CHAPTER FORTY–THE FIRST KISS
“Okay, spill,” Helia said, breaking the comfortable silence. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”
Nia sighed, running a hand through her hair. “I just can’t shake the feeling that we’re In over our heads, Hel. This document… it’s big. It proves that Darry and who knows who else were planning these cuts long before they told us anything.”
Helia nodded, her expression serious. “It’s definitely a smoking gun. But the question is, what do we do with it?”
They paused at a crosswalk, waiting for the light to change. A group of friends stumbled past, laughing loudly about some shared joke. The normalcy of the scene felt surreal after their eventful subway ride.
“That’s just it,” Nia said as they crossed the street. “If we expose this, it could blow up in our faces. We’d have to explain how we got the document, which could lead back to the USB drive. And then there’s Leon…
Helia raised an eyebrow. “What about Leon?”
Nia hesitated, trying to put her swirling thoughts into words. “He helped us today, big time. But why? And how did he know all those details about our work? I can’t help but wonder if he’s connected to all of this
somehow.”
They turned onto Nia’s street, the familiar sights of her neighborhood a stark contrast to the corporate world they’d been navigating. Mrs. Gonzalez’s cat watched them from a window, its eyes glowing in the darkness. The bodega on the corner was still open, its neon sign a beacon in the night.
“You think Leon might have been the one who left you the USB?” Helia asked, voicing the thought that had been nagging at Nia.
“I don’t know,” Nia admitted. “It would explain a lot, but… why wouldn’t he just come to me directly? Why all the secrecy?”
They reached Nia’s apartment building, an old brownstone that had seen better days but still had charm. As they climbed the steps, Hella’s phone buzzed. She pulled it out, frowning at the screen.
“Everything okay?” Nia asked, fishing for her keys.
Helia shook her head. “It’s my roommate. Apparently, there’s some kind of plumbing issue in our building. She’s asking if I can stay away for another night or two while they fix it.”
Nia unlocked the door, holding it open for Helia. “You know you’re always welcome here. Mi casa es tu casa and all that.”
As they entered the apartment, the familiar scent of home washed over ‘Nia. It was a small space, but it was hers, filled with mismatched furniture and treasured knick–knacks. Helia’s presence over the past few weeks had added to the lived–in feel, her art supplies scattered on the coffee table and her favorite mug
in the dish rack.
“Thanks, Nia,” Helia said, flopping onto the worn couch. “I promise I’ll be out of your hair soon.”
Nia waved off her friend’s concern. “Don’t worry about it. Honestly, it’s been nice having you here. Makés the place feel less empty.”
She headed to the kitchen, pulling out two glasses and a bottle of wine. After the day they’d had, they
CHARTER FORTY THE FIRST HISS
deserved a drink.
As Nia poured the wine, Hella called from the living room, “So, back to our mystery. What’s our next move?
Nia returned with the glasses, handing one to Hella before settling into the armchair across from her. “I think we need to be careful,” she said, taking a sip of wine. “This document is powerful, but using it wrong could backfire spectacularly.”
Helia nodded, swirling the wine in her glass. “Agreed, But we can’t just sit on it either. That feels wrong, you know?”
“I know,” Nia sighed. “Maybe we should sleep on it? Fresh eyes in the morning might give us a new perspective.”
As if on cue, a yawn escaped Hella. “That sounds like a plan. Today has been… a lot.”
They sat in comfortable silence for a while, sipping their wine and letting the events of the day settle. The muffled sounds of the city filtered through the windows a distant siren, the rumble of a passing truck,
street below.
the laughter of people on thes
Finally, Nia stood up, stretching. “I’m going to grab a shower. Help yourself to anything in the fridge if you’re hungry.”
As she headed to the bathroom, Nia’s mind drifted back to the document in her pocket. She pulled it out, reading it over one more time before carefully folding it and tucking it into her desk drawer. Whatever they decided to do with it, it would have to wait until morning.
The hot water of the shower was a blessing, washing away the stress and grime of the day. As Nia let the water cascade over her, she found her thoughts turning to Leon. The way he had looked at her in the boardroom, the respect in his eyes… it stirred something in her that she wasn’t quite ready to examine When she emerged from the bathroom, wrapped in her favorite fluffy robe, she found Helia had made nest of blankets on the couch and was scrolling through her phone.
“Anything interesting?” Nia asked, toweling her hair dry.
Helia looked up, a mischievous glint in her eye. “Oh, you know, just checking out Leon’s social media.”
Nia felt her cheeks heat up. “Helia!”
“What?” Helia grinned. “I’m just doing some reconnaissance. Know thy enemy and all that.”
Nia rolled her eyes, but couldn’t help asking, “And? Find anything interesting?”
Helia’s grin widened. “Well, for starters, he’s single. And he seems to have a thing for indie rock concerts and obscure art galleries.”
“That’s… not really relevant to our situation,” Nia said, trying to ignore the little flip her stomach did at the single‘ part.
“Maybe not,” Helia conceded. “But it’s good to know, right?”
Nia threw a pillow at her friend, laughing despite herself. “Go to sleep, you menace.”
As Nia settled into her own bed, she found herself thinking about Leon again. The mystery surrounding him was intriguing, but it was more than that. There was something about him that drew her in, despite her best efforts to keep things professional.
She drifted off to sleep with thoughts of corporate intrigue, mysterious allies, and a pair of kind eyes that seemed to see right through her.
VER FORTY–ONE- NEW REALITIES
