“And don’t forget to eat, Pie. It’s lunchtime. There’s a café in the building. Just think foody thoughts and the hallways will direct you there.” Talina smiles at me, then with a final wave leaves through the double doors.
I sit at the conference table for a moment, wondering what I should do now. If my new spelling poem is perfect—and I think it is—then… now what?
Should I write another one?
It’s tempting. Especially after my success with the first one. But I don’t even know if this one works, so it seems better to wait, test it out tonight with Pell, and then take it from there.
So instead, I reach for the Book of Debt, which is still sitting where Tarq left it, and slide it over to me. I open it to the front and when I see my name, I get a weird feeling in my stomach.
It’s unsettling to know that the universe is keeping track of you.
But then… “Holy cow!” I blink my eyes, then rub them. Because I can’t be seeing this correctly. The entire first page of debt has been wiped away. “What the fuck?”
How is this possible? I’ve barely done anything.
Is sex with Pell worth that much?
This makes me giggle. Well, if that’s the case this bedroom spell will kill two birds with one stone. Three, actually. I will have my fun time with my man, I will finally get to see his bedroom, and I will wipe away a shitload of debt.
In fact… I have an idea. I should totally rock Pell’s world tonight. Last night was fun, but it wasn’t like out-of-this-world fun. I could spice things up and get a bigger payout.
I flip the pages. There are still quite a few of them. Five, to be exact. But if I can wipe out a page a day, then I’ll only come here for a week. Hell, half a week according to this world’s calendar!
Yeah, I can work with this.
In fact, maybe I should leave early and get a head start on my debt-erasing goal.
I stuff the Book of Debt into my bag, add my new spelling notebook, and then leave the lab. Talina said I could picture food in my head and be led to the café. So it stands to reason that if I picture the exit portal in my head, I will be taken to the lobby.
So that’s what I do.
But for some stupid reason, the hallways don’t lead me to the door, they lead me straight to Tarq’s office.
Thanks a lot, hallways.
Assholes.
Tarq is pacing his office like he’s deep in thought. And I’m hurriedly picturing the café, trying to get the hell out of here before he notices me, when we suddenly lock eyes.
He comes through his door. “Pie. I was just thinking about you.”
That can’t be good. “Well, I was just leaving, but I can’t find the door.”
“Oh.” He gets one of those crestfallen looks on his face. “I was just going to ask you to lunch. Have you eaten?”
“No. But I was going to leave.”
“Eat with me first. I need to tell you something.”
My shoulders drop, my arms go limp, and suddenly I’m doing the standing monkey walk.
“What is that for?”
“What?”
“That posture? You look… very disappointed.”
“Well, when someone says ‘I need to tell you something,’ it’s never good. And I’m feeling pretty good about today, so I don’t know if I need this news.”