![[Ace 182.1.png]] # Chapter 1 — Once a Week Reyes had never intended Birgitta to require maintenance. That had been part of the appeal. The face mesh already existed. The contacts existed. The wardrobe had its own sealed storage. The agent had its own number, its own identity chain, its own clean little corner of Night City that had absolutely no reason to overlap with Reyes unless Reyes decided it should. The container sat exactly where she had left it. Nothing dramatic about it. Nothing mysterious. Just a narrow climate-controlled unit tucked behind several other pieces of gear that mattered considerably less and received considerably more attention. Reyes unlocked it. Muted copper-grey hair equipment. Very light brown contacts. Several Lena-built outfits hanging in perfect order. Shoes below. Accessories separated and tagged. And, on a small charging cradle beside the wardrobe cases, Birgitta’s agent. Reyes picked it up. Dead screen. Of course. She had not checked it in a week. That was normal. Birgitta did not have an active calendar. She was not taking regular bookings. Suzie Q knew how to reach her if something genuinely important came up, and Reyes had no intention of turning the identity into another full-time job. Once a week was enough. Power. Boot sequence. Identity handshake. Encrypted network reconnect. Reyes leaned one shoulder against the inside wall of the container and waited. The agent vibrated once. Then again. Then again. Then did not stop. Reyes frowned. Notifications began stacking so fast they blurred together. Message. Message. Video message. Message. Image. Video message. Message. Message. Message. Reyes straightened. “What the fuck?” The screen settled. Seventeen unread messages. Reyes stared at the number. Then at the sender. PANAM. She blinked once. Scrolled. PANAM. PANAM. PANAM. PANAM. PANAM. One message from Sera. Then more Panam. Reyes slowly sat down on the low equipment case beside the wardrobe. Her first thought was practical. Something had gone wrong. Her second was worse. Something had happened after previoud meeting. A problem with the booking. A complication with Sera. Maybe Panam had found out something. That thought sharpened her instantly. Reyes opened the message list and checked timestamps before opening anything. The first message was six days old. The next one came three hours later. Another the following morning. Then two that afternoon. A video the next day. Another message after midnight. More the following day. A gap. Then three more. Another video. A picture. Another message. The last Panam entry had arrived that morning. The single Sera message had arrived after it. Reyes stared at the chronology. This was not an emergency. Emergencies did not usually develop one awkward message at a time over six days. She tapped the first one. Text only. Panam. > Hey. Suzie Q gave me this number. She said it was okay, but if it wasn’t, blame her, not me. Reyes’s eyebrow lifted. A second line. > She also said you don’t check it constantly, so no pressure. Reyes read it again. Then continued. > I just wanted to say I had a really good time. That was all. No booking request. No rate question. No coded reference. No threat. No operational concern. Reyes leaned back slightly. “Huh.” She opened the second message. Three hours later. > Okay, that sounded like I meant only the obvious part. Reyes’s mouth twitched. Another line followed. > I did mean that too. Reyes laughed once under her breath. Then: > But I meant I liked being around you. The smile faded into something smaller. Warmer. Reyes looked at the timestamp again. Three hours. Panam had sent the first message. Waited. Thought about it. Decided it was wrong. Sent another. Reyes scrolled to the next. The following morning. An image. Badlands sunrise. Nothing remarkable by Night City standards. Dust. Pale gold light. A truck silhouette in the distance. Under it: > You said city mornings all look like they’re trying too hard. Reyes stared. She remembered saying that. Not as Reyes. As Birgitta. During a conversation that had happened between other things. Panam remembered it. And apparently saw a sunrise the next morning and thought— Birgitta. Reyes rested the agent against one knee. “Oh.” She scrolled. Next message. > This one isn’t trying hard enough. Reyes laughed. A tiny sound. No audience. No need to hide it. Another message later that day: > Sera says I’m overthinking this. Reyes stopped. “Sera.” That explained absolutely nothing and somehow made everything worse. Next message. A short video. Reyes’s thumb hovered over it. She almost skipped ahead. Didn’t. Pressed play. Panam appeared leaning against the side of a vehicle somewhere outside the city. No careful setup. No studio framing. She looked like she had recorded the message spontaneously. Her jacket was open. Hair slightly windblown. Expression determined. For perhaps three seconds. “Okay. So.” Panam looked directly at the camera. “I thought this would be easier than typing.” A pause. Reyes waited. Panam looked away. “Apparently not.” Reyes’s mouth pulled wider. Panam tried again. “I just—” She stopped. Closed her eyes. Exhaled through her nose. “Fuck.” Reyes laughed. Onscreen, Panam laughed too, embarrassed. “I’m bad at this.” Reyes replayed the last five seconds. Not consciously. Her thumb simply moved. Panam looked away. “Fuck.” That little laugh. “I’m bad at this.” Reyes watched it twice. Then caught herself. Her expression flattened immediately. “…really.” She continued the video. Panam scratched briefly at the back of her neck. “I don’t know why I’m sending a video.” A small shrug. “I guess I wanted you to know I’m not some creepy asshole who got your number and started—” She stopped. Looked offscreen. “Okay, this is not helping.” Reyes snorted. Panam looked back at the camera. The bravado was gone. What remained was unexpectedly soft. “I liked you.” Pause. “Still do, apparently.” The video ended. Reyes did not move. She watched the blank screen. Then pressed replay. This time from the beginning. Panam leaning against the vehicle. “Okay. So.” Reyes settled more comfortably against the container wall. She watched every second. When the video ended again, Reyes did not replay it a third time. Mostly because she was not going to give Panam that much satisfaction when Panam was not even there. She opened the next message. That evening. > You probably don’t check this thing much. Then: > That’s probably good. Two minutes later: > Means I can’t embarrass myself in real time. Reyes stared. A slow smile appeared. “Bit late for that.” Next day. Another image. A stupid one this time. A broken vending unit outside some roadside stop, half-open and sparking. > Thought you’d appreciate this engineering masterpiece. Reyes did. Annoyingly. Then a message two hours later: > It shocked Mitch. Reyes laughed hard enough to lean forward. Another: > He says that makes it less funny. Another: > He’s wrong. Reyes sat there among Birgitta’s things, laughing at an agent she had not planned to check until tonight. She scrolled further. The messages became less careful. Not more intense. Just less edited. Panam complaining about traffic. Panam sending a photograph of an absurdly overloaded Nomad truck. Panam asking whether Birgitta liked spicy food. Then immediately: > Actually don’t answer that if you don’t want to. That sounded weirdly personal. Reyes covered her eyes for a second. “Oh, Panam.” Another video. This one later at night. Panam was sitting somewhere dimly lit. No alcohol visible. No signs she had been drinking. She looked tired. Relaxed. And when she looked into the camera, she smiled almost immediately. Not the confident Panam smile. Not the one she used when she had decided the world could go fuck itself. This one appeared because she imagined Birgitta eventually watching. Reyes stopped smiling. The effect was worse without the comedy. Panam spoke quietly. “Long day.” A pause. “I almost didn’t send anything.” Another. “Then I thought about you again, so apparently that plan was fucked.” Reyes watched. No joke came. Panam shrugged. “I hope you’re doing okay.” That was nearly the whole video. Reyes watched it once. Then again. “…shit.” She looked down the message list. There were still several left. She opened the next one. A full day later. Text. > I was going to stop sending these. Reyes already knew how that had gone. The next item was another video. Panam appeared in daylight this time. She had clearly begun recording while annoyed. “Okay.” Panam looked offscreen. “Sera says I should just tell you—” She stopped. Her eyes narrowed toward someone out of frame. Reyes’s mouth opened into a grin. Panam looked back at the camera. “Actually, fuck what Sera says.” Reyes bent forward laughing. “Oh, you poor idiot.” The video continued. Panam tried to recover. Failed. “I don’t know what I’m doing.” She sighed. “Which is irritating.” Reyes believed that completely. “I’m usually good at knowing what I want.” Panam looked directly into the camera again. Then, quieter: “I know what I want now too.” A tiny pause. “I’m just not sure if you want the same thing.” Video ended. Reyes did not touch the screen. For several seconds she simply sat there. Container. Birgitta’s dresses. Birgitta’s shoes. Birgitta’s agent in her hand. And Panam Palmer, apparently falling apart one message at a time. Reyes looked back through the list. The pattern was impossible to ignore now. This was not a woman trying to arrange another night of sex. This was not a client. This was not someone nostalgic for a booking. Panam had spent nearly a week thinking about Birgitta. Remembering things she said. Sending pieces of her day. Trying not to write. Writing anyway. Recording videos because text was not enough. Reyes leaned her head back against the container wall. “Oh, fuck.” She was smiling again. And this time she knew exactly why. There were two unread messages left. One from Panam. One from Sera. Reyes opened Panam’s first. The timestamp was from that morning. Video. Panam appeared immediately. No preamble. She looked resigned. “Okay.” A breath. “Last one.” Another breath. “Promise.” Reyes’s eyebrow rose. Panam looked away. Then back. “I’m starting to look insane.” Reyes whispered: “Starting.” Panam continued. “I don’t know when you’ll see these.” Pause. “And I’m not asking to book you again.” There it was. Reyes’s smile disappeared. Not from disappointment. Attention. Panam swallowed. “I mean, I would.” A tiny laugh. “Obviously.” Reyes smiled again. “But that’s not what I want.” Panam’s expression softened. “I’d like to take you out.” Reyes went very still. “Dinner. Drinks. Whatever.” Panam rubbed one hand over the back of her neck. “No money.” She laughed awkwardly. “That sounded worse than I meant it.” Reyes covered her mouth. Panam groaned at herself. “You know what I mean.” Yes. Reyes did. “Not as a client.” A pause. “As me.” Longer pause. “And you.” Panam looked away again. For the first time across all the messages, Reyes saw something dangerously close to actual fear. Not fear of rejection itself. Fear that Birgitta might decide the night they had shared had meant something completely different. Panam looked back into the camera. “I’d really like that.” Video ended. Reyes remained motionless. The container suddenly felt very quiet. She looked at Panam’s frozen thumbnail. Then down at the final unread message. Sera. Sent twenty-three minutes later. Reyes opened it. One line. > Be gentle with our lovesick idiot <3 Reyes stared. Five seconds. Ten. She looked back at Panam’s messages. Seventeen of them. Six days. Badlands sunrise. Broken vending machine. Nervous videos. Sera apparently suffering through the entire thing in real time. Dinner. Not as a client. As me. And you. Reyes rubbed both hands over her face. “Goddammit, Sera.” The agent remained warm in her palm. Reyes looked toward the container door. Then back at the message field. Her thumb hovered over reply. For perhaps half a minute, nothing happened. Then she began to type. --- # Chapter 2 — Typing… Reyes stared at the empty reply field. Then at Panam’s last video. Then back at the reply field. This should not have been difficult. Birgitta was good at this. Birgitta could walk up to a stranger, smile, and have a conversation moving before the other person had decided whether they were nervous. Birgitta could flirt without making it look like work. She could make people feel seen. She could make them feel interesting. She could make them forget that she was reading them at the same time. Reyes had built all of that deliberately. And now she was sitting alone in a storage container unable to decide how to answer one woman who had spent six days talking to silence. “Ridiculous.” She typed: > Sorry. I only check this once a week. Read it. Simple. True. Not cold. Not too warm. She sent it. The message moved upward. Three seconds later: **Panam is typing…** Reyes blinked. The indicator vanished. Came back. Vanished again. Reyes’s mouth twitched. “Oh, this is going to be good.” Nothing appeared. Five seconds. Ten. The typing indicator returned. Then disappeared again. Reyes leaned one elbow on her knee and waited. Finally: > HOLY SHIT YOU’RE ALIVE Reyes burst out laughing. Another message appeared immediately. > Sorry. Then: > That was not supposed to be the first thing I sent. Reyes wiped at one eye. > I figured. The typing indicator came back at once. > I had a better reply. > For six days? Pause. > Fuck you. Reyes grinned. There she was. The Panam from the videos had been real. The nerves had been real. The softness had been real. But beneath all of it was still the woman Reyes knew. Fast temper. Fast mouth. No patience for feeling ridiculous. Birgitta answered: > That seems premature. We haven’t even had dinner. The typing indicator appeared instantly. Stopped. Appeared again. Stopped. Reyes could practically see Panam staring at the screen. Then: > Oh so THIS is how we’re doing this. > Apparently. > I spent six days trying not to look like an idiot. Reyes glanced upward at Sera’s message. **Be gentle with our lovesick idiot <3** Her smile widened. > Didn’t work. Nothing. Then: > I hate you. > No you don’t. That reply went out before Reyes thought about it. She stared at it. For half a second she considered whether she had pushed too hard. The typing indicator appeared. Stayed. Disappeared. Returned. Panam finally answered: > No. Reyes went still. Another message followed. > I really don’t. The humor remained in the room. But something beneath it shifted. Reyes read the two lines again. No. I really don’t. She could have answered with another joke. Probably should have. Instead she typed: > Good. Panam did not answer immediately. Reyes watched the empty space beneath the word. Then: > Good? > Good. Three dots. > You’re making me work for this. Reyes smiled. > You sent seventeen messages without help. Long pause. > You counted? > Of course I counted. > I need to leave Night City. > Seems excessive. > The videos too? Reyes looked at the frozen thumbnail of Panam leaning against the vehicle. “I’m bad at this.” She could hear it perfectly. > Especially the videos. Nothing. Ten seconds. Twenty. Then: > I am never sending you another video again. Reyes laughed. > That would be a shame. The typing indicator appeared. Stopped. Appeared again. > You liked them? There was no joke in that one. Reyes noticed immediately. The question sat there in a way the others had not. She leaned back against the container wall. Panam had spent six days putting herself out there without knowing whether Birgitta would ever answer. Now that she finally had an answer, apparently the one thing she actually wanted to know was whether Reyes had enjoyed seeing her. Reyes typed: > Yes. Paused. Added: > Very much. Sent. This time Panam took longer. Reyes did not fill the silence. Eventually: > Okay. Then, a few seconds later: > Good. Reyes smiled. The symmetry pleased her more than it should have. For a while neither of them wrote. That surprised Reyes. She had expected Panam to fill the silence instantly now that she finally had Birgitta on the other end. Instead the conversation rested. Comfortably. Then: > So. Reyes waited. > Did you actually mean it? Reyes frowned. > Mean what? > That you only check this once a week. > Yes. A longer pause. > Fuck. Reyes laughed softly. > What? > Nothing. > Panam. > I thought maybe you were ignoring me after the third one. Reyes’s smile faded. Not entirely. But enough. > I wasn’t. > I know that now. Another pause. > Still felt stupid. Reyes looked at the message list above. The gradual shift. The awkwardness. The jokes. The videos. The little pieces of Panam’s days. The last one. Dinner. Not as a client. As me. And you. Reyes typed carefully. > I’m glad you kept sending them. Three dots appeared. Stopped. Then: > Really? > Really. Panam answered almost immediately. > Even the vending machine? Reyes laughed. > Especially the vending machine. > Mitch says you have terrible judgment. > Mitch was electrocuted by a vending machine. > Lightly. > Still counts. > He says no. > He’s wrong. Reyes smiled. That one came easily now. The conversation moved. Not fast. Not toward anything yet. Just moved. Panam told her that Mitch had threatened to shoot the machine and had only stopped because apparently exploding beverages counted as littering. Reyes told her that this did not improve his position. Panam sent a picture of the offending unit from another angle. Reyes accused her of keeping evidence. Panam said she believed in historical preservation. Somewhere along the way Reyes stopped sitting stiffly on the equipment case. She leaned back. Crossed one ankle over the other. The agent rested easily in one hand. Panam asked whether Birgitta had been working. Reyes answered honestly enough. > Not this week. > Vacation? > Something like that. > Doing what? Reyes considered. > Mostly not answering seventeen messages. Panam: > Fuck you. Reyes laughed again. Then: > Fine. Sixteen. One was Sera. There was a pause. Long enough to become suspicious. > Sera messaged you? Reyes’s smile became dangerous. > Yes. > What did she say? Reyes looked at the line again. **Be gentle with our lovesick idiot <3** She absolutely was not giving Panam that. > Classified. > Bullshit. > Still classified. > Birgitta. There was something absurdly effective about Panam using her name that way. Not angry. Not really. A warning with no actual threat behind it. Reyes found herself smiling at the screen. > Panam. > Tell me. > No. > I’m going to ask her. > I’m sure that will go well for you. No answer. Then: > …fuck. Reyes laughed. She could almost picture the moment Panam remembered exactly who she would be interrogating. The conversation slowed again. Not stopped. Changed. Panam sent: > Can I ask you something? Reyes raised an eyebrow. Considering the previous six days, that was almost funny. > You’ve demonstrated that ability. > Serious. Reyes sat a little straighter. > Go ahead. The typing indicator stayed for a while. Then: > Was that night weird for you after? Reyes did not answer immediately. She knew exactly what Panam meant. Sera. The booking. The fact that Panam had walked into something she thought she understood and come away with a new woman stuck in her head badly enough to spend the next week broadcasting evidence of it. Reyes thought about 181.6. About Panam. About Sera knowing. About how much Reyes herself had enjoyed the entire night. And about the strange little warmth that had remained afterward whenever she thought about Panam. > No. Panam started typing. Reyes added: > Was it weird for you? The indicator stopped. Restarted. > Apparently. Reyes smiled. > Apparently? > I sent seventeen messages. > Fair point. Panam: > I didn’t expect to keep thinking about you. There it was. Not dressed up. Not hidden behind a joke. Reyes felt the words land. She looked down at Birgitta’s clothes around her. For the first time since opening the agent, the container felt slightly absurd. All this machinery. All this planning. A whole identity engineered to hold up under scrutiny. And Panam was not thinking about the engineering. She was thinking about the woman. Reyes typed: > I’ve been thinking about you too. She stopped. Read it once. Sent it before she could decide to make it safer. Nothing happened. No typing indicator. No immediate profanity. No joke. Five seconds. Ten. Twenty. Reyes frowned. Then: > You have? Reyes’s expression softened. > Yes. Another pause. > Since that night? Reyes thought about lying. Did not. > Yes. The typing indicator appeared and stayed there for a very long time. Then vanished. Reyes waited. Finally: > I wish you’d checked the fucking agent sooner. Reyes laughed. The tension broke. > Noted. > Seriously. > I said noted. > Once a week is insane. > It seemed reasonable before you tried to fill it by yourself. > I was not trying to fill it. > Seventeen messages. > Over six days. > Heroic restraint. > Fuck off. Reyes smiled. Then Panam sent: > So. Again. The same little word. But this time Reyes knew where it was going. She waited anyway. > Dinner? Reyes’s pulse shifted. There it was. No video between them now. No week of silence. No Sera somewhere offscreen. Just Panam asking again while Birgitta was actually there to answer. Another message followed. > I meant what I said. Then: > Not a booking. Then: > I just want to take you out. Reyes read all three. Panam added: > If you still want to after seeing all the evidence of my mental collapse. Reyes laughed softly. Then looked at the empty reply field. For once, the answer did not require any thought at all. > I do. Panam started typing immediately. > You do what? Reyes stared. “Oh, you needy little shit.” She typed: > Want to go out with you. No reply. Reyes waited. Five seconds. Then: > Oh. Reyes laughed. Another: > Okay. Then: > Good. Then: > Very good. Reyes watched the messages arrive one after another. > I’m being normal about this. > Obviously. > Shut up. > You’re doing great. > I hate you again. > Still don’t believe you. Panam sent a middle-finger emoji. Reyes grinned. A moment later: > Tomorrow? That stopped her. Not because she wanted to say no. Quite the opposite. Tomorrow suddenly made the whole thing real in a way dinner as an abstract idea had not. Reyes looked at the clothes around her. The face mesh case. The contacts. The equipment. The woman hanging quietly around her in pieces. Birgitta. Tomorrow. Reyes smiled. > Tomorrow works. The response appeared almost immediately. > Really? Reyes shook her head. > Panam. > Right. Sorry. Then, after several seconds: > I’m really glad you said yes. That one had no armor at all. Reyes looked at it for a long moment. > Me too. Panam did not answer with a joke. Just: > <3 Reyes stared. Then laughed quietly through her nose. “Hopeless.” She sent one back. > <3 That apparently broke Panam again. The typing indicator appeared. Stopped. Appeared. Stopped. Finally: > I’m going to stop talking before I ruin this. Reyes: > Sensible. > Fuck you. > Tomorrow. A pause. > Tomorrow. The conversation stopped there. Not because either of them had run out of things to say. Because somehow that felt like the right place. Reyes sat in the quiet container with Birgitta’s agent in her hand. The screen dimmed. She woke it again. Read the last few messages. Tomorrow. Tomorrow. She smiled. Then looked around her. At Birgitta’s existing wardrobe. At the shoes. At the face mesh case. At the carefully stored contacts. All perfectly good. All designed for a woman who had gone out to work. Reyes looked down at herself. Then back at the wardrobe. “No.” Birgitta had clothes. Birgitta had excellent clothes. But Birgitta did not have **date clothes**. Reyes stood. Picked up the agent. For a moment she automatically moved to place it back on the charging cradle. Her hand stopped halfway. Tomorrow. Panam might message again. Reyes looked at the cradle. Then at the agent. Then slipped it into her jacket pocket. She locked the container behind her. The agent stayed with her. ---- # Chapter 3 — Date Hair Lena opened the door, took one look at Reyes, and said: “What happened?” Reyes stopped halfway through stepping inside. “Nothing.” “Mm.” Lena moved aside. Reyes entered. The workshop was warm, organized in the peculiar way Lena’s spaces always were: fabric samples where fabric samples belonged, half-finished pieces occupying forms, tools arranged within reach, several active displays holding designs that Reyes had neither the skill nor the desire to understand. Lena closed the door. “You have the face.” Reyes looked at her. “What face?” “The one where something happened and you’ve already decided you’re not going to tell me unless I drag it out of you.” “I came here voluntarily.” “That makes it worse.” Reyes sighed. Lena walked back toward her main worktable. “So?” “I need clothes.” “That was almost disappointingly normal.” “For Birgitta.” Lena stopped. Not dramatically. Just enough. Then she turned. “For Birgitta.” “Yes.” The interest arrived immediately. Lena knew the cover. Of course she did. She had built too much of the visible package not to. Hair. Contacts. Wardrobe. The original balance had taken work precisely because Birgitta was not supposed to look like a woman advertising herself from fifty meters away. The clothes stayed elegant. Controlled. Almost conservative at first glance. Birgitta herself did the rest. Lena leaned one hip against the table. “Working again?” “No.” That produced the first real change in her expression. “No?” “No.” “Then what does Birgitta need clothes for?” Reyes should have known better than to expect the answer to pass without incident. She said it anyway. “A date.” Silence. Lena stared at her. Reyes stared back. “A date,” Lena repeated. “Yes.” “As Birgitta.” “That is generally what ‘Birgitta needs clothes’ means.” Lena’s mouth began to move. “No.” Reyes pointed at her. “Don’t.” “I haven’t said anything.” “You’re about to.” “I’m standing here.” “With that face.” “What face?” Reyes gave her a flat look. Lena lasted perhaps two seconds. “With who?” There it was. Reyes turned away and looked at one of the displays as though it had suddenly become relevant to her life. Lena waited. Reyes knew she was waiting. That made the silence worse. Finally: “Panam.” Nothing. Reyes glanced back. Lena was simply staring. Then: “Oh.” Reyes closed her eyes. “Don’t.” “Oh, honey.” “I specifically said don’t.” Lena smiled. Not mockingly. That would have been easier. This was delighted. Warm. Far too interested. “Panam asked Birgitta on a date.” “Yes.” “An actual date.” “Yes.” “Not a booking.” “No.” Lena’s eyebrows climbed. “That part matters.” “I’m aware.” “How did she even get Birgitta’s number?” “Suzie.” “And then?” “And then what?” “Reyes.” Reyes crossed her arms. “There were messages.” “How many?” “That’s irrelevant.” Lena became perfectly still. “Oh, now I absolutely need the number.” “You absolutely do not.” “Five?” Reyes said nothing. “Seven?” Nothing. “Ten?” Reyes looked away. Lena’s eyes widened. “More than ten?” “Across nearly a week.” “That was not my question.” Reyes muttered something. “What?” “Seventeen.” Lena stared at her. Then she laughed. Reyes had expected it. That did not make it less irritating. “Seventeen?” “There were videos.” That did not help. Lena put both hands against the edge of the worktable and bent forward. “Oh my God.” “I came here for clothes.” “I know. Give me a minute.” “You’ve had a minute.” “No, I haven’t.” Reyes waited while Lena recovered. Mostly. Then Lena looked up. “Videos?” “Yes.” “What kind of videos?” “Nervous ones.” Lena’s expression softened instantly. That was somehow worse. “Oh.” “Stop saying that.” “Was she cute?” Reyes should not have answered. She knew that. Unfortunately, the answer crossed her face first. Lena saw it. Her smile returned. “Reyes.” “Fuck you.” “She was.” “I didn’t say anything.” “You didn’t need to.” Lena pushed away from the table. “Okay.” The shift into professional mode was almost instantaneous. Still amused. But working now. “Tell me what you want.” Reyes relaxed by several degrees. “Not joytoy.” “Good.” “Not merc.” “Obviously.” “Not corpo.” “Also good.” “Birgitta.” Lena nodded. That answer mattered. Not a new cover. Not a version of Birgitta designed to disappear into another environment. Not an elaborate costume. Birgitta. Just— not working. “Dinner?” “Yes.” “Where?” “I don’t know yet.” Lena looked at her. “You agreed to a date without asking where?” “Yes.” The smile threatened again. “Don’t.” “I’m doing nothing.” “Very loudly.” Lena turned toward a display and opened a blank design field. “Restaurant means flexible upper range. Night City, so I’m assuming she isn’t taking you somewhere that requires actual evening formal.” “I doubt it.” “Walking afterward?” “Probably.” “Drinks?” “Possibly.” “Dancing?” Reyes considered. “Could happen.” “Anything else?” Reyes thought about Sera. The repeated mentions in Panam’s messages. The fact that Sera had apparently spent most of a week watching Panam dissolve from close range. “She might have an art thing.” “Sera?” “Yes.” Lena nodded. “That helps.” “How?” “Because Birgitta needs to work in three rooms without looking dressed for any one of them.” Reyes looked at the display. “That sounds unnecessarily complicated.” “That’s why you’re here.” “Fair.” Lena began moving through silhouettes. Nothing finished. Just shape. Lengths. Lines. How fabric sat when standing. How it changed in motion. Reyes watched. “Sexy,” Lena said. “Yes.” “But not advertising.” “Yes.” “Enough Birgitta that Panam recognizes exactly who walked through the door.” “Yes.” “Less ‘twenty-five-thousand-and-one eddies.’” Reyes corrected automatically. “Twenty-five-thousand-and-one.” “That is what I said.” “You made it sound normal.” “It is not normal.” “It’s one eddie more than twenty-five thousand.” “Yes, Reyes. That is how numbers work.” Reyes smiled. Lena continued. “Shoes?” “Walkable.” “You’re getting sensible.” “I like my feet.” “Coward.” Reyes looked offended. “I came here voluntarily.” “True. Brave girl.” “Careful.” Lena laughed. Then turned fully toward her. “Hair.” Reyes touched her own red hair instinctively. “What about it?” “The old Birgitta setup works for work.” “Yes.” “I don’t want it for this.” Reyes looked at her. That had been precisely what she had hoped Lena would say without Reyes needing to explain it. Lena noticed. “Oh, you already thought about this.” “A little.” “Date hair.” Reyes gave the smallest nod. Lena’s grin returned. “Say it.” “No.” “Reyes.” “Absolutely not.” “Work hair or date hair?” Reyes stared at her. Lena waited with obscene patience. Reyes sighed. “Date hair.” Lena’s eyes lit up. “Oh, this is serious.” “Goddammit.” “You said it.” “You made me say it.” “I asked a technical question.” “You enjoyed it.” “Immensely.” Reyes shook her head. Lena opened another design pane. “ChromeLock v2.” “That was what I was thinking.” “I know.” “Of course you do.” “Same color identity.” “Muted copper-grey.” “Absolutely. No reason to change what works.” Lena rotated a rough head model. “Different structure.” Reyes stepped closer. The first version appeared. Rejected instantly. Too formal. The next. Too controlled. Another. Reyes studied it. Closer. Lena adjusted the front. Changed how the sides framed the face. Reduced the structure. Let some of it soften. “There.” Reyes looked. Birgitta. Immediately. Same woman. But not the one who had walked onto Jig-Jig looking for clients. This Birgitta looked like she had spent time deciding how she wanted one particular woman to see her. Reyes became quiet. Lena glanced sideways. “That one.” Reyes nodded. “That one.” “Good.” Lena saved it. ChromeLock v2 made the practical side easy enough. The style would hold. The color would hold. Night air, walking, crowded room, movement—none of it would require Reyes to spend half the evening checking whether her hair had decided to betray her. Lena returned to the clothing design. Reyes watched lines become something more concrete. Elegant. A little softer than Birgitta’s working wardrobe. Enough skin to be unmistakably intentional. Not enough to turn the outfit into a declaration of profession. The balance was annoyingly good. Reyes pointed. “Less there.” Lena adjusted. “More?” “Maybe.” Adjusted again. Reyes tilted her head. “Yeah.” Lena smiled slightly. “You know what you want.” “I usually do.” “Apparently Panam does too.” Reyes gave her a look. Lena went back to work before the object within reach of Reyes became airborne. Several minutes passed. Then Reyes said: “Fast-drop.” Lena’s hand stopped. Slowly. Very slowly. She turned her head. Reyes maintained a perfectly neutral expression. “Say that again.” “Fast-drop.” Lena looked at the design. Then at Reyes. “The date outfit.” “Yes.” “The explicitly non-joytoy date outfit.” “Yes.” “You want it fast-drop.” “Yes.” Silence. Reyes’s expression did not move. Lena’s did. First disbelief. Then comprehension. Then delight. “Oh my God.” “Don’t.” “You haven’t even gone on the date.” “I know.” “And you want fast-drop.” “It’s useful.” “Useful.” “Yes.” “For what?” Reyes stared at her. Lena stared back. Neither spoke. Lena finally folded her arms. “For walking?” “Could be.” “Art appreciation?” “Very technical field.” “Dinner?” “Depends on dessert.” That broke Lena. She turned away laughing. Reyes waited. “I hate you.” “No, you don’t.” Reyes paused. The phrase hit differently after the conversation she had just had with Panam. Lena was still laughing and missed it. Probably fortunate. Eventually: “So,” Lena said. “Optimistic?” Reyes considered denying it. There was no point. “Prepared.” “Coward.” Reyes smiled. “Optimistic.” Lena pointed at her. “There.” “What?” “That.” “What?” “That stupid little smile.” Reyes immediately stopped smiling. Lena laughed harder. “Panam is doomed.” Reyes looked toward the design display. Her voice, when she answered, was drier. “I wouldn’t go that far.” Lena looked at her for a moment. Then decided, mercifully, not to say what she was thinking. She returned to the garment. Fast-drop changed the engineering. Not the appearance. That was the requirement. No visible release line. No cheap-looking compromise. Nothing that made the outfit read differently before Reyes wanted it to. Lena adjusted internal structure. Reworked closures. Changed how several sections carried load. Reyes watched without pretending to understand all of it. Eventually Lena nodded. “Done.” “That quickly?” “Design. Not fabrication.” “Right.” “You really don’t know anything about clothes.” “I know when they’re in my way.” “I know.” Reyes narrowed her eyes. Lena smiled sweetly. Then opened another blank field. Reyes frowned. “What are you doing?” “Second set.” “No.” Lena continued. “I asked for one.” “I heard you.” “Then stop.” “No.” Reyes stared. Lena started with a much more relaxed silhouette. Daywear. Still Birgitta. Still expensive enough to belong to her. But easier. Less deliberate. Something for daylight rather than entrance. Reyes understood immediately. “No.” Lena did not look up. “Yes.” “I am going on one date.” “Correct.” “Tomorrow evening.” “Also correct.” “So why are you making that?” Lena finally looked at her. “Tomorrow.” Reyes waited. Lena returned to the display. It took Reyes another second. Then: “You bitch.” Lena smiled. “You asked for fast-drop.” “That does not mean—” “Of course not.” “You are making assumptions.” “Absolutely.” “Based on nothing.” “Seventeen messages.” “That is Panam.” “Videos.” “Still Panam.” “You called her cute without using the word.” “I did no such thing.” “You smiled.” “That proves nothing.” “You requested date hair.” “That proves I don’t want to look like I’m working.” “You requested fast-drop.” “That proves—” Lena looked at her. Reyes stopped. “Exactly.” “There is no ‘exactly.’” “Then you won’t need the second outfit.” “I won’t.” “Good.” Lena saved the design. Reyes stared at it. Then at Lena. “How long?” “For both?” “Yes.” “First fitting later tonight. Finished tomorrow with the hair setup.” Reyes nodded. “Fine.” Lena closed several panes. Then added, casually: “And bring the light-brown contacts.” “I have them.” “I know you have them.” “Then why tell me?” “Because people in love forget obvious things.” Reyes froze. Lena froze too. Not because she regretted it. Because Reyes’s expression had become very, very still. “I am not in love.” Lena lifted both hands. “I didn’t say with whom.” “You just—” “I said people in love.” “You were looking at me.” “You were standing in front of me.” Reyes pointed toward the door. “Clothes.” “Tomorrow.” “Hair.” “Tomorrow.” “Nothing else.” Lena’s mouth twitched. “Fast-drop.” Reyes turned and walked out. Lena called after her: “Bring both agents!” Reyes stopped in the doorway. Slowly turned her head. Lena was grinning. Reyes had not mentioned that. Lena looked at the outline of the extra device in Reyes’s jacket pocket. “Oh,” she said softly. That single syllable was unbearable. Reyes left. The door closed behind her. Three steps later, the agent in her pocket vibrated. Not her normal one. Reyes stopped. Pulled it out. Panam. > I know we said tomorrow. A second message arrived. > Just wanted to say goodnight. Reyes stood in the corridor staring at the screen. Then: > And I’m stopping at ONE message this time. Reyes smiled. A fourth message appeared. > Fuck. That was three. Reyes leaned back against the wall, laughing. She typed: > Goodnight, Panam. Then, after a moment: > Four. The reply came immediately. > FUCK YOU <3 Reyes stared at the heart. Her smile softened. > <3 She put the agent back into her pocket. Behind Lena’s closed door, something hit the floor. Then came muffled laughter. Reyes kept walking. “Bitch.” --- # Chapter 4 — Tomorrow Reyes slept badly. Not because she was worried. That would have been easier to explain. She slept badly because every time she started drifting off, some completely unnecessary fragment of Panam’s messages resurfaced. The vending machine. The first video. _I’m bad at this._ The last one. _As me._ _And you._ Then, inevitably: **Be gentle with our lovesick idiot <3** Reyes opened her eyes in the dark. “Fuck you, Sera.” The room did not answer. Which was probably for the best. She rolled over. Closed her eyes again. Five minutes later Birgitta’s agent vibrated on the table. Reyes opened one eye. “No.” It vibrated again. She reached for it anyway. Panam. Of course. > You asleep? Reyes stared at the question. Then at the time. Then back at the question. > Was. The typing indicator appeared immediately. > Shit. Reyes smiled despite herself. > What do you want? Pause. > Nothing. Another. > Sorry. Then: > Go back to sleep. Reyes waited. Three dots appeared. Stopped. Returned. > I’m shutting up now. Reyes laughed quietly into the pillow. > Goodnight, Panam. > Goodnight. A pause. Then: > Tomorrow. Reyes looked at the word. Her smile softened. > Tomorrow. She put the agent back down. This time, sleep came. --- Lena’s message arrived late the following morning. > Fitting. 