabby nodded again.
“For Laird and Allison, imagine a supertall allosaurus stuck in his lair. And finally, for Matt and Liz . . .” Stephanie paused. “Oh, I know . . . imagine Elizabeth Taylor lying on a porch mat, eating fried pork rinds. Are you really picturing it?”
It took Gabby a minute—and Stephanie had to repeat the descriptions more than once—but when she was ready, she quizzed Gabby on the names. Amazingly, the names stuck, and Gabby couldn’t hide her surprise.
“Neat, huh?”
“Very,” Gabby admitted.
“It’s one of the areas I study at UNC.”
“Do you do this with everyone you meet?”
“Not specifically. Or rather, not consciously. For me, it comes almost naturally. But now you’ll really impress them.”
“Do I need to impress them?”
“No. But it’s fun to impress people anyway.” Stephanie shrugged. “Think about what I just did for you. But I’ve got one more question.”
“Go ahead.”
“What’s my name?”
“I know your name.”
“What is it, then?”
“It’s . . .” Gabby’s mouth opened soundlessly while her mind froze.
“Stephanie. Just Stephanie.”
“What? No memory tricks?”
“No. That one, you’ll have to remember.” She rose from her seat. “Come on, now that you know their names, let me go ahead and introduce you to them. And pretend you don’t already know who they are, so that way you can impress them, too.”
Introductions were made to Megan, Allison, and Liz while they watched the kids chasing one another; Joe, Laird, and Matt, meanwhile, had strolled down to the dock, loaded up with towels and coolers to greet Travis.
Stephanie hugged each of them, and the conversation turned to her progress at school. Amazingly, the memory tricks continued to work. Gabby wondered whether she should try it with some patients before she remembered she