The Future Next Door Boxed Set, page 65
“Goodnight, Pilgrim,” Jack said.
Campion walked towards the bar and grabbed a stool. It seemed he was dining alone.
“What did he mean, ‘doing better,’ Janice?” Jack asked.
“I’ve no idea.”
Troy was still staring at Dakota. “What was that about?”
“What was what about?” she asked.
He put his elbows on the table, clasped his hands together and rested his chin on them. “Oh, Mr. Campion!” he cooed, batting his eyes. “You’re soooooo smart! Tee-hee-hee-hee!”
“Honey,” Tayisha said gently. “That was a little strange.”
“Should I be jealous, Dakota?” Jack asked. “You never turn giggly schoolgirl on me.”
Dakota stabbed her fork into Tayisha’s cake, releasing a spurt of chocolate sauce. “I don’t know what you’re all making such a big deal about. Mr. Campion is a personal hero of mine. I may have gotten a little starstruck but I hardly think I acted as unprofessionally as you’re all suggesting.”
“Whatever you say, dear,” Tayisha said, patting her hand.
“I didn’t realize you did business with him, Jack,” Dakota said.
“Are we not teasing Dakota anymore?” Troy asked. “I have a few more jokes to make.”
“I try to avoid him when I can,” Jack said. “I hate to tarnish your idol, but Campion’s not a very nice fellow.”
“You have to be tough to get to the top.”
“Yes, but...” Jack paused. “Never mind. I don’t want to argue over dessert. Pilgrim Campion has achieved a great deal, there’s no denying that.”
An awkward silence fell over the table as they ate dessert. Dakota wanted to ask what Jack had against Campion, but she was afraid of the answer. She admired both men, and didn’t like the idea that they might be at odds.
“That was fantastic,” Janice said, dropping her fork.
“You inhaled that,” Troy said.
“It was good. And I want to get back to the office.”
“Back to the office?” Jack asked. “Why?”
“Some things I want to finish up on.”
Jack shook his head. “Take the night off, Janice. Whatever it is can wait until morning.”
“Leave her be, babe,” Troy said. He stood up and dropped his napkin onto his empty plate. “She’ll just sulk and get grumpy again. Come on, Janice, I’ll catch the elevator with you.”
“Where are you going?” Jack asked.
“To get our room ready.” He leaned down and kissed his fiancé. “Give me a few minutes before you come down.”
“I’m ready,” Janice said. “Goodnight, everyone. See you tomorrow.”
Tayisha leaned in to Dakota. “I need to use the ladies’ room before we leave.”
“I’ll be right here.”
Troy and Janice headed to the elevator, while Tayisha rose and walked off in the opposite direction.
“I, uh,” Jack said. “I got us a room here. Troy and I. To celebrate.”
“You don’t need to be embarrassed about it, Jack,” she said.
“What?”
Dakota paused, worried she might be overstepping, but decided to press on. “It’s wonderful. You and Troy. We’re all happy for you.”
Jack nodded. “Thank you. It probably seems silly to you. My hesitancy about coming out all the way.”
“Not silly, no.”
“Things were different when I was your age,” Jack continued. “Staying publicly closeted was a necessity if you wanted to be a success. At least, I thought it was. I don’t know. It cost me a great deal. I’m still not sure if it was worth it.”
“It worked out all right, though. Whatever path you took, it led you to Troy.”
Jack smiled, looking off towards the elevators. “It did, didn’t it? I’m so grateful for him. I don’t think I’d have had the strength to get through the past year without him.” He looked back at her. “Or you, for that matter.”
“Thank you,” she said. “And thank you again for the promotion. I won’t let you down.”
“I know you won’t. I trust you.”
Jack hesitated for a moment, then, when Dakota didn’t say anything, he looked away. He grabbed his wine glass and downed the last swig. They sat in silence for a moment. Dakota knew what he was hoping she would say.