14:00. Don’t be late. Reyes checked the time. 13:52. “Asshole.” She was already outside Lena’s door. She knocked. The door opened almost immediately. Lena looked her up and down. “You’re early.” “Eight minutes.” “Exactly. Disturbing.” Reyes walked in. The workshop looked different from the night before. Cleaner. Which meant Lena had been working. Two garment forms stood near the center. One held the first outfit. The other— Reyes stopped. Lena saw it. Said nothing. The first outfit drew her attention back. It was exactly what they had discussed. No, better. The silhouette was elegant without looking formal. The lines were clean. Soft enough to feel personal. Controlled enough to remain unmistakably Birgitta. Nothing about it said joytoy. Nothing about it said mercenary. Nothing about it said corporate wife, infiltrator, operator, bodyguard, client entertainment, or any of the other roles Reyes had worn over the years. It said: **date.** Reyes walked around the form once. Lena leaned against the worktable. “Well?” Reyes touched the fabric. “Good.” Lena made a disgusted sound. “Good.” “You know what I mean.” “I worked half the night.” “And you want poetry?” “I want basic human gratitude.” Reyes looked at her. “Thank you.” Lena blinked. “That was unsettling.” “Enjoy it. Won’t happen again.” Lena smiled. “Try it.” Reyes took the outfit. Then pointed at the second form. “No.” Lena did not even look. “Changing room.” “Lena.” “Changing room.” Reyes stared at the second outfit. It was relaxed. Daytime. Still elegant. Still Birgitta. Still very obviously made for a woman who had somewhere pleasant to be the morning after she had supposedly only needed one outfit. Reyes looked back at Lena. Lena looked completely innocent. “Fuck you.” “Changing room.” --- The first outfit fit perfectly. Which Reyes resented on principle. She stepped out. Lena looked up. Stopped. Then nodded once. No joke. That was how Reyes knew it worked. Reyes looked at herself in the mirror. Without the face mesh, contacts, or Birgitta hair, the clothes sat on Reyes rather than on the woman they had been designed for. But she could already see it. The difference. Birgitta working had carried a kind of deliberate premium restraint. The wardrobe had suggested expense, control, confidence. It had framed the woman underneath rather than competing with her. This did something similar. But the intent had changed. Less challenge. More invitation. Reyes turned slightly. The fabric moved well. Nothing pulled. Nothing announced its construction. She looked at Lena through the mirror. “Fast-drop?” Lena’s mouth twitched. “Hidden.” “Show me.” Lena came closer. “Here.” One subtle release. Then another. Reyes watched the structure change. Not collapse. Release. Controlled. Quick. Reversible only with time and effort. Exactly right. Reyes looked at Lena. “That’s unfairly good.” “There’s the gratitude.” “Don’t ruin it.” Lena demonstrated the final part. Reyes looked back at the mirror. Then slowly smiled. Lena caught it immediately. “There it is again.” “What?” “That smile.” Reyes stopped. “You’re seeing things.” “Of course.” “You should get your eyes checked.” “Panam will like it.” Reyes’s expression shifted before she could stop it. Lena saw that too. “Wow.” “Lena.” “No, really.” “What?” “You care.” Reyes turned away from the mirror. “I am going on a date.” “That is not what I said.” Reyes started changing the subject. “What about the hair?” Lena let her. Mostly. “Sit.” --- The ChromeLock v2 setup took longer than Reyes expected. Not because it was difficult. Because Lena was intolerably precise. She worked through several shape tests. Rejected one after another. Too polished. Too severe. Too close to working Birgitta. Too much volume. Too little movement. Reyes sat through all of it with increasing impatience. “Are we done?” “No.” “Now?” “No.” “Now?” Lena stopped. “Do you want to look good?” “Yes.” “Then shut up.” Reyes did. For almost thirty seconds. Lena worked. Muted copper-grey settled into place gradually. The familiar Birgitta color returned. But the structure changed everything. Softer around the face. Less deliberate symmetry. Enough movement to catch light differently when Reyes turned her head. Still controlled. Still durable. But unmistakably personal. Lena stepped back. Reyes looked in the mirror. And there she was. Not fully. Not yet. Reyes’s own face. Reyes’s own eyes. Reyes’s natural voice if she spoke. But the hair shifted the outline enough that Birgitta was already beginning to appear. Reyes stared longer than intended. Lena folded her arms. “Date hair.” Reyes looked at her. “Don’t.” “Just confirming.” “You confirmed yesterday.” “Still true today.” Reyes looked back at the mirror. “Yeah.” A small pause. “Date hair.” Lena smiled. Not the teasing one. Something warmer. “Good.” --- The contacts came next. Reyes had brought them. Of course. Very light brown. She put them in herself. The change was immediate. Not dramatic. But enough. Lena watched. “Better.” “Obviously.” “Face mesh tonight?” “Yes.” “And Victor?” “After this.” Lena nodded. “Voice only?” “Voice only.” “Good.” No confusion. No unnecessary rebuild. Birgitta already existed. All Reyes needed from Victor was the one component that could not simply be taken off at the end of the evening. The voice. Lena glanced toward the second outfit. “Try that too.” “No.” “Reyes.” “I’m not staying two days.” Lena looked at her. Reyes looked back. Neither moved. Finally Lena said: “I didn’t say two days.” “You made a second-day outfit.” “I made an outfit.” “For tomorrow.” “For daylight.” “After the date.” “Potentially.” Reyes crossed her arms. “You’re enjoying this far too much.” “Yes.” “Fine.” “Fine?” “I’ll try it.” Lena’s smile widened. Reyes pointed. “That proves nothing.” “Of course.” --- The second outfit fit just as well. Worse, in fact. Because it looked natural. Not like an emergency backup. Not like something packed because Reyes had decided in advance how the night would end. Just clothes. Comfortable. Attractive. Easy. Something Birgitta might wear for coffee. Lunch. Walking. Nothing in particular. Reyes looked at herself. Then at Lena. “You planned this.” “Yes.” “You’re impossible.” “Yes.” “What if I don’t need it?” “Then you bring it back unworn.” “And you won’t say anything?” Lena thought. “No.” “Of course.” “I’ll say several things.” Reyes sighed. The agent vibrated in the pocket of her discarded jacket. Both women looked toward it. Silence. Lena slowly turned her head back. Reyes said: “Don’t.” “I haven’t done anything.” “You’re about to.” “I’m standing here.” Reyes went to the jacket. Birgitta’s agent. Panam. One message. > How nervous are you allowed to be before it becomes embarrassing? Reyes stared. Lena could not see the screen. But she could see Reyes’s face. “Oh.” Reyes looked up. “Don’t.” “That’s Panam.” “You don’t know that.” “Your normal agent makes you look annoyed.” Reyes glanced at the other device. “That is slander.” “The second one makes you look like that.” “Like what?” Lena smiled. “Like you’re trying not to smile.” Reyes looked back at the message. Unfortunately, Lena was correct. She typed: > Depends. How nervous are you? Three dots. > Hypothetically? Reyes: > Coward. Panam: > Pretty nervous. Reyes’s expression softened. She typed: > Good. Pause. > GOOD? Reyes laughed. Lena shook her head. “What are you doing to her?” “Nothing.” The next message arrived. > Why is that good? Reyes considered. Then: > Because I am too. Silence. Longer than expected. Reyes waited. Then: > Oh. Another. > That actually helps. Reyes smiled. > Thought it might. Panam: > See you tonight. Reyes: > See you tonight. She put the agent away. Lena was watching. “What?” “Nothing.” “Bullshit.” Lena smiled. “You’re both doomed.” Reyes rolled her eyes. “Clothes.” “Packed.” “Hair?” “Locked.” “Second outfit?” “Also packed.” “I didn’t ask—” “You’re taking it.” Reyes looked at the bag. Then at Lena. Then, without another argument, picked it up. Lena noticed that too. Wisely, she said nothing. For almost five seconds. “Have fun.” Reyes stopped at the door. Looked back. Lena’s expression had lost the teasing edge. She meant it. Reyes nodded. “I plan to.” Lena smiled. “I know.” --- Victor took one look at Reyes’s hair and contacts and said: “Date?” Reyes stopped. “Is everyone in this city unbearable?” Victor’s mouth moved slightly. “Mostly.” Reyes sat. “Voice only.” “I know.” “You do?” “You still have the mesh.” “Yes.” “Contacts.” “Yes.” “Hair is Lena.” “Yes.” Victor gestured at the chair. “Then voice.” Simple. Exactly as it should be. No rebuilt face. No unnecessary procedure. No reinvention. Just the temporary voice biosculpt. Victor worked with the same calm precision he brought to everything else. Reyes hated medical waiting. This was not really medical waiting. Still hated it. “How long?” Victor did not look up. “You know how long.” “I’m checking.” “You’re impatient.” “Yes.” “Date.” Reyes glared at him. Victor continued working. “Everyone knows?” “No.” “Mm.” “Lena knows.” “Lena always knows.” “That is unfortunately true.” Victor finished the last adjustment. “Say something.” Reyes did. The voice that came out was not hers. Higher. Brighter. Lighter on the edges. Birgitta. Stable. Effortless. Reyes did not need to hold it. Did not need to think about pitch. Did not need to remember who she was supposed to sound like. She simply spoke. “Well?” Victor nodded. “Still works.” Reyes heard the voice. And smiled. Birgitta smiled in the mirror. Victor saw it. “Have fun.” Reyes stood. “Apparently that’s today’s theme.” “Could be worse.” “Yes.” She picked up Lena’s bag. Victor looked at it. “Overnight?” Reyes stared. Victor raised one hand. “Didn’t ask.” “Good.” Reyes left. Victor waited until the door closed. Then smiled. --- Outside, Birgitta’s agent vibrated. Panam. Reyes opened it while walking. > I changed restaurants twice. Birgitta smiled. > Why? > First one was too loud. Another message. > Second one looked like it was trying too hard. Reyes stopped walking. Panam remembered. **City mornings all look like they’re trying too hard.** The line from nearly a week ago. Reyes looked at the message. Then typed: > And the third? Panam: > Good food. > Walkable area. Then: > And Sera said I was being an idiot and made me stop changing it. Reyes laughed. > Listen to Sera. > Absolutely not. > Sensible. > I have standards. Reyes kept walking. > See you soon. The reply came almost immediately. > See you soon <3 Reyes looked at the heart. Then at her reflection in the dark glass of a parked car as she passed. Muted copper-grey hair. Very light brown eyes. Birgitta’s voice waiting behind her teeth. Date clothes in Lena’s bag. A completely unnecessary second outfit beneath them. Reyes smiled at herself. “No pressure.” Birgitta’s voice made the lie sound almost cheerful. --- # Chapter 5 — Two Women Waiting Birgitta saw Panam before Panam saw her. That was the first problem. The second problem was Sera. Reyes slowed by half a step. Not enough to look uncertain. Enough to register the scene properly. Panam stood near the entrance of the restaurant, one hand in a jacket pocket, the other holding her agent. She looked— nervous. Really nervous. Not the performative kind. Not the exaggerated irritation she used when she knew people were watching and wanted them to stop. Actual nerves. The kind that made her shift her weight every few seconds. Check the street. Check the agent. Look at the door. Look away. Then back again. Sera stood beside her. Calm. Hands loose. Expression entirely too peaceful. Birgitta stopped just outside the flow of pedestrians. “Oh, you have got to be kidding me.” Sera looked up first. Of course she did. Their eyes met across the distance. One second. That was all it took. Sera saw Birgitta. Saw the hair. The softened ChromeLock shape. The date outfit. The fact that Reyes had actually gone through with it. Her mouth moved. Just slightly. No smile yet. No betrayal. Just recognition. Then Sera’s gaze shifted toward Panam. Back to Birgitta. And there it was. That tiny, infuriating look. **Be gentle with our lovesick idiot <3** Reyes almost laughed. Almost. Panam turned. Everything else disappeared from her face. The nerves. The impatience. The restless checking. Gone. She simply stared. Birgitta kept walking. Panam did not move. Sera watched the whole thing. Of course she did. Birgitta came closer. Ten meters. Six. Four. Panam finally remembered that humans were expected to do something when someone approached them. She straightened. Then immediately looked like she regretted straightening because now it was obvious she had been nervous. Birgitta’s smile widened. “Hi.” Panam blinked. “Hi.” Sera looked between them. Birgitta looked at Sera. Then at Panam. Then back at Sera. There was a small pause. Panam noticed it. “What?” Both women answered at the same time. “Nothing.” Panam narrowed her eyes. Birgitta smiled sweetly. Sera looked innocent. Neither expression was remotely convincing. Panam pointed between them. “No.” Birgitta tilted her head. “No?” “You two just did something.” Sera: “We looked at each other.” “That was not normal looking.” Birgitta: “Maybe you’ve forgotten what normal looks like.” Panam turned to her. “That took twelve seconds.” Birgitta’s smile sharpened. “Twelve?” Panam opened her mouth. Closed it. Sera’s shoulders moved once. Very slightly. Panam saw it. “Don’t you fucking start.” “I didn’t say anything.” “You’re laughing.” “I’m breathing.” “That is not how you breathe.” Sera finally smiled. Warmly. Not mockingly. Which somehow made Panam more suspicious. Birgitta watched them both. The nerves were already easing. Good. That had been part of the problem with seeing Panam waiting. She had looked so painfully uncertain that Reyes had felt an immediate, almost physical urge to fix it. Sera had apparently been doing that for a while. Panam looked at Birgitta again. This time more carefully. Her eyes moved over the hair. The face. The clothes. Then returned to Birgitta’s eyes. “You look…” She stopped. Birgitta waited. Panam tried again. “You look really good.” Birgitta’s smile softened. “Thank you.” Sera watched Panam attempt not to look overwhelmed by the fact that Birgitta had simply accepted the compliment instead of turning it into a joke. It lasted perhaps three seconds. Then Birgitta said: “You changed restaurants twice.” Panam closed her eyes. “Fuck.” Sera laughed. Panam looked at her. “You told her?” “No.” Birgitta lifted her agent slightly. “You did.” Panam looked betrayed by technology. “I was explaining.” “You were spiraling.” “I was not spiraling.” Sera: “You absolutely were.” Panam turned. “Whose side are you on?” Sera considered. “Tonight?” “Yes.” Sera looked at Birgitta. Then at Panam. “Mine.” Birgitta laughed. Panam looked wounded. “That wasn’t one of the options.” “It should always be an option.” Sera stepped closer to Panam. The shift was subtle. Affection replacing teasing. She touched Panam’s arm. Then leaned in and kissed her. Warm. Familiar. Nothing performative. Panam relaxed under it immediately. When Sera pulled back, she kept her forehead close for a second. “Have a good night.” Panam nodded. “You too.” “I will.” Sera’s eyes moved to Birgitta. There was the smallest pause. Enough to make the next line dangerous. “Take care of her.” Panam’s head snapped around. “Sera.” Birgitta nearly choked. Sera’s expression remained perfectly calm. “What?” Panam looked between them again. Birgitta raised both hands. “I’m not involved in this.” “You are literally the reason this is happening.” “Fair.” Sera laughed. Then stepped toward Birgitta. Publicly, they were still what everyone else believed them to be. A premium joytoy and an artist with a complicated social orbit. Nothing more. Nothing that suggested Sera knew exactly who was under the face mesh. She gave Birgitta a brief hug. Warm enough to be genuine. Short enough to mean nothing suspicious. Her voice, when she spoke near Birgitta’s ear, was low enough that Panam could not hear. “Gentle.” Birgitta’s eyes narrowed. Sera stepped back before Reyes could answer. Panam: “What did she say?” Birgitta: “Classified.” Panam stared. Sera smiled. “Have fun.” Then she turned and walked away. Panam watched her go. Looked at Birgitta. Looked after Sera again. Then back. “She is absolutely plotting something.” Birgitta smiled. “Probably.” “That doesn’t bother you?” “No.” “It should.” “Why?” “Because she’s Sera.” Birgitta laughed. Panam stared at her again. Longer this time. Not just taking in the appearance now. Listening to the voice. Watching the smile. The way Birgitta held herself. Reyes could feel the moment Panam’s nervousness returned. Not all of it. Enough. Birgitta stepped a little closer. “Hey.” Panam looked at her. “Hey.” “Breathe.” Panam immediately frowned. “I am breathing.” “Not convincingly.” “That’s contagious.” “What is?” “People telling me I’m bad at normal human functions.” Birgitta’s smile widened. “Maybe there’s a pattern.” Panam groaned. “Okay. I’m leaving.” “You spent six days getting me here.” “Five and a half.” “Seventeen messages.” “Fuck you.” Birgitta laughed. There. Panam relaxed again. A little. Birgitta could almost see the tension leaving her shoulders. Panam looked toward the restaurant entrance. Then back to Birgitta. “I made a reservation.” “Good start.” “They have actual food.” “Luxury.” “Chairs.” “Now you’re showing off.” “Plates.” Birgitta placed one hand against her chest. “Panam. Slow down. I’m overwhelmed.” Panam laughed. Really laughed. Not nervous. Not embarrassed. Reyes felt something inside her ease. Good. This was better. Panam reached toward the door. Then stopped. Her hand hovered uselessly in the air. She glanced at Birgitta. Reyes saw the decision happen. Not dramatic. Not brave. Just a tiny recalculation. Panam moved her hand away from the door. Toward Birgitta. Stopped again. Birgitta looked down. Then up at her. Panam immediately looked annoyed at herself. “I was going to—” Birgitta took her hand. Panam stopped talking. Her fingers closed automatically. Warm. Firm. Birgitta looked at her. Panam looked back. Something passed between them. Nothing complicated. No grand declaration. Just recognition. Panam’s mouth softened into a smile. “Okay.” Birgitta squeezed her hand. “Okay.” They walked inside together. --- The restaurant was better than Reyes expected. That was the first surprise. The second was that Panam had clearly researched it. Not obsessively. Probably. But enough. Quiet enough to talk. Busy enough not to feel intimate in a way that would make the first fifteen minutes impossible. Good sightlines. No obnoxious music. Warm lighting. Food that smelled like actual food. Birgitta glanced around. Then at Panam. “You did plan this.” Panam looked innocent. “No.” “You changed restaurants twice.” “That proves nothing.” “You knew exactly where we were going when we came through the door.” “I can read signs.” “You’re adorable when you lie badly.” Panam nearly walked into the host. Birgitta bit the inside of her cheek. The host pretended not to notice. Professional. Wise. They were shown to a table near the side wall. Not hidden. Not central. Panam waited for Birgitta to sit. Reyes noticed. Of course she noticed. Then Panam sat opposite. For the first time since Sera left, there was nowhere for either of them to look except at each other. The silence lasted two seconds. Three. Panam picked up the menu. Birgitta picked up hers. Neither read. Panam looked over the top. Birgitta was already looking back. Panam lowered the menu. “This is weird.” Birgitta smiled. “Bad weird?” “No.” “Good weird?” Panam considered. “Nervous weird.” Birgitta put the menu down. “Same.” Panam blinked. “You?” “Yes.” “But you don’t look nervous.” “I’m talented.” Panam laughed. “That’s bullshit.” “Mostly.” There was a pause. Then Panam’s expression changed. Softer. “Seriously?” Birgitta nodded. “Seriously.” Something in Panam relaxed again. “Okay.” “Does that help?” “A little.” “Good.” Panam looked down at the menu. Then back up. “Why are you nervous?” Reyes had expected the question. She had not expected to want to answer honestly. Birgitta traced one finger slowly along the edge of the menu. “Because this is different.” Panam watched her. “From the booking.” “Yes.” No euphemism needed. No embarrassment. They both knew what had happened. Birgitta continued. “That had rules.” Panam nodded. “This doesn’t.” “Scary?” Birgitta smiled. “A little.” Panam’s mouth twitched. “Good.” Birgitta raised an eyebrow. “Good?” Panam smiled now. “Now I know what you meant.” Reyes laughed. “Fair.” They finally looked at the menus. Actually looked. For perhaps thirty seconds. Panam: “You like spicy food.” Birgitta looked over the edge of hers. “I answered that.” “I know.” “You asked twice.” “I was verifying.” “Terrible recovery.” Panam ignored that. “This one.” She pointed at something. Birgitta leaned over enough to see. Panam’s eyes flicked toward her face. Then quickly down. Reyes saw it. Said nothing. “Looks good.” “It is.” “You’ve been here?” “Once.” “With Sera?” “No.” Panam looked at her. “Why did you say it like that?” “Like what?” “Like I was checking whether this was secretly your place with Sera.” Birgitta smiled. “Were you?” “No.” Pause. “Maybe.” Reyes felt warmth spread through her chest. Not jealousy. Not possessiveness. Something more innocent. Panam wanted this to belong to them. At least tonight. Birgitta closed the menu. “Then no.” Panam waited. “Not with Sera.” Something visibly pleased her. “Good.” Birgitta looked at her. “Panam.” “What?” “You’re smiling.” “I’m allowed.” “I didn’t say you weren’t.” Panam tried to stop. Failed. Birgitta smiled too. Two lovesick idiots. Sera would have been unbearable if she were still there. Reyes was suddenly very grateful that she wasn’t. And, somewhere across Night City, Sera probably knew that too. --- # Chapter 6 — Dinner The food helped. Not because either of them had been starving. Because menus, plates, ordering, glasses, small choices—ordinary things—gave the evening something to stand on. Panam relaxed when she had something practical to do. Reyes noticed almost immediately. She also noticed Panam was trying very hard not to make every decision for both of them. That was new. Not completely. Panam was perfectly capable of compromise when she wanted to be. But tonight she was visibly checking herself. “Do you want to share that?” Birgitta looked at the dish Panam was indicating. Then at Panam. “You’re asking.” Panam frowned. “Yes.” “Just observing.” “You’re being weird.” “I’m appreciating growth.” Panam stared at her. Birgitta smiled. “Share it.” “Good.” Panam reached for the ordering interface. Stopped. Looked back. “You do like spicy.” Reyes laughed. “We have established this.” “Twice.” “Three times now.” “I’m thorough.” “You’re nervous.” Panam glared. Birgitta grinned. That was becoming a rhythm. Panam tried to regain control. Birgitta nudged her. Panam swore. Birgitta laughed. And somewhere in the middle of that, the nerves stopped owning the table. Not disappeared. Just— stopped being in charge. When the first drinks arrived, Panam took hers and leaned back. Birgitta watched her. “What?” “Nothing.” “That is never true.” Birgitta took a sip. “You look better.” Panam looked down at herself. “What was wrong before?” “Too much tension.” “I was fine.” “You were checking the door every twelve seconds.” Panam’s eyes narrowed. “You counted?” “Occupational hazard.” “Which occupation?” Reyes paused. It was tiny. A fraction. Panam did not catch it. Birgitta smiled. “The one where I pay attention.” Panam considered that. Then nodded. “Fair.” Reyes filed the moment away. Not because it had been dangerous. Because it had reminded her how easy it would be to forget. Panam knew Reyes. Panam knew Birgitta. Panam believed they were different women. And Reyes had spent years making sure she could live inside a cover without becoming careless. Tonight was not the night to stop. Panam tapped one finger against the side of her glass. “So.” Birgitta waited. “What do you normally do?” Reyes smiled. “That question is very broad.” “I know.” “Dangerous.” “Probably.” “Specifics?” Panam sighed. “When you’re not working.” Birgitta tilted her head. “You mean when I’m not charging twenty-five-thousand-and-one?” Panam laughed. “Still ridiculous.” “Still one more.” “That is not a personality.” “It is now.” “No.” “Absolutely.” Panam shook her head. Then looked at her again. “Seriously.” Reyes considered. How much truth could Birgitta carry? A lot. That had always been one of the strengths of a good cover. False lives became fragile when every detail had to be invented. Better to build around truth. Shift context. Change emphasis. Move ownership. Keep the emotional core real. Birgitta answered. “I like walking.” Panam waited. “Night?” “Usually.” “City?” “Depends.” “Music?” “Yes.” “That answer is useless.” “You asked whether I like music.” Panam pointed at her. “You know what I meant.” Birgitta smiled. “Some old rock. Some synth. Things with actual rhythm.” Panam nodded. “Good.” “Good?” “I was worried.” “About what?” Panam looked deeply serious. “That you listened to corpo lounge shit.” Reyes laughed loud enough that the woman at the next table glanced over. “Jesus Christ.” “I’m serious.” “I can see that.” “I would have had to leave.” “Really?” “No.” Panam’s expression softened. “Probably not.” That tiny correction landed harder than it should have. Reyes took another drink. “What about you?” Panam shrugged. “You know.” “I know some things.” “Like?” “You hate waiting.” “True.” “You hate people telling you what to do.” “Usually.” “You love vehicles.” “Obviously.” “You like spicy food.” “That’s mine.” “You asked me three times. It became ours.” Panam smiled. “Fine.” Birgitta continued. “You care about people more than you like admitting.” Panam’s smile faded. Not negatively. Just— caught. Reyes saw it. Panam looked down at her glass. “That was fast.” “What was?” “You making things weirdly personal.” Birgitta leaned back. “You asked.” “I know.” Panam looked at her again. “Keep going.” Reyes paused. There were limits. Not because Birgitta could not read Panam. Because Reyes could. Very well. Better than Birgitta should. She chose carefully. “You get loud when you’re worried.” Panam snorted. “That’s not a secret.” “You get quieter when it matters.” Panam stopped. There. Too close? Reyes waited. Panam studied her. “People usually say the opposite.” “People usually stop listening when you get loud.” That held the table still for a few seconds. Panam looked at her differently. Not suspicious. Seen. Reyes felt it happen. That was more dangerous. Panam finally said: “You’re good at reading people.” Birgitta smiled lightly. “I charge extra.” Panam laughed. Tension broken. Good. Necessary. But not erased. Something had changed. Their food arrived. Conversation shifted with it. Easier topics. Places. Bad meals. Worse clients. Good coffee. Terrible coffee. Panam became animated telling a story about an Aldecaldo cookout that had nearly become a fire because someone had decided engine degreaser was “probably close enough” to lighter fluid. Birgitta stared at her. “You’re lying.” “I wish.” “Who?” Panam grinned. “I’m not saying.” “Mitch.” “Not Mitch.” “Scorpion?” A pause. Panam looked down. The grin softened. Reyes saw the name land. She did not push. Panam looked back. “Someone else.” Birgitta nodded. “Okay.” No apology. No sudden sympathy. No attempt to rescue the moment. Just space. Panam noticed. Reyes knew she noticed. A few seconds later Panam continued the story. Different person. Different detail. The mood recovered on its own. That mattered. More than Reyes expected. By the time the main plates were mostly empty, Panam had stopped checking anything except Birgitta. Her agent had not come out once. Reyes realized hers had not either. That, somehow, felt significant. Panam leaned back. “Can I ask something rude?” Birgitta smiled. “You haven’t needed permission so far.” “Fair.” Panam hesitated. “How much of you is work?” Reyes went still inside. Outside, Birgitta only raised an eyebrow. Panam immediately clarified. “I mean…” She gestured vaguely. “This.” Birgitta waited. “The confidence.” “The flirting.” “The…” Panam searched for the word. “Brightness.” Reyes almost smiled. That was good. Accurate. Panam continued. “Is that all part of the job?” Birgitta considered the question carefully. This one deserved truth. “Some of it gets louder when I’m working.” Panam nodded. “But it’s still you.” “Yes.” No hesitation. That was important. Panam looked relieved. Reyes noticed. “Why?” Panam shrugged. “Didn’t want to find out I liked someone who only existed when the meter was running.” There it was. Soft. Unprotected. Reyes felt something squeeze tight in her chest. Birgitta leaned forward slightly. “The meter isn’t running.” Panam’s eyes met hers. “I know.” “And I’m still here.” Panam held her gaze. Long enough. Long enough that the rest of the restaurant disappeared around them for a moment. Then Panam smiled. Small. Real. “Yeah.” Birgitta smiled back. “Yeah.” The server appeared beside them with perfect professional timing. Dessert? Panam looked at Birgitta. Birgitta looked at Panam. Panam: “Do you want dessert?” Birgitta: “Do you?” “I asked first.” “Coward.” Panam grinned. “Share one?” Birgitta nodded. “Fine.” The server left. Panam leaned closer across the table. “You know what I like?” Birgitta raised an eyebrow. “This could go very wrong.” “You’re different tonight.” Reyes stayed still. Panam continued before the thought could become dangerous. “Not like a different person.” Good. “But… softer.” Reyes felt herself breathe again. “Maybe I’m not working.” Panam smiled. “That’s what I mean.” Birgitta looked down at her hands. Then back. “Maybe you’re different too.” Panam frowned. “How?” “Less armor.” That one hit. Panam’s expression changed. Not defensive. Thoughtful. “You always talk like this?” “Only when people ask rude questions.” Panam laughed. “Fine.” Then, quieter: “I like it.” Reyes looked at her. Panam held the gaze. No joke this time. “I like you like this.” Reyes could have answered as Birgitta. Could have flirted. Could have leaned into the role. Instead, something more Reyes came out. Simple. Direct. “I like you like this too.” Panam’s face softened. Completely. And there it was again. That look. The one from the videos. The one that made Reyes understand why Sera had used the word _lovesick_ without hesitation. Panam looked at her like she had been hoping for that answer all week. Reyes suddenly wished Sera were not so good at being right. Dessert arrived. Neither of them touched it immediately. Panam finally looked down. Then laughed under her breath. “What?” “Nothing.” “That is still never true.” Panam picked up a spoon. “I’m just trying very hard not to say something stupid.” Birgitta smiled. “Why stop now?” Panam pointed the spoon at her. “This is why I sent seventeen messages.” “Because I’m charming?” “Because you’re impossible.” Reyes laughed. They shared dessert. Actually shared it. One plate. Two spoons. And by the end, Panam had stopped pretending not to watch Birgitta’s mouth when she smiled. Reyes had stopped pretending not to notice. The bill arrived. Panam reached for it first. Birgitta watched. Panam looked up. “No.” “I didn’t say anything.” “You were about to.” “I was going to offer.” “No.” “Panam.” “This was my invitation.” Birgitta raised an eyebrow. “Are you trying to impress me?” “Yes.” The honesty was so immediate Reyes laughed. Panam grinned. “Working?” “A little.” “Good.” Panam paid. No negotiation. Reyes let her. That mattered too. Not because of money. Because Panam had wanted this. Planned it. Invited her. And Reyes could let her have that. They stood. For a brief moment, neither moved toward the door. Panam looked at her. “So.” Birgitta smiled. “So.” “We could…” Panam glanced outside through the glass. “Walk?” Reyes felt the answer before she gave it. “Yes.” Panam smiled. Relieved. Happy. Still nervous. Still adorable. “Good.” They stepped outside together. Night City opened around them. Noise. Light. Warm air trapped between towers. Traffic moving in bright lines. People everywhere. No reservation now. No table. No structure. Just the city. Panam looked at Birgitta. Birgitta looked back. Neither of them seemed in any hurry to go home. --- # Chapter 7 — No Hurry They walked without deciding where. That was the first thing Reyes noticed. Panam did not immediately pick a direction. Did not announce a destination. Did not say _I know a place_ or _come on_ or _this way_. She just stepped out into the Night City evening beside Birgitta and let the crowd take them for half a block. Reyes liked that. More than she expected. The restaurant district was still busy. Not packed. Alive. People moving between bars, small clubs, late cafés, noodle stalls, galleries, storefronts, whatever pieces of the city had managed to stay lit and solvent for another night. Traffic painted the street in moving color. Advertisements climbed the sides of buildings. Somewhere above them, something enormous hummed past between towers. Panam looked up once. Then at Birgitta. “Too loud?” Reyes blinked. “What?” “The city.” Birgitta smiled. “You ask that like you didn’t choose the restaurant.” “I chose the restaurant.” “And the district.” Panam shrugged. “Maybe.” “You researched walking routes.” “I did not.” “You changed restaurants twice.” “That keeps coming up.” “For a reason.” Panam gave her a sideways look. Birgitta grinned. They kept walking. For a while they talked about nothing important. The restaurant. The dessert. The fact Panam had apparently considered three different dessert places before deciding that planning dessert in advance made her look insane. Birgitta told her that the seventeen messages had already established that. Panam told her to go fuck herself. Birgitta said dinner was over so perhaps now the timing was better. Panam nearly walked into a streetlight. Reyes laughed so hard she had to stop. Panam stopped too. “Are you done?” “No.” “Great.” “Almost.” “Take your time.” “That makes it worse.” “Good.” Reyes straightened. Wiped at the corner of one eye. “You really are terrible at being normal about this.” Panam looked at her. Then, surprisingly: “Yeah.” No defense. No irritation. Just acceptance. Birgitta’s smile softened. “That’s okay.” Panam looked ahead. “Easy for you to say.” “Why?” “You’re good at this.” “At what?” Panam gestured vaguely between them. “This.” Reyes tilted her head. “Walking?” “Being…” Panam frowned. “Calm.” Reyes almost laughed. Didn’t. Because she was not calm. Not really. She was better at looking calm. That was different. “You