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T he three of us made our way to the elevators. I sent Frank a quick note telling him I’d be a little later as we were going to check on Zanya, who was MIA.

When we arrived, Benni tapped the button on Zanya’s keypad to let her know she had visitors. It took a moment, but then the door slid open.

Zanya stood there, looking a little surprised and slightly sheepish. We just stared at her, and for good reason. Her hair was curled, and she was wearing a full face of makeup and a body-hugging purple dress with heels.

She looked amazing, but it was not her usual getup. Not by a long shot.

Vashti snapped out of her surprise before me or Benni. She put her hands on her hips as people passed by us in the corridor. “We’ve been trying to reach you. You didn’t show up for dinner. We thought something happened to you.”

Zanya shook her head. “Sorry, I’m fine. I just have … something to do.”

“Or someone , by the looks of you,” Benni snarked.

Zanya made a face and quickly moved out of the way. “Come in. I don’t want to have this discussion where everyone can hear.”

We filed inside. Zanya’s quarters were much like mine, minus the office space. We stood in her living area, and she faced us, her back now to the door.

“So what’s up?” Benni asked.

“I went to my reading today and told them my concerns.”

I nodded. “About not being alone the rest of your life?”

“Yes,” she answered. “Luhora gave me some great advice.”

Benni crossed her arms. “Such as?”

“Such as I need to do things differently. Go different places.” Zanya took a breath. “Spend time with different people.”

I could see where this was going. “In other words, not us.”

“She didn’t say that specifically, but…” Zanya groaned. “Please don’t take it personally, but if I don’t at least try, I’ll always wonder what might have been.”

“I can understand that,” Vashti said softly. “But to not answer and leave us wondering what was going on? Zanya, that’s not like you.”

I noticed Zanya’s pila was on her coffee table, much like mine had been. It was nearly half gone. Not in such a way that it had shrunk, but more like it had eroded. It was covered in ragged spots, almost like pieces of it had chipped off.

“I’m sorry,” Zanya said, her tone taking on an edge that seemed to imply she wasn’t really that sorry. “I need to do this for me.”

Her door chime sounded, and she turned, frowning. “I have to go. I have a date.”

“A date? Already?” Maybe I should have tried not to look so surprised, but could anyone blame me?

“Yes.” She directed her frown at me. “Is that so shocking?”

“Not at all,” I said. “You’re an intelligent, beautiful woman. I just didn’t expect it to happen so fast.”

“You got that right,” Benni added.

Our words didn’t do much to placate Zanya. “Not a word to him.”

We all nodded as Zanya pasted on a smile and opened the door.

I almost fell over when I saw who was standing there.

I took a step forward. “Sten?”

He blinked, then his eyes narrowed, and he looked past Zanya. “Ellis? What are you doing here?”

I gave him my best reassuring smile. “I’m a friend of Zanya’s. I hope you two have a wonderful time. We were just leaving.” I kept the smile on my face as I motioned for Benni and Vashti to go ahead of me.

I squeezed Zanya’s hand on my way out. “Have fun. You deserve it.”

Then the three of us were back out in the corridor and heading for the elevators.

Benni shot me a look. “You know him?”

“I do. So does Frank. They work together in Mech. Sten installed the library’s new Instachef. He also was there for meditation with the Ohuli on Day One.”

Vashti chewed her bottom lip. “Do you think … she wasn’t quite herself?”

“She wasn’t anything like herself. She was short with us, and I’ve never seen her made up like that,” Benni said. “Not even when the four of us go out.”

I had to agree. “It did seem like a bit much, but maybe she just wanted to make a different first impression. Something a little sexier.”

“Doesn’t explain the crankiness,” Vashti said.

“Yeah, but no wonder why they set him up with her,” Benni muttered.

“What do you mean?” Vashti asked.

“Well, think about it,” Benni said as we stopped in front of the elevators. “They tell her she can have what she wants if she does what they say, then they set her up to go out with him, who they already talked to and probably said the same things to. They’re fulfilling their own prophecies.”

The call button was already pushed.

I nodded, exhaling. “You’re not wrong.” I rubbed at my forehead. “I have so much to tell Frank.”

