Transfer_An Urban Fantasy Romance

by Jordan C. Robinson

  I felt color rush to my face. “Stuck in my thoughts.” I gestured to my head. Blushing for me was rare, but it seemed to happen often when around Will.

  “Scared?” He gave me a warm smile.

  “Of course not.” I gave him a small shove in return. He was surprisingly solid. I felt his chest, and I’m ashamed to admit my hands might have lingered when they came in contact with some muscle. I’d have to check again to be sure my first evaluation was accurate. I felt another blush coming on so I shook my head to clear it of distracting thoughts. I was out of control. “Ready?”

  “Yep,” he said, flashing me a knowing grin.

  “You two are in luck; we can fit you in with Steve in about thirty minutes,” the receptionist said.

  “Awesome.” Will sat down, and I joined him.

  “Wait, do you even know what you’re getting?” I asked.

  “I figured I’d let you go first and I’d copy that.”

  I couldn’t tell if he was joking or not.

  He continued, “You seem to have good taste, so unless it’s a huge koala bear on my chest, why not?”

  “Ah, one year left?” He really was embracing it now.

  He nodded but didn’t respond. My eyes caught his gaze, and I felt my stomach drop. He bit his lip, and I could feel his desire reaching toward me, pulling me toward him. Did he know how alluring he had suddenly become? The way he looked at me instantly changed the atmosphere.

  I wanted to say something, anything to drag myself out of this strange moment. One where his face was the only thing that existed. Making conversation was like clawing out of quicksand. I finally did, but it wasn’t easy.

  “I hope you’re aware I have no idea what I want. At this rate, I might end up not getting something, after all.”

  “Well we’ve got about twenty more minutes. All hope is not lost.” He paused. “Although, I’m pretty bad with decisions so . . . yeah, we might as well go.” Will stood up.

  “Oh sit down. Surely we can come up with something.”

  He plopped back down, leaned toward me, and whispered, “Yeah, I already paid the deposit.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me? I don’t want to be the girl who they have to hound for payment,” I said.

  “No,” he said. “I paid both of our deposits. You were lost in your own world and I didn’t want to interrupt you in case it was a sexy daydream.” The corners of his mouth twitched before breaking into a full smile. I followed with an unavoidable grin of my own as we made eye contact once again.

  “What? Why?” It was a weak protest. His eyes were disarming and genuine in a way Cooper’s had never been. Something about Will made me want to accept his generosity and find a way to return the gesture.

  “Will? Kristen? I’m ready for y’all,” Steve, our tattoo artist, called.

  Thirteen

  Will

  I sat on the bench in the tattoo parlor and couldn’t help but stare. I was absolutely lost in her eyes. I had forgotten about the receptionist and everything else in the room. I thought she looked cute while daydreaming earlier, but wow, it affected me ten times more when she was looking directly at me. Earlier, before I knew it, I found myself paying her deposit. I really didn’t mind. Desperation to make her happy had welled up inside my chest and I acted. Anything to see that smile. Now, it was probably for the best there was nothing else to pay for because I would have handed over my wallet and more.

  We sat on the bench waiting for Steve to come out. We joked, and the conversation came naturally. I pretended to leave, but of course, I would never pass up an opportunity to spend more time with her. Eventually, we settled into gazing at each other. I don’t remember how we fell into that moment, but my whole world stopped. I looked at her, and I couldn’t pull my eyes away. An invisible force pulled me toward her. Was that desire? No, this was something more. My forgetting to blink was evidence of that. I didn’t want to lose a second of her sitting there. I swallowed and resisted touching my lips to hers.

  She was handling the magnetic attraction better than I was as she was able to speak. I had no idea what I said. My mind was on autopilot. I think I did mention paying her deposit though. My lips curled into a huge grin as I realized she hadn’t known that I did. That look was exactly what my mind yearned for. Now if my body could calm itself in obsessing over what it wanted.

