I run a hand across the smile that only appears because of Zahra.
Zahra: What do you think about a ride that takes guests through the afterlife on Día de los Muertos?
Zahra: Feel free to lie and tell me it’s amazing even if you don’t think so.
Of course I think it’s a decent idea. It never dawned on me that a castle could lead to an entirely new ride about a princess who can speak to the dead.
I spend the next thirty minutes entertaining her because I’m interested in seeing where her creativity takes her. It has nothing to do with the way her passion sparks something warm in my chest. Just like speaking to her has no correlation with the sudden burst of energy I feel as I pull out the stupid tablet that’s given me nothing but issues all afternoon.
Absolutely nothing.
19
Rowan
Like the stray cat Zahra described, I pass by her cubicle after my meetings with Jenny and Sam. If Zahra’s suspicious of my growing interest, she hasn’t let on to it.
I stop at the wall right outside of her cubicle. A white paper with bold lettering stands out against the gray fabric backdrop, with strips of half-cut paper dangling in the air. They’re all accounted for except one.
Join our Buddies team and be a mentor today! If you have any questions, feel free to call me. We’d love to have you.
The rest of the paper is vague, only mentioning an opportunity to join an adult mentorship program for Dreamland employees. I think I heard Martha speak of this during our morning agenda but I was only half listening once she mentioned the word voluntary. I only have so much time in a day and discussing some random employee meeting about community service isn’t on my radar.
Each strip includes an address for the meeting and a contact number I’m quite familiar with. There’s something about everyone having access to Zahra’s information that makes my skin all hot.
There’s one strip missing out of the ten. I could check the surveillance tapes and find out who snagged it but that’s a step too far, even for me.
Who could have taken the number? There aren’t too many young Creators around here that might be interested in hanging around Zahra. I have noticed one blond Beta team member staring at Zahra’s ass once or twice. When he saw that I caught him looking, he actually shot me a smug smile that made my fists clench. I ended up destroying him during his presentation.
My fists ball up by my sides. I look around the hall before ripping the rest of the numbers. I tuck them into the pocket of my trousers before I have a chance to berate myself for something this ridiculous.
I’m acting like a goddamn maniac.
Who cares who texts her?
Me. I care.
But why?
I rub a hand down my face and groan.
Zahra pops her head out of the cubicle. Her smile drops when her eyes land on me. “Oh. It’s you.”
“Waiting for someone else?” Don’t tell me she’s waiting for Chad. Or is it Brad? Either one fits the blond tool.
You sound like a jealous idiot.
Her brows pull together. “Huh? No. Just checking if someone had any questions about—” Her eyes widen at the paper in front of me. “Wow! I didn’t think that so many people would be interested!” Her entire face lights up like a solar flare. She shines so brightly that everything else pales in comparison. I feel helplessly trapped in her magnetic field, so close to the sun I might burst into flames.
A fitting way to go based on the lie that pours out of me. “There was only one left when I got here.” I should feel guilty about lying but I can’t find it in me to care that much.