Jack had betrayed her trust once before. In an attempt to study how Amalgamated Synergy had first come to life, he had recreated it. His intentions had been good – he hoped to protect mankind by learning how to prevent other large corporations from similarly coming to life – but he had kept what he had done from Dakota. He knew that Dakota and her friends had been targeted by AmSyn, and he had lied to her anyway, assuring her that he had seen to its destruction personally.
Dakota had gone back to work for Jack, partly because it was still a good opportunity for her, but mostly so that she could keep an eye on him and make sure he was telling the truth when he promised her that this time AmSyn really was gone for good. And Jack knew that.
“I trust you, too, Jack,” she said at last. And she did. She had gotten to know him well in just a few months, and she believed that, whatever ill-conceived choices he might have made in the past, his heart really was in the right place.
He turned back to her, and smiled his perfect, dazzling smile. “Thank you, Dakota. That means more to me than I can say.”
They sat in silence for another moment, less awkward this time. Jack fidgeted in his seat, stealing glances at the elevator.
“You don’t have to wait,” Dakota said.
Jack was standing before she had finished. “Are you sure? The bill is taken care of. If you want more coffee or a drink at the bar, feel free.”
“Thank you. Now go to your room, young man.”
Jack walked briskly towards the elevators, just managing to jump into one before it closed. He gave her a wave as he vanished from sight.
A moment later, Tayisha emerged from the restroom and Dakota stood to meet her.
“Jack left?” Tayisha asked.
“In a hurry to get to the private celebration.”
“Sounds like a good idea to me.”
Dakota leaned in and kissed her.
Tayisha shot a glance at the patrons around them. “Goodness,” she said. “Public affection at a work function. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Just thinking about some things Jack said.”
“Oh. How romantic.”
“No,” Dakota said, laughing. “I just mean...I don’t want to let any moments slip away from us. I don’t want to waste any time. What should we do now? Let’s do something fun.”
“Well, it’s a beautiful night,” Tayisha said. “Lots of people are out. We could walk over to Hell’s Kitchen, maybe. Sit outside at a bar and get a drink, or...”
“Or?”
“Or my subway stop is close by...”
Dakota squeezed her hand. “Temptress. I thought it was my turn?”
“But I don’t have roommates.”
“You win. Again.”
They headed for the elevator bank, hand in hand. The lights above indicated that all three elevators were on the lower floors. Dakota pressed the down button and waited.
“How’s Caitlin’s friend?” Tayisha asked. “Have you heard anything else?”
“Last I heard she was doing well. She’s still in the hospital. They don’t know what caused the seizure but she’s feeling better. She’s talking rationally, like the old Tamsin.”
“That’s a relief. It’s horrible, what Professor Piotrowski and Doctor Cheek did to her. I hope this passes.”
“Me, too. Oh, hey,” Dakota said. “I meant to ask you. Do you know what Troy was talking about, about running a successful business? Before Janice cut him off?”
Tayisha shrugged. “No idea. All Troy runs is laps at the gym, as far as I know.”
The center elevator dinged and the door slid open.
“I’ll bet he’s party promoting,” Dakota said, stepping forward. “That would be...”
“Dakota!” Tayisha screamed.
It was because they were still holding hands that Dakota didn’t immediately fall to her death. The elevator door had opened onto a dark, empty shaft. Tayisha had spotted it and grabbed Dakota’s arm with her other hand just as Dakota stepped into open air.
Dakota felt the ground disappear from beneath her, then a violent shock as she stopped abruptly. Tayisha had been pulled to the floor by Dakota’s weight but managed not to lose her grip. Dakota kicked wildly for a moment in panic.
“Help me!” Tayisha yelled. “Help!”
Dakota heard screams from the restaurant above. She was hanging, her face pressed against the grimy wall of the shaft. She felt her arm starting to slip free from Tayisha and threw her other arm up to grab hold. She tried to dig her feet into the wall to take some of the weight off but she couldn’t get any purchase.
She cried out in fear as she slipped another inch. Just as she felt herself about to fall from Tayisha’s grasp, another set of hands gripped her arm.
“Climb, baby, climb!” Tayisha called down to her.