  I jumped when Steve called us. I took one last look at Kristen’s sparkling, dark eyes and followed her. We reached the back of the studio, and Steve asked us who was first. I wasted no time in pointing to Kristen. She gave me a playful glare but sat down.

  “So what’ll it be?” Steve asked.

  She bit the inside of her cheek and took a brief moment before responding. “I’d like a mini ice cream truck. With a tiny, big-headed dude in it.”

  Steve laughed and asked where she wanted it. She pointed to the back of her left shoulder. “This is my random shoulder. I’ve already got a few small things there.”

  A random designated area. That was genius.

  Kristen adjusted her shirt and described the truck. Steve left the room.

  “So, am I the big head?” I asked.

  “Potentially . . .”

  “Oh, man.” I walked to the mirror and looked between my reflection and hers. She sat there with her shoulder exposed, a mix of clean skin and colorful tattoos. The giggle that accompanied the sight was beyond perfect. My hands started to sweat despite not being close to getting under the needle.

  Steve returned with the sketch. “How’s this?”

  I hurried over to check it out. It was well done, just like she had described it.

  “All right, let’s do it.” Kristen nodded to Steve.

  I found myself with the same stencil on my skin about an hour and a half later. I had no qualms regarding the tattoo, because even if I was going to live through the year, it would remind me of a moment I never wanted to forget. The moment with a playful shove, some laughter, and an irresistible smile from a girl I had known for only a few days would be a bottomless sea of good vibes, even if we got the tattoos and never spoke again.

  The needle hit my skin and the goose bumps of lust were replaced by the shock of ink being drilled into my skin. I relaxed my shoulder, clenched my fists, and tried to think of something besides the pain. True to my prediction, my mind wandered to the shove Kristen gifted me earlier. Her hands had made contact with my chest, and I thought I felt them linger as they swiped away down my abs—I think, I hope.

  “This is a unique type of pain, that’s for sure,” I said. If I focused on clenching another body part, I could distract myself from the pain.

  “Let me get you a glass of water.” Kristen stood and gracefully walked out of the small room. It was a mix between a walk and a skip. I had never seen something so carefree from her. Another piece of the Kristen puzzle uncovered.

  She returned with the cup of water, and I gulped it down. I hadn’t realized how much I had been sweating.

  “Thanks.” I grinned with pure relief. At that point, judging by how long her tattoo took, I decided mine shouldn’t take too much longer. There was no pain earlier, but my shoulder was incredibly sore now.

  Bringing the water was a small gesture, but it was thoughtful. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d encountered a truly thoughtful girl. Was this who Kristen really was? I doubt she had an ulterior motive, but maybe it was a pity cup. Why did I insist on comparing her to other girls? I was truly overthinking everything, so I was glad when Steve said he was done.

  Our tattoos were beautiful, in an odd, “we got matching colored ice cream truck tattoos” kind of way. I pointed to mine. “Clearly, this is Daichi.”

  “Mine is still you,” she said.

  “They are the exact same!” I protested.

  Fourteen

  Kristen

  “Well, that wasn’t so bad,” I said, as we left the tattoo shop. “Random maybe, but not bad.”

  “My tattoo and I are not talking to you,” Wil
l said, smiling and turning away.

  Before I could give him a witty response, my phone vibrated. It was a response from the dentist. I had completely forgotten I’d texted the number she gave me. I stopped walking and opened the message. It was a Google Drive link with no explanation. It opened into a large document.

  “Kristen?” I looked up to see that Will had turned around, wondering why I hadn’t kept up. I beckoned him back and began reading the still loading pages. It was at fifty and counting.

  Dr. Randle,

  Please continue to follow procedure. We have very few dental patients so there is no excuse to slack when you must transfer one to the special examination room. We reviewed the tape (as we always do) and believe patient Alpha-Romeo exhibited symptoms necessary to warrant an examination. When in doubt, please refer the patient. Let us remind you that this is your main priority.

