“Phew, yeah. Tell me about it. Man, I got all this energy, like it just wants to burst outta me.”
“Ah, go for a run or something,” she said. “You play any sports, dude?”
“My momma and I play croquet with her friends.”
“Croquet?” Cassandra put a hand to her forehead. “Dude, how uncool can you be?”
“Oh, uh, sorry, ma’am.”
She laughed. “All right, man, go play your croquet. Honestly… catch you in the OG tomorrow?”
“Yeah, s’all on the app. I gotcha. Man, I have gotta tell my momma about this,” he said, and he looked nervously up at me on his way to the door. “Um… it was real nice meeting you today, Ms. Helena.”
“Keep it real, Stephen Shale,” I said. “I’ll probably be seeing you soon.”
“Gee,” he said under his breath, and he left the room. Cassandra had recovered from her blushing, standing up taller as she met my gaze.
“Next up,” she said, “we check in with that Marion person our new producer friend mentioned. Take this record and ask her what she thinks, how do we help bring this guy to the next level.”
“We’re asking her for a favor?”
“People in this city are skeptical. They know you’re approaching them to get something. If you give them a small ask, they think that’s all you’re after them for, and they’re more likely to agree. And then once they’ve helped you, they keep internally justifying their decision to have helped you, and they’re more likely to help out again. That’s how a king thinks.” She made a face like she’d just eaten something bad. “Oh, god. He’s getting into my brain. If I say anything like that again, slap me, please.”
“Wouldn’t you be a queen?”
“That’s exactly what I said! But no. Apparently the queen is all about grace and holding court, and the king is about conquest and ambition.”
“Uh-huh…”
“It’s all gender-neutral. And yet strangely chauvinistic.”
“And you trust this man?”
“Not in the slightest. But here we are.” She shook her head. “You wanna come with?”
I’d go with for two reasons. One was because I was more and more fascinated the more time I spent around her, and by now I couldn’t get my mind off her. The second reason was because she looked like she’d fall over if she kept going like this for much longer, and I was getting a bit worried.
“Lead the way, Miss Boss.”
“Oh, god.”
But she led the way, and I followed her.
∞∞∞
Cassandra ran longer than I could. I had to get back to my regular life once we’d finished sweet-talking the producer Marion—she wasn’t impressed and didn’t buy in, but Cassandra didn’t seem bothered, saying she’d just needed to make contact—and we saw each other off at the subway station entrance, sticking close to speak over the growl of traffic and a street performer playing trumpet at the corner.
“So, we’re on for tomorrow?” I said, and she threw me a playful salute.
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world. I’ll have some more updates on the Jewel event to share with you. And if the muse plays along, I’ll be working on that song I’ve promised you.”
I smiled, leaning against the railing at the top of the stairs. “It’s been stumping you, huh?”
“Just that I won’t accept anything but the best. Promised you a real work of art, and you’re going to get it.” She nodded towards the stairs. “But that’ll have to wait to tomorrow. See you then?”
“I’ll see you then,” I said, my voice coming out more fond and playful than it should have. “Good luck out there, Houdini.”
“Right back at you.” She raised a hand over her shoulder in a wave as she turned and started down the stairs, and I watched her go, starting to wonder if maybe I was in over my head—that maybe Cassandra was dangerous and I didn’t need to pick up anything I couldn’t handle—when she stumbled and nearly felldown the stairs, falling forwards a few steps to the landing and catching herself, clutching the railing.
