Homecoming: XVI Book III by Julia Karr

Author:Julia Karr [Karr, Julia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-01-11T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty One

Chris’s trans was the same one he’d had before I’d left, and the memory of the first time I’d ridden in it rushed in on me as I slipped into the seat. I’d been so upset, he’d been so understanding. After coffee and talk we’d driven to the lake. The night had almost ended in a kiss we’d both wanted--but a call from Wei had brought us to our senses--or had it? I blinked away the memory. This ride was destined to be the exact opposite. The silence was heart-crushing. Chris’s jaw was set, his eyes glued to traffic, never once did he even glance my way. We rode the elport from the parking garage to the studio like complete strangers.

I watched him walk down the hallway to his office, imagining his arm protectively around Lorena’s shoulders.

A deep sigh escaped me.

So be it.

Sanity meant keeping myself thoroughly occupied with my assigned tasks, which became less hard to do as the day wore on. Jonathan had asked me to weave pro-homeless sentiments into an upcoming program on lakefront usage issues. I scanned hours of surveillance footage for images to use. He would edit those, as well as whatever copy I’d write to accompany them. But the opportunity to have my own words even considered felt huge. My heart ached at pics of homeless huddled among the rocks on the north lakefront. Mere lumps of sodden clothes, and I imagined, a few of them were probably dead. In a city with so much wealth, cast-off people were unconscionable, at least in my mind. Mr. Jenkins agreed.

After so much time in the GUI, where surveillance was seldom used, the magnitude of Chicago’s network was chilling. There were few places a person could be unseen. I was surprised to see one or two familiar faces. A girl from my homeroom at Daley, the waitress from Café on Clark, and…Lorena! She was exiting a mega-sized personal transport. I couldn’t see who else was in it, or any identifying marks. Skivs! It had to belong to an ultra-top tier person. If circumstances weren’t what they were, I would’ve showed it to Chris. Now, that was out of the question. I replayed it several times, but no clues. Almost unconsciously, I jotted down the time stamp in my notes. The car’s owner must own the gift shop Lorena manages. Who knew that tchotchkes were so profitable?

When I left to go to Martin’s, the door to Chris’s office was closed. I had no idea if he was there, or not. It doesn’t matter.

Martin and Percy’s apartment was the entire top floor of a renovated mid-twenty-first century building. After Security checked my ID against the approved guest list I was directed to an express elport that sped straight to the tenth floor. When I stepped into the foyer, I felt like I’d walked into another era. A completely different century even.

“Nina!” Percy greeted me with open arms, and air-kissed my cheeks. “You look fabulous.”

“Thanks.” I hooked a stray lock of hair behind my ear, knowing he was only being nice.

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