  Beta-megatron:

  Headaches—unknown/unlikely connection to Chimera symptoms

  Overwhelming senses—likely connection to Chimera

  Large disparity upon strength test proven in examination (focus vs. distracted)—almost definite connection to Chimera

  Conclusion: Beta-megatron provided little information but likely exhibits both mental and physical symptoms of Chimera syndrome. Follow-up scheduled for confirmation. Disposal postponed.

  Beta-blueberry: Physical examination confirmed symptoms. Blood sample confirmed beta-blueberry is at least level “oxen.” Subject cured through self-medication.

  March 24, 2017

  Possible categories:

  Oxen—strength fluctuation (13 confirmed in 2017)

  Cheetah (unconfirmed)—speed (3 confirmed)

  TBD (unconfirmed)—reflexes? Test needs development (0 confirmed)

  Chimera—above three (0 confirmed due to above uncertainty with reflexes. 1 suspected)

  Mental:

  Enhances senses? Anything else has not shown enough pattern to confirm existence of further categorization

  Note: patient alpha-zero described lack of pain. Further research required.

  Subject: Patient Alpha-red NOT cured. Immediate action required.

  “What is this?” Will asked.

  I met his eyes. “I don’t know.” I shrugged, moving my hair from my face before flipping through more pages. “And that’s only, like, the first page.”

  “Well,” he said, “where did you get it from? It mentions some of my symptoms.”

  “Oh, right.” I smiled, fighting the urge to facepalm. “Sorry. I went to PISP today. The dentist asked me to text her and she just sent me this.”

  Will stared at me. “Um.” He paused. “What?”

  I didn’t know where to start. “Well, when I saw they did dentistry—which by the way, I have my questions about their legitimacy—I decided to check it out. Mostly because there were a few coincidences that didn’t sit right.”

  “Why did—” Will scratched his head. “I don’t even know what to ask.” He opened his mouth but paused. “Well, judging by what she sent you I’d agree with you that something is weird. But I can’t even begin to guess what.”

  “Not to further confuse you, but there’s more.” I smiled sheepishly.

  “What more could there be?” He threw up his hands with a resigned sigh.

  I laughed, realizing we hadn’t moved in several minutes. “Let’s get home. I bet we’ll have another murderous Uber come after us if we stand here much longer.”

  “You’re right,” he said. “Talk about sketchy,” he muttered under his breath as I closed the document and opened the Uber app.

  An hour later and we still hadn’t ended up at home. Will and I ended up taking a detour to stop at the mysterious man’s apartment; the guy who had intercepted me when I was leaving PISP. I had explained everything I suspected so far to Will, but we were both still in the dark, hoping that this man would have some information. We were waiting on the street corner that he’d directed us to when I received another text.

  Now come through the alley behind you and follow that to the next street.

  Will and I exchanged glances but went with it. We were too curious not to. We walked through the alley. By now, the sun was setting and it made it all the more creepy as we passed the through the dark, empty alley. We passed a dumpster and stepped over the trash strewn on the ground. Once we stepped out into the street, there was a man, presumably the same guy because he wore the same hoodie, waiting for us.

  “Follow me,” he said before turning and trotting down the street. Against my better judgment, we followed. We jogged at least two blocks before stopping, ducking into another alley which led us onto a final street where he ushered us quickly into an apartment complex. The man guided us up three flights of stairs and into a room. He closed and locked the door, keeping his eye to the peephole for at least two minutes before addressing us.

  “Sorry,” he said, once he had turned around and pulled back his hood. “PISP is nothing to mess with.” The man looked at Will. “As your near-death car accident displayed.” He had piercing blue eyes and thinning brown hair. I guessed nearly forty years of age. When Will didn’t respond the blue-eyed man continued. “Judging by the confused look on your face, I see I have my work cut out for me. I should have expected it.” The man’s hand went to the back of his neck as he walked by us, leading us farther into the apartment. “Here, sit.” He gestured to a table and chairs before walking into the next room. “My name is Alejandro,” he said from the other room. Reappearing, he held two glasses of water, setting them down in front of us. I stared at mine. When neither Will nor I drank, Alejandro retrieved an empty cup, pouring some of our water into it. He drank it and gave us an unexpectedly charming smile. “Not poison.”