Tayisha had a hold on one arm now, while a stranger had the other. They heaved, and Dakota felt herself moving upward. She pushed her feet against the wall to help. As her arms passed over the top she felt other hands grabbing her, pulling, making the ascent easier.
Her head cleared the edge and she saw that it was their waiter who had a hold of her other arm. A whole crowd had gathered around, everyone trying to help pull her up. One final heave and she was pulled up onto the floor to safety.
Tayisha cradled her in her arms, sobbing.
“It’s okay,” Dakota said, holding her tight. “I’m okay. You saved me. I’m okay.”
“I’m so sorry,” said a man in a dark suit standing over them. He had tears in his eyes. “I don’t know how that happened. I’m so sorry. Free, for life. You eat here free for life, both of you! Oh, god, I’m so sorry.”
Over Tayisha’s shoulder, past the babbling manager, Dakota could see Pilgrim Campion. The bar was otherwise empty. Everyone else, including the bartender, had rushed to either help or watch Tayisha’s struggle, but he was still sitting there, quite calmly.
He picked up his martini and raised it to Dakota, then took a sip. He winked at her.
“It’s okay,” she said again to Tayisha. She didn’t look away from Campion. “I’m okay.”
Chapter Five
Alan rising
Alan Lennox stood in the grass of a small playing field located on a pier jutting into the Hudson River. It was a warm Saturday afternoon, but the sweat on his brow had nothing to do with the temperature, and the breeze blowing in from the water did little to cool him down.
He planted his feet firmly and tried to take up as much space as he could in front of the small soccer goal he was supposed to be covering. Only one teenager was near. The rest of the Project Q kids were at the far end of the field, near the other goal where someone on Alan’s team was attempting to score.
The one thing Alan had been hoping wouldn’t happen happened when someone on the opposing team kicked the ball the entire length of the field. It sailed past the players on defense, who were all clustered at midfield, and made straight for the girl who had remained behind.
Paul Chahine casually stuck out her foot and stopped the ball’s momentum. She spun around and faced Alan with a wicked grin.
“Hey, Alan,” she said, narrowing her dark brown eyes. “Looks like it’s just you and me.”
Paul was fifteen years old and not particularly physically imposing. She was growing out an afro that added only an inch or two to her five feet nothing. Nevertheless, as she tucked the New York Liberty jersey she was wearing into her shorts and stepped back, preparing to kick the ball into the net, Alan swallowed and wiped a trickle of sweat from the bridge of his nose.
“Hey, Paul,” he said. “Remember a few months ago when I saved your life?”
“Yeah, I remember,” she said. “What have you done for me lately?”
With a loud thump the ball flew towards the goal. Alan attempted to deflect it, hurling his body into its path when every instinct was telling him to run in the other direction, but he overshot and couldn’t get his arms anywhere near it. The ball collided with his upper thigh on its way to the back of the net. Alan sat back down in the grass, his leg stinging and his pride demolished.
“Yes!” Paul threw her hands in the air. “Lesbian pride!”
A large shadow fell over Alan and a hand reached out to help him up.
“Dude,” Mark said. “Wow. That was hard to watch. Good effort, though.”
“Thanks.” Alan grabbed Mark’s hand and stood, then brushed the grass and dirt off his rear.
“I didn’t hurt you, did I, Alan?” Paul smiled an innocent smile, her eyes wide.
“You are an evil, evil girl.”
“Ben’s back from the bathroom if you want to go back to your picnic,” Mark said. “Thanks for subbing in.”
“Any time,” Alan said. “And by any time, I mean never, ever, ever again.”
Ben, the teenage boy Alan had been covering for, jogged back to his position. “Alan!” he yelled. “You let her score?”
“I...”
Ben threw a hand up in his face. “I can’t even with you right now.”
Mark threw a muscular arm around Alan’s shoulder. “No shaming, Ben. Alan did his best.”
“Right,” Paul agreed. “Participation is what’s important.” She linked her arm in Alan’s. “It’s not Alan’s fault if I participate so much better than him.”
