An Unexpected Debt

by S. J. Pajonas

  “It looks like you’re losing,” Saif says, and Nadine smiles.

  “Play starts again in five minutes, so I suppose we shall see.” This time, when she holds out her hand to me, I take it. She leans into my ear. “Saif has talked about you for years. If you break his heart, I break your bones. Understood?” When she pulls away, her smile is sugar sweet and worth a million credits. “See you at the table.”

  I glance at the clock and sigh. I only have a little time to collect myself. People are still milling about, eating snacks and drinking water. On the stage, five tournament officials crowd around a terminal and datapad, arguing over something there. A young man approaches them, and a tower of Bridge boards on a table nearby slowly tips over and collapses everywhere. They all turn and stare at the mess with frowns.

  I have time.

  “I need to use the bathroom,” I blurt out, then I turn and speed walk straight out of the ballroom and into the bathroom across the hall. I find an empty stall and press my back against the wall.

  My damned life just gets more complicated every day. You break his heart, I break your bones? Well, shit, lady. You’re really selling this whole Saif relationship like it’s the best thing I’ll ever do.

  Sigh. Forget about that for right now.

  Her hand. I have to remember her Bridge hand.

  Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath before turning over my wristlet and accessing my home screen. I find everything I wrote down after the prescient dream in my notes, but I focus on the hand I remember. She had thirteen cards, and I remembered eight of them. A run of three honors in diamonds, another three cards in clubs, and one each of hearts and spades. There were others, of course. She had five more cards, but I didn’t get a look at them. This is a decent hand, and if she takes the first tricks with her run of diamonds, then she’s in a suitable spot to take them all, even without her partner’s cards.

  But this is just one hand of many I’ll play against her. It’s a small fraction of what I’ll have to win.

  And I have to win.

  Have to.

  Outside the bathroom, Marcelo is waiting for me.

  “Everything okay?” he asks.

  I decide it’s best to sidestep this question.

  “Is Nadine after Saif?” I ask him. “I don’t want another Cressida situation.”

  Cressida, Jinzo’s ex, is the lying, stealing, cheating, hijacking bitch who made Vivian’s life miserable for months. I can’t deal with women who are going to make a scene.

  “Not as far as I know. She has two men in her network already, and they’ve never dated,” Marcelo says, leaning to the side to look into the ballroom. “She’s Sejal’s best friend, so it’s probably an older-protective-sister energy you’re feeling.”

  “No shit,” I mutter. “Let’s get back in there before Takemo has a heart attack.”

  Marcelo steps in front of me and takes my upper arms in his firm hands. “You’ve got this, Ms. Skylar. Just keep your head on your shoulders, and you’ll be fine.”

  I nod, unable to voice anything else while holding Nadine’s cards in my head.

  When I reach the table, Takemo looks puzzled. “You okay?” he asks me.

  “Peachy,” I reply.

  An attendant brings all the Bridge boards to the table and sets them on a side chair. The top two slide off and hit the floor.

  “Oops,” he says, laughing and sighing. “Gravity doesn’t agree with me today. They all got knocked over in the back just a few minutes ago. So annoying.” He rights them on the chair and then backs up to bow and walk away.

  We shake hands with Nadine and Justin, and play begins.

  We’re now at the table with the two highest-ranking teams, so most of the tournament spectators are gathered to watch us play. It’s hard to block them out. I have to stop myself from glancing over my shoulder constantly. Keep your eyes on the table, Skylar. Concentrate on the play.

  We win the first two hands and lose the third and fourth. One more hand left to play.

  Nadine is across from me on my side of the blind. I’m playing North and she’s East, so she’s adjacent to me. She has made small talk with me between hands, and despite her earlier warning, I think she’s sweet and charming. But it could be a ruse, a face she puts on in public because of who she is.

  The last Bridge board lands on the table, and I draw in a long breath.

  This is it. The last hand. I glance at the wall clock, and it’s the right time. Nadine’s face is the same as how I saw it in my sleep.

  My prescient dream is coming true.

  I’m about to reach for my cards when the world tips to the side. I draw in a sharp breath as I grab the table to steady myself. Whoa. Everything at the table blurs and splits, like a fractured image a tenth of a second off from reality. Nadine laughs, and then she doesn’t. She shuffles her cards one way… No, the other. I blink and try to right the world, but the split keeps going until they’re out of sync, and multiple things are happening simultaneously.

  Am I losing my mind?

  Everything reverses, and a blur appears between Nadine and me. I blink slow, slower, slowly, trying to put the surrounding world back into place. This all feels like the one time I got vertigo as a kid. I didn’t tell anyone about that. I was afraid they wouldn’t let me fly if something was wrong with me. I only learned years later that vertigo is usually temporary.

  “Saif loves you,” someone says in my ear. “Don’t fuck it up.” The person touches my elephant charm and steps away.

  I draw in a long breath through my nose, and the world slows down and comes back together. Multiple versions stitch back into one. Time rights itself.

  There, that’s better.

