know it’s the best for him at least.”
Sharon stirred the ice in her drink and studied the cubes as if they held the answer to unasked questions.
Diana chuckled to try to lighten the mood. “As if dating wasn’t complicated enough before this.”
Sharon smiled. “I won’t miss it.”
“You shouldn’t give up so easily. I’m sure there’s a guy out there.”
“When things change, it won’t much matter.”
“What’s going to change?”
“Oh, nothing important. Nothing worth worrying about.”
Diana considered pressing, but their food arrived. Her appetite demanded her full attention. She forced herself to eat one piece of sushi at a time, to chew each piece twenty times, and to wait at least fifteen seconds between bites. It took most of her concentration, and the conversation returned to inane small talk, which was just fine with her.
Sharon spotted someone entering the restaurant and lowered her head. Diana glanced toward the entrance.
“Who is that?”
The tanned and immaculately groomed man saw Sharon. Waving, he called her name and made a beeline toward the table.
“Well, hello.” He smiled, and the whiteness of his teeth nearly blinded Diana. “Didn’t know you came here, Sharon.”
“First time,” she replied.
“Mind if I sit with you for a moment? My party has yet to arrive.” He sat without waiting for permission. “Promising new disciples. We haven’t much time left. We have to save as many as we can.”
“Mmmm,” replied Sharon while chewing on a spicy tuna roll.
“I don’t believe we’ve been introduced.” He held out a hand to Diana. “My name’s Greg.”
His grip was surprisingly strong, even a bit aggressive. She squeezed back. They stared into each other’s eyes. She sensed the challenge inherent in his gaze. He dared her to look away. She didn’t.
Greg smiled through clenched teeth and a tight jaw. “And who might you be?”
“Diana.”
She was aware of a challenge of her own buried in the reply. She didn’t like this guy. She couldn’t say why, but she trusted her instinct.
At some point the handshake become awkward and the aggression between them noticeable to the nearby patrons. They released at the same time and dopped their stares simultaneously. It was the only way to end the battle of wills in a civilized manner, since resorting to a fistfight would have been frowned upon by the establishment and Diana still had half a plate of spider rolls to finish off.
“Where did you find her?” asked Greg of Sharon. “She’s got fire. I like that.”
“She’s taken, Greg,” replied Sharon. “I don’t think she’d be interested in what you have to offer.”
He laughed. On the surface it was polite, jovial. Underneath it was rehearsed and flat. “Don’t be absurd. Everyone wants what we have to offer. When the glorious transition comes, even those attached to lesser gods will wish they had chosen more wisely.
“Tell me, Diana,” said Greg. “Have you ever considered your future? The future of this whole world?”
“Can’t say that I have,” she replied. This was a half-truth. She hadn’t contemplated the future for most of her life, but the last few weeks had changed that. But she wasn’t going to feed him anything to keep him talking. His slightly leathery skin, doll teeth, and perfectly shaped eyebrows just put her off. Everything about him was wrong, and every instinct told her she wanted nothing to do with this guy.
“You really should,” he said. “When the great upheaval is upon us, only the strong will stand with us. And I can sense you have that strength in you. But it’s undirected, unfocused.”
“Do we have to do this now?” asked Sharon. “We were just trying to have dinner.”
“If not now, when?”
“How about never?” said Diana.
He was taken aback. So was she. She wasn’t usually this rude, but she could tell Greg wasn’t the kind of guy to take a subtle hint. He was one of those people most everyone found likable, even charming. But for a small group he was only irritating. Diana belonged in the latter category.
His smile dropped. Just for a moment.
“You really should reconsider. This is a rare gift I’m offering.”
“Pass.”
“Suit yourself.” He handed her a business card. “I’ll just leave this with you. In case you change your mind.”
She didn’t want the card, but she feigned enough civility to stuff it in her pocket.
His party arrived just then, and he excused himself.
“Sorry about that,” said Sharon.
“He’s not the guy, is he?” asked Diana. “The one you work with that—”
“Oh, God no.” Sharon laughed. “I can barely stand him. But, believe it or not, he means well. He might be an egotistical jackass, but most people don’t seem to notice. And his heart is in the right place.”
“What was all that stuff about the great upheaval?”
“Shop talk. I’d rather not get into it.”
“Fair enough.”
They finished their meal without talking about anything weird again.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
The door to Chuck’s apartment opened a crack.
“Are you alone?” he asked.
“Yes.”
The door closed quietly. There was rattling behind it, but it didn’t open. When she tried the handle, it was still locked.
She knocked again.
His door parted, allowing half his face to be seen. “What do you want?”
“Weren’t we supposed to have dinner tonight?” she asked.
“Dinner? Dinner?” His eye darted to and fro. “I can’t right now.”
“Is something wrong?”
“Something?” Chuck laughed mirthlessly. “Is something wrong? Everything is wrong. What isn’t wrong? It’s all wrong.”
He shut the door again.
Diana stood in the hall a minute, waiting for Chuck to reappear. He didn’t. She placed her ear against the door. She heard talking, maybe two or three voices in a rapid exchange, followed by a thump and a crash.
She considered knocking again, but he was going through something. She didn’t know what that something was, but she withheld judgment. She knew Chuck came with baggage. Everyone did.
She was halfway down the hall when Chuck’s door was flung open.
“I need you!” His eyes flashed with manic energy as he dashed out, grabbed her by the arm, and pulled her back to his apartment. “I know how to stop it! I know how to make it all go away!”
She didn’t resist, allowing him to tug her along.
“See? It’s all about corners! Corners! Corners?”
Diana didn’t recognize him. The tall, good-looking man was there, but everything had changed. He was stooped, twitchy. His eyes were squinty, darkened slits of suspicion.
He grabbed her by the shoulders. “Don’t you get it? Don’t you see?”
“The corners,” she replied. “Sure, I get it.”