think I’m calm?” “You look calm.” “Useful distinction.” Panam glanced at her. “Meaning?” Birgitta smiled. “Meaning maybe I’m better at hiding it.” That got Panam’s attention. “You’re still nervous?” “Yes.” “Why?” “Still the same reasons.” Panam looked forward again. The corners of her mouth moved. “Good.” Birgitta laughed. “Again?” “Now I know what it means.” “Which is?” Panam looked at her. “That you care how this goes.” Reyes felt the answer land before she had time to protect herself from it. She looked away toward the street. Not because Panam had said anything dangerous. Because she had said something true. “Maybe.” Panam smiled. “You do.” “Confident.” “Working on it.” They crossed another block. A small group spilled laughing out of a bar ahead of them. Panam moved slightly closer to Birgitta without thinking. Not touching. Just making space. Reyes noticed. Of course she did. Birgitta let their shoulders brush once. Panam looked at her. Birgitta looked innocent. Panam did not believe her. Good. A few minutes later they stopped at a street stall selling something hot and fried that smelled much better than it probably was. Panam looked at it. Birgitta looked at Panam. “You’re still hungry?” “No.” “Then why are you staring?” “I can appreciate things without needing them.” “That sounded suspiciously philosophical.” “I contain multitudes.” Birgitta laughed. Panam bought one anyway. Not for herself. For both of them. They stood near the stall sharing it between bites. It was too hot. Panam burned her tongue. Birgitta laughed. Panam swore at the food. The vendor ignored both of them. Perfectly normal. Reyes found herself thinking that this was the part she had not anticipated. Dinner, yes. Flirting, obviously. Sexual tension, inevitable. But this? Standing under cheap street lighting while Panam complained that food had betrayed her? This was worse. Much worse. Because she liked it. There was no performance required. No careful room-reading. No social objective. No booking clock. No client. Just Panam. Just Birgitta. And, inconveniently, Reyes underneath enjoying all of it. Panam finished the last bite. Birgitta looked at the empty wrapper. “You bought that for both of us.” “I know.” “You ate most of it.” “You were talking.” “That’s theft.” “You had your chance.” “I trusted you.” “First mistake.” Birgitta smiled. “Noted.” They started walking again. The streets narrowed farther from the main restaurant strip. Less traffic. More foot traffic. More small venues. Less polished advertising. More local signs. The kind of part of Night City that had probably been rebuilt six times and still looked like it had been there forever. Panam’s hand brushed Birgitta’s once. Accidental. Neither reacted. A few steps later, again. This time Panam noticed. Reyes saw her look down. Then forward. Then at Birgitta. Birgitta said nothing. Panam looked away. They walked another half block. A crossing signal changed ahead. The crowd moved. A vehicle came through faster than it should have from the side street. Panam’s hand caught Birgitta’s. Immediate. Automatic. She pulled her half a step closer as they crossed. Not dramatic. Not necessary, really. But instinctive. They reached the other side. Kept walking. Panam did not let go. Reyes noticed immediately. She waited. Five steps. Ten. Panam’s thumb moved once against the side of Birgitta’s hand. Then Panam looked down. Stopped. Birgitta stopped with her. Panam stared at their hands. Then up. Reyes raised one eyebrow. Panam opened her mouth. Nothing came out. Birgitta waited. Panam looked down again. “I…” Birgitta’s smile was very small. “Yes?” Panam exhaled through her nose. “I forgot.” “To let go?” “Yeah.” Birgitta looked at their hands. Then back at her. Panam’s expression had gone cautious again. Not frightened. Just asking without asking. Reyes could have made it easy. Instead she squeezed Panam’s hand. Once. Panam’s eyes softened. “Oh.” Birgitta smiled. “You can keep it.” Panam laughed. Not loudly. Something quieter. Warmer. “Generous.” “I’m known for it.” “Twenty-five-thousand-and-one says otherwise.” “That’s business.” Panam looked at her. “This isn’t.” Reyes held her gaze. “No.” Panam’s fingers tightened slightly around hers. They started walking again. Still holding hands. Neither mentioned it. That made it better. For the next several blocks, the city changed around them without mattering very much. Panam pointed out a ridiculous custom bike parked badly near a curb. Birgitta criticized the paint. Panam defended the engine. Birgitta said the engine could not save the paint. Panam said she was shallow. Birgitta said she had standards. Panam reminded her that she had laughed at a broken vending machine. Birgitta told her that was culture. Panam laughed. Their hands stayed together. At one point Panam shifted their grip more comfortably. Reyes felt it. That tiny adjustment. Not accidental anymore. Chosen. Something in her chest tightened. Not unpleasantly. Just enough to make her aware of it. Panam glanced over. “What?” Birgitta shook her head. “Nothing.” “That’s my line now.” “You don’t own it.” “I’ve used it more.” “Poorly.” Panam smiled. Then looked ahead. After another moment: “I’m glad you came.” Birgitta looked at her. No teasing this time. Panam did not look back immediately. “I know I already said that.” “You did.” “I mean it.” “I know.” Panam finally looked. Birgitta smiled. “I’m glad too.” Panam nodded once. Their hands tightened again. The street opened into a wider pedestrian space ahead. Music carried faintly from somewhere farther along. Not club music. Something live. Or recorded too well to sound synthetic. Panam slowed slightly. Birgitta followed her gaze. A small crowd moved through the entrance of a converted industrial building. Light spilled out across the pavement. Several people stood outside talking. Reyes recognized the style of signage before she read the name. Artist event. Panam looked at Birgitta. Then at the entrance. Then back. Birgitta understood before she asked. “Sera?” Panam nodded. “Yeah.” There was something cautious in it. Not because she thought Birgitta would object. Because she did not want the evening to stop being theirs. Reyes understood that too. “We don’t have to.” Panam glanced at the entrance. “She’d kill me if she found out I walked past.” Birgitta laughed. “That sounds like Sera.” “Also…” Panam looked at Birgitta. “She’d probably like you seeing it.” Reyes almost smiled at the phrasing. Sera would indeed like Birgitta seeing it. For several reasons. Most of them dangerous to Panam’s dignity. Birgitta squeezed her hand. “Come on.” Panam looked down at their joined hands. Then smiled. “Yeah?” “Yeah.” They crossed toward the entrance. Still holding hands. Neither of them noticed when Panam moved a little closer. Neither of them needed to. Inside, somewhere beyond the doors, Sera was about to have a very good evening. --- # Chapter 8 — Sera’s Night Sera saw them before Panam saw her. That alone was funny. The event had settled into the kind of rhythm she liked best. Not launch-night chaos. Not the crowded pressure of people arriving all at once. A steady flow. Small groups moving between pieces. Conversations forming and dissolving naturally. Someone laughing near the back wall. Someone arguing softly about color temperature near a sculpture that absolutely did not care. A collector she knew by face but not name talking too loudly to someone who clearly regretted engaging. Normal. Good. Her kind of evening. Sera stood near the side of the main room with a glass in one hand, listening to a woman explain what she thought one of the newer pieces meant. Sera nodded. Asked one question. Let the woman answer herself. Then looked past her shoulder. And stopped listening for exactly half a second. Panam had just walked through the door. Holding Birgitta’s hand. Sera’s entire evening improved. Not visibly. She had standards. But internally— **oh, you poor fucking idiot.** Panam looked different. Not visually. Not much. But the tension she had carried earlier while waiting outside was gone. Mostly. Her shoulders were lower. Her expression less guarded. She was walking closer to Birgitta than she normally walked beside anyone in public unless there was a tactical reason. There was no tactical reason. Birgitta looked equally comfortable. Too comfortable. That was worse. Sera knew exactly who she was looking at. Reyes under the face mesh. Reyes behind the brighter voice. Reyes who had apparently decided that date hair was now a thing. Sera almost smiled. Almost. The woman in front of her continued talking. Sera returned her attention. “Sorry.” The woman blinked. “For what?” “Nothing.” Sera smiled. “Keep going.” The woman did. Sera listened. Mostly. Across the room, Panam had finally spotted her. The recognition was immediate. So was the suspicion. Panam knew that look. Sera knew Panam knew that look. Birgitta followed Panam’s gaze. Their eyes met. There it was again. That tiny private current. Sera allowed herself the smallest lift of one eyebrow. Birgitta’s expression changed by perhaps one millimeter. **Don’t.** Sera took a sip from her glass. **I’m not doing anything.** Panam looked between them. Already annoyed. Good. The woman finished her interpretation. Sera nodded. “That’s not what I intended.” The woman looked embarrassed. Sera smiled. “But I like yours better.” That recovered it. They spoke another minute. Then someone else approached. Sera turned naturally into the next conversation. She did not rush toward Panam. Did not abandon her event. Did not become the date’s third wheel. That would have been rude. Also unnecessary. She already knew everything she needed to know. They were holding hands. Panam had survived. Birgitta had come. And neither looked remotely interested in leaving. Excellent. --- Panam and Birgitta moved slowly through the room. Sera noticed because she noticed everything about Panam when Panam entered a space. That had nothing to do with jealousy. It was familiarity. Affection. Habit. Love. Panam usually moved through galleries like someone crossing hostile territory where the weapons were metaphorical and everyone might ask her what she thought. Tonight she was trying. Actually trying. She stopped in front of pieces. Looked. Read descriptions. Listened when Birgitta said something. Asked questions. Some of them bad. Some surprisingly good. Sera saw Birgitta laugh at one. Panam looked proud of herself. Sera looked away before she laughed too. A man beside her asked: “You know them?” Sera’s eyes moved back. Panam had one hand low against Birgitta’s back now. Not possessive. Just there. Birgitta leaned slightly toward her while looking at a mixed-media installation. Sera smiled. “Panam.” The man followed her gaze. “And the other woman?” Sera took a sip. “Birgitta.” “Friend?” Sera considered the word. “Something like that.” He nodded as if he understood. He did not. Sera did not help. --- Eventually Panam made her way over. Birgitta still beside her. Still close. Still holding her hand. Sera did not look down. That would have been cruel. Probably. Panam stopped. “Hey.” Sera smiled. “Hey.” Then to Birgitta: “Enjoying yourself?” Birgitta nodded. “Very much.” Sera’s eyes flicked briefly toward Panam. “Good.” Panam noticed. “What?” “Nothing.” “There it is again.” Birgitta laughed. Sera’s mouth twitched. Panam pointed at both of them. “You’re doing that thing.” Birgitta: “What thing?” “The silent thing.” Sera: “We’re standing here.” “That’s not what I mean.” Birgitta squeezed Panam’s hand. Panam looked down at it. The irritation vanished almost instantly. Sera saw that too. Oh. **Oh, she had it bad.** Sera lifted her glass to hide the smile. Panam looked back. “You.” Sera lowered it. “Me?” “You’re enjoying this.” “I’m enjoying my event.” “Bullshit.” Sera glanced around the room. People talking. People stopping at pieces. Someone buying something near the far wall. Someone else apparently trying to photograph a sculpture from underneath for reasons known only to them. “I am.” Panam narrowed her eyes. Birgitta smiled. “Maybe she likes seeing you happy.” Panam looked at her. That shut her up. Sera looked at Birgitta. Careful. Too good. Reyes had always known where to put a sentence. Panam recovered eventually. “I am happy.” Sera’s expression softened. “I know.” That was all. No teasing. No joke. Just truth. Panam’s face changed. Barely. Enough. Sera touched her arm. Then looked toward Birgitta. “Have you seen the back room yet?” Birgitta shook her head. “No.” “Go.” Panam looked suspicious again. “What’s in the back room?” Sera smiled. “Art.” Panam stared. “That answer was offensive.” “You’re in a gallery.” “I know.” “Then go look.” Birgitta laughed. Panam sighed. “Fine.” They moved away. Still together. Sera watched for exactly three seconds. Then someone asked her a question about pigment behavior under UV. She turned back into work. --- The back room was quieter. Not private. Just less crowded. Larger pieces. Lower light. More space between them. Panam slowed as soon as they entered. Birgitta did too. The atmosphere changed. Not dramatically. Enough. They stopped in front of a piece Panam clearly did not understand. Birgitta did not immediately explain. Good. Sera would have approved. Panam tilted her head. “What am I looking at?” Birgitta: “You tell me.” Panam gave her a look. “That’s an artist answer.” “You’re dating one by association.” Panam laughed. “I’m not dating Sera.” Birgitta looked at her. Panam stopped. Realized what she had just said. Birgitta’s eyebrow lifted. Panam’s face changed. “Oh, fuck.” Birgitta smiled. “Interesting choice of verb.” “That is not what I meant.” “Mm.” “I meant—” “I know.” Panam looked embarrassed. Birgitta squeezed her hand. Again. Panam relaxed. Again. Sera, from the doorway several meters away, saw the entire sequence. She stopped. Watched Birgitta’s thumb move slowly across the back of Panam’s hand. Watched Panam turn slightly toward her. Watched the distance between them close. Nothing dramatic. Nothing explicit. Just warmth. Sera smiled. Then stepped back before either noticed her. That moment did not belong to her. She knew that. --- Later, Panam found her again near one of the side walls. Birgitta was talking to someone a few meters away about a piece. Sera saw immediately that Panam was watching her. Not the conversation. Birgitta. Sera stepped beside her. For several seconds neither spoke. Then: “You’re staring.” Panam did not look away. “No.” “You are.” “I’m looking.” Sera smiled. “Right.” Panam glanced at her. “Don’t.” “I didn’t say anything.” “That’s worse.” Sera looked toward Birgitta. Date hair. Soft expression. A laugh Sera could recognize even through the different voice and face. Panam was absolutely fucked. And, if Sera was reading Reyes correctly— so was she. Interesting. Sera took another sip. Panam shifted beside her. “She’s different tonight.” Sera kept her face neutral. “How?” “Not different different.” Good save. Panam continued. “Softer.” Sera’s eyes moved toward Birgitta. Reyes laughed at something the other person said. Then looked toward Panam. The change in her expression was immediate. Tiny. Warm. Sera saw it. Panam saw it. Neither needed translation. Sera said: “Maybe she likes you.” Panam looked at her. Sera met the look calmly. Panam’s expression became almost painfully hopeful for half a second. Then suspicious. “Was that a joke?” “No.” “Are you fucking with me?” “No.” “Why are you being helpful?” Sera smiled. “That question says terrible things about our relationship.” “You sent her something.” Sera nearly laughed. “Still thinking about that?” “Yes.” “Good.” “What did you send?” Sera looked toward Birgitta. Then back. “Nothing important.” Panam’s eyes narrowed. “She said classified.” “Smart woman.” “Sera.” Sera leaned closer. Panam waited. Sera whispered: “Absolutely not.” Panam groaned. Sera laughed. Birgitta looked over. Saw Panam’s face. Saw Sera laughing. Her eyes narrowed. Sera lifted one shoulder. Innocent. Completely innocent. --- The evening continued. And that was what Sera liked most. Nothing needed to happen. No grand scene. No intervention. No confession. She did not need to push Panam toward Birgitta. Panam was already there. She did not need to protect Birgitta from Panam. Reyes could handle herself. She did not need to decide what any of it meant. That belonged to them. So Sera worked. Talked. Listened. Sold two pieces. Turned down one offer she considered insulting. Accepted another that was probably too high but came from someone she liked. And, every so often, she looked across the room. Panam and Birgitta. Closer each time. At one point Panam had both hands around Birgitta’s while they talked. Later Birgitta stood with one shoulder against Panam’s. Then Panam’s hand returned to Birgitta’s lower back. Then they disappeared into another room together. Returned several minutes later still smiling. Nothing dramatic. No show. Just two women forgetting slowly that anyone else was around. Sera loved it. Deeply. Not because she wanted Panam elsewhere. Because love did not become smaller when someone she loved was happy with someone else. It expanded. Shifted. Made room. And Panam— her impossible, sharp-edged, stubborn Panam— looked light. That was enough. More than enough. --- Near the end of the event, Panam and Birgitta approached again. This time Sera was free. Mostly. People were beginning to leave. The room had softened. Panam looked reluctant. Not to leave the gallery. To move toward the end of the evening. Sera knew that look too. “Going?” Panam nodded. “Yeah.” Birgitta looked at her. Not correcting. Not rushing. Sera smiled. “Good night?” Panam’s answer came before she could protect it. “Very.” Birgitta smiled. Sera saw that. Panam saw Sera see it. “Oh, fuck off.” Sera laughed. “I didn’t say anything.” “You never have to.” Birgitta: “She has a very expressive face.” Panam pointed. “See?” Sera grinned. Panam turned to Birgitta. “You’re supposed to be on my side.” Birgitta smiled. “I’m still evaluating.” “Terrible date.” “Yet you’re still here.” Panam stopped. Birgitta’s smile softened. Panam’s did too. Sera watched them look at each other. Then glanced deliberately away. A courtesy. A small one. When she looked back, Panam was closer. Not kissing. Not yet. But close. Sera stepped toward Panam. Touched her arm. “Have fun.” Panam looked at her. Then smiled. “I am.” “I know.” Sera kissed her. Warm. Familiar. Then let her go. Birgitta received a brief hug. Nothing suspicious. Nothing revealing. But when Sera stepped back, she looked directly into Reyes’s eyes behind Birgitta’s face. One second. No words. Reyes understood. Sera knew that too. Then Sera smiled. “Goodnight, Birgitta.” “Goodnight, Sera.” Panam and Birgitta walked toward the exit. Side by side. Halfway there, Panam’s hand found Birgitta’s again. No hesitation this time. Sera watched them disappear through the doors. She stood still for a moment. Then looked down at her agent. Opened Panam’s thread. Typed: > Still alive? She looked at it. Smiled. Deleted it. Too soon. Much too soon. Sera slipped the agent away. Let them have the night. She could torment Panam tomorrow. --- # Chapter 9 — Alone Again Outside, the air felt different. Not actually cooler. Night City rarely bothered with subtle weather when heat could simply cling to concrete for hours after sunset. But quieter. At least compared to the gallery. The doors closed behind them. Noise softened. Music became a low murmur through walls. Conversation disappeared into the street. Panam and Birgitta kept walking. Still holding hands. Neither commented on it. That part had stopped feeling noteworthy. Reyes noticed that before anything else. Earlier, every touch had been a decision. Now Panam’s hand simply belonged there. Warm. Familiar already. Dangerous. Panam looked over. “You survived.” Birgitta smiled. “Barely.” “Sera?” “The art.” Panam laughed. “Coward.” “I liked the art.” “You’re lying.” “I bought nothing.” “That proves nothing.” Birgitta glanced back toward the building. “I liked watching her work.” Panam’s expression softened. “Yeah.” The single word carried a lot. Pride. Affection. Familiarity. Reyes looked at her. “You love her.” Panam did not hesitate. “Yes.” No awkwardness. No attempt to explain. No apology. Reyes smiled. “Good.” Panam looked at her. “You’re not weird about that.” “No.” “Some people are.” “I’m not some people.” Panam’s mouth twitched. “No.” They kept walking. A little closer now. Panam’s shoulder brushed Birgitta’s. This time neither pretended it was accidental. --- They stopped at a corner where the street divided. One direction led toward louder nightlife. The other toward quieter blocks. Panam looked both ways. Then at Birgitta. “So.” Birgitta smiled. “So.” Panam laughed under her breath. “We keep doing that.” “Because you keep stopping.” “I’m thinking.” “That sounds dangerous.” “Fuck you.” Birgitta squeezed her hand. Panam looked down at it. Then back up. The smile returned. Smaller. More vulnerable. “What do you want to do?” There it was. Not: where do you want to go? Not: what’s next? What do you want? Reyes felt it. The openness. No script. No booking. No clock. She looked down the quieter street. “Walk.” Panam nodded immediately. “Okay.” No argument. No plan. They turned together. --- The city changed around them again. Less light. Not dark. Night City did not really do dark. But fewer advertisements. Fewer people. The occasional late café. A couple arguing quietly near a parked vehicle. Someone smoking beneath a broken sign. A delivery drone complaining to itself in a loop because one wheel had jammed against a curb. Panam noticed it. Birgitta did too. They both stopped. The drone repeated: “DELIVERY ACCESS OBSTRUCTED.” Panam stared. Birgitta stared. The wheel spun uselessly. “Help it?” Panam asked. Birgitta looked at her. “Why?” “It’s suffering.” “It’s a delivery drone.” “It has feelings.” “It has an error state.” “Same thing.” Birgitta laughed. Panam stepped over. Lifted the front slightly. Moved it clear. The drone rolled forward. “DELIVERY ACCESS RESTORED. THANK YOU, CITIZEN.” Panam looked absurdly pleased. Birgitta shook her head. “That was adorable.” Panam pointed. “Don’t.” “I said what I said.” “That thing was trapped.” “You rescued it.” “It was blocking the sidewalk.” “Hero.” Panam laughed. “Bitch.” Birgitta smiled. They resumed walking. --- A few minutes later Panam said: “Can I ask something?” Birgitta glanced sideways. “You really like that sentence.” “I’m trying to be polite.” “That sounds exhausting.” “It is.” “Go ahead.” Panam took a breath. “Do you date clients?” Reyes paused. Not visibly. Not much. Panam noticed enough. “Too personal?” “No.” Birgitta thought. Honest answer. “No.” Panam nodded. “Ever?” “Not usually.” “Usually?” Birgitta smiled slightly. “People are complicated.” “That’s not an answer.” “It’s the correct one.” Panam frowned. “You’re good at that.” “At what?” “Answering without answering.” Reyes felt the line land close. Not dangerous. Just accurate. Birgitta shrugged. “Occupational hazard.” Panam looked at her. “The paying-attention occupation?” Birgitta laughed. “That one.” Panam accepted it. For now. Then: “So this…” She gestured between them with their joined hands. “…is unusual.” “Yes.” Panam’s thumb moved against Birgitta’s. “Good unusual?” Reyes did not make her work for that answer. “Yes. Very.” Panam smiled. Very slightly. “Good.” --- They reached a quieter overlook between buildings. Not scenic by any sane definition. But high enough to see lines of traffic farther out. The skyline layered in neon and industrial haze. Panam stopped near the railing. Birgitta joined her. For a while they simply looked. No conversation. Reyes liked that too. Panam did not need constant noise. That surprised her less than it might have earlier. Eventually Panam said: “You really have been thinking about me?” Birgitta turned. There it was again. Not bravado. Not teasing. The lovesick puppy peeking through. Reyes smiled. “Yes.” “Why?” That one caught her. “Why?” Panam shrugged. “You could have had anyone.” Reyes looked at her. “That’s a strange thing to say.” “It’s true.” “Is it?” Panam gave her a look. “Come on.” Birgitta leaned one hip against the railing. “Panam.” “What?” “You’re asking me why I like you.” Panam looked away. “That sounds worse when you say it.” “It sounds exactly like what you asked.” Panam groaned. Birgitta laughed. Then, softer: “You’re funny.” Panam looked back. “Sometimes accidentally.” “Still counts.” “You’re loyal.” Panam’s expression changed. “You care.” More. “You make bad decisions with conviction.” Panam laughed. “Fuck you.” “You’re very easy to tease.” “Apparently.” “You’re also…” Reyes stopped. The next word mattered. Panam waited. Birgitta smiled. “Warm.” Panam blinked. That clearly was not what she expected. “Warm?” “Yes.” “That might be the first time anyone has called me that.” “They’re not paying attention.” Panam stared at her. Reyes knew she had gone close again. Too close to the way Reyes knew Panam. But Panam did not become suspicious. She became quiet. Seen. Again. Reyes felt the danger and the pleasure of that at the same time. Panam stepped closer. Not much. Enough. “You keep doing that.” “What?” “Seeing things.” Birgitta smiled. “I told you.” “You pay attention.” “Yes.” Panam’s eyes dropped briefly to Birgitta’s mouth. Then back. Reyes noticed. Of course. Neither moved. For several seconds. Then Panam looked away first. Reyes smiled. “Nervous?” “Fuck off.” “Definitely nervous.” Panam laughed. Then turned back. “Fine.” “Fine?” “I am.” Birgitta’s expression softened. “Me too.” That stopped Panam. Again. There was something about hearing it that mattered. Reyes understood why. Panam had spent a week wondering if all of this lived only in her head. Every confession of reciprocity removed another layer of that fear. Panam stepped closer. Now there was barely any space between them. Birgitta could feel warmth from her. Panam’s free hand moved. Not touching yet. Hovered near Birgitta’s waist. Reyes watched. Did not move away. Panam looked at her. “Can I?” The question was almost unnecessary. Reyes loved that she asked anyway. “Yes.” Panam’s hand settled against her waist. The contact changed everything. Not because it was new. They had already touched far more intimately in another context. But this was not that. No price. No audience. No role. No reason except want. Birgitta’s free hand came up to Panam’s shoulder. Panam inhaled. Small. Visible. Reyes smiled. “You’re thinking too hard.” Panam whispered: “I know.” “Stop.” “Working on it.” Birgitta laughed softly. Then Panam kissed her. Slow. Careful. The first second almost tentative. Then Birgitta answered. And Panam stopped being careful. Not rough. Just certain. Reyes felt the difference immediately. No client expectation. No professional choreography. Panam kissed her because she had spent six days wanting to. Birgitta stepped closer. Their joined hands finally separated only because there was nowhere for them to stay. Panam’s other arm came around her. Birgitta’s hands settled at Panam’s shoulders, then higher. The city continued around them. Traffic. Distant voices. A siren somewhere far enough away not to matter. Neither woman cared. When they finally separated, Panam stayed close. Forehead nearly touching Birgitta’s. Breathing slightly faster. Reyes smiled. Panam looked at her. “What?” “Nothing.” “That’s bullshit.” “Probably.” Panam smiled too. Then kissed her again. Shorter this time. Easier. When she pulled back: “I’ve wanted to do that all night.” Birgitta raised an eyebrow. “Only all night?” Panam groaned. “Don’t.” Reyes laughed. Panam’s hand remained at her waist. Birgitta did not ask her to move it. --- They started walking again. Much slower. Now the touching was different. Panam’s hand occasionally found Birgitta’s back. Birgitta leaned into her shoulder. A kiss at another corner. A pause beneath a sign while Panam said something that made Birgitta laugh and forgot entirely what she had been saying. No destination. Until eventually Panam looked at the time. Then at Birgitta. Reyes saw the question arrive before Panam asked it. “Do you need to go?” Birgitta thought of Lena. The second outfit. Tomorrow. She almost laughed. “No.” Panam’s face changed immediately. Not relief exactly. Hope. Dangerously obvious hope. Birgitta smiled. “You?” Panam shook her head. “No.” Silence. Then: “So.” Birgitta laughed softly. “There it is again.” Panam ignored that. “I have a place.” Reyes held her gaze. Panam immediately added: “That sounded terrible.” Birgitta laughed. “I know what you mean.” “No pressure.” “I know.” “We could just—” Birgitta stepped closer. Panam stopped talking. Reyes looked up at her. “No booking.” Panam’s expression softened. “No booking.” “No client.” “No.” Birgitta’s hand touched the front of Panam’s jacket. “Just us.” Panam smiled. “Just us.” Reyes felt the answer settle inside her. Then she kissed Panam once. Quick. Certain. When she stepped back: “Lead the way.” Panam stared at her for half a second. Then smiled so brightly Reyes nearly laughed. “Okay.” They walked away together. And somewhere in Reyes’s bag, folded beneath everything else, Lena’s second outfit waited patiently for morning. --- # Chapter 10 — Not Working Panam’s place was not far. Reyes noticed that because Panam apologized for it before they were even halfway there. “It’s not exactly impressive.” Birgitta looked at her. Panam kept walking. “What?” “You’re warning me again.” “I’m not warning you.” “You warned me about the restaurant.” “I did not.” “You changed it twice.” “That is not a warning.” “You warned me about being nervous.” “I asked if I was allowed to be nervous.” “You warned me about Sera.” Panam stopped. “I absolutely did not warn you about Sera.” Birgitta smiled. “You should have.” Panam laughed. “Okay. Fine.” They started walking again. Still holding hands. “What I’m saying is that my place is…” Panam searched. “Normal.” Birgitta looked scandalized. “Oh no.” “Fuck you.” “I was promised Night City luxury.” “You got plates.” “True.” “Chairs.” “You spoiled me.” Panam squeezed her hand. “You’re impossible.” “And yet.” “And yet.” That answer came too easily now. Reyes liked that. --- The building looked lived in. Old enough to have accumulated layers. New security over old doors. New wiring beside older repairs. One corner of the entrance patched with material that did not quite match anything around it. Panam opened the outer door. Held it. Birgitta stepped through. “Chivalry.” “Shut up.” “I like it.” Panam looked at her. That one always worked. Birgitta smiled. “See?” “See what?” “You stop functioning when I say nice things.” “I do not.” “Very convincing.” The lift arrived. Panam stepped inside after her. The doors closed. Silence. Not awkward. Aware. Reyes felt it immediately. The evening had been full of structures. Restaurant. Walking. Gallery. Street. Movement. Now there was only an elevator carrying them toward a private door. Panam looked at Birgitta. Birgitta looked back. Panam’s thumb moved against the back of her hand. “You okay?” “Yes.” “Nervous?” Birgitta smiled. “Yes.” Panam blinked. “Still?” “Very.” “You don’t look it.” “I told you. Talented.” Panam laughed softly. Then: “I’m glad.” “That I’m nervous?” “That I’m not doing this alone.” Reyes’s expression softened. “No.” She squeezed Panam’s hand. “You’re not.” The lift stopped. Neither moved for half a second. Then Panam exhaled. “Okay.” Birgitta smiled. “Okay.” --- Panam’s apartment was small. Not cramped. Personal. That mattered more. A jacket somewhere it technically should not have been. Tools near a side surface. A mug that had clearly become permanent furniture. Vehicle parts mixed with ordinary life. A chair made useless by something draped across it. Panam stepped inside first. Immediately looked around as if seeing the entire place for the first time. “Oh, for fuck’s sake.” Birgitta closed the door behind them. “What?” “I should have cleaned more.” Reyes looked around. “You cleaned.” Panam stared. “How do you know?” “There’s an empty table.” Panam followed her gaze. Then looked back. “Fuck you.” Birgitta laughed. The door clicked shut. That sound changed the room. Not dramatically. Just enough. Outside was gone. Panam looked at Birgitta. Birgitta looked back. The nervousness returned in both of them at exactly the same time. Reyes could feel it. Panam could see it now. Her smile appeared. “There.” “What?” “You’re actually nervous.” Birgitta narrowed her eyes. “Careful.” “I spent a week embarrassing myself.” “Voluntarily.” “That is not the point.” “What is?” Panam stepped closer. “This.” Reyes stopped joking. So did Panam. Their hands were still joined. Panam looked down at them. Then lifted Birgitta’s hand. Slowly. Pressed a kiss against her knuckles. Reyes stared. Panam froze. “Oh, fuck.” Birgitta’s mouth curved. “Was that planned?” “No.” “Good.” Panam looked suspicious. “Good?” Reyes stepped closer. “Very.” She kissed her. No teasing this time. No audience. No street noise. Panam answered immediately. One hand settled at Birgitta’s waist. The other stayed wrapped around hers for another second before letting go. The kiss deepened. Not hurried. Just no longer cautious. Reyes felt Panam relax into it. Then tense again when Birgitta moved closer. When they separated, Panam stayed there. Forehead almost touching hers. “Hi,” Panam murmured. Reyes laughed. “Hi.” “That was stupid.” “Extremely.” “I don’t know why I did that.” “Nervous.” “Fuck off.” Birgitta kissed her again. Panam accepted the diagnosis. --- They did not go directly anywhere. That mattered. Panam offered a drink. Birgitta asked for water. Panam stared. “You’re ruining the atmosphere.” “Dehydration is unattractive.” “That may be the least romantic thing anyone has ever said to me.” “You’ll thank me later.” Panam filled two glasses. “Now I’m drinking water because my date bullied me.” Birgitta accepted hers. “Healthy relationship.” Panam laughed. They stood near the counter. Close. Closer than necessary. Conversation happened between touches now. Panam’s fingers at Birgitta’s waist. Birgitta leaning against her. A kiss. A joke. Another kiss. Panam saying something about the gallery. Birgitta interrupting to kiss her again. Panam completely forgetting the end of the sentence. At one point Panam simply looked at her. Long enough that Reyes finally asked: “What?” Panam shook her head. “Nothing.” “You really need another word.” “No.” “It never means nothing.” “I know.” Reyes waited. Panam’s thumb moved slowly against her waist. “I’m happy.” No joke. No defense. Nothing underneath it except the statement. Reyes felt it land. Her face softened before she could control it. Panam noticed. “Too much?” “No.” Reyes touched her cheek. “Not even close.” Panam leaned into the touch. Almost unconsciously. Reyes kissed her again. Slower. Panam’s arms came around her. This time Reyes simply stayed there. No need to make the moment progress. No need to earn the next thing. Panam held her. Reyes held back. Minutes could have passed. Maybe only one. It did not matter. --- Eventually Panam’s hand caught lightly at the edge of Birgitta’s outfit. Not pulling. Not assuming. Just touching. Then stopped. Panam looked at her. “You sure?” Reyes smiled. “Yes.” Panam nodded. Still did not move immediately. Reyes watched her. “What?” Panam looked away for half a second. Then back. “I know what you said.” “Which part?” “No booking.” Birgitta’s expression softened. Panam continued. “And this is probably stupid, but…” She exhaled. “I don’t want you thinking I asked you out just because I wanted this without paying.” Reyes went still. There it was. The worry beneath all the others. Panam had been carrying that too. Reyes took Panam’s face gently between both hands. “This isn’t work.” “I know.” “No.” Birgitta held her gaze. “Panam.” Panam stopped. Listened. “This is not work.” The brighter voice was quieter now. Less Birgitta-the-room. More Reyes underneath. “You are not a client.” Panam’s shoulders eased. “And if I didn’t want to be here, I wouldn’t be.” Panam swallowed. “Okay.” “Okay?” “Okay.” Reyes kissed her forehead. Panam laughed softly. “What?” “That was very gentle.” Sera’s message flashed through Reyes’s head. **Be gentle with our lovesick idiot <3** She almost smiled too much. Panam noticed. “What?” “Nothing.” “Bullshit.” “Classified.” Panam groaned. “Oh, fuck you both.” Birgitta laughed against her shoulder. Panam’s arms tightened around her. Reyes let them. --- The first real shift happened slowly. Panam kissed her near the doorway to the bedroom. Birgitta answered. Panam moved closer. Birgitta’s back touched the wall. Panam immediately slowed. Looked at her. Reyes answered by pulling her closer. Choice. Clear. Simple. Panam’s jacket went first. Birgitta