Infinite Rebate System: Beautiful Women And Endless Returns

Xavier kept his expression neutral. "And....."

"She said the recoupment terms are standard for production co-ownership arrangements at that level," Sarah said. "Said I should have read it before I signed." A pause. "She also said the holding company is registered through a legal firm in Kenvale." She looked at him sideways. "Patricia Osei."

She traced it to Patricia, Xavier thought. Not to me. But to Patricia.

He said nothing.

"You use Patricia Osei," she said. Not accusing. Just placing the piece.

"A lot of people use Patricia Osei," he said. "She’s good at what she does."

Sarah looked at him for a long moment.

"Xavier," she said quietly.

"Sarah....."

"Is the holding company yours," she said.

The city sat below them. The late afternoon light. Twelve days to the festival.

Xavier looked at her.

"Talk to Patricia," he said. "Whatever questions you have about the contract she’s the right person to answer them."

Sarah held his gaze.

She’s close, he thought. Very close to the full picture. One more conversation with Patricia and she’ll have it. He looked at her. But Patricia won’t confirm anything without my instruction. And I haven’t given that instruction.

Not yet.

Sarah looked away first.

Back at the city.

"Okay," she said quietly. Like she’d decided something about what to do with the almost-answer he’d given her.

They sat on the rooftop for another hour without talking much. The city doing its evening thing below them. The light changing. Sarah’s legs still dangling over the edge like height meant nothing.

At some point she leaned slightly against his shoulder.

He let her.

Warm, he thought. This version of her is warm. The one that comes out when the performance is completely off.

Twelve days, he thought.

Patience.

They walked back down the stairs at dusk.

At the bottom of the building she stopped and looked at him.

"Xavier," she said.

"I know," he said.

She shook her head. "You don’t know what I was going to say this time."

"Tell me then," he said.

She looked at him for a moment. The evening light. The city noise starting up properly around them.

"I think I’m in too deep with you," she said. Simply. Honestly. The way she’d been saying things recently. Without the performance attached.

Xavier looked at her.

In too deep, he thought. You have no idea, your in for a rough ride.

"Okay," he said.

She looked at him. "That’s all you’re going to say."

"What do you want me to say," he replied.

She held his gaze for a moment longer.

Then she leaned forward and kissed him quickly. Not the deliberate apartment kiss. Just a moment. Present and gone.

"Goodnight Xavier," she said.

"Goodnight Sarah," he said.

She turned and walked away down the street.

Xavier watched her go.

He checked the gauge.

Sarah Torres — 100%

Still at the ceiling, he thought. Just extremely perfect.

He looked at the street she’d disappeared down.

In too deep, he thought. Yes.

He turned and walked toward the main road.

Patience, he thought. One last time.

_ _

Amira found him in the library on a Wednesday afternoon.

Not the campus library. A smaller one two blocks from Riverside that Xavier had started using in the weeks leading up to the festival. Quieter than campus. Less traffic. The kind of place that took reading seriously and arranged its furniture accordingly. Long tables, good lighting, the particular atmosphere of a space where people came to actually think rather than be seen thinking.

Xavier was at a corner table near the window with his phone and his coffee and his notes when she walked in.

She looked around the room once, found him, and crossed to his table with the direct unhurried purpose she brought to everything. Sat down across from him without being invited. Set her bag on the floor. Looked at him.

"You’ve been different," she said.

No greeting. No preamble. Just straight into the thing she’d come to say.

Xavier looked up from his phone. "Different how..."

"Focused," she said. "More than usual. And your usual is already..." she gestured at him with one hand "whatever this is."

"This," he repeated.

"You know what I mean," she said. She folded her arms on the table and looked at him with the particular steadiness she’d been developing since the day she sat next to him in Mrs. Adeyemi’s class and decided he was worth bothering. "You’ve been running something for weeks. I’ve been watching. Whatever it is it’s getting close to its conclusion." She pushed her glasses up. "The festival is in ten days."

Xavier said nothing.

Outside the library window the afternoon was doing its ordinary thing. Students crossing the pavement. A delivery bike weaving through traffic. The unremarkable machinery of a Wednesday.

"Xavier," she said.

"Amira."

"Is it connected to Sarah Torres," she asked.

He looked at her across the table.

She’s been building her own picture, he thought. The same way she built the project. The same way she traced the Cardinal Circle connections before she showed up at his apartment that night with the full file assembled. He looked at her. She doesn’t miss things. Never has.

"Why do you ask," he said.

"Because you’ve been different recently," Amira said. "More focused than usual. More internal." She held his gaze. "And you’ve barely been replying to my texts." She paused. It isn’t nice. Just stating the fact. "Which tells me whatever you’re running right now has your full attention. You only go quiet like that when something is close to its conclusion."

Xavier looked at her.

She noticed the texts, he thought. Of course she did. Three days of one word replies and she’s already assembled a picture.

"I’ve been busy," he said.

"Xavier," she said flatly.

"Amira."

"I’m not asking about Sarah Torres," she said. "I don’t care about Sarah Torres. What I care about is that you’ve been somewhere else for two weeks and I want to know if you’re okay." She pushed her glasses up. "That’s all. Not an interrogation. Just are you okay?"

Xavier looked at her across the table.

Are you okay, he thought. Nobody in my previous life asked me that. Not once. Not Sarah. Not anyone. He looked at Amira sitting across from him with her arms folded and her glasses on, asking the simplest question in the world like it was the most natural thing.

"I’m fine," he replied.

"Xavier."

"I’m fine Amira," he said. More directly. "Ten days and whatever I’m running concludes. Then I’m back."

She held his gaze for a moment.

"Okay," she said. "But whatever it is..."

"Be careful it doesn’t cost me something I actually want to keep," he said.

She blinked. "I hadn’t finished."

"I know," he replied. "But that’s what you were going to say."

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