Alan shrugged both of their arms off. “That’s enough sports for me today. I’m gonna go eat a sandwich.” He started marching back to the sidelines.
“Don’t trip!” Paul called after him.
Alan reached the grass at the boundary of the area they had designated for Project Q’s inaugural soccer match and turned. He headed towards the middle of the field, where Caitlin and Dakota were waiting with a comfortable blanket and a Styrofoam cooler of goodies.
Dakota was sitting on their blanket, barely acknowledging the early summer warmth in a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved blouse. She was reading something on her phone and eating from a bag of pretzels.
Caitlin was lying on a beach towel she had laid out next to their blanket. The towel was white and Caitlin’s pale skin blended with it almost to the point of invisibility. It wasn’t until Alan was practically on top of her that he could see more than her dark black hair, her sunglasses, and her very small blue bikini.
“Did you win?” Caitlin asked without looking up.
“No. For some reason all the horny teenage lesbians playing defense were more interested in ogling the nearly naked woman at midfield instead of covering for me. Go figure. Are you seriously trying to tan?” Alan plopped down onto the blanket, lifted the lid on the cooler, and pulled out an orange soda.
“There’s a first time for everything,” Caitlin said.
“You don’t want to get a sunburn before your last show tonight.”
She sat up. “Good point.” She grabbed the pale yellow sundress she had shrugged off earlier and pulled it on. “I just wanted to try out my new bathing suit before Eddie sees it.”
“I think he’ll like it,” Dakota said.
Alan tried to peer over Dakota’s shoulder at her phone, but glare from the sun kept him from making anything out. “What are you reading?”
“I’m checking the local news stories about my elevator accident.”
“Any more info?”
“Mechanical failure, they’re saying.” She put the phone away in her bag. “No Amalgamated Synergy components in it, as far as I could tell, so I guess that’s what it was.”
“Are we going to be thinking that for the rest of our lives?” Caitlin asked. “Every time one of has an accident, wondering if that thing is back, trying to kill us again?”
“I will be, yes,” Dakota said.
“Awesome.”
“Cheer up,” Alan said. “You’re fine. We’re all fine. It wasn’t AmSyn, just an accident. Let’s enjoy this beautiful summer day by watching gay kids play soccer the way God intended.”
“Hey, are you Alan? And Caitlin and Dakota?”
A pretty blonde woman had approached their blanket. She had a nervous smile on her face and a large canvas bag with something heavy in it slung over her shoulder.
“We are indeed,” Alan said.
“I’m Amy. Mark’s friend?”
“Oh, hi!” Caitlin said, taking off her sunglasses. “Mark said you might come by. Sit! Join us!”
Amy sat down cross-legged on the blanket between Alan and Dakota. “Thanks. I come bearing gifts.”
She held the top of the canvas bag open, revealing a large plastic bottle of cheap vodka.
“Oh, I like you,” Alan said.
“I was worried you might think I’m a lush,” Amy said, “but then I thought, fuck it. I am a lush.”
Alan handed her his can. “Pour some into my orange soda.”
She put the bag down on the blanket and expertly mixed his drink inside it, out of sight.
“Have we met before?” Caitlin asked. “You look a little familiar.”
“I don’t think so.” Amy grabbed a soda from the cooler and poured some of her vodka into it. “I just moved here. Where are you from?”
“Rhode Island.”
“Really? I’m from Boston, maybe we crossed paths. Where’d you go to school?”
“A very tiny college in Indiana.”
“Oh. Maybe not then.”
“Where did you go?” Alan asked.
“B.U.”
“Did you move here for work?” asked Dakota.
“No. I was an English major, so I’m unemployed.”
“I’m positive we’ve met.” Caitlin was peering closely at Amy. “It’s killing me. Did you ever do any theater?”
“In elementary school I played a ladybug in a play about the circulatory system. Does that count?”
“Why was there a ladybug in a play about the circulatory system?” Dakota asked.
“I was supposed to be a red blood cell. I forgot to tell my mom she had to make my costume until the night before so we had to use an old Halloween costume. It was either a ladybug or a mummy.”