pushed it from her shoulders. It hit the floor behind them. Panam glanced toward it. Birgitta caught her chin. “Focus.” Panam laughed. “Yes, ma’am.” Reyes raised an eyebrow. That made Panam laugh harder. “Sorry.” “No, you’re not.” “No.” They kissed again. Panam’s hands found the construction of Birgitta’s outfit. Paused. Frowned. Reyes felt the exact second she noticed. Panam pulled back slightly. “What the fuck is this?” Birgitta looked innocent. “What?” “This.” Panam touched the hidden release. Reyes glanced down. “Oh.” “Oh?” “Yes.” Panam stared at her. Reyes smiled. “Fast-drop.” Silence. Panam looked at the outfit. Then at Birgitta. Then back again. “You wore fast-drop on a date.” “I like to be prepared.” Panam’s mouth slowly opened into a grin. “You planned this.” “I planned possibilities.” “You fucking planned this.” Birgitta laughed. “Would you like a demonstration?” “Yes.” Immediate. Far too immediate. Reyes laughed harder. “Oh, puppy.” Panam blinked. “What did you just—” Birgitta triggered the release. Panam stopped speaking. The structure loosened cleanly. Not theatrically. Not all at once. Just enough that Lena’s engineering became obvious under Panam’s hands. Panam stared. Then laughed. “Lena.” Reyes nodded. “Lena.” “Of course.” “Still complaining?” “Not even a little.” Good. --- The laughter did not disappear. That was one of the things Reyes noticed most. It followed them. Through another kiss. Through Panam fumbling once because she was still distracted by the fast-drop construction. Through Birgitta teasing her for it. Through Panam retaliating by kissing the words away. They moved into the bedroom without either announcing it. No sudden cut. No jump. One step. Then another. Panam sat first. Birgitta stayed standing between her knees for a moment. Panam looked up. The expression in her face changed. Desire, yes. But something gentler under it. Something that had not existed in the booking. Or perhaps had not had room to exist. Birgitta touched Panam’s cheek. Panam turned her head and kissed the inside of her wrist. Reyes felt the reaction immediately. Panam saw that. Smiled. “Still nervous?” “Yes.” “Good.” Birgitta laughed softly. “Asshole.” Panam’s hands settled at her waist. “Come here.” Not command. Invitation. Reyes went. --- They already knew each other physically. That should have made everything simple. It did not. It made the differences more obvious. During the booking, familiarity had developed inside a defined frame. Here there was no frame. Panam paused more. Looked more. Asked with her eyes before movement. Reyes answered instead of anticipating professionally. Every choice belonged to them. The fast-drop had done half its job. Lena’s engineering hung open at Birgitta’s shoulders, the structure loosened, fabric still caught at her hips like it had not decided to leave. Panam’s hands stayed there. Not rushing it off. Just feeling the heat under it. Reyes stood between her knees and let her look. That was new. The booking had not included being studied like this. Panam’s thumbs traced the line of her waist. Then higher. Warm palms over her ribs. A pause at the edge of her bra. Reyes nodded once. Panam unfastened it with more care than the garment deserved. The rest of the outfit followed when Reyes stepped out of it. One boot. Then the other. Underwear last. Panam watched the whole way down and forgot to hide it. Reyes touched her cheek. “Still breathing?” “Fuck you.” “Working on it.” Panam laughed, then pulled her closer by the hips and kissed the skin just below her navel. Reyes’s breath changed immediately. Panam felt that. Smiled against her. Did it again, slower. Then she looked up. “Can I?” Reyes knew what she was asking. “Yes.” Panam drew her down onto the bed first. Not on her back. Sitting back against the pillows, Reyes astride her thighs, still close enough to kiss. They stayed there a minute. Mouths. Hands. The last of Panam’s shirt coming off between kisses. Reyes got her belt open. Panam lifted her hips to help. Jeans and underwear went together in an ungraceful shove that made both of them laugh. Then there was skin. Panam’s hands settled on Reyes’s ass and just held. Reyes could feel how wet she already was against Panam’s stomach. No performance in it. Just the fact. She reached between them. Found Panam equally ready. Slick. Hot. Panam’s head tipped back when Reyes’s fingers slid through her folds and stayed there, not entering yet, just learning the shape of her without a clock. “Fuck.” “Yes.” Reyes kissed her throat. Worked two fingers in slowly. Panam’s hips answered on instinct. Tight. Then easier. Reyes curled them the way she remembered from the booking and felt the difference immediately. Panam did not try to be impressive. She just opened. A small sound escaped her. Honest. Reyes stayed with that sound. Thumb finding her clit. Slow circles. No rush to finish her. Panam’s hand closed around Reyes’s wrist. Not to stop her. To keep her there. “Like that.” “I know.” “Don’t get smug.” “Too late.” Panam laughed once and it broke on a breath. Then she pulled Reyes’s hand away, rolled them, and put Reyes on her back with more certainty than the nerves should have allowed. “My turn.” Reyes looked up at her. “Still yes.” “I wasn’t asking that.” “Ask anyway.” Panam’s mouth curved. “Can I taste you?” “Yes.” Panam kissed down her body without making a show of the route. A pause at one breast. Teeth, then tongue. Reyes’s fingers found her hair. Panam settled between her thighs like she had been thinking about this exact angle for six days. She had. She licked a long, unhurried stripe through Reyes’s cunt and made a sound that had nothing professional in it. Reyes’s hips lifted. Panam held them. Licked again. Found her clit and stayed there, pressure steady, two fingers sliding into her while her mouth worked. Reyes had been touched like this before. Not like this. The booking had been skilled. This was hungry and careful at the same time. Panam watching her face whenever she could. Checking. Adjusting when Reyes’s breath snagged. Reyes stopped managing the cover. The voice stayed Birgitta because Victor had built it that way. The face stayed Birgitta. The hair stayed Birgitta. The woman on the bed was Reyes, thighs open, one hand fisted in the sheet, the other in Panam’s hair. “There.” Panam hummed against her. The vibration did more damage than the word. Reyes came on her mouth with a broken exhale she did not try to shape. Hips tight. Cunt clenching around Panam’s fingers. Panam stayed through it. Did not rush her off the edge. Licked her through the last tremor and only lifted her head when Reyes tugged her up. Panam’s mouth was wet. She looked almost shy about it. Reyes kissed her anyway. Tasted herself. Pulled Panam up her body until Panam was straddling her thigh. “Come here.” “I am here.” “Higher.” Panam understood. She settled her cunt against Reyes’s thigh and started to move. Slow at first. Then less slow. Reyes’s hand between them, two fingers sliding into her from below while Panam rode the muscle. Wet enough that the sound of it filled the small room. Panam braced one palm on the mattress beside Reyes’s head. Forehead dropped. “Fuck.” “I’ve got you.” Panam came with her face hidden against Reyes’s throat, a raw sound she tried and failed to swallow, thighs shaking, cunt pulsing around Reyes’s fingers. Reyes held her through it. Did not tease. Not yet. When Panam finally went loose, she stayed where she was. Breathing. Reyes kept one hand against her back. The other still between them, still inside her, still now. Panam made a small noise when Reyes eased her fingers out. Not protest. Aftermath. They lay like that. No joke. No immediate repositioning. The stillness mattered. Panam opened her eyes first. Birgitta was already looking at her. Panam smiled. Small. Almost shy. Reyes smiled back. “Hi.” Panam laughed once. “Hi.” They stayed like that. Still close. No reason to separate yet. Eventually Panam kissed her. Different from every kiss before. No anticipation left in it. No question. Just affection. Reyes felt that one more sharply than anything else. --- Later, they lay beside each other. Not sleeping. Not yet. Reyes on one side. Panam turned toward her. The room was quieter now. The city reduced to distant light through the window. Panam’s fingers moved slowly along Birgitta’s arm. Reyes watched. Panam looked up. “What?” Reyes smiled. “Nothing.” Panam groaned. “No.” “What?” “You don’t get to use it now.” “Why?” “Because you complained every time I did.” “Rules change.” “Convenient.” “Very.” Panam shifted closer. Reyes let her. For a while neither spoke. Then Panam said: “Can I say something without you making fun of me?” Birgitta looked at her. “No promises.” Panam sighed. “Fair.” Pause. “That was better.” Reyes knew what she meant. Still asked. “Than?” Panam gave her a look. “The other time.” “The booking.” “Yeah.” Reyes thought about it. Then nodded. “Yes.” Panam’s expression softened. “You too?” “Yes.” “Why?” Reyes smiled slightly. “That sounds familiar.” “Answer.” Reyes looked down at their hands. “No clock.” Panam nodded. “No client.” Another nod. “No work.” Panam’s fingers closed around hers. Birgitta looked back at her. “Just us.” Panam smiled. “Just us.” Silence again. Comfortable. Panam moved closer until her head rested against Birgitta’s shoulder. Reyes adjusted automatically to make room. Panam settled. Not sleeping. Just there. Reyes looked down at her. That was enough for tonight. Not the whole night. Not the end of anything. Just the first moment after. No booking clock. No reason to leave. No need to decide what happened next. For once, they could simply remain exactly where they were. --- # Chapter 11 — Stay Panam stayed where she was. Head against Birgitta’s shoulder. One hand loosely resting against her side. Breathing even now. Not asleep. Reyes knew the difference. There was too much awareness in the way Panam’s fingers moved occasionally against her skin. Small motions. Absent-minded. Comfortable. Reyes looked toward the window. Night City glowed beyond it in fragments. Reflected signage. Distant traffic. A building across the way with three floors still lit. Somewhere lower down, a vehicle accelerated far too hard for the street it was on. Panam made a small sound. Not quite a laugh. “What?” “Nothing.” Reyes smiled. “You’re getting predictable.” “Shut up.” “There she is.” Panam shifted enough to look up at her. “You always this annoying after sex?” “Maybe.” “That’s not an answer.” “It’s the correct one.” Panam stared. Then laughed. “Fuck.” “What?” “You really do that all the time.” “Do what?” “Answer like that.” Birgitta’s eyebrow lifted. Panam shook her head. “Never mind.” Reyes let it go. Mostly because Panam moved closer again. That was better. For a while they simply lay there. No pressure to fill the room. That surprised Reyes more than it should have. Panam could be restless. Quick. Impulsive. But now she seemed perfectly content to do absolutely nothing. Reyes found herself matching it. Not waiting for the evening to continue. Not planning. Just there. Eventually Panam said: “I really thought you were ignoring me.” Reyes looked down. Panam was staring toward the window now. Not at her. “After the third message?” “Before that too.” Reyes smiled faintly. “Before the third message?” “After the first.” “That seems efficient.” Panam elbowed her lightly. “Asshole.” Reyes laughed. Panam continued: “I figured maybe the whole thing had meant more to me than it did to you.” The humor left Reyes’s face. Panam felt it. Looked up. Reyes did not answer immediately. Then: “It didn’t.” Panam held her gaze. Reyes added: “Mean more to you.” A pause. Panam’s expression softened. “Okay.” Reyes touched her arm. “I should have checked sooner.” Panam smiled. “Once a week is still insane.” “I know.” “Oh, now you know?” “I have new data.” Panam laughed. “What changed?” Reyes looked at her. “You.” That stopped her. Panam stared. Reyes almost regretted saying it that directly. Almost. Then Panam smiled. Not the big grin. Not the nervous one. Something smaller. Warmer. “Good answer.” “It wasn’t supposed to be.” “That makes it better.” Reyes shook her head. Hopeless. Both of them. --- Later, Panam got up. Not far. Just enough to retrieve water. Reyes watched her move through the room. There was something strange about seeing Panam like this. Not because Reyes had never seen her relaxed. She had. But never while being Birgitta. That created a strange double familiarity. Reyes knew how Panam moved. Birgitta was supposed to be learning. The line blurred. Again. Panam returned with both glasses. Handed one over. “Still pretending hydration is romantic?” “Yes.” “Bastard.” Reyes drank. Panam sat beside her. Then looked at Birgitta’s discarded outfit. The fast-drop structure was still half-open where it had landed. Panam pointed. “That thing is unfair.” Reyes smiled. “Effective.” “Predatory.” “You liked it.” “I did not say that.” “You didn’t have to.” Panam narrowed her eyes. Then: “Did Lena know?” “Know what?” “That you were wearing it for me.” Reyes paused. Just long enough. Panam saw it. “Oh my God.” “What?” “She knew.” “Lena knows too much.” “She made that specifically knowing you were going on a date with me.” “Yes.” Panam covered her face with one hand. Reyes laughed. “Oh no.” “This city is too small.” “Night City?” “Yes.” “Bold claim.” “Shut up.” Panam dropped her hand. “What did she say?” “Mostly insults.” “About me?” “About both of us.” “Fair.” Reyes smiled. “She made a second outfit.” Panam went still. Reyes realized what she had said. Too late. Panam looked at her. “A what?” Reyes stared back. Panam’s eyes widened. “A second outfit.” Reyes sighed. “Lena is presumptuous.” Panam looked toward the bag. Then at Reyes. Then back at the bag. “For tomorrow?” Reyes closed her eyes. “Apparently.” Panam smiled. Slowly. Dangerously. Reyes opened one eye. “Don’t.” “I’m not saying anything.” “You’re doing the face.” “What face?” “The one Lena does.” “I don’t know Lena’s faces.” “You do now.” Panam laughed. Then something shifted. The joke remained. But beneath it— hope. Reyes saw it immediately. Panam tried to hide it. Failed. “So…” She looked at the bag again. Then back. “You brought it.” Reyes looked at her. “Yes.” Panam’s smile became almost painfully bright. Reyes felt her chest tighten. “Because Lena made me.” “Sure.” “Panam.” “Absolutely.” “You are unbearable.” “You brought tomorrow clothes.” Reyes laughed. “One outfit.” “Tomorrow clothes.” “Stop saying it like that.” “How should I say it?” “Don’t.” Panam was grinning now. Completely. Then she seemed to realize how obvious she was being. The grin softened. “You don’t have to stay.” There it was. Reyes looked at her. Panam continued: “I mean it.” “No pressure.” “I know.” “You can leave whenever.” “I know.” Panam nodded. Then looked away. Too casual. Far too casual. Reyes watched her. “Do you want me to?” Panam looked back. “Want you to what?” “Leave.” Panam’s answer came instantly. “No.” Then she stopped. “Fuck.” Reyes laughed. Panam pointed. “You set me up.” “I asked a question.” “You knew the answer.” “I suspected.” Panam shook her head. Then, quieter: “No.” Reyes’s smile softened. “I don’t want you to leave.” There. Simple. No game. Reyes reached for her hand. Panam gave it immediately. “Then I’m staying.” Panam looked at her. “Yeah?” “Yes.” The relief was almost comical. Reyes smiled. “Try not to look so shocked.” “I’m not shocked.” “You look shocked.” “I’m happy.” That again. No armor. Reyes squeezed her hand. “I know.” --- They talked after that. Not about anything important. Then about things that were. The transition happened naturally. Panam told her about places outside the city. Not operational details. Not stories designed to impress. Small things. A sunrise that had turned half a camp orange. A dog that had followed an Aldecaldo convoy for three days and refused to leave. Someone who used to cheat at cards so badly that everyone let them because exposing it would have ruined the entertainment. Reyes listened. Asked questions. Laughed. Panam asked about Birgitta. That was harder. Not immediately. Safe questions first. Favorite food. Worst drink. Whether she preferred cities or open space. Reyes answered with truths whenever she could. Shifted context where needed. Birgitta liked coffee too strong. True. Birgitta disliked fake sweetness. True. Birgitta liked quiet mornings more than crowded nights. Very true. Panam smiled at that. “You don’t seem like a morning person.” “You’ve never seen me in the morning.” Panam’s eyes went to the second outfit bag. Reyes sighed. “Don’t.” “I didn’t say anything.” “You didn’t need to.” Panam laughed. Then: “What were you like before this?” Reyes went still. There. A dangerous one. Panam noticed. “Too much?” Birgitta smiled. A little. “Complicated.” “That means yes.” “It means complicated.” Panam studied her. Reyes did not want to lie more than necessary. Did not want to build a whole history that would need remembering forever. So she gave Panam something true in shape. “I’ve done a lot of different things.” “That sounds suspicious.” “It is.” “Merc work?” Reyes’s pulse shifted. Birgitta smiled. “Sometimes.” Panam’s eyebrows rose. “Seriously?” “Seriously.” “That explains some things.” Reyes almost asked which things. Didn’t. Panam continued. “The way you watch doors.” Ah. Of course. Birgitta looked toward the apartment door. Then back. “Habit.” Panam nodded. No suspicion. Just another piece. Reyes relaxed. A little. “Dangerous work?” “Sometimes.” Panam looked thoughtful. “You still do it?” Birgitta smiled. “Sometimes.” Panam laughed. “God, you’re annoying.” “I’ve heard.” Then Panam asked: “Do you like the joytoy work?” Reyes looked at her. This was earlier than the lunch conversation they would eventually have. But not the same question. Not yet. Panam was asking personally. Not curiously. Reyes answered. “Yes.” Panam seemed surprised. “Really?” “Yes.” “Why?” Reyes thought. “Because I choose.” Panam listened. “The people.” “The limits.” “When.” “How.” Reyes paused. “And because sometimes it’s fun.” Panam smiled. “Good sex?” Reyes smiled back. “Sometimes very good.” Panam looked smug. “Sometimes?” Birgitta laughed. “You are absolutely fishing.” “Maybe.” “Shameless.” “You started it.” “Did I?” “Yes.” Reyes leaned closer. “Prove it.” Panam kissed her. Apparently that counted. --- The second kiss became several. Not a rush toward another round. Just touch returning naturally. Panam’s hand on Birgitta’s waist. Reyes’s fingers in her hair. A kiss broken by laughter. Then another. Eventually they ended up lying down again. Closer now. No tension around what might happen. No need to decide. Panam rested one hand across Reyes’s stomach. Birgitta’s fingers traced slowly along her arm. Panam looked at her. “Tired?” “A little.” “Good tired?” “Yes.” Panam smiled. “Me too.” Silence. Then: “Stay until morning?” Reyes turned her head. Panam looked suddenly uncertain again. Reyes almost laughed. Not because it was funny. Because Panam had somehow managed to ask for the thing Reyes had already agreed to and still worry that it was too much. “Yes.” Panam searched her face. “Really?” Reyes touched her cheek. “Panam.” “Right.” A small smile. “Sorry.” “Stop apologizing.” “Working on it.” Reyes kissed her once. “Good.” --- Eventually they got under the covers properly. The apartment went dark except for light leaking around the edges of the window. Panam settled on her side. Birgitta beside her. For a few minutes they talked in fragments. Half-finished thoughts. Small jokes. Things that would not have mattered anywhere else. Then Panam moved closer. Reyes opened an arm. Panam fit herself against her. Natural. Like she had done it before. Reyes felt her breathing slow. “Sleeping?” “No.” Pause. “Maybe.” Reyes smiled into the dark. Panam’s arm tightened around her. Then, very quietly: “Don’t disappear in the morning.” Reyes went still. Not enough for Panam to notice. The words were simple. Almost sleepy. But they landed deep. Because Birgitta could disappear. Far more completely than Panam understood. Reyes looked into the dark. The voice biosculpt remained stable. The face mesh was still perfect. ChromeLock held. Tomorrow was safe. For now. Reyes looked down at Panam. “I won’t.” Panam made a soft satisfied sound. A few minutes later her breathing changed. Actually asleep this time. Reyes remained awake. Not long. Just long enough to understand something unpleasantly clear. She had come here expecting a date. Maybe sex. Maybe a second day, if Lena’s smug prediction proved correct. She had not expected this. Panam asleep against her. Trusting Birgitta would still exist when she opened her eyes. Reyes looked toward the bag on the floor. Tomorrow clothes. She smiled. Very quietly. “Bitch.” Panam shifted against her but did not wake. Reyes closed her eyes. And stayed. --- # Chapter 12 — Morning Panam woke first. For several seconds she did not move. Her eyes opened slowly. The room was quiet. Morning light had found its way through the blinds in thin, uneven lines, cutting across the wall and part of the bed. Night City was already awake somewhere beyond the glass. Traffic. Distant machinery. A muffled horn. Someone outside apparently having an argument with something mechanical. None of it mattered. Panam looked beside her. Birgitta was still there. That was all. That was everything. She lay on her side, close enough that Panam could feel the warmth between them. Muted copper-grey hair slightly disturbed from sleep. Face relaxed. One hand resting near Panam’s. No sign that she had dressed. No sign that she had slipped away before morning. No empty side of the bed. Panam stared for a while. Not because she expected Birgitta to vanish while she watched. Because some part of her had clearly expected to wake alone. That part had been wrong. Good. Panam let out a slow breath. Then reached across the small space between their hands. One finger touched Birgitta’s. Barely. Reyes woke. Not abruptly. Her fingers moved first. Then her eyes opened. She focused on Panam. For half a second neither spoke. Then Birgitta smiled. Sleepy. Soft. “Morning.” Panam’s smile appeared instantly. “Morning.” Reyes looked at their hands. Then back at Panam. “You’re checking.” Panam frowned. “Checking what?” “That I’m here.” “I am not.” Birgitta’s smile widened. “You are.” “I touched your hand.” “Very investigative.” “Fuck you.” Reyes laughed quietly. Panam immediately looked happier. Which did not help her case. Birgitta moved her fingers between Panam’s and squeezed. “Still here.” Panam looked at her. The teasing disappeared for a moment. “Yeah.” Reyes saw the relief. Did not tease that. Instead she shifted closer. Panam met her halfway. Their first kiss of the morning was short. Warm. Unhurried. When they separated, Panam stayed close. Forehead almost touching Birgitta’s. “Hi.” Reyes laughed. “We keep doing that.” “I know.” “Running out of material?” “Shut up.” Birgitta kissed her again. A little longer. Panam smiled against her mouth. That was how the morning started. Not with urgency. Not with a plan. Just the discovery that neither woman seemed particularly interested in getting out of bed. --- Eventually Panam rolled onto her back. Birgitta shifted with her. One leg tangled lazily against Panam’s. Panam looked toward the ceiling. “You sleep quietly.” Reyes raised an eyebrow. “That’s a complaint?” “No.” “You sound disappointed.” “I expected more.” “More what?” “I don’t know.” “Snoring?” “Maybe.” “Thrashing?” “Could be.” “Sleep-fighting?” Panam turned her head. “You look like someone who sleep-fights.” Reyes stared. Then laughed. “What does that even mean?” “I don’t know.” “You invented it.” “Yes.” “And now I’m apparently guilty.” “Suspiciously defensive.” Birgitta shook her head. “Hopeless.” Panam smiled. “Still here.” Reyes looked at her. That one was deliberate. The phrase landed between them. Birgitta’s smile softened. “Yes.” “Still here.” Panam looked pleased with herself. Good. --- They stayed there long enough that eventually even Panam started pretending it was unreasonable. “We should get up.” Birgitta made no movement whatsoever. “Probably.” Panam waited. Nothing happened. “You planning to?” “No.” Panam laughed. “Good.” “You suggested it.” “I was being responsible.” “Terrible look on you.” “Agreed.” They remained exactly where they were. A few minutes later Panam asked: “You really don’t have somewhere to be?” Reyes looked at her. “Nope.” “No work?” “No.” “No booking?” “No.” “No mysterious rich asshole waiting somewhere?” Birgitta smiled. “Not today.” Panam tried to hide how much she liked that answer. Failed badly. Reyes watched the smile grow. “Subtle.” “I’m being normal.” “Obviously.” “Fuck you.” “You keep offering.” Panam groaned. “Oh, there she is.” “Who?” “The woman from last night.” Reyes smiled. “She never left.” That answer quieted Panam for a moment. Not in a bad way. She looked at Birgitta. Then reached up. Touched her cheek. “Good.” Reyes leaned into the touch. Only slightly. Enough. --- Coffee finally defeated bed. Barely. Panam left first. Birgitta followed several minutes later wearing something of Panam’s that was too large in places and somehow made Panam stare harder than the date outfit had. Reyes noticed immediately. “What?” Panam looked away. “Nothing.” “Bullshit.” “It’s weird.” Birgitta glanced down at herself. “What is?” “My clothes.” “You object?” “No.” Panam looked back. “Definitely not.” Reyes smiled. “Good.” Panam turned toward the coffee machine before the smile on her face became too obvious. It was too late. Birgitta saw it. Of course she did. --- The coffee was strong. Reyes took one sip. Paused. Took another. Panam watched carefully. “Well?” Birgitta considered. “Acceptable.” Panam looked personally insulted. “Acceptable.” “Yes.” “That is excellent coffee.” “Emotionally compromised assessment.” “I made it.” “My point.” Panam stared. Birgitta took another sip. Then smiled. “It’s good.” Panam’s expression changed immediately. Triumphant. “Thank you.” “Don’t make this a thing.” “It’s already a thing.” Reyes leaned against the counter. Panam leaned beside her. For a while they just drank coffee. Shoulder against shoulder. The small domestic normality of it settled slowly. That was the dangerous part. Not the sex. Not waking in the same bed. This. Panam barefoot in her own kitchen. Birgitta wearing borrowed clothes. Coffee. No one waiting. No clock. No expectation that the moment needed to become anything else. Reyes liked it. A lot. Panam looked sideways. “What?” Reyes blinked. “What?” “You were smiling.” “No.” “Yes.” “I’m drinking coffee.” “That does not explain smiling.” “It’s good coffee.” Panam narrowed her eyes. “You said acceptable.” “I revised my findings.” “That’s right.” Reyes laughed. Panam looked unbearably pleased. --- A little later, Panam sat at the table while Birgitta disappeared briefly to get herself together. Nothing dramatic. Nothing visible from Panam’s side of the morning. When Birgitta returned, she was simply Birgitta again. Hair restored enough to look intentional. Everything where it belonged. Panam looked up. And stared. Reyes stopped. “What?” Panam shook her head. “No.” “No what?” “You don’t get to do that.” “Do what?” “Walk out looking like that after I saw what you looked like ten minutes ago.” Birgitta smiled. “Disappointed?” Panam immediately pointed at her. “Do not twist that.” “Too late.” “You looked good before.” “Better recovery.” “I mean it.” Reyes’s expression softened. “I know.” Panam stared at her for another second. Then looked away. Reyes could practically see the lovesick little puppy trying to regain dignity. It was not going well. --- Then Birgitta opened Lena’s bag. Panam noticed instantly. Her eyes narrowed. Reyes saw it. “No.” Panam sat up straighter. “I didn’t say anything.” “You were about to.” “I was going to ask what’s in the bag.” “You know what’s in the bag.” Panam’s grin began. “Tomorrow clothes.” Reyes closed her eyes. “Goddammit.” Panam laughed. “You brought them.” “Lena packed them.” “You carried them here.” “Yes.” “You knew they were there.” “Yes.” “You still brought them.” Reyes looked at her. “Do you want me to get dressed or conduct a legal hearing?” Panam thought. “Both.” “Wrong answer.” Reyes pulled out the second outfit. Panam went quiet. The grin disappeared. Not because anything was wrong. Because she was actually looking. The clothes were softer than Birgitta’s working wardrobe. Less structured than last night. Still elegant. Still unmistakably her. But suited to daylight. To coffee. To breakfast. To walking through the city without looking like the evening had simply failed to end. Panam looked from the outfit to Birgitta. “That bitch knew.” Reyes pointed at her. “Exactly.” Panam laughed. “She absolutely knew.” “She guessed.” “No.” “Yes.” “She made tomorrow clothes.” “She made an unnecessary second outfit.” “That you brought.” “Panam.” “Tomorrow clothes.” Reyes stared. Panam smiled sweetly. Reyes muttered something under her breath and went to change. Panam called after her: “I like Lena.” “You barely know her.” “I like her instincts.” “Shut up.” Panam laughed. --- When Birgitta returned, Panam was still sitting at the table. She looked up. Stopped. Reyes waited. Panam continued staring. “Well?” Panam shook her head slowly. “That is unfair.” “Good unfair?” “Extremely.” Reyes smiled. The second outfit worked exactly as Lena had intended. Relaxed. Expensive without announcing it. Comfortable. A woman dressed for a day she had not planned to have. Panam stood. Walked closer. Touched the fabric lightly at Birgitta’s side. Then looked up. “So.” Reyes smiled. “So.” “This really is tomorrow.” “It appears to be.” Panam’s grin returned. Reyes pointed. “Do not start.” “I didn’t say anything.” “You are thinking very loudly.” Panam laughed. Then her expression softened. “Stay today.” It was not phrased as a question. But it was one. Reyes heard it. Panam immediately corrected herself. “I mean—if you want.” There was the nervousness again. The tiny retreat after every exposed feeling. Reyes stepped closer. “I want.” Panam looked at her. “Yeah?” “Yes.” “How much of today?” Reyes smiled. “I don’t know.” Panam nodded. Trying not to look disappointed. Reyes saw that too. She touched Panam’s arm. “That wasn’t a bad answer.” Panam looked back. “No?” “No.” Reyes thought for a second. Then: “I don’t have anywhere I need to be.” Panam’s expression changed. Reyes continued. “So we don’t need to decide when it ends yet.” There. Panam smiled. Slowly. “Okay.” “Okay?” “Yeah.” She reached for Birgitta’s hand. Reyes gave it. “No deciding.” “Not yet.” “Good.” --- Breakfast became the next problem. Mostly because neither had food. Panam opened one cabinet. Then another. Birgitta watched. “This is tragic.” “There is food.” “You have crackers.” “That’s food.” “You have something in a packet that expired last month.” “That’s probably still food.” “You have coffee.” “Excellent coffee.” “Debatable.” Panam turned. “You praised it.” “I said good.” “Good is praise.” “Barely.” Panam closed the cabinet. “We’re going out.” Birgitta smiled. “I was hoping you’d say that.” Panam looked suspicious. “You planned this.” “No.” “You manipulated breakfast.” “That would require breakfast.” Panam stared. Then laughed. “Fine.” She grabbed her jacket. Birgitta picked up her own things. Panam paused at the door. Looked at her. “Still want to walk?” “Yes.” “Breakfast first?” “Definitely.” “Then walk.” “Yes.” “Then…” Panam stopped. Reyes smiled. “Then nothing planned.” Panam looked at her. The same thought from last night. But different now. Last night, _nothing planned_ had meant possibility. This morning it meant time. An entire open stretch of it. Panam smiled. “Best plan I’ve heard all week.” Reyes squeezed her hand. “Come on.” They stepped out together. And for the first time since Panam had met Birgitta, neither of them was counting down to the end of anything. --- # Chapter 13 — Daylight Breakfast happened two blocks away. Not because Panam had researched it. Reyes checked. Twice. “You’re sure?” “Yes.” “No list?” “No.” “No backup place?” “No.” “No emergency breakfast strategy?” Panam looked at her. “I woke up next to you twenty minutes ago.” “Forty.” “Whatever.” “And?” “And somehow breakfast planning didn’t make the list.” Birgitta smiled. “Slipping.” “Shut up.” The place Panam chose was small, busy, and smelled aggressively of coffee and fried food. Reyes approved immediately. Panam noticed. “You like it.” “I haven’t eaten anything yet.” “You made the face.” “What face?” “The one where you approve but don’t want to admit I chose well.” Birgitta stared. “That is suspiciously specific.” “I pay attention.” Reyes paused. Panam grinned. “See?” “Careful.” “What?” “You’re learning.” “That sounded like a threat.” “It might be.” Panam opened the door. “Breakfast.” “Breakfast.” --- They took a booth near the window. Panam sat opposite. For approximately fifteen seconds. Then she looked dissatisfied. Birgitta noticed. “What?” “Nothing.” “Bullshit.” Panam looked at the empty space beside Birgitta. Then back. Reyes smiled. “Oh.” “What?” “You want to sit here.” “No.” “You absolutely do.” “I can see you better from here.” “You spent all night seeing me.” “That is irrelevant.” Birgitta moved her bag from the seat beside her. Panam stared. Reyes patted the space once. Panam got up immediately. Birgitta laughed. “Oh, that was pathetic.” “Fuck you.” Panam slid in beside her. Their shoulders touched. Panam looked extremely pleased with the new arrangement. Reyes looked toward the menu to hide her own smile. Failed. Panam saw it. “Pathetic?” “Very.” “You moved the bag.” “I’m generous.” Panam leaned closer. “Sure.” --- Ordering became easier than dinner. No careful questions. No nerves over whether preferences might reveal too much. Panam pointed at something. “You’d like that.” Birgitta looked. “Yes.” “You didn’t even check.” “You’re right.” Panam stared. Reyes looked at her. “What?” “That was easy.” “What was?” “You trusting me.” Reyes paused. Tiny. Then smiled. “It’s breakfast.” “I know.” “Try not to build a religion around it.” Panam laughed. “No promises.” They ordered. Panam added extra coffee without asking. Reyes noticed that too. Did not comment. The coffee arrived. Strong. Good. Birgitta took a sip. Panam watched. Reyes looked sideways. “What?” “Nothing.” “Stop monitoring my coffee.” “You’re monitoring me monitoring your coffee.” “That makes me better at it.” Panam shook her head. Hopeless. --- Food arrived. Conversation moved easily around it. No long pauses caused by nerves now. The pauses that came were comfortable. Panam stole something from Birgitta’s plate. Reyes stared. “You have your own.” “Yours looked better.” “They’re identical.” “Exactly.” Reyes stole something from Panam’s. Panam looked offended. “You bitch.” “Balance.” “That was mine.” “So was this.” “Two wrongs don’t make a right.” “Night City law says otherwise.” Panam laughed. A woman in the booth opposite glanced over. Panam lowered her voice by perhaps five percent. Reyes did not. --- At some point Panam’s knee settled against Birgitta’s under the table. No accident. No nervous pause afterward. Just there. Reyes let hers remain against it. That was the difference daylight made. Last night they had discovered each contact. This morning they had stopped treating touch like an event. Panam ate with one hand and rested the other loosely against Birgitta’s thigh beneath the edge of the table. Nothing sexual about it. That made it more intimate. Reyes found herself thinking that thought twice. Then stopped because thinking about it made it worse. Panam looked over. “What?” “Nothing.” Panam smiled. “Bullshit.” “Learning too fast.” --- They left breakfast with no destination. Again. Panam did not ask where Birgitta wanted to go immediately. She just took her hand. Reyes looked down. Then at Panam. Panam raised an eyebrow. “What?” “Nothing.” “Thought so.” They walked. Daytime Night City was different enough to feel like another place. Less forgiving. Neon looked cheaper without darkness to help it. Advertisements became louder rather than prettier. People moved with purpose. Deliveries. Work. Arguments. Traffic. Machines. Panam walked beside Birgitta as if none of it required comment. Reyes liked that. They stopped at a market. Mostly because Panam got distracted by a vehicle part displayed in a window. Birgitta watched her stare. “You want it.” “No.” “You absolutely want it.” “It’s overpriced.” “That wasn’t the question.” Panam looked at her. “Yes.” “Buy it.” “No.” “Why?” “Because it’s overpriced.” “You spent money on dinner.” “That was different.” “How?” Panam looked at her as if the answer were obvious. “That was you.” Reyes stopped. Panam realized too late what she had said. Her