  I’m okay. I take another deep breath in through my nose. I’m not sure what I saw, but I’m okay. No one seems to be any different. The bidding is starting; I didn’t miss it. I clear my throat and cross my legs the other way.

  Before I pick up my cards, I close my eyes and remember what Nadine has in her hand — lots of honors in diamonds, a king, a queen, and a jack. But not the ace.

  I look down at my hand.

  Shit. That’s my hand, not Nadine’s.

  Wait. I’m sure this was Nadine’s hand I saw in the dream.

  I casually glance around to see if anyone else noticed anything weird happen, and I can’t tell. Nadine is quiet, staring at her cards like she’s committing them to memory. Her brows are furrowed, but she’s played every hand like this. It must have only been me. Maybe I should get my head checked the next time I’m at the doctor.

  I bid to let Takemo know I’m going to try to take as many tricks as possible and that diamonds is my longest suit. We win the bid, so Takemo lays down his cards as the dummy. Now, Nadine’s going to lead highest and best. It’s what I would do. So when she sets down the queen of clubs, I go over her with a king of clubs from Takemo’s hand right out of the gate. That gives us the lead.

  Giddiness makes my knees bounce as we progress through the hand. I want to be careful, so I contemplate every single card I play before placing them on the table. But it’s almost as if this hand was preordained. Fate.

  We meet the contract and grab the last match points. A quiet round of applause breaks out from the spectators.

  “Whew, I thought I had that one,” Nadine says, smiling at me as we place our cards back into the bridge board.

  “Can’t win them all.” I smile and keep myself easy.

  “Well, apparently, you can.” She winks at me. “You must be psychic or something.”

  I tilt my head to the side. “Or something,” I say with a chuckle. “No. I just had a feeling. That’s all. The universe is on my side today.”

  “Congratulations on a tournament well played,” Nadine says, shaking my hand as we stand up to leave the table. “I’m looking forward to spending more time with you in the coming months. I know Sejal is excited to see you too.”

  My stomach churns. Meeting the family is also a very un-Skylar
-like thing to do. Families don’t like me. I’m too aggressive, too blunt, too curvy, too reckless for them to love me at first sight.

  “Same,” I say, nodding to her. I bow before she’s able to turn away, and her smile is filled with surprise when I right myself. There. I’ve shown enough deference to last me a while.

  “Skylar, we did it.” Takemo rounds the table and wraps his arms around me. He squeezes all the breath in my body out in a giant huff. I squeak and he lets go. “Sorry,” he says, lowering his voice, “I forgot you don’t like to hug.”

  I push him away, trying to cover up the awkwardness of his display of affection. He knows I don’t hug because I don’t let the sexbots hold me. Ugh. He knows too much.

  Saif, though… I let him put his arms around me and cradle me to his chest with a big congratulatory hug. “Great job, Sky. I knew you could do it.”

  “Thanks,” I say, looking up at him. He leans down and kisses my forehead. It’s sweet. I had forgotten that relationships could be sweet, not just fast and hot. My cheeks burn.

  Marcelo leans in to kiss me on the cheek as well. I’m not used to all this attention.

  Beyond the crowd around our table, India Dellis is watching, and she’s happy. Her smile is enough to show me I got the job done.

  Takemo pulls me aside, far from the crowd. His smile falls from his face. “How did you do it?” he asks. “And this time, don’t lie to me. Something felt off about that last hand.” He shivers. “I got the feeling there was a ghost on my shoulder.”

  I look him dead in the eye, and I say nothing.

  “Come on, Skylar. I’m not mad. Whatever you did, it was smooth. I doubt anyone would notice but me.”

  “I had the right cards,” I say, and before he can protest, I lay my hand on his arm. “Do you trust me?”

  He pauses for a moment. “Yeah. Yeah, I do.”

  Good. I haven’t lost his trust.

  “Then trust me that I will show you how I did it. But not here, not now.”

  “Okay. I expect you to follow through,” he says, his eyes serious.

  “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  30

  Marcelo and I stroll through the streets of Primeiro, each holding a cup of coffee. I’m feeling just a tad hungover after an evening of celebration with everyone, including Saif and Takemo. Vivian called from Ossun to wish me congratulations, and I fell asleep listening to her talk about Ilaria and the farm. It was exactly what I needed after that tournament.

  But just because the tournament is over doesn’t mean my days in the limelight are through. I’m dating one of the hottest bachelors on Rio now, and everyone is talking about it. A paparazzi drone buzzes past us, and I duck away from someone who tries to take my photo. The attention has been relentless lately. I hustle in front of Marcelo until we pass them by.

  “For crying out loud, they are out in numbers today,” I say, getting back to his side. “I didn’t realize winning a Bridge tournament and dating Saif would bring me such notoriety.”

  “It’ll die out in a day or two, I’m sure.” Marcelo saunters along at my side. “But you’ll be the talk of the town for good now that you and Saif are really dating. Not just friends.”

  I sip my coffee.