  “So,” Will said, “uh, can we have an explanation?”

  I nodded, not sure anyone was looking at me.

  “Yes, yes,” Alejandro said. “Sorry, once again.” He sat down and sighed. “Where to start . . .” He crossed his arms and looking at the ceiling. “PISP is not what they appear to be. I think I can guess about you,” he said, looking to Will. He turned to me. “But what did you go to them for?”

  “I was curious.” I left my explanation at that until this guy told me who exactly he was.

  “Fair enough,” Alejandro said. “Likely because of him?” He gestured to Will and I nodded. “Okay, well, I was offered to be studied due to some odd symptoms I had exhibited. Unfortunately, no doctor could discern what was going on. I was desperate and when PISP offered a free study I jumped at the opportunity.”

  “What symptoms?” I asked.

  “My strength ebbs and flows. PISP’s words, not mine.” Alejandro quickly shrugged before continuing. “This was a long time ago though, so I’ve had a lot of time to do research. I know this is going to sound weird no matter how I approach it so I’ll just throw it out there. My research consisted of trying to get data on PISP, what they do, who they are, things like that. Before you ask why, it was because they tried to kill me, too.”

  “What?” Will asked. “How?”

  “There are a few ways they like to go about eliminating the ones who visit them, mind you I don’t know why, but the most popular one is finding someone to make it look like an accident. In your case . . . what’s your name?”

  “Will.”

  “Thank you,” Alejandro said. “And you?”

  “Kristen.”

  “Cool. So, Will, in your case they had the guy crash the car. I doubt that was a true accident. I’ve watched PISP carefully for the past few years and nearly everyone that exits that building dies within two days.” Alejandro pursued his lips. “That’s not true. Only most people. My theory is that they cover whatever they are up to with a dentistry operation. Those that stumble into there for dental work live. Like you, Kristen.”

  “How do you know this?” Will asked. He sat with his elbows on the table, his eyebrows furrowed in a mix of confusion and concentration. He hadn’t touched his water.

>   “I’ve put a lot of time into this. Hours of staking out the place and less than glamorous stalking, for no better word.” Alejandro exhaled. “It’s for a good cause, though. I may sound crazy now, but you’ll see.”

  “Why do you think they kill the people?” I wasn’t sure if I believed him. But I couldn’t ignore the oddity behind PISP, especially considering the documents Dr. Randle sent to me.

  “Keeping the symptoms a secret is all I can come up with,” Alejandro answered. “Will. What symptoms did you show that made you interact with PISP?”

  Will sent me a quick glance. Was he gauging this stranger, trying to determine if he was trustworthy? “Strength, nausea, weird sensory issues, instability walking—”

  Alejandro perked up in his seat. “It sounds like you’ve got more than I have. Perfect.”

  “Why is that good?” I asked.

  “Because I can’t take down PISP alone,” Alejandro said. “The more powers the better.”

  With that mention Will perked up. “Powers?” he asked.

  Alejandro rose and paused, staring into the distance before walking out of the room.

  “What in the world is going on?” Will asked me.

  “I wish I knew.”

  “Are you going to tell him about the document?” Will finally took a sip of his water.

  “I’m not sure,” I answered. “I need more time to process.”

  Alejandro walked back into the room with two dumbbells. “Okay.” He set them on the table. “I have a twenty-five pounder and a fifty pounder. Go ahead and try to lift the fifty pounder.”

  “Okay.” Will stood up and grabbed the weight.

  “Is that your girlfriend?” Alejandro asked just as Will strained with the weight.

  “What?” Will asked after grunting with the weight. His gaze dropped to the floor. “No.”