expression shifted. “Oh.” Birgitta looked at her. Panam looked away. “I meant—” “I know what you meant.” That saved her. A little. Panam’s mouth tightened. Reyes squeezed her hand. “Still overpriced.” Panam laughed. “Very.” They moved on. --- A few blocks later they found a small public space wedged between two larger buildings. Not a park exactly. Night City rarely gave anything that much room. A handful of trees. Benches. Someone feeding birds despite a sign specifically telling them not to. Panam looked toward an empty bench. Birgitta nodded. They sat. Panam stretched her legs out. Birgitta leaned back. For a while neither spoke. People passed. A child chased something mechanical across the pavement. An older woman shouted at the bird-feeder. The bird-feeder ignored her. Panam smiled. “This is nice.” Reyes looked at her. “The argument?” “All of it.” Birgitta nodded. “Yeah.” Panam turned. “You really do like this.” “What?” “Doing nothing.” Reyes laughed softly. “That sounds insulting.” “You know what I mean.” She did. Reyes looked forward. “Yes.” Panam waited. Birgitta continued. “I like not needing anything from the moment.” Panam became quiet. “That makes sense.” Reyes looked at her. Panam shrugged. “You’re always reading people.” Reyes felt the line. Safe enough. “You noticed.” “You told me.” “Right.” Panam smiled. “And even when you’re not working, you still do it.” Reyes considered that. “Probably.” “So doing nothing means there’s nothing to solve.” That was closer. Too perceptive. Not dangerous. Just close. Birgitta looked at her. “You’re smarter than you pretend.” Panam looked offended. “Pretend?” “You heard me.” “Fuck you.” Reyes smiled. “There she is.” Panam leaned over and kissed her. Right there. Daylight. People passing. No hesitation. Reyes kissed her back. When Panam pulled away: “Still smart?” “No.” “Asshole.” --- They stayed another twenty minutes. Maybe more. Panam eventually rested her head on Birgitta’s shoulder. Reyes did not move. That simple. Someone walking past looked at them. Panam noticed. Did not care. Reyes felt Panam’s fingers idly playing with hers. “Can I ask something?” Birgitta smiled. “There it is.” “I haven’t asked one all morning.” “You’re recovering.” Panam ignored that. “Do you ever get tired of people wanting something from you?” Reyes turned slightly. That question was not about the date. Not entirely. “Yes.” Panam looked up. “Even when you like the work?” “Yes.” “That doesn’t contradict it?” “No.” Reyes thought about the answer. Then gave her more. “I can like being wanted and still get tired of always being the one who has to know what someone wants.” Panam listened. “That’s different.” “How?” “Being wanted isn’t the same as being responsible for it.” Reyes looked at her. Panam frowned. “What?” “Nothing.” “Bullshit.” “That was good.” Panam’s face changed. “Good?” “Yes.” “Wow.” “Don’t ruin it.” Panam smiled. Then looked down at their hands. “So what do you want?” Reyes went still. Panam immediately clarified: “Right now.” Reyes considered. Not because she lacked an answer. Because the answer was embarrassingly simple. “This.” Panam looked around. “The bench?” Birgitta laughed. “No.” She lifted their joined hands slightly. Panam understood. Her expression softened. “Oh.” Reyes smiled. “You.” That shut Panam up. Completely. For perhaps five full seconds. Then: “That was unfair.” “Why?” “I wasn’t ready.” “For an answer?” “For that answer.” Reyes laughed softly. Panam kissed her again. Longer. When she pulled back, she remained close. “Good.” Birgitta smiled. “Good?” Panam nodded. “Because I want this too.” No joke. No protection. Reyes looked at her. “I know.” Panam narrowed her eyes. “Arrogant.” “You’re holding my hand.” “That proves nothing.” “You’ve been touching me for most of the morning.” “Circumstantial.” “You moved seats at breakfast.” Panam groaned. “Fuck.” Reyes laughed. “Case closed.” --- They wandered again after that. No timetable. Panam showed Birgitta an old garage she liked because the owner still repaired things instead of replacing everything. Birgitta spent fifteen minutes pretending she cared about a transmission component because Panam cared enough for both of them. Panam caught her. “You have no idea what I’m talking about.” “Absolutely none.” “You were nodding.” “I was supporting you emotionally.” Panam laughed so hard the mechanic looked over. Reyes smiled. There it was again. This strange pleasure in seeing Panam enthusiastic about something completely unrelated to her. No seduction. No performance. No agenda. Just Panam being Panam. Reyes wanted more of it. That realization arrived quietly. And stayed. --- By early afternoon they were hungry again. Panam noticed first. “Lunch?” Birgitta looked at her. “Already?” “It’s been hours.” Reyes checked the time. Panam was right. That surprised her. The entire morning had disappeared. Not wasted. Not passed. Disappeared. Because Reyes had not been monitoring it. She smiled. “Lunch.” Panam immediately reached for her hand again. Reyes let her. They turned toward a row of small restaurants farther down the street. Panam glanced sideways. “You still have nowhere to be?” Reyes smiled. “Nope.” Panam’s face brightened. Again. Reyes laughed. “You really need to get better at hiding that.” “No.” “No?” Panam squeezed her hand. “No.” Reyes looked at her. Then smiled. “Good.” They kept walking. Still no countdown. Still no end planned. And somewhere between breakfast and lunch, without either of them naming it, the second day stopped feeling like an extension of the first date. It began to feel like something else. Something that might happen again. --- # Chapter 14 — Better Work Lunch ended up being noodles. Mostly because Panam pointed at the place and said: “That one.” Birgitta looked at the sign. Then at Panam. “No research?” “No.” “No reviews?” “No.” “No backup?” Panam sighed. “You’re never letting that go.” “Probably not.” “Fine. Yes. No research.” Birgitta smiled. “Dangerous.” “I contain multitudes.” “That line again?” “It’s a good line.” “It was barely acceptable the first time.” Panam opened the door. “Lunch.” “Lunch.” --- The place was narrow and louder than breakfast had been. Not unpleasantly. Open kitchen. Metal surfaces. Steam. People eating quickly and leaving. They found a booth near the back. This time Panam did not even pretend she was going to sit opposite. She slid in beside Birgitta immediately. Reyes looked at her. Panam looked back. “What?” “No negotiation?” “I learned.” “Dangerous.” Panam leaned in. “Efficient.” Birgitta smiled. “Much better.” Their knees touched beneath the table. Stayed there. Normal now. That was becoming dangerous too. --- They ordered. Panam chose something aggressively spicy. Birgitta chose something only slightly less reckless. Panam noticed. “Coward.” “I enjoy tasting things.” “You said you like spicy.” “I do.” “That is not spicy.” “It has a warning symbol.” “Decorative.” Reyes laughed. “You’re ridiculous.” Panam smiled. “Still here.” That phrase again. This time Reyes only looked at her. Panam’s expression softened. Neither said anything else. The food arrived. Conversation drifted. A vehicle Panam had seen that morning. Someone at the garage. Whether the bird-feeder in the little plaza was technically committing a crime. Then Panam went quiet. Not uncomfortable. Thinking. Reyes noticed. “You’re doing the face.” Panam frowned. “What face?” “The one where you’re about to ask something.” “I have a question.” “Of course you do.” Panam took another bite. Chewed. Bought herself time. Reyes waited. Finally: “You said you’ve done merc work.” Birgitta nodded. “Sometimes.” “And you do this.” Reyes smiled. “This?” Panam gave her a look. “Joytoy work.” “Yes.” Panam tapped her chopsticks lightly against the edge of the bowl. “Which do you like better?” There it was. Reyes stopped. Not because the question was dangerous. Because it was actually interesting. Panam watched her. “No quick answer?” “No.” “Good.” “Why good?” “Means you’re thinking.” “I do that occasionally.” “Rare.” “Careful.” Panam smiled. Birgitta leaned back. Thought. Then: “Joytoy.” Panam blinked. That had not been the answer she expected. “Really?” “Yes.” “Not even close?” Reyes considered again. “Closer than that.” Panam waited. Birgitta continued. “Merc work can be satisfying.” “Satisfying how?” “Clear objective.” Panam nodded. “Competence matters.” Another nod. “Sometimes you solve something difficult.” “Sometimes you get shot.” “Also true.” “Sometimes people try to kill you.” “Very judgmental profession.” Panam laughed. Reyes smiled. “But I don’t particularly enjoy being shot at.” “Fair.” “I don’t enjoy bad intel.” “Also fair.” “I don’t enjoy employers lying about what the job actually is.” Panam snorted. “That’s every second contract.” “Exactly.” Birgitta took another bite. Panam watched her. “So joytoy wins because nobody shoots at you?” Reyes smiled. “Mostly.” “Bullshit.” “Mostly.” “Birgitta.” Reyes looked at her. Panam’s expression was curious now. Not teasing. Genuinely curious. “Why?” Reyes thought for a moment. Then answered honestly. “Because I like people.” Panam stared. That clearly was not the answer she expected either. Birgitta laughed softly. “Not all of them.” “Good recovery.” “I like reading people.” Panam nodded. “I noticed.” “I like figuring out what makes someone relax.” “What makes them nervous.” “What they want.” “What they’re afraid to ask for.” Panam’s expression changed slightly. Interested. Very interested. Reyes continued. “And I like being wanted.” Panam looked at her. No joke. Birgitta smiled. “I’m not ashamed of that.” “You shouldn’t be.” The answer came instantly. Reyes felt it. Panam continued: “Why would you be?” Birgitta held her gaze. “I wouldn’t.” “Good.” That simple. Reyes liked that too. Panam took another bite. Then: “So you like the attention.” “Yes.” “The sex.” Reyes smiled. “Often.” Panam’s mouth twitched. “Often.” “Sometimes clients are better conversationalists.” Panam laughed. “Asshole.” Reyes leaned slightly closer. “And sometimes the sex is excellent.” Panam looked pleased with herself. “Oh?” Birgitta gave her a look. “Fishing again.” “Absolutely.” “No shame.” “None.” Reyes smiled. “Good.” --- Panam thought for another moment. “What about the performance?” Birgitta raised an eyebrow. “What about it?” “You said some of you gets louder when you work.” “Yes.” “Doesn’t that get tiring?” Reyes looked down at her bowl. That was a better question. “Sometimes.” Panam waited. Reyes continued. “But it’s not fake.” Panam nodded. “It’s still me.” “Just turned up.” “Yes.” “Why?” Reyes smiled slightly. “Because I can.” Panam frowned. “That simple?” “Mostly.” She considered how to explain it. “Merc work rewards control.” Panam nodded. “Small movements.” “Clear decisions.” “Not showing too much.” Panam’s eyes narrowed slightly. Understanding. Reyes continued. “Joytoy work lets me do almost the opposite.” “Be louder.” “Yes.” “More social.” “Yes.” “More…” Panam searched. “Open?” Reyes looked at her. “Yes.” Exactly. Panam leaned back. “That sounds less like a job and more like…” She stopped. Birgitta waited. “A release valve?” Reyes smiled. “Maybe.” Panam looked pleased with herself. “Good answer?” “Very.” “Wow.” “Don’t ruin it.” Panam laughed. --- For a few moments they ate in silence. Then Panam said: “But merc work is more you.” Reyes looked over. Dangerous phrasing. Not dangerous knowledge. Just interesting. “What makes you say that?” Panam shrugged. “You watch exits.” Reyes said nothing. “You notice people.” Nothing. “You move like you know where your balance is.” Reyes smiled faintly. “That’s a strange one.” “It’s true.” Panam continued. “And you’re calm.” “Apparently.” “In the way people are calm when they’ve already thought about what happens if something goes wrong.” That was close. Very close. Reyes felt it. Not identity-threatening. Just perceptive. She looked at Panam. “You notice a lot.” Panam smiled. “I pay attention.” Reyes laughed softly. “Careful. You’ll steal my occupation.” Panam leaned closer. “Maybe I want to.” The words came out teasing. Mostly. Reyes noticed the mostly. Did not touch it yet. Too early. Instead: “Merc?” Panam shrugged. “I already know that side.” “True.” Panam’s eyes stayed on her. The question underneath remained. Reyes saw it. Filed it away. --- Panam finally asked: “So if someone offered you the same money for both.” Birgitta smiled. “This is becoming an interview.” “I’m curious.” “I noticed.” “Same money.” “Yes?” “Merc contract or joytoy booking.” Reyes answered faster this time. “Depends on the client.” Panam laughed. “That’s cheating.” “It’s the correct answer.” “Fine.” Panam thought. “Good client.” “Joytoy.” “Good merc contract.” “Joytoy.” “Very good merc contract.” Reyes smiled. “Still joytoy.” Panam stared. “Seriously?” “Yes.” “Why?” Reyes looked at her. “Because no one has ever handed me a merc contract where the objective was to have a good time.” Panam laughed hard enough to put her chopsticks down. “Fair.” “Very.” “Unless you count blowing things up.” “I don’t.” “I do.” “Of course you do.” Panam was still smiling. Then: “What if the joytoy client is boring?” “Still safer than gunfire.” “What if the merc job is fun?” “Define fun.” “Good team. Clean objective. Big explosion.” Birgitta considered. “Tempting.” Panam grinned. “See?” “But I’m still choosing the bed.” Panam laughed. “Goddammit.” --- The humor eased. Panam looked at her bowl. Then at Birgitta. “What if you don’t like the client?” Reyes answered immediately. “I don’t take them.” Panam blinked. “You can just say no?” “Yes.” “Always?” “Yes.” Reyes saw the question behind that too. “Or stop.” Panam listened. “At any point.” “Yes.” “Even after they’ve paid.” “Yes.” “That happen often?” “No.” “Because you’re good at choosing.” Reyes smiled. “Usually.” Panam nodded. That seemed important to her. More than the money. More than the sex. Choice. Reyes recognized it. Of course Panam would care about that. Panam’s entire personality treated coercion like a personal insult. “Do they ever get pissed?” “Yes.” “What do you do?” “Depends.” Panam smiled. “Merc work?” Birgitta laughed. “Sometimes the skills overlap.” Panam’s grin widened. “I knew it.” --- Then Panam asked the question differently. “Which one makes you happier?” Reyes stopped. That was not the same question. Panam knew it. She did not look away. Mercenary work or joytoy work. Not which was easier. Not which paid better. Not which was safer. Happier. Reyes thought. Properly. For longer this time. Then: “Joytoy.” Panam nodded slowly. “Yeah?” “Yes.” “Because of everything you said?” “Partly.” “What’s the other part?” Reyes looked at her. She could make a joke. Didn’t. “Merc work feels good when I succeed.” Panam listened. “Joytoy work can feel good while I’m doing it.” There. Panam’s expression softened. Reyes continued. “And afterward.” Panam smiled. “Afterward.” Reyes smiled back. “Yes.” Panam’s knee pressed a little more firmly against hers beneath the table. “That I understand.” “I suspected.” “Fishing?” “Absolutely.” Panam laughed. --- They ate for another minute. Then Panam said: “Do you ever get nervous before a client?” Reyes looked at her. There. The shift. Subtle. Question becoming question becoming curiosity. “Yes.” “Still?” “Sometimes.” “Why?” “Depends.” “First time?” “Of course.” “First client ever?” “Yes.” Panam leaned slightly closer. “What was that like?” Birgitta smiled. “Nervous.” “Helpful.” “You asked.” Panam rolled her eyes. “Did you almost back out?” Reyes thought. “No.” “Why not?” “I wanted to know.” Panam’s expression changed. That answer interested her. “Know what?” “If I’d like it.” “And?” Birgitta smiled. “Apparently.” Panam laughed. “Right.” Then: “How did you pick them?” Reyes looked at her. “Who?” “Clients.” “Generally?” “Yes.” Another question. Then another. The pattern was beginning. Reyes could see it. Panam did not. Yet. “Conversation.” “Before?” “Yes.” “How much?” “Enough.” “What are you looking for?” Reyes set her chopsticks down. “Respect.” Panam nodded. “Confidence without entitlement.” Another nod. “Someone who listens.” Panam looked thoughtful. “Chemistry?” “Yes.” “Looks?” “Sometimes.” Panam smiled. “Sometimes?” “I’m not pretending I’m blind.” “Good.” Birgitta laughed. Panam continued. “What about clothes?” Reyes raised an eyebrow. “What about them?” “Do you choose them?” “Yes.” “Always?” “Usually.” “Do you like that part?” Reyes stared at her. Panam took another bite. Pretended this was normal. Reyes slowly smiled. “Oh.” Panam looked over. “What?” Reyes leaned back. “You’re curious.” Panam frowned. “I’m asking questions.” “You’ve been asking questions for twenty minutes.” “I’m interested.” Reyes’s smile widened. Panam recognized danger. “What?” Birgitta tilted her head. “Professionally interested?” Silence. Panam looked at her. Then at her bowl. Then somewhere over Reyes’s shoulder. Reyes waited. Panam finally said: “Fuck off.” Birgitta laughed. “That was not a no.” “I’m curious.” “Yes.” “That does not mean anything.” “I didn’t say it did.” “You’re doing the face.” “What face?” “The one where you think you figured something out.” Reyes smiled. “Maybe.” Panam pointed at her. “No.” “No?” “No designing anything in your head.” “I wasn’t.” “Bullshit.” Birgitta laughed again. Panam shook her head. Then, after a moment: “I’m just curious.” Reyes did not push. That mattered. She could have. Could have teased another admission out of her. But Panam was not asking for that. Not yet. So Birgitta simply nodded. “Okay.” Panam looked suspicious. “Okay?” “Yes.” “That’s it?” “For now.” Panam stared. “For now?” Birgitta smiled. “Eat your noodles.” Panam groaned. “You’re impossible.” Reyes leaned into her shoulder. “And yet.” Panam looked down at her. Then smiled. “And yet.” They went back to lunch. But the questions had changed something. Not a decision. Not a plan. Not even an intention. Just a door somewhere in Panam’s mind that had not been there before. Still closed. But now she knew where it was. --- # Chapter 15 — No Rush They did not leave immediately after lunch. That became obvious when both bowls were empty and neither woman moved. Panam sat beside Birgitta with one arm resting along the back of the booth. Their knees still touched beneath the table. Reyes leaned back. Comfortable. Panam looked thoughtful. Not troubled. Just somewhere inside her own head. Birgitta watched for a few seconds. Then: “You’re doing it again.” Panam looked over. “Doing what?” “Thinking too loudly.” “I’m sitting here.” “Exactly.” Panam laughed. “Asshole.” Reyes smiled. For a moment Panam said nothing. Then: “I really didn’t expect that answer.” “Which one?” “That you prefer joytoy work.” Birgitta shrugged. “You asked.” “I know.” Panam looked down at the empty bowl. Then back. “I think I expected you to say merc work.” “Why?” “You seem good at it.” “That doesn’t mean I have to like it more.” Panam considered. “Fair.” Birgitta smiled. “And?” “And what?” “You’re still thinking.” Panam rolled her eyes. “I’m allowed.” “Barely.” Panam nudged her knee. “I just like that you like what you do.” That caught Reyes slightly off guard. She looked at Panam. Panam shrugged. “Seems important.” “It is.” “Good.” And that was it. No more questions. No analysis. Panam reached for her drink. Reyes let the subject go. Exactly where it belonged. --- They finally stepped outside. The afternoon had changed while they were eating. Brighter. Sharper. The kind of light that made Night City look less glamorous and more honest. Panam took Birgitta’s hand almost immediately. No hesitation. No checking. Just reached. Reyes looked down at their joined hands. Then at Panam. Panam caught the glance. “What?” “Nothing.” “Bullshit.” Birgitta smiled. “Maybe I like that you do that.” Panam’s expression softened. “The hand thing?” “Yes.” Panam looked down. Then squeezed. “Good.” Reyes squeezed back. They started walking. --- No destination. Again. That had somehow become their thing. Panam seemed to enjoy it more every hour. Reyes knew she did. There was something luxurious about not being needed anywhere. No call. No assignment. No booking. No one waiting. Just one street turning into another. Panam stopped at a stall selling old vehicle badges and manufacturer plaques. Reyes stopped with her. Panam picked one up. Turned it over. Put it down. Picked it up again. Birgitta watched. “You want it.” “No.” “You touched it twice.” “That proves nothing.” “You’re terrible at lying.” Panam looked at her. “You literally do that professionally.” “Exactly.” “That is unfair.” “Useful.” Panam looked at the badge again. Reyes leaned closer. “Buy it.” “No.” “Why?” “I don’t need it.” “That wasn’t the question.” Panam turned. Reyes smiled. Panam sighed. Then bought it. Birgitta looked smug. “Happy?” “No.” “Liar.” Panam slipped it into her pocket. “Maybe.” Reyes laughed. They kept walking. --- A few blocks later Panam stopped again. This time not for a shop. For a vehicle parked near the curb. Old. Modified. Beautiful in the way only something heavily used and stubbornly maintained could be beautiful. Panam slowed. Birgitta saw the shift instantly. “Oh no.” Panam looked over. “What?” “You’ve seen something mechanical.” “That is a vehicle.” “Yes.” “A very good vehicle.” “You’ve known it for six seconds.” “I have eyes.” Birgitta folded her arms. “Explain.” Panam looked delighted. That was all Reyes needed. The next ten minutes belonged completely to Panam. Engine layout. Suspension. What had clearly been replaced. What someone had done badly. What they had done very well. Why one visible modification was either brilliant or criminal depending on what was underneath. Reyes understood perhaps half. Maybe less. She did not care. Panam talked with her hands. Moved around the vehicle. Crouched once to look underneath. Pointed. Explained. Forgot entirely to be self-conscious. Reyes watched her. That was the interesting part. Not the vehicle. Panam alive inside something she loved. Eventually Panam looked up. Caught Birgitta staring. “What?” Reyes smiled. “Nothing.” “You’ve been using that word all day.” “I’m learning.” Panam straightened. “You didn’t understand any of that.” “Some.” “How much?” Reyes considered. “Enough to know you think the suspension is either genius or attempted murder.” Panam laughed. “Fair.” “And that whoever worked on the intake knows what they’re doing.” Panam looked impressed. “You listened.” Reyes raised an eyebrow. “Of course I listened.” Panam’s expression changed. Tiny. Warm. “Yeah.” Reyes felt it. Then ruined it deliberately. “Still ugly paint.” Panam stared. “You bitch.” Birgitta laughed and started walking. Panam followed. --- They found coffee again. Not because either needed it. Because they passed a place that smelled good. Panam bought both without asking what Birgitta wanted. Reyes looked at the cup. Then at her. “You guessed.” “I remembered.” Birgitta took a sip. Correct. Panam watched. Reyes said nothing. Panam smiled. “Ha.” “Don’t.” “I got it right.” “You did.” “That sounded painful.” “A little.” Panam looked unbearably pleased. They walked with coffee in one hand and each other’s hand in the other. It was inconvenient. Neither let go. At one point Panam tried to switch cups between hands without releasing Birgitta. Nearly dropped hers. Reyes laughed. “Graceful.” “Shut up.” “You can let go for three seconds.” “No.” That answer came so quickly Reyes stopped laughing. Panam noticed. “What?” Reyes looked at their hands. Then at her. “Nothing.” Panam narrowed her eyes. “Good.” And kept holding on. --- Later they reached a narrow bridge between two parts of the district. Not high. Not scenic. But quieter. Below them, traffic moved through another level of the city. Panam stopped near the railing. Birgitta joined her. For a while they watched. The coffee slowly disappeared. Panam leaned one elbow against the rail. Birgitta stood close enough that their shoulders touched. Panam looked sideways. “You tired of me yet?” Reyes turned. “What?” Panam shrugged. “You’ve had me for a while.” The joke almost hid the question. Almost. Reyes saw it. “Panam.” “What?” “No.” Panam smiled. “Good.” “That was easy.” “Shouldn’t it be?” Reyes looked at her. “Yes.” Panam nodded. Then looked back at the traffic. “I’m not tired of you either.” Birgitta smiled. “I had gathered.” “Arrogant.” “You’ve been holding my hand for half the day.” Panam looked down. Still holding it. “Evidence is circumstantial.” “You moved seats at breakfast.” “Strategic.” “You stole food from my plate.” “Necessary.” “You bought my coffee correctly.” “Basic survival.” Reyes laughed. Panam smiled. Then said: “I like this.” Birgitta looked at her. Panam gestured vaguely. Not the street. Not the bridge. Them. “All of this.” Reyes’s expression softened. “Me too.” Panam looked relieved again. Still. Even after everything. Reyes wondered how long it would take before Panam stopped needing confirmation. Then realized she did not mind giving it. That surprised her. In a good way. --- They walked farther. The day kept disappearing. At some point Panam showed Birgitta an old garage she liked. Not because it was pretty. It was not. Not because she had work there. She did not. Because the owner still repaired things other people replaced. Panam liked that. Reyes liked that Panam liked it. The owner recognized Panam. They talked for several minutes. Birgitta stayed nearby. Listened. Panam introduced her simply: “Birgitta.” Nothing else. No explanation. No label. Reyes noticed. The owner nodded. “Friend?” Panam hesitated. Reyes felt it. Very brief. Then Panam looked at her. Birgitta looked back. Panam smiled. “Yeah.” Friend. Technically true. Emotionally incomplete. Perfectly safe. Reyes smiled too. The owner moved on. Panam looked slightly embarrassed. Birgitta bumped her shoulder. “Relax.” “I am relaxed.” “You’re thinking again.” “Fuck you.” Reyes laughed. --- By the time they left, the afternoon had started leaning toward evening. Panam looked at the sky between buildings. Then at Birgitta. “Hungry?” “A little.” “Dinner?” Reyes looked at her. The word had changed. Last night, dinner had been the event. The date. The thing everything led toward. Now it was just food. Because they were still together. Because of course they were. Reyes smiled. “Yes.” Panam smiled back. “Anything you want?” Reyes thought. Then shook her head. “No.” “No preference?” “No.” “That’s dangerous.” “I trust you.” Panam went still. Just for a second. Reyes saw it. Panam tried to cover. Poorly. “You said that too casually.” Birgitta smiled. “Should I take it back?” “No.” Immediate. Reyes laughed. “Thought so.” Panam reached for her hand again even though she already had it. Adjusted their grip. Closer. Fingers fully intertwined now. “Okay.” “Okay?” “I’ll pick.” “Good.” Panam started walking. Reyes followed. After a few steps: “Panam.” “Yeah?” “No research.” Panam laughed. “Fuck you.” “No backup restaurant.” “Shut up.” “No seventeen-message dinner strategy.” Panam turned while still walking. “That was one time.” “One week.” “Six days.” “Heroic restraint.” Panam laughed. Reyes did too. And they kept going. --- Dinner was nothing special. That made it perfect. Small place. Decent food. Panam chose well enough to look smug about it. Birgitta let her. They sat beside each other again. Shared food without discussing it. Panam stole from Birgitta’s plate. Birgitta stole back. They argued about whether that still counted as theft if both expected it. Panam lost. Mostly because Reyes declared herself judge. No one checked the time. At some point Panam’s hand settled against Birgitta’s thigh beneath the table. Not seductive. Not leading anywhere. Just contact. Reyes rested her hand over Panam’s. Panam looked at her. Smiled. Kept it there. And Reyes realized something. Yesterday had been extraordinary because it was a date. Today was becoming extraordinary because it wasn’t. No effort. No performance. No occasion. They were just together. And it worked. Almost frighteningly well. --- Outside again, evening had begun. Panam stopped near the door. Birgitta stopped with her. Neither started walking. Panam looked at her. “So.” Reyes laughed. “There it is.” “I know.” “What now?” Panam smiled. “I don’t know.” That was new. Reyes liked it. “No plan?” “No.” “Terrifying.” “Little bit.” Birgitta stepped closer. Panam’s hand found her waist. Easy now. Familiar. Reyes rested both hands lightly against Panam’s jacket. “Good.” Panam looked at her. “Good?” “Yeah.” Reyes smiled. “We don’t need one.” Panam’s expression softened. “No rush?” “No rush.” Panam kissed her. Right there on the sidewalk. Not long. Not private. Not especially careful. Just because she wanted to. When she pulled back, Reyes smiled. Panam did too. Then: “Walk?” Reyes laughed softly. “Again?” “You like walking.” “I do.” “So?” Birgitta took her hand. “Walk.” They moved into the evening without deciding where they were going. Again. And neither woman seemed to find that strange anymore. --- # Chapter 16 — Still Here They walked until the city changed around them again. No destination. No hurry. Panam had stopped checking where they were. Not completely. She still noticed traffic. People. Movement. Things that mattered. But none of it seemed to be pulling at her. Her attention kept returning to Birgitta. A joke. A look. A hand tightening around hers. A shoulder brushing hers as they moved through the evening crowd. Reyes liked that. Too much. Again. Dangerous pattern. They passed a small bar with half the front wall open to the street. Music spilled out into the evening. Not loud. Good enough that Panam slowed. Birgitta noticed. “You want a drink.” Panam looked over. “No.” “You slowed down.” “I was listening.” “You want a drink.” Panam sighed. “Maybe.” Reyes smiled. “Come on.” Inside, they found a small table near the open wall. Panam ordered something simple. Birgitta did the same. No ceremony. No searching. No attempt to optimize the evening. That felt important. Yesterday Panam had changed restaurants twice. Tonight she chose the first place that sounded good. Reyes leaned back. Watched her. Panam caught it. “What?” “You’re better.” Panam frowned. “Better?” “Less nervous.” “Oh.” Panam looked down at her drink. Then smiled. “Yeah.” “Good.” Panam looked back. “You?” Reyes considered. “Also better.” “Still nervous?” “Not much.” Panam smiled. “Good.” Then: “Little disappointed.” Reyes laughed. “Why?” “I liked knowing you were nervous too.” “That’s unhealthy.” “Probably.” “Honest.” “Usually.” Birgitta raised an eyebrow. Panam corrected: “Often.” “Better.” They touched glasses. Drank. For a while they listened to the music. Panam tapped one finger against the table. Birgitta watched. “You like this.” “Yeah.” “You dance?” Panam looked suspicious. “Sometimes.” “That was not confident.” “I dance.” “Good?” Panam stared. “You trying to start something?” “Maybe.” “No.” Birgitta laughed. “Coward.” “I’m not dancing in here.” “Why?” “Because I said so.” “Excellent argument.” Panam leaned closer. “You dance?” Reyes smiled. “Yes.” Panam’s eyes narrowed. “Work?” “Sometimes.” “Not what I asked.” “Yes.” Panam smiled. “Good.” “Why good?” “Now I know you can’t make fun of me.” “I absolutely can.” “That’s not fair.” “Life rarely is.” Panam laughed. The drinks disappeared slowly. Conversation wandered. Sera came up once. Not the secret. Not the message. Just Sera. Panam talked about the gallery. About one piece she had pretended to understand. Birgitta accused her of lying. Panam admitted it immediately. “I understood none of it.” “I knew.” “You said nothing.” “I was being kind.” “Disturbing.” Reyes smiled. Panam continued. “She looked happy.” “Sera?” “Yeah.” Reyes nodded. “She did.” Panam looked at her. “You noticed.” “Of course.” There was no need to say more. When they left, Panam did not ask where next. Neither did Birgitta. They simply started walking again. Night City had become itself again. Brighter. Dirtier. More convincing after dark. Panam kept Birgitta close. One hand at her back when the crowd thickened. Then fingers interlaced again when the street opened. Reyes stopped noticing the transitions. That mattered. Touch had become ordinary. Not a beat. Not a decision. Just part of being together. At a crossing, Panam looked at her. Then kissed her. No warning. Quick. Reyes blinked. Panam looked pleased. “What?” “That was unprovoked.” “I know.” “You’re getting bold.” “Maybe.” Reyes stepped closer. “Kiss me again.” Panam did. This one lasted longer. People moved around them when the signal changed. Neither noticed immediately. A voice behind them said: “You planning to live here?” Panam broke the kiss. Turned. An older man waited with obvious irritation. Reyes started laughing. Panam grabbed her hand. “Come on.” They crossed. Reyes was still laughing on the other side. “Shut up.” “I didn’t say anything.” “You’re laughing.” “He was right.” “Fuck him.” “He had somewhere to be.” “So did I.” Reyes raised an eyebrow. “Did you?” Panam looked at her. Then smiled. “No.” Exactly. Eventually the walking slowed. Not because either was tired. Because both were aware of the time. Reyes noticed the shift before Panam spoke. “So.” Birgitta smiled. “There it is.” Panam laughed softly. “Yeah.” They stood near a quiet corner beneath an old sign that had lost half its letters years ago. Panam looked at her. No nervous smile this time. No panic. Just openness. “You want to come back with me?” Reyes felt the answer immediately. Still let herself think about it. Not because she needed to. Because she liked that there was a choice. “Yes.” Panam smiled. “Good.” Then, after a second: “You sure?” Reyes moved closer. “Still yes.” Panam’s smile widened. “Good.” Birgitta touched her jacket. “Still no booking.” Panam’s expression softened. “Still no booking.” “No client.” “No.” Reyes smiled. “Good.” Panam kissed her. Then they started walking back. The apartment looked different the second time. Not physically. Reyes simply knew where things were now. The useless chair. The stubborn mug. The counter. The place where Panam left her jacket. That was unsettling. Not badly. Just quickly. Panam closed the door. Looked at Birgitta. Neither moved immediately. Then Panam smiled. “You know where the water is.” Reyes laughed. “Romance.” “I’m learning.” “You’re doing terribly.” “Still here.” That phrase again. Reyes smiled. “Yes.” “Still here.” They drank water. Again. Apparently this was a tradition now. Panam leaned against the counter. Birgitta stood close. No rush. No nervous edge like last night. Different. Easier. Panam looked at her. “Today was good.” Reyes smiled. “Yes.” “Better than I expected.” “That sounds insulting.” “It’s not.” “Explain.” Panam thought. “I thought maybe last night worked because it was…” She searched. “A date.” Reyes nodded. “Everything was new.” “Right.” Panam looked at her. “But today was…” “Nothing planned.” “Yeah.” “And it still worked.” Reyes felt that. “Yes.” Panam’s hands settled at her waist. “That’s good.” “Very.” For a moment they just looked at each other. Then Panam said: “I like being with you.” Simple. No joke. No hesitation. Reyes’s expression softened immediately. That was different from _I want you._ Different from _I’m happy._ Different from everything else. “I like being with you too.” Panam smiled. “Good.” Reyes laughed softly. “Good?” “Very.” The callback landed. Reyes kissed her. Slowly. Panam answered. No urgency. No uncertainty. Just warmth. When they separated, Panam kept one hand at her waist. The other moved up to brush Birgitta’s hair back. Reyes watched her. “What?” Panam smiled. “Nothing.” “You’re never stopping that.” “No.” “Terrible.” “Still here.” Reyes laughed. Then kissed her again. They moved to the couch. Not because either had decided anything. Because it was there. Panam sat. Birgitta sat beside her. Then closer. Then partly against her. Panam put an arm around her. Reyes leaned into it. Music played quietly from somewhere nearby. Not the bar. Not loud enough to matter. For a while, nothing happened. That was the point. Panam’s fingers traced lazy patterns against Birgitta’s arm. Reyes rested one hand on Panam’s thigh. They talked in fragments. A stupid thing from the garage. The terrible paint on the vehicle. Whether the old man at the crossing had been right. He had. Panam refused to admit it. Reyes laughed. Panam kissed her halfway through the laugh. Reyes kissed her back. Then settled against her again. No rush. At some point Panam said: “Can I tell you something stupid?” Reyes smiled. “Always.” “I kept thinking today that I was going to fuck this up.” Reyes turned toward her. “How?” Panam shrugged. “Say something wrong.” “Do something wrong.” “Push too much.” “Not push enough.” Birgitta watched her. Panam laughed quietly. “Stupid.” “No.” Panam looked over. “No?” “No.” Reyes shifted enough to face her properly. “I worried too.” Panam blinked. “Today?” “Yes.” “About