Birthday Girl

Jordan waits excitedly for Pike to get home. When Pike does not turn up or answer his phone, she calls Dutch to find out his whereabouts. Dutch tells Jordan that Pike left the site two hours prior to get some beer. Jordan feels abandoned by Pike and like he pretended to be possessive about her to lure her into sex. She feels like now that he has had sex with her, Pike has no use for her. In anger, Jordan decides to do something she knows Pike would hate. She goes over to The Hook for the wet T-shirt contest.

Pike had delayed coming home until he could gather courage for a serious conversation with Jordan. When he doesn’t find Jordan, he calls her. Jordan hangs up on him, just as Pike makes out that the wet T-shirt contest is being announced in the background. Pike plans to go to The Hook immediately, but just then, Cole comes in. Pike asks Cole why he quit work, and Cole tells him that he has found a new job, but the job is a surprise. Pike worries if the job is legal, and Cole laughs and says that the job is “as legal as it gets” (268).