A New Kind of Science / Holtzbert

Secrets

Erin looked up at Patty when she reached the last two steps on the staircase and she set down the paper plate of cake she was holding  in disappointment. She sighed. "Oh, come on! Why won't Holtzmann come down here with us? I already cut her a piece." Patty shrugged upon hearing the brunette's whining and she walked right passed her to grab her own piece. "I'm just gonna bring it up to her."

"No!" Patty didn't mean to sound so aggressive. She lowered her tone. "She really doesn't feel up to cake right now, okay?"

"But it's her birthday. She shouldn't spend it alone." Gilbert exclaimed.

"Huh?" Abby stood up from the chair at her desk and softly started laughing. The others all looked to her.

"What?" Erin put a hand on her hip.

"Says the girl who wouldn't talk to me for two days because I threw you a surprise party." Yates walked over and grabbed her own piece, then headed back to her chair. 

"Well, uh..." Erin's eyes flicked around the room. "That's different."

"Really? How?" Kevin asked.

"Because...because-" She frustratedly slapped her hand down from her hip. "Because this is Holtzmann and she deserves to be around us, her friends, on a big day like this." Patty tried her best not to play Cupid in this very moment.

"Well, it's only Wednesday." Kevin said, taking a bite of his own cake. "I wouldn't really say it's a BIG day."

"Kevin." Patty glared at him. "Really?" They all stared at the hunk for a few seconds and he looked down at the birthday cake on his desk. 

"Oh, right. Forgot about that." He smiled and took another bite, causing Patty and Abby to shake their heads.

To Patty's surprise, Abby actually laughed. "You know...I really wonder about you, Kevin." 

Erin chuckled and Patty cracked a small grin, until Kevin finished swallowing. "Wonder what?" He asked with a look of confusion.

"Oh, nevermind." Abby said. "Just eat your cake." Patty blew air out of her mouth and sat down in her chair, taking a bite. After a few moments of silence, the thicker woman looked to her best friend who had not moved an inch for a while. "Well, Erin, are you gonna have the cake or not? Or can you just sit down because you're making me uncomfortable, standing in the middle of the room like that."

"No." Erin's voice was at a higher pitch than usual and Patty seemed to be the only one who noticed. "I can't have this cake now. I'm just...I'm gonna save it for Jillian." Immediately, everyone in the room perked up. 

"Who's Jillian?" Kevin asked, dumbfounded.

At first, ignoring his question, Erin looked to the other two women and acted as though she didn't know what the problem was. "What?"

"Nothing." Abby returned to her cake. "I'm just not used to people calling her by her first name, I guess."

"Oh." Gilbert nervously giggled. "Well, it's a nice name. And I think it suits her and it-it's not really a big deal."

"No. It's not a big deal." Yates admitted.

"I'm still confused. Who's Jillian?" 

"It's Holtzmann, Kev." Patty answered. "Jillian is her first name. Holtzmann is her last name."

The receptionist smiled. "Oh. I thought her name was JUST Holtzmann. Like, uhhhh, I don't know..." He snapped his fingers as if he were trying to think of a famous name. "Ummm....Oh, what is it?"

"Madonna?" Patty suggested and he shook his head no.

"Cher." Abby added.

"No, no." Kevin bit his finger nails, thinking so hard about it.