what?” Reyes thought. Then gave her the truth she could. “That you’d like last night better than today.” Panam stared. Reyes continued. “That maybe this only worked because there was momentum.” “The date.” “Yes.” “Sex.” “Also yes.” Panam smiled. “You worried I’d get bored.” Reyes raised an eyebrow. “Don’t make it ugly.” “That’s what you meant.” “A little.” Panam looked at her. Then pulled her closer. “I didn’t.” Reyes smiled. “I noticed.” “Good.” Another quiet moment. Then Panam said: “Actually…” Reyes waited. “I think I liked today more.” That surprised her. “Really?” “Yeah.” “Why?” Panam looked around the apartment. Then back. “Because nothing had to happen.” Reyes went still. Panam continued. “And I still wanted to stay with you.” That one landed hard. Reyes did not hide it. Panam saw. Her expression softened. “Too much?” Reyes shook her head. “No.” Then: “Not even close.” Panam smiled. The next kiss began gently. It stayed that way for a while. Panam’s hand moved along Birgitta’s side. Reyes leaned into it. Their bodies turned toward each other. No surprise. No sudden change. Just the moment becoming more physical because they both wanted it to. Panam’s fingers slipped beneath the edge of Birgitta’s top. Stopped there. Not asking because she was uncertain. Asking because that was who they had become with each other. Reyes looked at her. “Yes.” Panam smiled. Then touched her. Bare skin. Warm palm over her ribs. Thumb brushing the underside of her breast through the remaining fabric. Reyes answered immediately. A breath. A small shift closer. A hand at Panam’s shoulder. Panam watched the reaction. Reyes saw her seeing it. “Don’t look so pleased.” “I’m very pleased.” “Asshole.” Panam kissed her. Reyes laughed into it. The laughter stayed. That was different tonight. Last night, both had been too aware of every step. Tonight they could lose the rhythm for a second and not care. Panam tugged lightly at the fabric. Reyes shifted to help. Something caught. Panam frowned. Reyes started laughing. “What?” “You’re fighting my shirt.” “It started it.” “Heroic.” “Shut up.” Panam tried again. This time it worked. The garment loosened. Reyes leaned in. “See?” “I won.” “You needed help.” “Still won.” Reyes kissed her. Panam’s hands settled against her again. Warmer now. More certain. She pushed the shirt off Reyes’s shoulders and left it bunched at her elbows, too impatient to finish the job. Reyes did not help her this time. Let her deal with it. Used the trapped arms as an excuse to stay close, grinding down against Panam’s thigh through two layers of remaining clothing. The friction was already enough to make her wet. Panam felt it. Her hand slid down the back of Reyes’s trousers and cupped her ass, pulling her into a slower, dirtier roll. “Fuck.” “Still winning?” “Working on it.” Reyes got a hand between them. Found Panam through her clothes. Pressed. Panam’s hips jerked. Reyes smiled against her mouth. “There.” “Don’t look so pleased.” “I’m very pleased.” The couch stopped being useful after a while. Not because of urgency. Because space became inconvenient. Panam laughed when Reyes nearly kicked the table. “Bedroom?” Reyes looked at her. “Probably safer.” “Coward.” “You value that table?” “No.” “Then couch.” Panam stared. Reyes smiled. Then Panam laughed. “Bedroom.” “Fine.” They stood. Did not separate. The shirt finally came off in the hallway because it had become a liability. Panam walked backward for the first steps because neither wanted to stop kissing. Reyes laughed against her mouth. “You’re going to hit something.” “I know where I live.” “You almost walked into your own lift yesterday.” “That was your fault.” “Everything is my fault.” “Correct.” Panam’s shoulder hit the bedroom doorframe. She stopped. Reyes raised an eyebrow. Panam sighed. “Not a word.” Reyes kissed her instead. Better. Inside, the pace slowed again. Not because desire had weakened. Because the room changed the awareness. Panam sat on the edge of the bed. Birgitta stayed standing in front of her. Panam looked up. Reyes touched her face. No words. Panam kissed the palm. Again. That tiny gesture from last night. Less accidental now. Reyes felt it more this time. Panam saw. “Still works.” Reyes narrowed her eyes. “Don’t get smug.” “Too late.” Birgitta leaned down and kissed her. Panam’s hands came to her waist. Undid her trousers. Pushed them down. Reyes stepped out of them. Underwear followed. Panam’s mouth was level with her hip. She kissed there first. Then lower. One slow lick through Reyes’s cunt while Reyes was still standing. Reyes’s hand landed in her hair. “Panam.” Not a warning. A name. Panam looked up, mouth wet. “Still yes?” “If you stop now I will become difficult.” “Noted.” She licked her again. Deeper. Reyes’s knees threatened the argument. Panam drew her in instead, pulled her onto the bed, finished undressing herself with less ceremony than the shirt had received. They moved onto the mattress. No jump. No cut. Panam settled over her. Skin to skin this time. Whole night available. No fast-drop hanging off a shoulder. No first-date caution in the way their legs fit. Panam laughed when Reyes caught her looking. “What?” “Nothing.” “Bullshit.” “You’re beautiful.” Reyes went quiet. That one landed differently. Not because Birgitta had never been told. Quite the opposite. But here— no client. No role. No expectation. Panam simply meant it. Reyes touched her cheek. “So are you.” Panam’s expression softened. “See?” “See what?” “You’re dangerous when you say nice things.” Reyes smiled. “Good.” Panam laughed. Then pulled her back down. They ground together first. Cunt against cunt. Slow. Wet. No need to invent a new trick. The familiar becoming easier. Reyes reached between them and slid two fingers into Panam while they moved. Panam’s breath left her in a single unguarded sound. Then Panam caught Reyes’s wrist, pulled her hand free, and pushed Reyes’s thigh higher. Three fingers this time. Slick enough that the entry was easy. Deep enough that Reyes’s mouth opened on a sound she did not dress up. Panam stopped. Stayed buried. Waited. Reyes opened her eyes. Looked directly at her. Her hand tightened at Panam’s shoulder. “Don’t stop.” Panam smiled. Barely. Then moved. Slowly at first. Fingers curling on the withdraw. Palm grinding her clit on every return. Reyes breathed with it. The first reaction settled across her face. Panam watched. Not like a client. Not like someone evaluating. Like someone who cared whether she felt good. That difference remained enormous. Reyes reached up. Pulled Panam closer. Kissed her. Their rhythm built gradually. No hurry. Panam adjusted. Reyes responded. A laugh once when they lost the angle. A muttered curse. A quick correction. Then back into it. Nothing broke the intimacy. If anything, the imperfection made it more theirs. Panam whispered against her mouth. “Still here.” Reyes laughed. Answered. “Still here.” Panam retaliated with a deeper stroke that stole the next reply. Reyes made an annoyed sound that dissolved into breath. Panam looked entirely too pleased. “Asshole.” “Still pleased.” “I noticed.” Reyes pulled her closer again. Hooked a leg around her hips. Took her fingers deeper. The rhythm changed. Less play. More want. Panam’s forehead against hers. Reyes’s fingers tight against her back. When Reyes came it was quieter than last night and worse for it. A held breath. Then a break. Cunt clenching hard around Panam’s fingers. Eyes still open. Looking at her. Panam stayed with her. Did not pull out. Worked her through it until Reyes’s thigh trembled and she had to catch Panam’s wrist. “Enough.” “For you.” “For now.” Reyes rolled them. Put Panam on her back. Went down without commentary. Last night Panam had done this first. Tonight Reyes wanted the taste of her after a whole ordinary day. She licked her open with unhurried attention. Two fingers. Then three when Panam asked for it by lifting her hips. Clit under her tongue. The same patience Panam had used on her, returned without copying the shape of it. Panam came with a broken groan and one hand locked in copper-grey hair, thighs tight around Reyes’s shoulders. Reyes stayed until the shaking stopped. Then crawled back up and let Panam drag her into a kiss that tasted like both of them. The stillness after mattered. Again. Maybe more tonight. Neither woman moved away. Panam rested against her. Reyes kept both arms around her. Their breathing slowly settled. No immediate joke. No repositioning. Just quiet. After a while, Panam lifted her head. Reyes looked at her. Panam smiled. Tired. Soft. “Hi.” Reyes laughed quietly. “You’re ridiculous.” “I know.” She kissed Panam. Slow. Affectionate. No anticipation left in it. Just closeness. They stayed tangled together longer than was practical. Neither cared. Eventually Panam rolled partly to one side without going far. Reyes turned with her. Their hands found each other between them. Panam traced her thumb across Birgitta’s fingers. “I like this better.” Reyes smiled. “Than?” “Last night.” That surprised her. “Really?” Panam nodded. “Last night was…” She searched. “Big.” Reyes smiled. “Big?” “You know what I mean.” “I do.” Panam continued. “Tonight just feels…” She stopped again. Reyes waited. “Like us.” That one landed even harder than the others. Reyes looked at her. Panam saw. “Too much?” “No.” Reyes squeezed her hand. “Not even close.” Panam smiled. Then moved closer. Reyes opened an arm. Panam settled against her. Much later, when the room had gone quiet again and neither had quite crossed into sleep, Panam whispered: “Tomorrow?” Reyes felt the word differently now. Not stay tonight. Not morning. Tomorrow. The first real future tense between them. The voice biosculpt was still stable. But Reyes knew the clock existed. Not urgent. Not yet. Still real. She looked at Panam. “Tomorrow.” Panam smiled against her shoulder. Satisfied. Reyes closed her eyes. And for tonight, the answer was completely true. --- # Chapter 17 — Again Reyes woke to movement. Not much. Panam shifting beside her. A hand moving across the sheet. A leg brushing hers. Then stillness again. Reyes kept her eyes closed. Listened. Panam was awake. Definitely. Trying not to wake her. That was new. Reyes smiled before opening her eyes. Panam noticed immediately. “You’re awake.” Birgitta opened one eye. “You’re terrible at sneaking.” “I wasn’t sneaking.” “You were moving like someone defusing a bomb.” Panam frowned. “I was trying not to wake you.” “That is sneaking.” “That is being considerate.” “Suspicious.” Panam stared. Then leaned in and kissed her. Short. Warm. “Morning.” Reyes smiled. “Morning.” Panam looked at her for another second. Then: “Still here.” There it was. Again. No nervousness this time. No real question. Just pleasure in saying it. Reyes touched her cheek. “Still here.” Panam smiled. Then kissed her again. Longer. Reyes answered without hurry. No urgency hiding underneath it. No need to turn morning into anything else. When Panam pulled back: “Coffee?” Reyes considered. “You’re learning.” “That’s yes.” “Yes.” Panam started to move. Reyes caught her wrist. Panam looked back. “What?” Reyes tugged. Panam came closer again. “Coffee can wait.” Panam grinned. “Now who’s learning?” Reyes kissed her before she could become unbearable. --- They stayed in bed another fifteen minutes. Possibly twenty. Neither checked. Panam talked about nothing. A noise from somewhere in the building. Something one of the neighbors did every morning. A vehicle outside that always started badly on the first attempt and perfectly on the second. Reyes listened. Made comments. Panam argued. It was absurdly ordinary. That had become the problem. Reyes had expected attraction. Sex. Curiosity. Maybe a strange emotional complication. She had not expected to enjoy Panam explaining the behavioral patterns of a badly maintained engine somewhere below the apartment. Panam stopped mid-sentence. “What?” Reyes blinked. “What?” “You’re staring.” “No.” “Yes.” Reyes smiled. “Maybe.” Panam narrowed her eyes. “What were you thinking?” Dangerous question. Not because of identity. Because the honest answer was embarrassingly soft. Birgitta shrugged. “That I like listening to you.” Panam stopped. Reyes watched the reaction arrive. There it was. The little loss of function. Still reliable. “You…” Panam looked away. Then back. “That was unnecessary.” Reyes laughed. “Why?” “Because now I have to recover.” “You’ve had two days.” “Not enough.” “Clearly.” Panam kissed her. Probably as a tactical response. It worked. --- Coffee eventually won. Again. This time Panam did not ask how Birgitta took it. She simply made it correctly. Reyes accepted the mug. Looked at it. Then at Panam. Panam smiled. “Don’t.” “I didn’t say anything.” “You were about to congratulate me.” “I was going to evaluate.” “Fuck off.” Reyes took a sip. Perfect. Panam waited. Reyes deliberately took another. Panam grew visibly impatient. Finally: “Well?” Birgitta considered. “Acceptable.” Panam stared. Reyes lasted one second. Then laughed. “Very good.” “That’s right.” “Arrogant.” “Correct.” They stood near the counter. No borrowed clothes this morning. No awkwardness about where anything was. Birgitta had dressed enough to move around comfortably. Panam looked half-awake and completely at home. Reyes realized she knew where Panam kept the coffee now. That was stupidly intimate. More intimate than it should have been. She looked at the cupboard. Panam noticed. “What?” Reyes shook her head. “Nothing.” Panam smiled. “Bullshit.” “Learning too fast.” “Two days.” “Apparently dangerous.” Panam leaned closer. “Good dangerous?” Reyes looked at her. “Yes.” Panam’s smile softened. “Good.” --- Breakfast happened at home this time. If it could be called breakfast. Panam found bread. Something that could reasonably be put on bread. Two pieces of fruit. Reyes inspected one. “This is nearly respectable.” Panam looked offended. “Nearly?” “You have food.” “I had food yesterday.” “You had crackers.” “Food.” “You had expired packets.” “Probably food.” Reyes laughed. Panam stole half her fruit. Reyes stared. “We discussed theft.” “You stole from me yesterday.” “Retaliation has a legal window.” “Night City law?” “Obviously.” Panam smiled. “Your legal system is bullshit.” “It’s efficient.” “Convenient.” “That too.” They ate at the table. Beside each other. No discussion this time. Panam simply chose the seat next to Birgitta. Reyes simply expected it. That difference did not escape her. --- After breakfast, neither moved. Again. Panam rested one arm behind Birgitta along the back of the chair. Birgitta leaned slightly against her. Their agent screens stayed untouched. That had become another thing. No one checking messages. No one looking at time. Panam eventually said: “I’m going to ask something.” Birgitta smiled. “Warning accepted.” “Do you ever stop?” “No.” “Good.” Panam looked at her. Then: “Would you do this again?” Reyes turned her head. “This?” Panam gestured vaguely. “Not sex.” Reyes raised an eyebrow. Panam immediately corrected: “I mean, yes, obviously sex too.” Birgitta laughed. Panam groaned. “Fuck.” “Excellent recovery.” “Shut up.” Reyes waited. Panam took a breath. “This.” She gestured again. “Days.” “Going out.” “Doing nothing.” “Waking up.” She stopped. Then, more quietly: “With me.” There. Reyes felt that one. Not tomorrow. Not tonight. Again. A future question with no date attached. No pressure. Just possibility. Reyes looked at her. “Yes.” Panam’s expression softened instantly. “Yeah?” “Yes.” No hesitation. Panam smiled. “Good.” Reyes laughed softly. “You really like that word.” “It keeps working.” “Fair.” Panam’s hand moved down from the chair back to Birgitta’s shoulder. Then lower. Rested against her arm. “You’d tell me if you didn’t.” “Yes.” “Good.” “There it is again.” “Fuck you.” Reyes smiled. “I’d tell you.” Panam nodded. That seemed to matter. --- They went out later. Not because either had somewhere to go. Because staying inside all day felt like surrender. Panam said that. Reyes asked surrender to what. Panam did not have an answer. So they walked. Again. Of course. The city was brighter than either deserved after the previous night. Panam complained about sunlight. Birgitta pointed out she had voluntarily left the apartment. Panam blamed her. Reyes accepted responsibility. They bought coffee. Again. Walked. Again. Held hands. Again. It had become ridiculous how quickly everything had acquired an _again_. Reyes noticed that. Liked it. Did not say it. --- They stopped near a railing overlooking traffic on another level. Not the same place as before. Night City had endless places to stand and look at itself. Panam leaned against it. Birgitta beside her. Panam looked out. Then: “I thought this would be harder.” Reyes turned. “What?” “This.” Another vague gesture. Their specialty. “Dating?” Panam winced. “Is that what we’re calling it?” Reyes smiled. “What would you call it?” Panam thought. “Seeing each other.” “Safer wording?” “Yes.” “Coward.” “Fuck you.” Birgitta laughed. Panam smiled. Then became thoughtful again. “I thought I’d be worse at it.” “You were pretty bad at the beginning.” Panam looked insulted. “Seventeen messages.” “Across six days.” “Heroic restraint.” Panam groaned. “You are never letting that go.” “No.” “Fine.” She looked out again. “But after that.” Reyes nodded. “I thought I’d keep screwing something up.” “You haven’t.” Panam looked sideways. “Really?” “Yes.” “Nothing?” Reyes smiled. “You nearly lost a fight with my shirt.” Panam laughed. “That shirt cheated.” “You walked into a doorframe.” “Your fault.” “You were nearly defeated by a crossing signal.” “That old man was an asshole.” “He was correct.” “Traitor.” Reyes laughed. Then softened. “No.” Panam looked at her. “You haven’t screwed it up.” Panam held the gaze. Something in her face relaxed. “Okay.” Birgitta touched her hand. Panam turned it over immediately and linked their fingers. “Besides,” Reyes added. “I’ve fucked up too.” Panam frowned. “When?” Reyes paused. Tiny. Not identity. Something safer. “I worried too much.” Panam smiled. “About me?” “Yes.” “Good.” Birgitta stared. Panam laughed. “Sorry.” “No, you’re not.” “No.” Reyes shook her head. Hopeless. --- They spent another hour doing almost nothing. That was becoming their greatest skill. A drink. A bench. A conversation about a ridiculous advertisement. Panam taking a picture of something ugly because she wanted to show Sera later. Reyes almost laughing at how normal that felt. Then, for the first time all day, something inside Reyes changed. Small. Physical. Not visible. A faint unfamiliar roughness at the back of her throat. She swallowed. Gone. Almost. Reyes said nothing. Panam did not notice. They kept walking. A few minutes later Reyes spoke. The voice remained Birgitta. Bright. Higher. Stable. No problem. Still— Reyes noticed the tiny difference. Not in sound. In effort. Barely there. Victor had been clear. The biosculpt did not switch off. It faded. Gradually. Naturally. It had always been going to. Reyes had simply stopped thinking about the clock. That, more than anything, told her how badly this had gotten. Panam squeezed her hand. “Coffee?” Reyes looked at her. Smiled. “Again?” Panam grinned. “Again.” Reyes let herself have the moment. “Yes.” They changed direction. Panam started talking about some place two blocks away that had better coffee than the last one. Reyes listened. Smiled. Held her hand. And said nothing about the first quiet warning in her throat. Not yet. --- # Chapter 18 — Next Time The coffee place was better. Panam was unbearably pleased about that. Birgitta took one sip. Paused. Panam watched. Reyes took another. Panam leaned forward. “Well?” Birgitta looked at her. “Acceptable.” Panam’s face fell. Reyes lasted less than a second. Then smiled. “Very good.” Panam pointed. “You are an asshole.” “I’m consistent.” “You enjoy hurting me.” “Only emotionally.” Panam laughed. “Comforting.” They found a small table near the window. Not a booth this time. Two chairs close enough that Panam immediately dragged hers nearer. Reyes watched. Panam noticed. “What?” “Nothing.” “You’re doing it again.” “You moved the chair.” “There was a draft.” “There is no draft.” “There could be.” Birgitta smiled. “Of course.” Panam sat close enough that their knees touched. Apparently that was the solution. Reyes approved. Silently. Mostly. --- The faint roughness at the back of Reyes’s throat was gone. Or rather— not gone. Invisible. That was what mattered. Her voice remained Birgitta’s. Higher. Brighter. Effortless enough that Panam heard exactly what she expected to hear. Reyes had no intention of letting that change. Not here. Not in front of her. Not ever. The timing problem belonged to Reyes. Not Panam. Panam took another drink. “You’re thinking.” Reyes looked at her. “Apparently everyone can tell.” “I can.” That answer landed warmly. Reyes smiled. “Dangerous.” “Why?” “You’ll get confident.” “Too late.” “Clearly.” Panam grinned. No suspicion. Nothing. Exactly as it should be. --- For a while they talked about the coffee. Then the city. Then something completely unimportant about a street musician they had passed. Panam thought he had been good. Birgitta thought his amplifier deserved prosecution. Panam defended it. Reyes accused her of supporting sonic terrorism. The argument lasted far longer than the subject deserved. Eventually Panam said: “We should go somewhere quieter next time.” Reyes stopped. Tiny. Not because of the suggestion. Because of the phrase. Next time. Panam apparently heard herself too. Her eyes shifted. Just slightly. Then she tried to continue casually. “Not that this is bad.” Birgitta smiled. “No?” “No.” Panam looked down at her cup. “I just mean…” Reyes waited. Panam looked back. “You like quieter places.” Reyes felt something warm settle inside her. “You remembered.” Panam frowned. “Of course I remembered.” Simple. Immediate. As if there had never been another possibility. Birgitta smiled. “Okay.” Panam leaned closer. “So?” “So what?” “Next time.” There it was again. No retreat this time. Reyes rested one elbow on the table. “What about it?” Panam looked suspicious. “You’re making me say it.” “Maybe.” “Asshole.” Birgitta laughed. Panam took a breath. Then: “I want there to be one.” Reyes stopped teasing. Completely. Panam watched her. There was still a little uncertainty there. After two days. After two nights. After all of this. Still that tiny need to hear it back. Reyes reached across the space between them. Took Panam’s hand. “There will be.” Panam’s expression softened instantly. “Yeah?” “Yes.” No hesitation. Panam smiled. “Good.” Reyes laughed. “There it is.” “It’s a useful word.” “Apparently.” Panam turned her hand under Reyes’s. Their fingers linked. “Soon?” Reyes knew the answer she wanted to give. Also knew better than to make promises around a biological clock she still needed to manage. But soon was safe. Soon was true. “Soon.” Panam studied her face. Then nodded. “Okay.” No pressure. That made Reyes want to give her more. Dangerous again. --- Panam sat back slightly. Still holding her hand. “What do you want to do?” “Next time?” “Yes.” Reyes smiled. “You’re planning already.” “No.” “You are.” “I am discussing possibilities.” “That is planning.” “Different.” “Not even slightly.” Panam ignored that. “Dinner again?” “Maybe.” “Walk?” “Definitely.” Panam smiled. “You really do like walking.” “Yes.” “Gallery?” Birgitta looked at her. “You volunteering for more art?” “I survived.” “Barely.” “I understood one piece.” “You lied about understanding one piece.” “Details.” Reyes laughed. Panam continued. “Badlands?” That caught her attention. “Badlands?” Panam shrugged. “You said you like quiet.” Reyes looked at her. Panam added: “And mornings.” There. Again. Remembered. Reyes felt it. “Are you trying to impress me?” “Yes.” The immediate honesty made her laugh. Panam smiled. “Working?” “Yes.” Panam looked absurdly pleased. Reyes shook her head. “Hopeless.” “Still here.” Birgitta squeezed her hand. “Still here.” --- They started building possibilities without admitting that was what they were doing. Not a schedule. Not a commitment. Just little futures. A drive outside the city. A place Panam knew where the lights from Night City became distant enough to stop dominating the sky. A restaurant Birgitta had not been to. A morning coffee somewhere quieter. Maybe another evening at one of Sera’s events if Panam promised not to pretend to understand the art. “I will understand it next time.” “No.” “You don’t know that.” “I know you.” Panam smiled. “Apparently.” Reyes paused. Not because the phrase was dangerous. Because it was increasingly true. Birgitta did know Panam. Reyes knew her better. But the overlap between those things was growing. Carefully. Naturally. And Panam liked being known. That was the part Reyes had not expected. --- Panam suddenly smiled. “What?” Birgitta asked. “Nothing.” “Bullshit.” “I just realized something.” “That sounds dangerous.” “It is.” Panam leaned closer. “This means you have to give me your schedule.” Reyes laughed. “Absolutely not.” “How am I supposed to know when you’re free?” “Ask.” “And wait a week?” There it was. Reyes smiled. “No.” Panam looked at her. “No?” Birgitta lifted her agent slightly from the table. “I have this with me now.” Panam’s expression changed. Slowly. That hit much harder than Reyes had expected. “You do.” “Yes.” Panam stared at the agent. Then at Birgitta. “You took it with you.” Reyes nodded. “When?” “After I answered you.” Panam’s smile appeared. Small. Almost disbelieving. “So…” She stopped. Birgitta waited. “I don’t have to wait a week anymore.” Reyes felt that line go straight through her. “No.” Panam looked down at their joined hands. Then back. “Good.” Soft this time. No joke. Reyes squeezed her fingers. “Very.” --- Panam laughed quietly after a moment. “What?” Reyes asked. “I’m thinking about seventeen messages.” Birgitta grinned. “Historic achievement.” “Fuck you.” “You survived.” “Barely.” “You became very educational.” “How?” “I learned once a week was insufficient.” Panam smiled. “See? Growth.” “Terrifying.” “Can I send videos?” Reyes raised an eyebrow. Panam immediately looked defensive. “Normal videos.” “I didn’t say anything.” “You were thinking.” “Yes.” “Stop.” Reyes laughed. “Send them.” Panam looked at her. “Yeah?” “Yes.” “Even bad ones?” “Especially bad ones.” Panam groaned. “You’re never letting those go.” “No.” “Good.” Reyes smiled. “Good?” “Means you liked them.” That one was almost unfair. Birgitta’s expression softened. “I did.” Panam looked away. Still vulnerable to that. Still adorable. --- They finished the coffee slowly. Neither seemed interested in standing up. Eventually Panam said: “So if we go out of the city…” Reyes smiled. “We?” Panam froze. Then narrowed her eyes. “You know what I meant.” “I do.” “Don’t.” “I didn’t say anything.” “You did the voice.” “The voice?” “The teasing one.” Reyes almost laughed at the irony. Panam heard only Birgitta. Exactly Birgitta. No shift. No hint. Nothing. “Maybe.” Panam shook her head. “Fine. If we go out of the city…” “Mm?” “You’ll need better shoes.” Reyes looked offended. “These are excellent shoes.” “For pavement.” “They walk.” “Not enough.” “I survived today.” “You complained twice.” “I observed terrain.” “You complained.” “Professionally.” Panam laughed. “Next time, better shoes.” Reyes smiled. “So there is a next time.” Panam stared. “You literally already agreed.” “I like hearing you say it.” That shut her up. Reyes realized what she had admitted. Panam’s expression softened. “Next time.” Birgitta smiled. “Good.” Panam laughed. “Now you’re doing it.” “Useful word.” “Apparently.” --- They finally left. The city outside had shifted farther into evening. Panam took Birgitta’s hand before they had taken three steps. Reyes expected it now. That was another dangerous thing. She liked expecting it. Panam looked at her. “Where now?” Birgitta thought. Not much time. Still enough. Enough for another walk. Enough for another hour together. Enough to let this end well rather than abruptly. “Walk.” Panam grinned. “Again.” “Again.” They moved into the crowd. Slowly. No hurry. Panam started talking about the Badlands place she wanted to show her. Not scheduling. Not yet. Just describing it. A ridge. Open sky. Very little traffic. Good place to sit. Terrible coffee unless they brought their own. Reyes listened. Asked questions. Let Panam build the future aloud. And every time Panam said _next time_, Reyes smiled. Because there would be one. That part, at least, she already knew. --- # Chapter 19 — Soon They walked for another hour. Maybe more. Reyes stopped checking. That alone told her how badly this had gotten. The faint roughness in her throat did not return strongly. Not enough to alter Birgitta’s voice. Not enough for Panam to hear anything. But Reyes knew. That was enough. The biosculpt had entered the part of its life where the clock mattered. Not panic. Not immediate failure. Just the beginning of the fade. Which meant the decision was hers now. Leave while Birgitta was still completely Birgitta. Or wait too long and create a problem that should never exist. Panam was talking. Something about the Badlands. A ridge. An old service road. A view that was apparently better after sunset. Reyes listened. Smiled. Asked questions. And quietly decided that tonight would be the end of this visit. Not the end of them. That distinction mattered enormously. --- Panam noticed the silence eventually. “What?” Birgitta looked at her. “What?” “You went quiet.” “I was listening.” “You were thinking.” Reyes smiled. “Apparently I do that.” “Dangerous.” “You’ve said.” Panam squeezed her hand. Reyes squeezed back. No suspicion. No concern. Good. Exactly right. They stopped at another small corner café. Mostly because Panam wanted something sweet. Birgitta accused her of developing a pattern. Panam said the pattern had existed long before Birgitta. Reyes believed her. They sat outside. Panam stole half of Birgitta’s dessert despite having her own. Reyes watched. “You’re doing that again.” Panam kept chewing. “What?” “Theft.” “It tastes better from your plate.” “That makes no sense.” “Still true.” Birgitta stole from Panam’s in retaliation. Panam looked offended. “You already have your own.” “So do you.” “That’s different.” “Explain.” Panam thought. “No.” Reyes laughed. Perfect. --- Later, they walked again. The city was fully night now. A different kind of familiar. Panam’s hand found Birgitta’s without either looking. Reyes let herself enjoy that. Every minute of it. Because she knew she was about to end the evening. And because that did not mean ending the next one. Panam stopped near a railing overlooking a lower street. Birgitta stopped beside her. Panam leaned back against it. “You know what I’ve decided?” Reyes smiled. “This should be good.” “Next time, no restaurant.” Birgitta raised an eyebrow. “No?” “No.” “What did restaurants do to you?” “Too much planning.” Reyes laughed. “You did that to yourself.” “Exactly.” Panam grinned. “So next time…” She counted on her fingers. “Coffee.” “Walk.” “Drive.” “Maybe food somewhere if we feel like it.” “No schedule.” Reyes looked at her. Panam stopped. “What?” “You’ve thought about this.” “No.” “You have a list.” “That is not a list.” “You counted.” “Visual aid.” Birgitta laughed. Panam continued anyway. “And maybe somewhere outside the city.” Reyes smiled. “The better shoes problem.” “Yes.” “You’re obsessed.” “Your shoes are wrong.” “They’re excellent.” “For pavement.” “I remain unconvinced.” “I’ll prove it.” Reyes looked at her. “Next time?” Panam smiled. “Next time.” The words felt good. Simple. Solid. Reyes nodded. “Okay.” Panam’s smile widened. “Okay?” “Yes.” “You’re agreeing to the Badlands?” “I’m agreeing to let you try to convince me.” “That’s basically agreement.” “No.” “Yes.” “No.” Panam kissed her. Reyes laughed against her mouth. Unfair tactic. Effective. --- The walk back toward Panam’s building was slower. Neither woman said why. Neither needed to. Panam still did not know Birgitta planned to leave tonight. Reyes did not want to drop it on her too early. Not because she was hiding anything emotional. Because she wanted the last part of the evening to remain theirs. Not become a countdown. They passed the same crossing where the old man had complained about them the night before. Panam looked around. Birgitta noticed. “You’re checking for him.” “No.” “You absolutely are.” Panam laughed. “If he’s here, I’m doing it again.” “Spite romance.” “Best kind.” Reyes kissed her before she could continue. No old man. No audience that mattered. Just them. --- Back at the apartment, Panam opened the door. Birgitta walked in. The place felt familiar now. Too familiar for two days. Reyes knew where to put her things. Where the water was. Where Panam kept coffee. Which side of the couch Panam naturally took. Ridiculous. Dangerous. Wonderful. Panam closed the door. Then looked at her. “Water?” Reyes laughed. “Tradition.” “Exactly.” They drank. Panam leaned against the counter. Birgitta stood near her. The quiet returned. This time it carried something else. Reyes knew what she had to say. Panam didn’t. Not yet. Birgitta touched her hand. Panam looked down. Then up. “I have to go tonight.” The change in Panam’s face was immediate. Not dramatic. No anger. Just disappointment. Pure. Reyes felt it. Panam looked away for half a second. Then back. “Okay.” No accusation. No _why_. No pressure. That almost made it worse. Birgitta stepped closer. Panam’s expression softened slightly. “Work?” Reyes gave her the answer that fit. “Something I need to handle.” True enough. Panam nodded. “Tonight.” “Yes.” Another nod. “Okay.” Birgitta touched her cheek. Panam leaned into it. “You’re doing that thing.” “What thing?” “Being reasonable.” Panam laughed softly. “Terrible?” “Awful.” “Sorry.” “Don’t be.” Reyes smiled. “I like you reasonable too.” Panam’s mouth moved. Tiny smile. “Good.” --- They did not immediately start packing. That would have ruined it. Instead Panam pulled Birgitta closer. Reyes went willingly. They stood near the counter. Arms around each other. No conversation for a while. Panam’s chin rested near Birgitta’s hair. Reyes felt the steady rise and fall of her breathing. Panam said quietly: “I knew you weren’t going to stay forever.” Birgitta looked up. “That sounds dramatic.” “You know what I mean.” “I do.” Panam smiled faintly. “I was hoping for one more morning.” Reyes felt that. Hard. She touched Panam’s face. “So was I.” Panam looked at her. “Really?” “Yes.” No hesitation. Panam nodded. The disappointment remained. But now shared. Different. Better. --- Eventually Panam asked: “When can I see you again?” There it was. The question Reyes had been waiting for. Birgitta smiled. “Soon.” Panam narrowed her eyes. “That is vague.” “Yes.” “How soon?” “Panam.” “I’m asking.” “I know.” Panam gave her the look. The stubborn one. Reyes laughed. “Soon.” Panam groaned. “You’re terrible.” “Still here.” Panam stopped. Then smiled. “Still here.” Reyes stepped closer. “For a little while.” Panam nodded. “Okay.” She kissed Birgitta. Slow. No desperation. No attempt to change the answer. Just affection. Reyes answered it. --- Packing took almost no time. Too little. Lena’s bag. Birgitta’s things. Agent. Everything neatly returned to place. Panam watched from the edge of the bed. Not hovering. Not helping unnecessarily. Just there. Reyes looked over. Panam smiled. “What?” “You’re making the face.” “What face?” “The one where you don’t want me to go.” Panam sighed. “I’m not hiding it.” “No.” Reyes smiled. “I noticed.” Panam stood. Walked over. “Good.” They looked at each other. Then Panam reached for Birgitta’s bag. Reyes raised an eyebrow. “I can carry it.” “I know.” “Then why are you taking it?” “Because I’m walking you out.” Reyes smiled. “Chivalry again.” “Shut up.” “I like it.” Panam looked at her. Still worked. Every time. --- At the door, neither moved to open it immediately. Panam held the bag in one hand. Birgitta stood close. Too close to pretend goodbye was casual. Panam touched her waist. Reyes put one hand at Panam’s shoulder. “Message me.” Birgitta smiled. “I will.” Panam’s eyes narrowed. “And don’t make me send seventeen messages again.” Reyes laughed. “Was it seventeen?” Panam stared. “You counted.” “Every single one.” “Oh, fuck you.” Birgitta laughed. Panam shook her head. “That is still humiliating.” “I liked them.” “That does not help.” “It should.” “It doesn’t.” Reyes smiled. “Especially the videos.” Panam closed her eyes. “Jesus Christ.” Birgitta kissed her. Panam stopped complaining. Good. The kiss lasted. Long enough that the leaving became real. When they separated, Panam stayed close. “Soon.” Reyes nodded. “Soon.” “Promise?” Reyes looked at her. This one she could