Page 65 of Off Her Game

19

As if sleep had been possible after the phone call with Noah. Ha.

Tori cradled her third cup of coffee and stared at her laptop screen that flashed news stories, not that she registered anything. When she couldn’t sleep after the call she got hooked on a telenovela three-season story, which left her strung out and beat this morning.

Her phone dinged with an incoming text.

Symphis:Thought you needed inspiration this morning.

The loud knock at her door made her jump, almost dumping the coffee. A peephole check found her sister stood outside. Emma?

“Why’re you here?” Tori asked as she opened the door. She glanced around the hallway seeing no one else.

“I had the freakiest thing happen. I got all messed up in the head about it. I haven’t seen you. I got worried.” Emma pushed into Tori’s apartment, threw her hand against the wall and panted.

“Why’re you out of breath?” Tori’s heart pounded hard.

“Took the stairs. Twenty goddamned flights in stilettos.” Emma pulled her into a brief hug. “No way in hell I was getting in your elevator.”

“You weren’t in the elevator? What happened?”

“I was in the elevator of my apartment building this morning and it stopped. Then it fell three floors pretty fast before it stopped. I pushed the red button. I’ve never pushed that button before. When I pressed it nothing happened. What good is an emergency button that doesn’t work?”

Oh God. Not again. Symphis messed with Emma? Tori’s throat closed to the point she doubled over and grasped the edge of the futon. “This is my fault.”

“I’m fine. Chill. My neighbor said it’s been acting up all week.” Emma put a hand on her back.

“It was him. Shit, can’t breathe.” Tori hit her chest.

Emma stomped into the kitchen and reappeared with a plastic bag. “I don’t know if this works like a paper bag, but breathe into it.”

Tori breathed into the bag. “This seems stupid.”

“But you’re breathing.”

Tori collapsed into a sit on her futon and dropped the bag. “I can’t take this anymore. This has to stop.”

“We don’t know what happened to me was related.”

Tori held up her phone to show Emma her most recent text.

Emma sat hard text to her. “Maybe it was. Crap. Now I’m freaked.” She smoothed her hair. “I’m fine. The elevator did stop. The doors opened on a different level. I got out and that was it.”

Tori felt her chest closing up again. “Maybe it was random.”It’s not. Fuck, it’s not.“Elevators in some buildings are technically hackable. Yours is a newer building. You sure you weren’t hurt?”

Emma shook her head. “Shaken. You’re okay?”

“Fine. Had to go in and play at the Stadium last night. They didn’t like what I took. At all.”

Emma popped up and paced. “I want all of this over. All of it.”

“Me too, but I don’t know how. I don’t want to do this thing with my game and them. The world will perceive me as a manipulative bitch who dated Noah to get noticed.”

Emma wiped moisture from her eyes. “Sorry about barging in, but I needed to clear my head, not that me here is helping. Good news about your game, huh?”

“I knew you told Noah where I was last tonight. He crashed my date.”

“Oh? He was a tad persuasive to get the information when I mentioned it. I think he’s got it bad for you, but I agree you two should give up the dating crap, especially if you decide to work for the company.”