I take the menu between my fingers and tear along each written Fate Test until we have five strips with one test per slip. I open and close the entrance door to activate the high-velocity air. From the jets in the side of the wall, air pummels us from all sides. Rooney holds her hands up, waving them vigorously as her suit puffs out.
“Grab one!” I shout to Rooney. Then I let go of the strips of paper.
The Fate Tests blow around us, being pushed every which way like we’re in a money-blowing machine. But right now, these Fate Test strips are better than dollars.
Rooney closes her eyes and leans her head back. She spins slowly, like she’s letting the air blow her worries away. I’ve never seen anyone so moved by being cleaned. She keeps her fingers spread out until one of the papers flies into her hand. She makes a fist around it.
As cool air expands my suit, I realize that this is a total misappropriation and misuse of taxpayer dollars. But for her, I would do it over and over again.
For her, I am going to test the hell out of fate.
Chapter 15
ROONEY
I’m staring at one of the Fate Test slips when Talia rolls to a stop in front of the entrance of The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens in the car we leased together. Well, Talia paid for most of it, and I’ll pay the rest of my half as soon as I can.
“You’re sure you want to be forty-five minutes early?” Talia asks. “What are you going to do while you wait?”
“Being early gives me time on the front end to see what happens,” I tell her, waving the slip with “Fate Test 2: Show up early or late to somewhere you’re supposed to be” written on it. “And I’m meeting the FATE team and want to make a good first impression.”
“You’re going to have to explain this whole test thing again to me later,” Talia says, checking her eye makeup in the visor mirror. “Text me when you’re done.”
I step out of the car and make my way to the check-in kiosks to present my e-ticket.
Tucking the slip into my bag, I take note of my surroundings. The entrance to The Huntington is lush and beautifully designed. Olive trees and succulents line the walkway, which leads out to buildings containing art and rare books as well as gardens of all kinds, like Chinese, desert, rose, Japanese, and camellia. This place is an installation heaven.
I could start in the café and grab a beverage. Or I could go see thegarden sculptures and fountains while I wait for the team. There’s a large group wearing cloud-covered shirts taking over two tables in the courtyard. In theory, the Fate Tests sounded compelling, but now I just feel silly. What am I even supposed to do?
After I look around, unable to figure out where to start, my attention is drawn to a family coming out of the gift shop. A tall man in dark jeans and a blue T-shirt with clouds on it, like the group in the courtyard, holds the door open for them. It’s like he knows I’m looking at him because his eyes find mine, and we smile at the same time. He stays where he is, so I walk over, lingering a few feet before him.
I look at him expectantly, taking note of the way his blond hair shines in the sun. I’m quiet, willing him to be the first to speak. It works.
“So… are you going in or staying out?” he asks kindly.
Okay. Not quite what I had in mind.
“I could ask the same thing,” I say with an awkward laugh. I notice the words on his shirt spell out “Cloud Lovers League.”
“I’m going in,” he says, removing his hand from the door but keeping it propped open with his foot.
I take this as a sign that he’s trying to free up his hand to shake mine, so I extend my arm out first. As I do this, the man’s hand is halfway to his back pocket where he reaches for… his phone.
My hand morphs into a pointing position without me having to think too hard about it. I love when reflexes do their job. “There. I’m going in there,” I say, exaggerating my pointing finger as though that’s what I had intended to do all along.
The man nods curtly. “Uh, great. After you. Have a nice day.” He follows me in but quickly turns toward the opposite side of the gift shop.
That went well.
The store is spacious and colorful with autumn-themed decorations, little bundles of hay lining the windows with stuffed pumpkins on top. At first glance, it’s well curated with themed tables scattered throughout the shop. One has a topical selection of books, teas, and accessories related to forest bathing. Another is all about apples.
I look at my phone to check the time. Still thirty-five minutes left until I meet up with the FATE team. I’m starting to regret having agreed to tests of any kind. I despised tests in school. Why did I willingly sign up for more? And why am I doing them alone? Regardless, I don’t need tests to find inspira—
“Rooney,” I hear a voice say.
I spin to find Jack wearing a lightly faded, short-sleeve maroon polo with sunglasses tucked into the unbuttoned neckline. It surprises me that he’s in khaki shorts, a garment Jack would consider unprofessional in a work setting, but it’s a Saturday and we’re technically not at work. What a relief it is to see his face.
As I take note of his outfit, my eyes slip farther from his shorts to his shoes, along the way catching sight of his legs, the curve of his calves making their firm appearance as he takes each step. My ears lightly throb as my heartbeat quickens. I must be nervous to meet the team.