give. “Yes.” Panam smiled. Then kissed her once more. Short. Warm. “Okay.” --- They walked downstairs together. Of course they did. Panam carried the bag. Of course she did. Outside, the city had cooled. The street was quieter than earlier. They stood near the entrance. Birgitta took the bag. Panam reluctantly let it go. Neither woman seemed to know what to do with their hands afterward. That lasted perhaps one second. Panam pulled her into a hug. Reyes went immediately. Tight. Long. No joke. Panam held her as if memorizing the shape. Reyes felt the emotion behind it. Answered with the same. When they finally separated, Panam looked at her. “You’re going to message me.” “Yes.” “Before next week.” Reyes laughed. “Yes.” “Good.” “You’re needy.” “Yes.” Immediate again. No shame left. Reyes smiled. “Good.” Panam laughed. Then: “Go.” Birgitta raised an eyebrow. “You sure?” “No.” Reyes laughed softly. Panam smiled. “But go.” Birgitta leaned in. One final kiss. Then stepped back. Panam remained where she was. Reyes started walking. Five steps. Ten. She looked back. Panam was still there. Watching. Reyes smiled. Panam lifted one hand. Reyes did the same. Then turned the corner. Only after Panam could no longer see her did Reyes let herself exhale. Not relief. Not exactly. Something closer to loss. Temporary. Important distinction. She adjusted the bag on her shoulder. Birgitta’s agent vibrated. Reyes stopped. Looked at it. Panam. Already. One message. > Miss you already. Reyes stared. Then laughed quietly. Of course. She typed: > It has been two minutes. The reply came immediately. > I know. Then: > Still true. Reyes smiled. Her throat felt slightly rough again. This time she noticed it more clearly. Still no change in the voice. Not yet. But enough. She had left at the right time. Good. Panam would remember Birgitta exactly as she had been. No cracks. No strange transition. Nothing to explain. Reyes typed: > Miss you too. Three dots appeared instantly. Then: > <3 Reyes sent one back. Put the agent into her pocket. And kept walking. This time, Birgitta went with her. --- # Chapter 20 — Birgitta? Reyes was annoyed. Not angry. Angry had energy. This was worse. This was the slow irritation produced by a contract that had been negotiated, agreed, confirmed— —and then apparently handed to someone whose primary professional skill was changing things after the fact. Reyes stood at the safehouse kitchen counter with her normal agent in one hand and coffee in the other. Red hair. Her own face. Her own eyes. Her own voice. Reyes. Completely. The temporary biosculpt had faded naturally over the past few days. No dramatic transition. No Victor reset. No problem. Exactly as designed. Birgitta’s face mesh was stored. The light-brown contacts with it. The copper-grey ChromeLock gone. Birgitta’s agent separate from Reyes’s normal one. For the moment, Birgitta existed only where Reyes chose to keep her. Which, unfortunately, did not help with the contract currently glowing on the screen. “They moved the extraction point.” Ace looked up from the kitchen table. “How far?” “Thirty-seven minutes.” Ace winced. “Original route?” “No.” “Original window?” “Yes.” Ace lowered her coffee. “Oh.” “Exactly.” Shammy was at the other counter. Making coffee. Quietly. Ace asked: “Vehicle?” “Changed.” “To?” “Contractor asset.” “You know the contractor?” “No.” Ace considered. Then: “That’s bullshit.” Reyes pointed at her. “Thank you.” Ace blinked. “For?” “Appropriate response.” “I’m very supportive.” “You are occasionally useful.” “Fuck you.” Reyes looked back at the message. The lower-door notification sounded. Shammy glanced at the display. Stopped. Tiny. Barely anything. Then: “Panam.” Reyes’s attention shifted instantly. Internally. Externally she continued staring at the contract. Ace took another drink. “Maybe she has a truck.” Reyes looked at her. “I am not solving this by stealing Panam’s truck.” “Borrowing.” “Without asking?” Ace smiled. “Night City borrowing.” “No.” The lower door handled Panam automatically. A little later came the upper bell. Shammy moved toward it. “I’ve got it.” Reyes looked back at the contract. Thirty-seven minutes. Unknown vehicle. Unchanged window. Idiots. The upper door opened. Panam’s voice carried down the short corridor. “Hey.” Shammy: “Hey.” Then footsteps. Panam entered the kitchen. Reyes looked up. And immediately knew something was wrong. Not bad wrong. Much worse. Panam looked happy. Ridiculously happy. Not laughing. Not excited about a successful job. Not pleased because she'd won an argument with her truck. Different. Soft around the eyes. Loose around the shoulders. The kind of expression Reyes had spent the better part of two days watching from another face. Panam saw her. “Hey.” Reyes kept her tone normal. “Hey.” Panam looked at the agent. “Bad?” “Contract idiots.” Panam nodded. “Ah.” Ace lifted one finger. “See? She understands.” Reyes looked at her. “You needed four questions.” “I was gathering data.” “You were being nosy.” “Professional curiosity.” Panam laughed. There. Again. That easy warmth. Reyes knew exactly where it came from. Shammy returned with her coffee. She saw Panam’s face. Then Reyes. Then immediately became deeply interested in her mug. Reyes caught it. Of course. Ace caught something else. She looked at Panam. Narrowed her eyes. Panam noticed. “What?” Ace smiled. Slowly. Then: “Birgitta?” Reyes nearly inhaled coffee. Shammy froze with the cup halfway to her mouth. Panam stopped. Completely. Ace’s smile widened. “Oh, fuck.” Panam stared at her. “How did you—” Ace laughed. “Panam.” “What?” “I was there.” Panam’s face changed. Recognition. Then embarrassment. Then the realization that Ace had absolutely earned that one. “Right.” Ace leaned back. “I watched you book her.” Panam pointed. “With Sera.” “I noticed.” Shammy took a drink. A very long one. Ace continued: “And I watched the three of you come back out afterward.” Panam closed her eyes. “Goddammit.” Ace grinned. “Twenty-three seconds.” Panam’s eyes opened. “You remember that?” “Of course I remember that.” Reyes looked at Shammy. Shammy looked at Reyes. Neither moved. Ace laughed. “Kiro asked how it went and you lasted twenty-three seconds before saying it was none of her fucking business.” Panam groaned. “That did not mean anything.” “It meant everything.” “It meant exactly what I said.” “It meant it was good.” Panam pointed at her. “You were Mandi.” Ace spread both hands. “I’m still me.” “I know.” “Then why are you acting surprised I remember?” Panam opened her mouth. Stopped. “Fair.” Reyes took a careful drink. This was already better than the contract. Much better. Also considerably more dangerous. Ace looked at Panam again. The teasing softened. “Seriously.” Panam’s eyes shifted toward her. Ace smiled. “Birgitta?” This time Panam didn’t deny it. She looked down at the coffee she hadn’t even poured yet. Then smiled. Small. Helpless. “Yes.” Reyes felt that straight through the center of her chest. Shammy closed her eyes. Just briefly. Ace stared. Then: “Oh, you’re fucked.” Panam looked up. “Fuck you.” “No.” Ace pointed at her face. “That is not Jig-Jig.” Panam frowned. “What does that mean?” “That night you were interested.” Panam said nothing. Ace continued: “You thought she was hot.” Still nothing. “You liked the booking.” Panam’s eyes narrowed. “You’re pushing your luck.” Ace smiled. “But this?” She gestured vaguely at all of Panam. “This is different.” Panam looked at Reyes. Then Shammy. Then back to Ace. Nobody rescued her. Reyes certainly wasn’t going to. Panam sighed. “Yes.” Ace’s eyebrows rose. “Yes what?” Panam glared. “You know what.” “I want to hear it.” “Ace.” “Panam.” Shammy muttered into her coffee: “This is going to end badly.” Ace looked over. “For who?” Shammy glanced at Reyes. “Unclear.” Reyes almost lost it. Panam missed the significance completely. She finally poured coffee. Ace waited. Patiently. Annoyingly. Panam sat down. Then: “I like her.” Ace’s grin softened immediately. No joke. No triumph. Just: “Yeah?” Panam nodded. “Yeah.” Reyes looked down at the contract screen. Not because she cared about it. Because looking at Panam had suddenly become dangerous. Ace asked: “What happened?” Panam smiled again. That smile. Reyes knew every version of it now. Panam took a drink. Then said: “She apparently checks that agent once a week.” Ace blinked. Reyes felt Shammy go still. Ace: “What?” Panam pointed vaguely toward nowhere. “Birgitta’s work agent.” “Yes.” “She checks it once a week.” Ace stared. Then slowly: “Oh no.” Panam’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t.” “How many?” Panam said nothing. Ace leaned forward. “How many messages?” Panam looked at Shammy. Shammy immediately looked away. Traitor. Panam sighed. “Seventeen.” Ace stopped. Reyes bit the inside of her cheek. Ace repeated: “Seventeen.” “Across six days.” “That does not help.” “I know.” “You sent Birgitta seventeen messages.” “Yes.” “Without an answer.” “She wasn’t checking the fucking agent.” “You didn’t know that.” “No.” Ace stared. Then started laughing. Panam pointed at her. “I knew this was a mistake.” Reyes added, much too innocently: “Did you send seventeen identical messages?” Panam turned. “No.” Reyes raised an eyebrow. “Variety.” “Shut up.” Ace immediately: “Videos?” Panam froze. Reyes looked at her coffee. Shammy made a tiny strangled sound. Ace saw Panam’s face. “Oh my God.” Panam closed her eyes. “Yes.” Ace laughed harder. “You sent videos.” “Normal videos.” “That makes it worse.” “How?” “You were trying to be charming.” “I was not.” Reyes said: “You were absolutely trying to be charming.” Panam looked at her. The words had escaped too naturally. Reyes held the gaze. No problem. No crack. Panam narrowed her eyes. “You’re siding with her?” Reyes shrugged. “Seventeen messages.” “Fuck both of you.” Shammy whispered: “Seventeen.” Panam swung toward her. “You especially can shut up.” Shammy smiled into her cup. Reyes remembered the final message in the queue. _Be gentle with our lovesick idiot <3_ She looked at Shammy. Shammy saw it in her face. Her mouth twitched. No. Absolutely not. Ace wiped one eye. “So Birgitta finally answers.” Panam nodded. “And?” Panam’s expression changed again. Softer. “She said she only checks once a week.” Ace laughed. “Obviously.” “Then she…” Panam stopped. Reyes knew exactly what came next. The live exchange. The awkwardness. The date question. Ace waited. Panam smiled. “She agreed to dinner.” There. Ace’s teasing disappeared again. “A real date?” “Yes.” “No booking?” “No.” “You didn’t pay her?” Panam shook her head. “She was very clear about that.” Reyes remembered: _No booking._ _No client._ _Just us._ Ace looked impressed. “And?” Panam gave her a flat look. “What do you think?” “I think you look like someone hit you in the face with a romance.” Shammy choked. Reyes turned away before either of them saw her smile. Panam glared at Ace. “That sentence was terrible.” “Accurate.” “Unfortunately,” Shammy said. Panam looked toward her. “You’re supposed to be on my side.” “I am.” “That sounded like her side.” Shammy smiled. “I have several sides.” Reyes thought: _You dangerous bitch._ Ace asked: “Where’d you go?” “Dinner.” “I gathered.” “Walk.” Ace smiled. “Of course.” Panam continued: “Then Sera’s event.” Ace looked at Shammy. Shammy nodded. “They came.” Ace’s gaze shifted between them. “Together?” Panam said: “Hand in hand.” Then immediately realized she had volunteered that. Ace’s smile became unbearable. Panam groaned. “Oh, fuck off.” Reyes looked at Shammy. Shammy was now staring into her coffee as though it contained the secrets of the universe. Ace laughed. “So the date went well.” “Yes.” “How well?” Panam stared. Ace waited. Panam looked toward Reyes. “Do you have a spare contract problem?” Reyes smiled. “No.” “Fuck.” Ace leaned back. “Fine. Protect your dignity.” “Thank you.” “For now.” “Ace.” Reyes asked, keeping the tone deliberately casual: “So when did you get home?” Panam looked at her. Pause. Reyes knew the answer. Of course. Panam took another drink. “We went to my place.” Ace made a small sound. Panam immediately: “Don’t.” Ace held both hands up. “I said nothing.” “Your face did.” Reyes almost laughed. Panam continued: “And she stayed.” That changed the room. Not dramatically. Just enough. Ace’s expression softened. Shammy stopped smiling. Reyes felt the memory return with impossible clarity. Panam asleep beside her. Morning. _Still here._ Ace asked quietly: “Stayed the night?” “Yes.” Then Panam smiled. “She stayed the next day too.” Ace blinked. “The whole day?” “Pretty much.” “And…” Ace stopped herself. Panam looked at her. “Another night.” Ace’s eyebrows rose. Panam pointed. “Still none of your business.” “I didn’t ask.” “You were about to.” “Yes.” Shammy took another drink. Reyes’s coffee had gone nearly untouched. Panam leaned back. The embarrassment slowly gave way to something warmer. “She didn’t have to.” Ace nodded. “No.” “We didn’t really have plans.” Panam smiled. “We just…” She searched. “Stayed together.” Reyes looked at her. That was exactly it. Panam continued: “Breakfast.” “Walking.” “Coffee.” “Lunch.” “More walking.” Ace smiled. “Sounds terrible.” “Awful.” “Did you survive?” “Barely.” Reyes finally took a drink. Panam noticed. Then looked at her. “And she likes listening to me talk about vehicle shit.” Reyes raised an eyebrow. “That might actually be a medical condition.” Panam laughed. “She said she likes listening to me.” Reyes’s chest tightened. Ace saw Panam’s expression. “Fuck.” “What?” “You really are gone.” Panam laughed. “Maybe.” From beside them: “Very.” Silence. Shammy froze. Reyes looked at her. Ace looked at her. Panam looked at her. Shammy slowly lifted her mug. “I said nothing.” “You said ‘very,’” Panam replied. “Did I?” “Yes.” “Coffee.” Ace stared. “What is with you and coffee today?” Shammy looked at the mug. Then at Ace. “I like coffee.” Reyes nearly cracked. Panam shook her head. “Fucking weirdos.” Correct. Very correct. Ace rested her arms on the table. “So are you seeing her again?” The answer came immediately. “Yes.” Reyes’s eyes dropped. Not fast enough for Shammy. Shammy saw. Of course she did. Ace smiled. “Already arranged?” “Not exactly.” Panam looked pleased just thinking about it. “We talked about it.” “What?” “Next time.” Ace nodded. “Badlands?” Panam stared. “How the fuck did you know?” Ace shrugged. “You.” Fair. Panam laughed. “Maybe.” “She like the Badlands?” “She likes quiet.” Ace paused. That was new information. Reyes could see it. Mandi had known Birgitta on Jig-Jig. A colleague. A premium joytoy. Bright. Funny. Curious. Good at the work. Panam knew another layer now. A woman who liked quiet places. Slow mornings. Walking without a destination. Coffee. Ordinary time. Ace smiled. “You've gotten to know her.” Panam's expression softened. “Yeah.” Reyes felt that more deeply than she expected. Panam had. That was the entire problem. And the entire wonderful part. Ace asked: “What’s she like when she’s not working?” Panam considered. Reyes held very still. Shammy held even stiller. Then Panam smiled. “Still Birgitta.” Reyes looked at her. Panam continued: “Just…” She searched. “Quieter.” Ace nodded. “Less performance?” Panam shook her head. “No.” That mattered. Reyes listened. “She told me the work part isn’t fake.” Ace nodded slowly. Panam continued: “Some things are louder when she works.” “But it’s still her.” Reyes could have kissed her. Not now. Not like this. But the thought came. Panam understood. More than Reyes had expected. Ace smiled. “Good.” Panam looked at her. “Yeah.” Then: “She’s warm.” Reyes stopped breathing. Only for a moment. Shammy’s eyes moved toward her. Ace didn’t notice. Panam looked down into her coffee. “She called me warm too.” Reyes remembered every second. _They’re not paying attention._ Ace smiled. “Were you two just sitting around complimenting each other?” Panam looked offended. “No.” Pause. “Maybe.” Ace laughed. Reyes asked softly: “She called you warm?” Panam looked at her. “Yeah.” Reyes let the silence remain. Then: “She’s right.” Panam’s expression changed. Small. Surprised. Then warm again. “Yeah?” “Yes.” Nothing else. Shammy watched both of them. And for once even she didn’t tease. Panam looked away first. Smiling. --- The contract agent vibrated. Reyes looked down. Another message. Another proposed adjustment. She read three lines. Then: “Oh, fuck off.” Panam laughed. “Contract?” “They now want a second fallback point.” Ace winced. “Same window?” “Yes.” “Idiots.” “Thank you.” Panam stood. “I should let you murder them professionally.” “Tempting.” She finished her coffee. Ace looked up at her. “So.” Panam sighed. “What now?” Ace smiled. “Birgitta.” Panam’s face betrayed her immediately. Reyes loved that face. Ace laughed. “Oh, this is going to be fun.” “For who?” “Me.” Panam shook her head. “I hate you.” “No, you don’t.” “No.” Panam looked at Shammy. “You’re coming with me before she gets worse.” Shammy smiled. “Not today.” “Traitor.” Panam walked around the table. She hugged Ace first. Easy. Familiar. Ace squeezed her once. Then Panam moved to Shammy. That hug lasted longer. Reyes knew why. Sera. Panam’s lover. Nothing strange about it. Shammy whispered something Reyes couldn't hear. Panam laughed. Then stepped away. Finally she came to Reyes. Normal. Friendship. Known for years. Nothing unusual. Panam wrapped her arms around her. Reyes answered. And instantly— memory. The same body against Birgitta. Different context. Different face. Different voice. Same Panam. Reyes kept the hug exactly as long as Reyes would. No more. No less. Panam stepped back. “Good luck.” “With?” “The idiots.” Reyes lifted the agent. “Thanks.” Panam started toward the door. Then stopped. Turned back. “Oh.” Reyes looked at her. “What?” Panam smiled. “If Birgitta comes up somehow…” Shammy visibly tensed. Ace grinned. Reyes waited. Panam pointed toward Ace. “Do not scare her away.” Ace looked deeply offended. “Me?” “Yes.” “I welcomed her to Jig-Jig.” “You spent half the night counting bookings at her.” “That was encouragement.” “That was harassment.” Ace smiled. “Same family.” Panam groaned. Reyes remembered hearing that exact argument from the other side. Her mouth twitched. Panam looked toward her. “And you…” Reyes raised an eyebrow. “Me?” Panam thought. Then smiled. “Never mind.” “No. Go on.” “Nope.” “Panam.” “Contract idiots.” Coward. Panam disappeared down the corridor. A moment later the upper door closed. Silence. Ace looked toward the corridor. Then at Reyes. Then at Shammy. “She is completely fucked.” Shammy’s face tightened. Reyes stared at her. Do not. Shammy nodded solemnly. “Completely.” Ace laughed. “I haven’t seen her like that in…” She thought. “Ever?” Reyes leaned back against the counter. “Maybe she really likes Birgitta.” Ace looked at her. “No maybe.” Reyes’s pulse kicked. Ace continued: “She does.” Simple. Certain. Then Ace smiled. “Good.” Reyes hadn’t expected that. “Good?” “Yeah.” Ace stood and collected her mug. “Mandi liked Birgitta.” There. Reyes went very still. Ace didn't notice. She was already moving toward the sink. “She’s fun.” Shammy looked at Reyes. Reyes refused to look back. Ace continued: “Good at the work too.” Reyes glanced over. Ace shrugged. “Sera paired with her on her first shift.” Shammy smiled faintly. Ace pointed toward her. “And you said she was good.” “I did.” “So.” Ace rinsed the mug. “If Panam’s happy?” She shrugged. “Good.” Reyes looked down. Something unexpectedly warm settled under her ribs. Not because Ace approved. That wasn’t necessary. Because Ace’s opinion of Birgitta was real. Blind. Earned. Mandi had met Birgitta. Worked beside her. Teased her. Liked her. Never once known Reyes was underneath. Reyes smiled. Tiny. Ace missed it. Shammy did not. Of course. Ace left the kitchen. “Good luck with the idiots.” Reyes lifted one hand. “Yeah.” Then she was gone. Silence. Reyes remained at the counter. Shammy remained at the table. Neither spoke. Five seconds. Ten. Reyes finally looked at her. Shammy’s lips were pressed together so tightly they had nearly disappeared. “No.” Shammy shook her head. Reyes pointed. “No.” Shammy covered her mouth. Reyes could see her shoulders starting to shake. “Do not.” That did it. Shammy folded forward over the table. The laugh came out strangled. Reyes lasted perhaps one second longer. Then she broke too. “Oh my fucking God.” Shammy tried to breathe. “She—” “No.” “She told—” “NO.” “—Reyes—” Reyes covered her face. Shammy lost whatever remained of her control. “—that Birgitta likes quiet places—” “Fuck you.” “—while Reyes stood there—” “I KNOW.” Reyes was laughing so hard she had to put the agent down. Shammy wiped one eye. “And Ace.” Reyes pointed warningly. “Sera.” “Mandi liked Birgitta.” Reyes closed her eyes. That line hit again. Shammy’s laughter softened. “Actually.” Reyes looked at her. Shammy smiled. Warm now. “That part was nice.” Reyes exhaled. “Yeah.” “Mandi really did like her.” “I know.” “And Panam…” Shammy didn’t finish. Didn’t need to. Reyes looked toward the closed upper door. “Yeah.” Shammy waited. Reyes smiled. Not Birgitta’s bright smile. Reyes’s. Small. Private. “She really likes her.” Shammy’s expression became almost unbearably gentle. “Yeah.” Reyes shook her head. “Fuck.” Then Shammy ruined it. “Lovesick idiot.” Reyes looked at her. “Which one?” Shammy smiled. Slowly. “Exactly.” Reyes threw a napkin at her. Shammy caught it. And kept smiling. --- # Chapter 21 — After The contract was still bullshit. That had not changed. Reyes sat at the kitchen table with the revised route open on her normal agent and stared at a timing estimate that had clearly been produced by someone who had never driven through Night City traffic. Thirty-seven minutes. On paper. Maybe. At three in the morning. With every light green. And divine intervention. She changed the estimate. Again. Added twelve minutes. Then another five. Looked at it. Added three more out of spite. Better. Her coffee had gone cold. She drank it anyway. The kitchen was quiet now. Ace had left. Shammy had left. Panam had left. That last absence was the one Reyes kept noticing. Which was irritating. She had work. Actual work. A contract problem. A route to repair. A contractor to verify. And instead part of her mind kept replaying: _She’s warm._ Reyes closed her eyes. “Fuck.” She opened them. Looked at the route again. Thirty-seven minutes. No. Still bullshit. --- It should not have felt strange. Panam liked Birgitta. Reyes knew that. Panam had told Birgitta. More than once. Not always in those exact words. But clearly enough. _I like being with you._ _I think I liked today more._ _Because nothing had to happen. And I still wanted to stay with you._ There was no revelation in what Reyes had heard in the kitchen. Except there was. Because Birgitta had not been there. Reyes had. Panam had talked about Birgitta when Birgitta was not supposed to be listening. No flirting. No trying to reassure her. No looking at Birgitta’s face for a reaction. Just Panam telling people she trusted about a woman she liked. Reyes leaned back. That was different. Unfiltered in a way the private conversations had not been. Not more honest. Panam had been honest with Birgitta. But independent. That was the difference. Panam liked Birgitta when Birgitta was not in the room. Reyes stared at the ceiling. “Goddammit.” --- And then there was Ace. That part was somehow worse. _Mandi liked Birgitta._ Reyes smiled before she could stop herself. Ridiculous. Ace had met her blind. Completely blind. Not Reyes pretending badly. Not Ace politely cooperating with a cover she understood. Mandi had stood on Jig-Jig with Birgitta and seen exactly what everyone else saw. A new premium joytoy. Expensive. Confident. A little ridiculous with the extra one eddie. Reyes smiled wider. Twenty-five thousand and one had been a good decision. Objectively. And Ace had liked her. Not Reyes. Not because they had history. Birgitta. Reyes looked down at the contract again. The extraction route had somehow become less interesting. --- Footsteps approached. Reyes knew who before Shammy appeared in the doorway. She did not look up. “No.” Shammy stopped. “I haven’t said anything.” “No.” “I came for coffee.” “You’ve had enough.” “That seems subjective.” Reyes finally looked at her. Shammy looked perfectly innocent. Which meant absolutely nothing. She walked to the coffee machine. Reyes returned to the route. Silence. Coffee poured. Still silence. Shammy sat opposite her. Reyes kept working. Ten seconds. Twenty. Thirty. She looked up. Shammy was drinking coffee. Nothing else. Reyes narrowed her eyes. “What?” Shammy blinked. “You tell me.” “You’re sitting there.” “Yes.” “Quietly.” “Yes.” “That’s suspicious.” Shammy smiled. “Would you prefer teasing?” “No.” “Then this seems optimal.” Reyes stared at her. Shammy took another drink. Reyes went back to work. Another twenty seconds. Then: “She really does.” Reyes stopped. Did not look up. “Does what?” “Like Birgitta.” Reyes sighed. “Sera.” “I know.” “Do you?” “Yes.” Reyes finally looked at her. Shammy wasn’t laughing. That changed everything. Reyes put the agent down. Shammy rested both hands around her mug. “She really does.” Reyes nodded. “I heard.” “I know.” Silence. Then Reyes smiled faintly. “She told me.” Shammy’s eyebrows lifted. “Birgitta?” “Yes.” “I know that too.” “Of course you do.” “I was there for some of it.” Reyes gave her a look. “Some.” Shammy smiled. “Enough.” Reyes shook her head. Then looked toward the kitchen entrance. Empty. “She said it differently today.” Shammy waited. Reyes appreciated that. No question. No push. Just space. “When she was with Birgitta…” Reyes thought. “She was talking to me.” Shammy nodded. “Today she wasn’t.” “No.” “She was talking about you.” Reyes looked at her. Shammy corrected gently: “About Birgitta.” There. Important. Reyes nodded. “Yeah.” They let that sit. --- Shammy took another drink. “She didn’t know you were listening.” “No.” “So you heard what she says when she doesn’t need anything back from Birgitta.” Reyes smiled slightly. “That sounds clinical.” “You’re the merc.” “You’re the artist.” “Yes.” “That explains nothing.” “I know.” Reyes laughed softly. Better. Shammy smiled. Then Reyes said: “She remembered everything.” “Panam?” “Yeah.” Reyes leaned back. “The walking.” “The quiet.” “The stupid coffee.” Shammy’s smile grew. “The shoes?” Reyes stared. “You know about the shoes?” “I know Panam.” “That is not an answer.” “It’s enough.” Reyes shook her head. “She told Ace I like quiet.” Shammy nodded. “And?” “And Ace didn’t know.” “No.” That was the point. Reyes looked at the table. “Mandi knew Birgitta.” “Yes.” “But not that part.” “No.” “Panam does.” Shammy’s expression softened. “Yes.” Reyes exhaled slowly. That was what had been bothering her. Not bothering. Wrong word. Working its way under her skin. Mandi had known public Birgitta. The woman on Jig-Jig. The price. The confidence. The joytoy. Panam knew that woman too. Very well, considering how their first night had started. But Panam also knew the woman who sat on benches doing nothing. The woman who liked slow mornings. The woman who got nervous before a date. The woman who wanted to walk without a destination. The woman who could spend an afternoon listening to Panam talk about machines. And Panam thought they were the same woman. Reyes smiled. Because she was right. --- Shammy watched her. “What?” Reyes asked. “Nothing.” “That is always bullshit.” “Usually.” Reyes waited. Shammy looked into her coffee. Then: “You’re happy.” Reyes almost denied it. Almost. Instead: “Yeah.” Shammy smiled. “Good.” “Don’t start.” “I said one word.” “You weaponize that word.” “Learned from Panam.” Reyes laughed. Then her expression softened again. “She asked me to be nice to Birgitta.” Shammy’s mouth twitched. “No.” “Yes.” “Oh, Panam.” Reyes started laughing. Shammy joined her. Not the helpless disaster from earlier. Just enough. Reyes shook her head. “Standing right there.” Shammy wiped at one eye. “She has no idea.” “None.” “And she trusts Reyes.” That stopped the laughter. Reyes looked at her. Shammy’s tone had changed again. Quiet. Not warning. Just truth. Reyes nodded. “I know.” “And Birgitta.” “Yes.” Shammy held her gaze. Reyes understood what she meant. The joke was funny because Panam was safe inside it. That mattered. No games with her trust. No using what Reyes learned as Birgitta against her as Reyes. No letting the comedy become cruelty. Reyes’s voice was quiet. “I know.” Shammy nodded. Done. No lecture required. --- Reyes picked up the contract agent again. Looked at the route. Shammy waited. Reyes changed one waypoint. Then: “Did you know Ace liked her that much?” Shammy smiled. “Birgitta?” “Yes.” “I knew she liked her.” “Not what I asked.” Shammy considered. “No.” Reyes nodded. “Neither did I.” “You looked surprised.” “I was.” “She was good.” Reyes raised an eyebrow. “At what?” Shammy smiled. “All of it.” “That sounds suspiciously generous.” “I booked her.” Reyes laughed. “Fair.” Shammy leaned back. “And I’d book her again.” Reyes looked at her. There it was. That particular Shammy expression. Warm. Playful. Dangerous enough to remind Reyes exactly what their first booking had been. Reyes smiled. “Would you?” “Yes.” “Twenty-five thousand and one.” Shammy laughed. “I know the rate.” “Inflation.” “Bitch.” Reyes smiled. There. Better. Normal. --- Her normal agent vibrated. Reyes looked down. Contract. Of course. She opened it. Read. Then blinked. “They accepted the timing.” Shammy lifted her mug. “Congratulations.” “And the route.” “Miracles happen.” “And the fallback point.” “Now I’m suspicious.” Reyes laughed. “Me too.” She started typing. Then stopped. A second vibration. Different. Quiet. Against her. Reyes knew which agent without looking. So did Shammy. Shammy’s eyes flicked downward. Then immediately returned to Reyes’s face. Nothing said. Good. Reyes finished the contract reply first. Sent it. Only then did she reach into her jacket and take out the other agent. Birgitta’s. Shammy watched. No grin. No comment. Reyes appreciated that too. One message. Panam. Of course. Reyes opened it. > btw Ace was right about one thing Reyes smiled. Typed: > Only one? The answer appeared quickly. > don’t tell her I said that Reyes laughed softly. Shammy’s mouth twitched. Reyes typed: > Classified. Panam: > good Then: > I really am fucked Reyes stared at the words. A smile slowly appeared. She could hear Ace saying it. _Oh, you’re fucked._ Reyes typed: > That sounds serious. Panam: > shut up Reyes laughed. Then another message. > I keep thinking about you No joke attached. Reyes’s expression softened. She looked at it. Let herself. No rush to answer. No panic because Panam was waiting. No once-a-week gap either. Just a message from a woman Reyes missed. Shammy quietly stood. Picked up her coffee. Reyes looked up. Shammy smiled. Small. “I’ll leave you to the contract.” Reyes looked at Birgitta’s agent. Then at her. “Coward.” “Artist.” “Same thing.” Shammy laughed and left. Reyes looked back at Panam’s message. Typed: > I keep thinking about you too. She read it once. Sent it. Then put the agent beside the other one on the table. No ceremony. No revelation. Two agents. One contract. One conversation. Both simply part of Reyes’s day now. Birgitta’s agent vibrated again. Reyes looked at it. > <3 She smiled. Did not answer immediately. Didn’t need to. The line was open now. That was enough. Reyes picked up her coffee. Cold. Again. “Fuck.” She drank it anyway. And went back to work. --- # Chapter 22 — Normal Things The contract stopped being bullshit at 16:42. Not because the client had suddenly developed competence. That would have required divine intervention. They had simply accepted Reyes’s version. Her route. Her timing. Her fallback. Her vehicle requirements. Everything they could have accepted three hours earlier and saved everyone involved a great deal of unnecessary irritation. Reyes read the final confirmation. Then read it again. No hidden changes. No new assumptions. No surprise sentence beginning with _one minor adjustment_. She sent: > Confirmed. Put the agent down. And waited. Five seconds. Ten. Nothing. Reyes narrowed her eyes at it. “Don’t.” The agent remained silent. “Good.” She leaned back. Done. Finally. Her other agent vibrated. Reyes stared at the ceiling. “Of course.” She reached for it. Birgitta’s screen opened to a photograph. Reyes blinked. It was a carburetor. Or part of one. Probably. Reyes knew enough about vehicles to recognize the general category and enough about Panam to know that getting the terminology wrong would result in a lecture. Below it: > look at this fucking thing Reyes stared at the photograph. Then smiled. No hello. No _I miss you._ No heart. Just— _look at this fucking thing._ She enlarged the image. Something was clearly wrong with it. What, precisely, Reyes had no idea. She typed: > It appears to be a fucking thing. Three dots appeared almost immediately. > wow > incredible technical insight > I have many talents. > vehicles are not one of them Reyes laughed. > Evidently. Panam: > someone WELDED this Reyes looked again. Ah. That explained the ugly seam. > Should they not have? The typing indicator appeared. Stopped. Appeared again. Reyes smiled. She knew what was happening. Panam was trying to decide whether Reyes was serious. Finally: > I genuinely can’t tell if you’re fucking with me Reyes typed: > Good. > BIRGITTA Reyes laughed. There it was. Her name. Not flirted. Not whispered against her skin. Not attached to a booking. Panam was standing somewhere in Night City, furious at a piece of machinery, and had apparently decided Birgitta needed to know about it. Reyes liked that far too much. --- > okay > look at the left side Reyes did. > Looking. > see the housing > Probably. > “probably” > Panam. > fine > big round part > Ah. Technical terminology. > fuck you Reyes smiled. > Found it. A second photo arrived. Closer. Panam had drawn an arrow on it. > THIS > Yes. > that should come apart > It looks very committed to not doing that. There was a pause. Then: > exactly Reyes laughed. Panam sent: > THANK YOU > I’m glad I could assist. > you didn’t > Emotional support. > questionable > Yet you contacted me. Longer pause. Reyes watched the typing indicator appear. Disappear. Then: > yeah Nothing else. Reyes’s smile softened. She could have teased. Didn’t. Instead: > What are you doing with it? That was enough. Panam launched. --- Five messages. Two more photographs. Then a short video. Reyes opened it. Panam’s face filled the screen first. Dust on one cheek. Hair tied back badly. Sunlight behind her. “Okay, so this asshole—” The camera turned. Machinery. Panam continued talking from behind it, pointing out several things Reyes only partially understood. Something about a replacement unit. Something about the original owner. Something about a repair that had apparently offended Panam on a moral level. Then the camera swung back. Panam looked into it. “And Mitch says we should just cut the whole thing off, which is probably what we’re going to do, but that’s not the point.” Someone in the background shouted: “It is absolutely the point!” Panam turned. “Fuck you, Mitch!” A distant laugh. Panam looked back into the camera. “Anyway.” She smiled. Tiny. “There. Now you know.” The video ended. Reyes sat still. Then played it again. Not the whole thing. Just the last few seconds. _Anyway._ That smile. _There. Now you know._ Reyes lowered the agent. She had absolutely no useful reason to know any of that. Panam had simply wanted to tell her. That was new. Or maybe it wasn’t. Maybe Reyes had only now started noticing what ordinary intimacy actually looked like from this side. Not the bed. Not the date. Not holding hands. A photograph of broken machinery because something had happened and Panam’s brain had gone: _Birgitta._ Reyes looked at the screen. “Fuck.” --- “Bad fuck?” Reyes nearly dropped the agent. She looked up. Mai stood in the kitchen entrance. Reyes glared. “Do you people make noise anymore?” Mai raised one eyebrow. “I walked normally.” “Debatable.” Mai entered. She was carrying a small stack of actual paper. Reyes eyed it suspiciously. “What the hell is that?” “Something Marco apparently believes cannot be communicated electronically.” “That sounds like Marco.” Mai dropped the papers onto the table. Then noticed Reyes’s expression. Not the agent. The expression. “You were smiling.” “No.” “You were.” “Contract got fixed.” Mai looked at Reyes’s normal agent. Then at the other agent in her hand. Reyes held still. Mai’s gaze remained there for perhaps half a second. Then returned to Reyes. No question. Not yet. Good. Reyes put Birgitta’s agent face-down beside her. Mai sat. “Did they accept your route?” “Yes.” “Timing?” “Yes.” “Fallback?” “Yes.” Mai nodded. “So