  “We should talk about something,” he says, directing me into a nearby park. I don’t like his tone of voice, but I should have guessed my happy day wouldn’t last.

  We find an open bench not far into the trees and take a seat.

  “There may be problems with his family due to your… change in careers.”

  My stomach cramps, but I steel myself. I’m strong. I can figure this out. I knew this was coming, didn’t I?

  “They thought Saif was being courted by a family with shipping connections. As you know, their jewelry is sold across the Duo Systems, and this would have been an advantage to them.” He brushes a puff of dust off his pants and sips his coffee. “There’s also the fact that you’ve become friends with India Dellis. India and Saif’s mother, Katal, don’t get along. Don’t ask me why,” he says, holding up his hand. “I have no idea.”

  “Great. What about…” I clear my throat.

  Should I ask this question? I am Skylar Kawabata, daredevil pilot and rogue enigma. I do not get my ‘feelings’ involved in decisions.

  “Marrying for love?” Marcelo asks, barely holding back his smile.

  “No,” I protest. Though, yes, I do want to know that. “What about the fact that I’ll make a shitload of money doing this? Like, a lot more than I ever would shipping goods across the Duo Systems.”

  “Shipping,” he stresses. “They want their jewelry all over the Duo Systems without having to pay exorbitant fees for such a small cargo.”

  “Yes, but money,” I stress in the same voice. “With money, I can start my own shipping business.”

  He raises a finger. “But this job is dangerous, Ms. Skylar. Don’t pretend it’s not. Saif could fall madly in love with you, and you could be dead within a month.”

  I blow air through my loose lips and wave my head. “I’ll be fine. Piece of cake. There’ll be protection, and I’ll learn to navigate the jungle, just like I do space.”

  Marcelo’s eyebrows climb so high, they’re ready to take orbit.

  “I’m serious,” I tell him. “With the money I’ll make from Athens and Patras, I’ll be able to set up Ana for a few years at least, and then I can afford these men you’ll introduce me to.” I shrug. “I need a nest egg. I don’t have much money, and nothing is coming in from the family anymore. There hasn’t been a deposit from Mom or Miguel in weeks, and Vivian is hardly keeping her head above water.” I pick at my pants and stare at a spot in the distance. “I’m glad I can go home to her. I’m glad I have any home now.”

  I sigh and run my fingers through my hair.

  “Sorry. I turned into a really shitty candidate for you.”

  “I’ve had worse. Believe me,” he stresses. “You may make a lot of money doing this, but it’s not like you can explain it to his family. Athens will have you censured to high heavens. Saif may know, but Athens will keep everyone else in the dark. And the Bhaats do not marry for love. They arrange marriages for the betterment of their family — always have — going all the way back to Earth. We’ll need to sell it to them somehow.”

  “Got it. I’ll get right on that.” I throw away my cup in the recycler next to our bench.

  “Look at it this way. You’re already halfway to your first relationship network consort.” He places his hand on my knee and gentles his voice. “That’s exciting, Ms. Skylar. You like him, and he likes you. He wants to stick around. I’m proud of you. Really. This is a tremendous step.”

  The warmth of Marcelo’s eyes defrosts a part of my cold, dead heart. He believes in me. Why is it so hard to believe in myself?

  “I still feel like a failure. I’ve lost so much in the past weeks. How am I ever going to fix any of this?” The failure sits on my shoulders like a giant cat waiting to end my life with a slash of its claws. Ugh, I’ve had enough of giant cats to last a lifetime.

  “This is not failure,” he insists. “This is progress. Soon enough, Kalvin will return to you, and I’ll get started on vetting your next candidate.” His lips pull up in a smirk. “Unless you’d rather date Takemo Diaz. You two have quite the chemistry.”

  When I shoot him a look that could kill a small animal, he bursts out into a hearty laugh. I smack him on the shoulder.

  “Ack, no. No, thank you.”

  “Don’t scoff, Ms. Skylar. He’s quite the catch.”

  “If I didn’t hate him so much.” If he didn’t know so much about me. If he wasn’t a complete asshole. If he could even look at me without cringing.

  That’s a lot of ifs.

  “There’s still so much work to do,” I say, sighing and throwing my head back.

  A new job, a new life, and new consorts. It all feels like a giant mountain to climb, and I’m stuck at the bottom.

  �
�One step at a time, Ms. Skylar. We’ll put one foot in front of the other until we’re at the end.”

  I nod and stare out at the expanse of Rio in the distance and the glittering rings hanging in the sky. This is where I may die soon. I may not have a long, storied life in front of me, watching my kids and grandkids grow old. I’m choosing a risky job because that’s the corner I got backed into. But I have to play the cards I’ve been handed, and not every deal is going to be a winner.

  Fuck it.

  I place one foot on the mountain and begin to climb.

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  Thank You!

  Thank you for reading An Unexpected Debt. It’s the start of a new series and new adventures with Skylar. Where will she go next? You’ll have to read to find out!

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  Acknowledgments

  Big thanks goes out to all the people who helped or inspired me with this book including…