“How?”
“By top scouts whose business is recruiting visionaries. Ours have been following your socials, which is an actual thing I’m supposed to say. God, I hate this job.” He takes out his phone, consults the screen. “Where was I? Some film you made calledGlimpse—”
Dez’s eyes shoot up to meet his. “No one’s seen that yet.”
Outside her hard drive,Glimpsehas only ventured into the Dropbox link she shared with Silas while she was editing it.
“We’ve seen it,” Rafe says with nonchalant authority. “If it’s on any cloud, anywhere, our scouts can access it.”
“That’s a huge violation of—”
“We see cutting-edge talent in you, Dez. A rare gift.” He raises an eyebrow. “Still feel like fighting me on this?”
Dez swallows. It doesn’t make sense, but is he telling the truth? A film scout found her work, saw talent in her?
“Didn’t think so,” Rafe says. “Which brings us to my cameo tonight.” He touches his chest. “I’m here to lift the velvet rope on the life you’ve always dreamed of. I understand the timing is terrible—family tragedy and all. But our next term begins tomorrow—”
“Tomorrow?” Dez’s stomach twists. “I was applying for programs next year.”
Rafe gives her a pitying look. “That’s your response?”
“Are you a professor?” she asks.
“Oh, no.” He laughs. “You’ve heard the expressionthose who can’t do, teach.” He lifts a shoulder casually. “I can do.”
“You’re a student, but they let you handle recruitment?”
“What can I say, Dez? People like me.”
“When I saw you on the street earlier, you knew who I was?”
“That was a coincidence.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Okay, yes, I was coming to find you. Our scouts told me you workedat the Dairy Barn. But it was pure chance to find you already on your way to me.”
“Why didn’t you mention all this then?”
“You mean, when you were like this?” He bends over in an imitation of her, puts his head between his knees, and heaves. “I’m aware,” he says, righting himself, “that as we speak, you’re still only a motion away from emotional insolvency, but we don’t have the luxury of time.”
“If this is real, why didn’t I get notified sooner? A letter. An email. Something reasonable—”
“Because,” he says, “a spot just opened up.”
“Why did you give me that napkin?”
“That’s called foreshadowing.”
Even if this pompous ass is telling the truth, even if this ludicrous offer is real, there’s no way Dez can start graduate school right now. Not at Acheron, not anywhere. She starts for the door to the stairs. “I can’t have this conversation. I need to find a lawyer—”
“Have the police charged you with anything?” he calls after her.
Dez stops. “No.”
“Have they asked you not to leave town?”
They had, yes, in the car on the way to the hospital. She swallows.
