“You got it,” she replied.
At this point,Germainebegan bossing the cam crew around, soImade my way to the lift, outside whichNatawas dallying.
When she saw me, she ordered the door to open.
“Hey,”Igreeted asIstepped past her into the lift.
“Hey.Iwas watching.Youdid well,” she said, joining me in it.
“Thanks,”Imumbled as the lift started to ascend. “Didyou get the sequence?”
She nodded. “Isent it in a text comm.”Shethen regarded me closely before she asked hesitantly, “Areyou sure about this?”
No.
“I’m sure,”Ilied.
“It’s not my place…”Shedidn’t finish that.
ButIknew what she thought wasn’t her place.
My heart pitched whenIturned to her and stated words akin to ones someone wise said to me not too long ago.
“No offense,Nata, truly, please believe that beforeIsay whatI’mgoing to say next.Butwe’re not going to be friends.It’snot our job to be friends.Thejobs we have are important, and we can’t let anything get in the way of them.Evenso, we can be friendly, and we definitely need to be honest with each other.”Thelift door opened, but neither of us stepped out. “Butwe’re in this together.Soyou need to feel like you can be forthright with me.”
“This isn’t about my job,” she replied. “Thisis personal.”
Oh yes.
I knew what that personal was.
“Okay, say it anyway,”Iinvited.
“I don’t know why you needed that sequence, butI’mafraid there’s no good reason for you to have it, andI’mworried that you asked for it.”
I couldn’t tell her whyIneeded it, so the only thingIcould do was nod and say, “You’reheard.”ThenIlowered my voice and added, “Andthank you for caring.I’msorry you’re worried, butIpromiseI’llbe okay.”
AndIhopedIcould keep that promise.
“All right,” she mumbled, realizing, accurately, thatIwas done talking about this.
Not done, exactly.
More like, if we kept talking about it, she might talk me out of it.
And as much asIdidn’t want to do it,Icouldn’t shake the senseIhad to.
We walked out of the lift, out of the building, and we both got into the back seat of a covered hover-cart.
It was open on all sides.Thenip in the air was now straight-up autumn chill, the skies were still gray, and it had rained or drizzled on and off all day (but it wasn’t now), andIwishedI’dworn a coat, but too late.
Regardless, it didn’t take long for the driver to zip us into the tunnel under the hill that led from theCataloguesto thePalace.
While we glided,Natabriefed me about the various designers sending clothing and accessories to consider for appearances.
I knew she did this to get my spirits up, becauseIwasn’t hiding how down they were, and normally, it would.
ButIhadn’t gone this long without connecting withAlekseisince we met.
