Page 24 of The Restoration Program

The line was practically pulled verbatim from the Program’s brochure, but Nicole found herself gripping at Ryan’s thumb with soulful vigor. Shewaslucky to have someone willing to change his entire life to stay with her. Ice snaked around her gut as she pondered where she might be now had Ryan been lesshim.

“Who’s your partner, doctor?” Nicole asked.

This seemed to throw him. Nicole wondered with a small amount of pride if she was the first person to probe this.

“These days, you might say the Program itself is my partner. I look forward to journeying with you on your Restoration.” Dr. Burman gave a nod of kind finality, excusing himself towards the main table.

Others begin to follow his lead, a few scooping up their NüPrint partners with terrifying ease.

“You coming, Carlos?” The petite red-haired woman Nicole had noted earlier was leaning over the railing.

“Un momento,mi corazón.”

Her lower lip jutted before she walked off. The NüPrint man stopped in front of Nicole, dark eyes roving over her in a way that seemed to permeate through her skin. He was tall compared to the rest of the Restored, perhaps a full twelve inches in height.

“So what got you, Nicole Zhou?” He punctuated her name with something of a smirk.

“Excuse me?”

“For me, it was lymphoma.” When she stammered, he just smiled and held out his hand. “My name’s Carlos, by the way. Carlos Rodriguez.”

Nicole cleared her throat delicately. “Car accident,” she said, shaking his hand.

“Sorry to hear that.” Carlos glanced between her and Ryan, a dark brow lifting devilishly. “So. Nervous for the first day of class hazing?”

“You’remakingthem nervous, you big jerk.” Another NüPrint marched over. She shoved Carlos with her shoulder, but as the top of her head scarcely reached his chest, she barely jostled him. “I’m Holly,” she announced cheerfully. “And you guys…Wow.” Her rosy cheeks puffed in a wistful sigh. “You guys have got to be the most gorgeous couple I’ve ever seen. It’s unfair.”

Nicole gave a startled laugh, and her insides stirred uncomfortably the longer she looked at Holly; she didn’t look a day over seventeen. Whatever had slammed her into a NüPrint body, it didn’t seem to be troubling her at the moment.

Holly gaped up at Ryan unabashedly. “What do you do?” she asked.

“Uh, my job?” Ryan all but stammered. “I’m an investment accountant.”

Her jaw dropped like he’d confessed to a murder. “Gross! Dude, you’re like way too cute to be doing something soboring!”

Nicole giggled, “I tell him that all the time.”

“You should be a jeans model or something! At least until you get too old.” She looked at him with a critical eye. “And you probably have a few years before that happens.”

“Thanks?” Ryan said.

“Nowwho’s making people nervous?” Carlos scoffed. He smiled up at Ryan. “Don’t worry, she told me the same thing on my first day.”

Holly flicked her hand at him dismissively. “Yeah, and you didn’t even laugh. Look at you, acting all chill now.” She raised her eyebrows at Nicole and lowered her voice to a mock whisper. “You should have seen him at his first few meetings.Sofreaked out about the whole doll-sized thing. Could barely get anything but four-letter words out of him.”

Carlos chuckled humorlessly. “She’s a kidder, this one.”

“I have never kidded about anything in my life.” Holly pushed her hair back and gave an unbothered shrug. “Anyways, Nicole. You’ll probably be saddled with Carlos as your mentor. Dr. B has this whole thing about amentorship chain. Carlos was the newest one to the group before you, so it’s his turn to roll out the welcome wagon.” She raised a finger and mimicked Burman’s smooth tone. “The adjustment period is easier when you have someone to relate to, or some shit like that.”

Carlos bowed his head. “You’ve taught me well,sensei. I’ll go easy on her.”

Holly snickered. “No need. She looks cool. A real trooper, like us.”

The irreverence between the two was refreshing, and Nicole found a smile coming naturally for the first time since arriving. “I’ll try not to disappoint you,” she simpered.

Carlos chuckled, then craned his neck up. “Don’t worry, I do a two-for-one deal.”

Ryan made a nervous sound that was meant to be a laugh. “Right, well. Careful what you wish for,” he said. “I don’t know what the hell I’m doing. Might be pretty high-maintenance.”