“You going to his place now?” Vashti asked.

“No, he’s coming to mine. Don’t worry. I’m going to fill him in.”

“Good,” she responded. “If you figure anything out, you let us know.”

“Yeah,” Benni added.

“Will do.”

The elevator arrived, and the doors opened. After the riders got off, we got on. I leaned against the wall and texted Frank again, letting him know I was on my way home.

When the car stopped at my floor, I said goodbye to Benni and Vashti and stepped out. I felt a little heartsick over Zanya. She really hadn’t seemed like herself.

Was that in any way due to the reading she’d had today? Had the Ohuli messed with her head? And what about that pila being more than half gone? Did she really have that much negative energy surrounding her?

I was starting to feel like I didn’t really know my friend the way I thought I did. That feeling, combined with my worry for her, had me sinking into a blue mood.

Seeing Frank with Gracie on his shoulder, standing at my door with a La Patisserie box, helped some. I smiled, maybe not much of one, but it was a smile all the same. “Hi.”

His brows bent, and he reached out to take my hand. “You okay?”

A couple walked by. I recognized them. They lived a few apartments down the corridor. “Let’s get inside.”

I pressed my hand to the printlock, and in we went. Harry was lying in his charging bed on his back, his head hanging over one side, his feet hanging over the other, and he was dead to the world. The squirrels, however, were still chasing each other on the screen.

I let out a soft chuckle as Frank followed me in and the door closed. I gestured at Harry. “Will you look at that nonsense?”

Frank snorted as he set the La Patisserie box on the dining table. “That boy knows how to relax.”

“Harry, wake up,” Gracie sang out.

“Go ahead, Gracie,” Frank said. “Go wake him up.”

She took flight from his shoulder, but Harry came around as she was in the air, rolling out of his bed and onto his feet. “Hiya, Gracie.”

Frank turned to me. “So what’s going on? Because you don’t look super happy.”

“Zanya had a reading today, sometime after me, I guess, and she kind of dropped off the grid. Our girls grid, anyway. She wouldn’t answer our texts and didn’t show up for dinner. We finally went to her place to check on her and found her all dolled up and prepping for a date.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad.”

“It’s not, but it’s no reason to stop talking to us, except we found out that was because of a suggestion by Luhora that she do different things and hang out with different people.”

“Ah. People that weren’t you, Benni, and Vashti.”

“You got it. But there’s more. We think the Ohuli set the date up, because guess who showed up at her door to take her out?”

Frank shook his head. “No idea.”

I paused for dramatic effect. “Sten.”

“Seriously?”

“Yep.”

He ran his hand through his hair. “That does sound odd. You know, he took another day off of work today.”

“I figured as much when he showed up for another day of meditation.”

“I haven’t talked to him, but he’s clearly getting caught up.”

“Oh, there’s one more thing. Zanya’s pila. I saw it on her coffee table, and it was half gone already. But it hadn’t just shrunk down in size. It wasn’t still this mostly round ball of crystal. It looked corroded. Like pieces had been chipped off. Does the one I gave you look like that?”

“No, it’s still the same size and shape, but I put it in a sealed container because when I had it out, Gracie pecked at it a few times.” He rolled his eyes. “That’s also why I haven’t done much with it. I keep forgetting about it. Weird that it would dissolve in such a manner, though.”

“That’s what I thought, but what do I know about Ohuli technology?” I couldn’t help but glance at the box. “What did you bring?”

He laughed. “An assortment of things, including another kiwi tart, some kiwi cream bonbons, and a chocolate éclair for me, although there’s one in there for you, too.”

“You are so good to me. I’ll put some decaf on, you find whatever movie you want to watch, and let’s just enjoy a night of not thinking about anything else.”

“I’m all for that.”

His choice for the movie was The Sons of Katie Elder , which seemed like a very Frank pick. Not only was its star John Wayne, Frank’s favorite actor, but the second-billed star was Dean Martin, one of Frank’s favorite singers.

The pick amused me, and I found I was actually looking forward to it. I loved old movies, but more importantly, I loved Frank, and if this was a chance to get to know him better, I was all about taking it.