you bullied them into competence.” “I corrected them.” “Violently?” “Professionally.” “Shame.” Reyes smiled. Mai opened the papers. For several minutes they worked. Actual work. Names. Times. A security subcontractor Mai disliked. One loading area Reyes disliked more. The usual. Birgitta’s agent remained silent beside Reyes. Mai never mentioned it. Reyes almost forgot it was there. Almost. Then it vibrated. Once. Mai kept reading. Reyes looked at the screen. Panam: > Mitch says hello Reyes smiled. Typed: > Tell Mitch I support cutting the fucking thing off. She sent it. Mai turned one page. Reyes put the agent back down. Three seconds later: > HE SAYS YOU’RE THE SMART ONE Reyes snorted. Mai looked up. Reyes covered it badly with a cough. Mai stared. “What?” “Nothing.” “That was not nothing.” “Work.” “That is very clearly not the work agent.” Reyes looked at her. Mai looked back. Calm. Not suspicious. Just Mai. Reyes could give her a dozen answers. Secondary contact. Client. Personal. None of her business. All technically workable. Instead: “Someone sent me something funny.” Mai waited. Reyes waited back. Mai’s eyebrow rose. Reyes’s expression did not move. Then Mai shrugged. “Fine.” And returned to the papers. Reyes looked down. That had been close. Not dangerous close. Just— new. She picked up a pen. Mai tapped a line. “This.” Reyes read it. “Bullshit.” “Thought so.” They continued. --- Twenty minutes later Mai left with the corrected papers. Reyes remained. Her normal agent had nothing waiting. Birgitta’s had one message. She opened it. A photograph. Panam and Mitch. Mitch was holding the liberated piece of machinery. Panam was beside him giving the camera a triumphant middle finger. Caption: > surgery successful Reyes laughed. Then: > Tell him congratulations. Panam: > what about me Reyes considered. > You supervised beautifully. > bitch > You’re welcome. Panam: > he’s laughing at me now > Good. > I regret introducing you two Reyes smiled. > We haven’t been introduced. Pause. Then: > true > you should meet him sometime Reyes stopped. Tiny sentence. Probably nothing behind it. Panam likely hadn't thought about it before sending. That was what made it land. Not a date. Not a plan. Not a declaration. Just— _you should meet him sometime._ Reyes looked at the words. Mitch knew Reyes. Of course he did. Different problem. Future problem. Not one that needed solving now. She typed: > Maybe sometime. Panam: > yeah Then, a few seconds later: > he’d like you Reyes smiled. > Confident? > very Reyes thought of Ace. _Mandi liked Birgitta._ Then Panam: _He’d like you._ Apparently Birgitta was accumulating endorsements. She typed: > Dangerous assumption. > nope > You barely knew me a week ago. The reply took longer. Reyes watched the typing indicator. Then: > I knew you a week ago > I know you better now Reyes went still. Simple. No poetry. Panam. Reyes read it again. Then: > Fair. Panam: > also you listened to 4 minutes of carburetor rage > that tells me a lot Reyes blinked. Carburetor. Ha. She had been right. > It was three minutes and twelve seconds. Pause. > YOU CHECKED? Reyes laughed. > I have excellent situational awareness. > you watched it twice didn’t you Reyes stopped. Fucking Panam. > Slander. > YOU DID > No evidence. > oh my god Reyes smiled. Then Panam sent: > that’s adorable Reyes’s smile vanished. She stared. No. Absolutely not. > Withdraw that statement. > no > Panam. > Birgitta. Reyes closed her eyes. Goddammit. > I am not adorable. > okay Reyes narrowed her eyes. That had been too easy. Three dots. > you’re very intimidating Reyes waited. > tiny bit scary Wait. > definitely not sitting somewhere smiling at your agent right now Reyes looked at her own reflection in the dark edge of the screen. She was smiling. Fuck. > I dislike you. Panam: > no you don’t Reyes stared. Then typed: > No. She stopped. Changed it. > I really don’t. The response did not come immediately. Ten seconds. Twenty. Then: > good And a heart. Reyes let that one sit. No need to improve it. --- Later, she found Shammy in the living room with a sketchpad balanced on one knee. Reyes sat at the opposite end of the couch. Shammy glanced up. “Contract?” “Fixed.” “Good.” Reyes waited. Shammy drew another line. Reyes looked at the sketch. Couldn’t tell what it was yet. Shammy continued. Reyes lasted perhaps a minute. Then: “Panam sent me a carburetor.” The pencil stopped. Shammy slowly looked up. “A carburetor.” “A picture.” “Thank you for clarifying.” “Fuck you.” Shammy smiled. “Why?” “Someone had welded something they shouldn’t.” “I see.” “No, you don’t.” “No.” Reyes laughed. Shammy returned to drawing. A moment later: “And?” “And what?” “You came in here specifically to tell me Panam sent you a carburetor.” Reyes opened her mouth. Closed it. Shammy kept drawing. Bitch. Reyes leaned back. “She sent a video explaining it.” “Mm.” “And Mitch was there.” “Mm.” “And then they cut it off.” “Fascinating.” “Fuck you.” Shammy’s mouth twitched. Reyes looked at the ceiling. Then said, quieter: “She just wanted to tell me.” The pencil stopped again. This time Shammy did not tease. “Yeah.” “That’s it.” “Yeah.” Reyes looked toward her. Shammy smiled. Small. “That’s a good thing.” Reyes nodded. “Yeah.” Shammy resumed drawing. No more needed. Reyes sat there. Her normal agent in one pocket. Birgitta’s in another. Neither demanding anything. A few minutes passed. Then one of them vibrated. Reyes knew which one. She smiled before she even reached for it. Shammy noticed. Of course she did. She said nothing. Reyes appreciated her immensely. The message was another photograph. This time nothing broken. Nothing important. Just the sky over the Badlands. Orange light against dust. Panam had written only: > pretty Reyes looked at it for a long moment. Then raised her own agent camera toward the safehouse window. Night City was beginning to light up outside. Ugly concrete. Neon. Traffic. Nothing remotely like Panam’s horizon. She took the picture anyway. Sent it back. > Different kind. Panam answered: > yeah > still pretty Reyes smiled. Then put the agent away. No plans. No promises. No countdown. Just two women, somewhere apart in the same city, sending each other pieces of their day. --- # Chapter 23 — Pieces Panam sent breakfast. Not breakfast itself. That would have required significantly better logistics. A photograph arrived on Birgitta’s agent at 08:17. Reyes was already awake. Already dressed. Already halfway through her first coffee and standing at the kitchen counter while Ace argued with Kiro about something involving ammunition inventory and a missing label. Reyes felt the vibration against her side. She ignored it. For nine seconds. Then Ace said: “I did label it.” Kiro stared at her. “You wrote ‘angry.’” “It’s accurate.” “That is not an inventory classification.” “It tells you everything important.” “It tells me nothing.” “It tells you it’s angry.” Reyes took another drink. The agent vibrated again. Kiro pointed at Ace. “If I open another crate and find a label that says ‘very angry,’ I’m throwing you into the garage.” Ace looked delighted. “There is one.” “Of course there is.” Reyes turned slightly away from them and checked the agent. Two messages. The first was a photograph of a plate. Eggs. Toast. Something that had once been meat and had since been subjected to Panam Palmer’s interpretation of cooking. The second: > I made breakfast Reyes looked at the photograph again. Then typed: > Did it fight back? Three dots appeared. > fuck you Reyes smiled. > The object on the right concerns me. > bacon > Allegedly. > BIRGITTA Ace looked over. Reyes’s face went neutral. “What?” Ace narrowed her eyes. Reyes waited. Ace looked at the agent in her hand. Then back at her. “Nothing.” Reyes put it away. Kiro was still holding the ammunition crate. “Can we return to the crime?” Ace pointed. “See? Angry.” Kiro looked down at the crate. Then at Ace. “I hate this house.” “You don’t live here.” “I hate it recreationally.” Reyes walked out before either of them could drag her into the argument. --- The next message arrived on the stairs. > it tastes fine btw Reyes typed while walking. > Your confidence does not reassure me. > you ate street noodles from a place with no name Reyes stopped. Panam had remembered that. Second day. A tiny place wedged between two larger stalls. No sign. Three plastic tables. Excellent noodles. Birgitta had looked at it for perhaps five seconds before Panam had said: _Trust me._ She had. Reyes continued down the stairs. > Those noodles were excellent. > exactly > trust me Reyes smiled. > Different circumstances. > coward > I’m noticing you use that word when you run out of arguments. There was a pause. Then: > I have plenty of arguments > also Mitch ate it > Is Mitch alive? > unfortunately Another message arrived almost immediately. > he says fuck you Reyes laughed. A worker crossing the garage looked at her. Reyes ignored him. > Tell him I’m devastated. Panam: > he says you don’t sound devastated Reyes stopped beside one of the vehicles. That was interesting. > You read it to him? > yeah Then: > not the other stuff Reyes’s smile softened. No request had been necessary. No discussion of privacy. Panam simply knew. The carburetor? Fine. Breakfast? Fine. The teasing? Apparently fine. The things between them? The things that belonged to them stayed between them. Reyes typed: > I know. Panam answered with a heart. Reyes put the agent away. --- By noon, Panam had sent nothing else. Reyes noticed. That was irritating. Not because Panam should be messaging constantly. She shouldn’t. Reyes had work. Panam had work. People had lives. Normal. Healthy. Reasonable. At 12:34, Reyes checked Birgitta’s agent to make sure she had not missed anything. She had not. At 12:35 she became annoyed with herself for checking. At 12:36 she went back to work. At 13:02 she received: > sorry busy Reyes stared at it. Then: > You don’t have to apologize for having a day. Panam took longer to answer. > I know Another pause. > just didn’t want you thinking I disappeared Reyes leaned against the vehicle beside her. There it was again. Not dramatic. Just Panam remembering six unanswered days. Seventeen messages. Not knowing whether Birgitta had changed her mind. Reyes typed: > I won’t. She stopped. That wasn’t quite enough. > And if I’m busy, I’ll answer when I can. You don’t need to worry. The typing indicator appeared. Stayed. Then: > okay A few seconds. > still learning this Reyes understood exactly what she meant. Not messaging. This. Whatever this was becoming. > Me too. Panam: > really? Reyes smiled. > Really. > huh > What? > nothing > thought you’d be better at it Reyes laughed. > Why? > you seem like you’re good at everything Reyes stared at that. Then: > You have watched me lose an argument to my shoes. > fair > Thank you. > still hot though Reyes closed her eyes. Of course. > The shoes? > sure > let’s go with that Reyes laughed and put the agent away. Enough. Work. Definitely work. --- At 15:11, Panam sent a dog. Reyes had no idea whose dog it was. Large. Dusty. One ear up. One ear down. Sitting beside Panam’s truck with an expression of profound disappointment in civilization. Caption: > new employee Reyes replied: > Qualifications? > showed up > Strong résumé. > better than some people I’ve worked with > Pay? > half a burrito > Exploitative. > he negotiated Reyes looked at the photograph again. > Name? Panam: > don’t know > Mitch called him Steve > He does not look like a Steve. > THANK YOU A second photograph. Mitch was now crouched beside the dog. The dog looked equally unimpressed. > Mitch says he absolutely looks like Steve Reyes considered. > Mitch is wrong. Panam: > I knew I liked you Reyes’s thumb stopped over the screen. It was casual. Probably. Mostly. She typed: > Because of the dog? > among other things There. Reyes smiled. > Tell Steve I support him. > HIS NAME IS NOT STEVE > You just called him Steve. > FUCK Reyes laughed loudly enough that Marco, ten meters away, turned around. “What?” “Nothing.” Marco looked suspicious. Reyes put the agent away. “Work.” Marco looked at the tool in his hand. Then at Reyes. “You haven’t touched that panel in two minutes.” Reyes looked down. She was, in fact, still holding the same connector. “Fuck off, Marco.” He grinned. “Ah.” “Don’t.” “I didn’t say anything.” “Good.” Marco walked away. Still grinning. Reyes stared after him. Apparently everybody in Night City had become intolerable. --- The dog disappeared from the conversation. For two hours, nothing. Then Panam sent: > not Steve left Reyes was sitting in the passenger seat of a parked vehicle, waiting for Lena to finish talking to a supplier. > Tragic. > he stole the rest of the burrito > Entrepreneur. > traitor > You paid him half a burrito. He identified an alternate revenue stream. Panam: > why are you on his side > I respect initiative. > I’m replacing you Reyes raised an eyebrow. > With the dog? > maybe > Can he listen to four-minute carburetor explanations? Long pause. Then: > okay you can stay Reyes smiled. > Generous. > I’m known for it > Twenty-five thousand and one eddies says otherwise. Panam sent: > OH FUCK YOU Reyes laughed. That one had been worth it. > You paid it. > I WAS MAKING A POINT > An expensive point. > sera cost one Reyes stopped. Then smiled slowly. Ah. That night. Panam standing there. Sera accepting one eddie because she was Panam. Then paying Birgitta every last eddie of her deliberately absurd rate. Mandi watching. Laughing. Reyes typed: > I remember. Panam: > worth it The humor softened. Reyes looked at the words. > Good. Panam: > both of you Reyes stayed still. Not jealous. There was nothing to be jealous of. Sera loved Panam. Panam loved Sera. Reyes knew that. Birgitta had known it before the booking began. Had been asked directly if she was comfortable with it. Had watched Panam make absolutely certain that the stranger they had hired would not become an accessory to something already existing between two lovers. _I don’t want you treated like an extra._ Reyes remembered. Very clearly. She typed: > She loves you. The answer came quickly. > I know > I love her too Then: > doesn’t make this less real Reyes stared at that one. The vehicle suddenly felt very quiet. Outside, Lena was still talking. People crossed the lot. Traffic moved beyond the gate. Normal afternoon. Reyes typed slowly. > I know. Panam: > good Then nothing. No heart. No joke. It did not need either. --- Lena opened the driver’s door. Reyes looked up. “Done?” “Finally.” Lena climbed in. “Supplier believes five minutes means thirty.” “Common condition.” Lena started the vehicle. Then glanced at Reyes. “You look happy.” Reyes sighed. “For fuck’s sake.” Lena stopped. “What?” “Nothing.” “I said you look happy.” “I know.” “That offended you?” “No.” “Then why are you swearing at me?” Reyes looked out the window. “Long day.” Lena considered that. Then pulled out of the lot. “All right.” Bless Lena. No interrogation. No smirk. No impossible poker face. Just driving. Reyes relaxed. Her agent vibrated. Lena glanced sideways. Reyes ignored her. Lena said nothing. Reyes waited until they stopped at a light. Then checked. A short video. Panam again. This time no machinery. No dog. No Mitch. Just Panam sitting somewhere outside, the Badlands stretching behind her. Wind caught loose strands of her hair. “Okay.” She looked briefly away from the camera. Then back. “I have absolutely nothing interesting to tell you.” Reyes smiled. Panam continued. “I just had five minutes.” A pause. “And apparently this is what I do with five minutes now.” Another tiny smile. “So.” She shrugged. “Hi.” The video ended. Reyes stared at the screen. Lena drove through the green light. Reyes played it again. Of course she did. Panam: _Hi._ Reyes looked down at herself. Reyes. Red hair. No mesh. No contacts. No Birgitta voice. She couldn't send a video back. Not like this. For the first time all day, that bothered her. Not enough to risk anything. Never that. But enough to feel the limitation. Text could cross the line between identities effortlessly. Her face could not. Her voice could not. Not today. Reyes typed: > Hi. She looked at it. Pathetic. Deleted it. Tried: > Five minutes well spent. Too polished. Deleted that too. Lena glanced over. “You fighting with someone?” “No.” “Looks like fighting.” “Typing.” “Ah.” Reyes looked at the screen again. Then typed: > I’m glad this is what you do with five minutes now. She sent it. Panam replied before the next intersection. > me too Reyes smiled. Then: > wish I could see you There. Reyes’s smile faded just slightly. Not because anything was wrong. Because Panam meant it. And Reyes wanted the same thing. She could not give it to her today. She typed: > Next time. Panam: > promise? Reyes did not hesitate. > Promise. A heart appeared. Reyes put the agent down on her thigh. Lena glanced at her. Then at the road. Then: “That was definitely not fighting.” Reyes looked at her. Lena smiled. Eyes forward. Reyes narrowed hers. “Drive.” “I am driving.” “Drive more.” “That is not how driving works.” Reyes looked back out the window. But she was smiling again. --- That evening, the messages slowed. One from Panam about dinner. One from Reyes about a client who had somehow managed to send the wrong access credentials three separate times. Panam replied: > shoot them Reyes: > Tempting. > you’re a merc > isn’t that one of the services > Not generally for administrative incompetence. > missed business opportunity Then silence. An hour. Two. Reyes did not check. Well. Not often. At 23:08 she was sitting alone at the kitchen table with the lights low when Birgitta’s agent vibrated. One message. > going to sleep > night Reyes smiled. Simple. Ordinary. She typed: > Good night, Panam. Stopped. Then added: > Sleep well. Sent. She expected a heart. Instead: > you too > wish you were here Reyes leaned back. Looked at the ceiling. There were several answers. Funny. Flirty. Careful. She chose the true one. > I wish I was there too. Panam: > soon Reyes stared at that word. Their word now, apparently. Not a date. Not a schedule. Not yet. Just a promise that the distance was temporary. > Soon. Panam sent one heart. Reyes put the agent down beside her coffee. She sat there another minute. Then two. Thinking about breakfast photographs. A welded carburetor. A dog who was definitely not named Steve. A four-minute video about nothing. A picture of the sky. Pieces. Nothing important. Nothing dramatic. Nothing she would have thought to ask for. And somehow Panam had spent the entire day giving Birgitta little pieces of herself. Reyes picked up the agent. Looked once more at the last heart. Then carried both agents with her when she left the kitchen. Of course she did. --- # Chapter 24 — Not Over Holo Reyes woke to rain against the window. Not much. Night City rarely committed properly to weather. Enough to turn the glass wet and the street below reflective, neon stretching across asphalt in broken ribbons. Her normal agent said 07:11. Birgitta’s said the same thing. Reyes stared at both from the bed. Then at the ceiling. One of them had a message. She already knew which. Panam had sent it at 06:48. > rain? Reyes looked toward the window. Then: > Apparently. The reply came before Reyes had even put her feet on the floor. > here too > Remarkable. > fuck you > I was going to say good morning Reyes smiled. > You still can. Pause. > good morning > Good morning, Panam. Reyes put the agent down. Three seconds. It vibrated. > sleep okay? She picked it back up. Apparently getting out of bed was going to be a collaborative process. > Yes. You? > yeah > woke up early Then: > kept thinking Reyes raised an eyebrow. > Dangerous. > shut up > About? The typing indicator appeared. Stayed. > next time There. No uncertainty. No need to ask whether there would be one. Just the thing already waiting between them. Reyes smiled. > Good thoughts? > very > Should I be concerned? > probably Reyes laughed quietly. > Excellent. Panam: > you said soon > I did. > not rushing > I know. A few seconds. > just reminding you Reyes looked at the screen. > I haven’t forgotten. Panam sent a heart. Then: > okay now get up Reyes stared. > Excuse me? > it’s after 7 > Tyrant. > lazy joytoy Reyes actually laughed. > Careful. > what are you going to do Reyes considered several answers. Discarded all of them. > Remember that question. The typing indicator appeared. Stopped. Appeared again. > oh Reyes smiled. Much better. She got out of bed. --- By nine, the rain had become more determined. Reyes had coffee. Food. Her own clothes. Her own face. Her own voice. And two agents within reach while she sat at her table reviewing the next few days of work. There was nothing unusual about the schedule. A short security consultation. One contract review. An equipment pickup. A meeting she could probably have avoided if everyone involved understood how written communication worked. Normal. She moved one appointment by two hours. Checked another. Nothing urgent. Nothing that required Birgitta. Her other agent vibrated. Panam. A photograph. The view through a windshield. Rain. A long road. The truck hood at the bottom of the frame. > visibility is shit Reyes typed: > Then perhaps stop taking photographs while driving. > parked > Sensible. I’m impressed. > bitch > Frequently. Panam sent another picture. This one from outside. The road vanishing into grey. > would be better without rain Reyes looked at it. > Still pretty. Pause. > you remembered Reyes frowned. Of course she remembered. Then she understood. The photograph from yesterday. Badlands sky. _pretty._ Her Night City answer. _Different kind._ Reyes smiled. > I remember things. Panam: > noticed Then: > good Reyes left it there. Not every message needed another message. She returned to the schedule. --- At 10:26, her normal agent vibrated. Reyes reached for it automatically. Victor. That got her attention. She opened the message. > When you have time, come by. I believe you want to hear this from me, not over holo. Reyes read it. Once. Then again. Victor did not send messages like that. If something was wrong, he said so. If he needed her at the clinic, he said so. If it was medical, he was direct enough to be irritating. This was different. Reyes typed: > That sounds ominous. The answer took less than a minute. > It isn’t. Reyes waited. Nothing else. She stared at the screen. > Helpful. Victor: > I try. That was it. Reyes narrowed her eyes at the agent. Bastard. She considered calling. Didn’t. Victor had specifically said not over holo. Whatever it was, he wanted her physically in the clinic. And apparently believed she would want that too. Interesting. Reyes checked her schedule. Not today. Probably tomorrow. No urgency in the message. _When you have time._ Fine. She marked nothing. Scheduled nothing. She would go when the day gave her room. The agent went back onto the table. Reyes looked at it for another moment. Then returned to work. --- At 11:03, Birgitta’s agent vibrated. > question Reyes smiled. Apparently Panam had a category now. > Again? > fuck you > Ask. > do you hate mornings or just tolerate them Reyes blinked. That was not what she had expected. She thought about it. > Depends on the morning. Panam: > bullshit answer > Accurate answer. > okay > morning after work > Usually dislike. > morning after sleeping properly > Better. > morning after sleeping with me Reyes laughed. There it was. > Fishing for compliments? > gathering data Reyes stared. Then laughed harder. She typed: > I liked those mornings. Panam: > both? Reyes did not hesitate. > Both. Pause. > me too Then: > second one especially Reyes knew why. The first morning had still carried uncertainty. Would Birgitta leave? Was yesterday finished? Was the date over? The second morning had been different. No surprise that she was still there. No careful discovery. Just waking beside someone who had already chosen to stay once. > Why the second? She knew. But she wanted Panam’s answer. It took a while. > first morning I woke up and checked if you were still there Reyes remembered. Panam opening her eyes. That tiny pause. The look beside her. _Still here._ > I know. > second morning I already knew you would be Reyes stopped. There. Simple. Panam. Reyes leaned back in her chair. > I liked that too. Panam: > good Then, after a moment: > next time I want another morning Reyes’s smile came slowly. No bargaining over two nights. No logistics. No pressure. Just one thing Panam knew she wanted. A morning. > I’d like that. A heart. Reyes put the agent down. For some reason her eyes went to Victor’s message on the other screen. _When you have time, come by._ She frowned. Coincidence. Obviously. Victor did not know what Panam had just written. Still. Her gaze lingered. Then she shook her head. Work. --- The rain stopped shortly after noon. Reyes left for the equipment pickup. The city smelled briefly cleaner than it deserved. Water dripped from awnings. Traffic threw spray across the curb. Her normal agent handled work. Her other remained quiet. For nearly an hour. Then: > important update Reyes was waiting for a light. > I’m afraid to ask. > not Steve is back Reyes laughed aloud. A pedestrian beside her glanced over. She ignored them. > I thought he abandoned you. > apparently we’re forgiven A photograph arrived. The dog was lying under Panam’s truck. One ear up. One down. Looking entirely at home. > Mitch fed him Reyes: > So Mitch has been adopted. > that’s what I said > Congratulations to them both. > Mitch says fuck you > Our relationship is progressing beautifully. Panam sent a laughing face. Then: > you really should meet him sometime Again. Casual. Mitch. Not a formal introduction. Not some grand step. Just Panam imagining Birgitta somewhere inside the rest of her life. Reyes felt the same little pull she had yesterday. The complication existed. Mitch knew Reyes. That was future Reyes’s problem. Current Reyes typed: > Maybe sometime. Panam: > he’d like you > You’ve said that. > still true Reyes smiled. > I’ll take your word for it. --- The equipment pickup took longer than expected. By the time Reyes was done, afternoon had become evening. She sat in her vehicle for a moment before starting it. Normal agent. Three work messages. Nothing urgent. Birgitta’s agent. One message. Panam had sent it twenty minutes earlier. > long day? Reyes typed: > Longer than intended. The answer arrived quickly. > bad? > No. Just people believing schedules are decorative. > ah > idiots Reyes smiled. > Exactly. > hungry? Reyes considered. Actually— yes. > Very. Panam: > eat > Excellent advice. > I’m serious > So am I. > Reyes— Reyes froze. Everything inside her stopped. She stared at the screen. At the word. For one terrible second there was nothing else in the world. Then the message changed. Deleted. Panam sent: > BIRGITTA > FUCK > sorry > was talking to someone else at the same time Reyes breathed again. Slowly. Panam continued immediately. > wrong chat > sorry Reyes stared. Then laughed. Not because it was particularly funny. Because her body had already prepared for disaster and needed somewhere to put the energy. Panam knew Reyes. Of course she did. They talked. Worked together. Saw each other socially. A wrong-chat name was entirely possible. Entirely innocent. And Panam had no idea how close she had accidentally come to the center of the whole ridiculous situation. Reyes typed: > I was wondering if I’d acquired a new name. Panam: > please forget that happened > Never. > fuck > Who were you yelling at? > Reyes Reyes closed her eyes. Of course. > What did she do? Long pause. Reyes waited. Panam: > nothing > contract thing > asked her something earlier Reyes stared. Oh. Right. Her normal agent. She picked it up. Scrolled. There. Panam had sent Reyes a question almost an hour ago about a transport contact. Reyes had answered. Briefly. Professionally. Then forgotten about it. She looked from one agent to the other. Panam was currently maintaining two conversations with the same woman. And had nearly crossed the streams by accident. Reyes covered her face with one hand. “Oh, fuck me.” Birgitta’s agent vibrated. > anyway > EAT Reyes laughed helplessly. > Yes, ma’am. > better Reyes started the vehicle. --- She stopped for food. Because Panam would absolutely ask. And because she was hungry. She sent no photograph. No proof. Twenty minutes later: > eating? Reyes stared. Then took a photograph of the plate. Nothing identifiable around it. Just food. Sent. > Satisfied? Panam: > yes Then: > looks good > It is. > better than my breakfast? Reyes smiled. > Considerably. > bitch > You burned bacon. > IT WAS FINE Reyes laughed. The earlier jolt was gone. Mostly. But it had left something useful behind. A reminder. This was funny. Warm. Wonderful, even. It was also complicated. Panam knew Reyes. Panam wanted Birgitta. Those two facts could coexist for a long time. Reyes intended them to. But the walls between them required care. Not fear. Care. She could do care. --- Later, at home, Reyes set both agents on the table. One beside the other. No significance. Just where she put them. She changed clothes. Made coffee she did not need. Sat down. Victor’s message remained unanswered beyond their brief exchange. She opened it again. > When you have time, come by. I believe you want to hear this from me, not over holo. Reyes frowned. Tomorrow. Probably. She could make room tomorrow. Her eyes shifted to Birgitta’s agent. Panam had sent: > home? Reyes typed: > Yes. > good Then: > tired? > A little. > sleep then > You’ve become very commanding. > you like it Reyes smiled. > Occasionally. > liar > Good night, Panam. Panam: > evasive Then: > good night > sleep well Reyes: > You too. A pause. Then Panam sent: > soon Reyes looked at it. No question mark. No anxiety. Just the word. Reyes answered: > Soon. She put the agent down. Then looked at Victor’s message again. Tomorrow. She had absolutely no idea that the two conversations were connected. Not yet. --- # Chapter 25 — Seven Days Victor’s message was still there in the morning. Of course it was. Reyes had checked. Not because she expected the words to have changed overnight. That would have been ridiculous. She had simply opened her normal agent while drinking coffee, seen the conversation, and read it again. > When you have time, come by. I believe you want to hear this from me, not over holo. Then her reply: > That sounds ominous. Victor: > It isn’t. And finally: > Helpful. > I try. Reyes stared at the exchange for another few seconds. Victor did not do mysterious particularly well. Usually because he had no interest in being mysterious. If something was bad, he said it was bad. If something was going to hurt, he said it was going to hurt. If someone had done something catastrophically stupid to their own implants, Victor generally found several precise ways to explain exactly how stupid it had been. _I believe you want to hear this from me, not over holo._ That was different. Birgitta’s agent vibrated beside her. Reyes looked at it. Panam. Of course. > morning Reyes smiled. > Good morning. The typing indicator appeared immediately. > sleep? > Yes. > good Then: > dreamed about you Reyes raised an eyebrow. > Should I ask? A pause. > probably not Reyes laughed. > That answers the question. > wasn’t complaining > I assumed not. Three dots. > smug > Accurate. A heart appeared. Reyes looked at it for a moment. Then another message. > wish you were here That one landed differently. Not painfully. Warmly. Reyes rested her thumb against the edge of the agent. > I wish I was there too. Panam answered with another heart. No seventeen messages. No six days of wondering whether Birgitta would ever answer. Just a conversation. Open whenever Panam wanted it. Reyes put Birgitta’s agent down beside her normal one. Two agents. One coffee. One woman smiling at her kitchen table like an idiot. “Great.” She drank her coffee. Then picked up the normal agent. > I have time today. When? Victor answered three minutes later. > Whenever you get here. --- Victor looked up when Reyes entered the clinic. “Hey.” “Hey.” He went back to the diagnostic display in front of him. Reyes stopped. Waited. Victor tapped something. Read it. Tapped again. Reyes folded her arms. “You summoned me.” “I said when you had time.” “You made it sound mysterious.” “I said it wasn’t ominous.” “That did not make it less mysterious.” “No.” Victor finished whatever he was doing. Put the display aside. Then looked at her properly. “All right.” Reyes raised an eyebrow. “That sounds ominous.” “It still isn’t.” “Good start.” Victor gestured toward the chair. Reyes looked at it. Then at him. “Do I need to sit?” “No.” “Then why are you pointing at it?” “Habit.” Reyes remained standing. Victor leaned back against the counter. “You remember the voice work.” Reyes stared at him. “Yes, Victor.” “Good.” “Did you think I’d forgotten?” “No.” “Then why—” “Reyes.” She stopped. Victor smiled faintly. “There’s a new revision.” That got her attention. The irritation disappeared. “What kind?” “Better control. Better stability.” Reyes waited. Victor continued. “The version I used on you worked well. Better than I expected, actually.” “That sounds reassuring in retrospect.” “It was within spec.” “Much better.” “But the duration was still the weak point.” Reyes said nothing. She knew. Two nights. Two mornings. Dinner. Walking. Sera’s gallery. Breakfast. Coffee. A whole ordinary day that had somehow mattered more than Reyes had expected. And then the first almost imperceptible roughness. The private knowledge that time had started running out. Panam had never heard it. That had mattered. Reyes had left before she could. Victor was watching her. “Yes,” Reyes said. “The new revision changes that.” Something in his tone made her straighten slightly. “How?” “Duration is controllable now.” Reyes frowned. “It already was.” “Not like this.” Victor picked up the display again and turned it toward her. There were graphs. Numbers. Several things Reyes could understand if she cared enough to spend ten minutes reading them. She did not. “Victor.” He turned the display back. “The previous version gave me a useful range. Your physiology, target voice, strain, recovery, all of it affected how long it remained stable.” “I know.” “Now I can set it.” Reyes went still. “Set it.” “Yes.” “How precisely?” “Precisely enough.” “That is not an answer.” “It’s the answer you need.” Reyes narrowed her eyes. Victor continued before she could object. “You choose the duration before application. The biosculpt holds the target register through that window. Same natural feel, same stability under fatigue and excitement. Same gradual tail afterward.” Reyes stared at him. “How long?” Victor did not answer immediately. That bastard. “Victor.” “You can pick the duration now.” “I understood that part.” “Good.” “How long?” “Up to seven days.” Silence. Reyes looked at him. Victor looked back. “Seven?” “Seven.” “Days.” “That is generally how we measure them.” Reyes ignored that. “Continuous?” “Yes.” “Stable?” “Yes.” “Same voice?” “Yes.” “Sleeping?” “Yes.” “Working?” “Yes.” “Sex?” Victor raised an eyebrow. Reyes stared at him. “What?” “Nothing.” “You said stable under excitement.” “I did.” “So?” “Yes.” Reyes folded her arms. Victor’s mouth moved. Barely. “Don't.” “I’m not doing anything.” “You’re doing the face.” “This is my face.” “Unfortunately.” Victor smiled. Reyes turned away. Seven days. Not two. Not three if everything behaved. Seven. Her mind supplied Panam before she could stop it. Not Jig-Jig. Not the booking. Not even the first night. Panam half asleep beside her. Panam burning bacon. Panam talking about vehicle parts while Reyes drank coffee. Panam holding her hand while they walked. Panam asking whether Birgitta would do this again. Not sex. _Days._ Going out. Doing nothing. Waking up together. Panam saying she wanted another morning. Panam sending a carburetor because she had seen something stupid and wanted Birgitta to see it too. Panam sending a photograph of the Badlands sky because it was pretty. Panam spending five spare minutes making a pointless video simply to say hi. Seven days. Jesus Christ. Victor let her think. That was probably why he had wanted her here. Not because the technical explanation required face-to-face conversation. It didn't. The important part was what happened after the number. Reyes turned back. “Any different recovery?” “No.” “Can it be shortened?” “The selected duration is the selected duration. I wouldn't plan on reversing it early.” “So if someone chooses seven—” “They get seven.” Reyes nodded slowly. “Anything else?” “No.” “That’s it?” “That’s it.” “You dragged me here to tell me one number.” “I asked you to come by.” “You knew what that number would do.” Victor shrugged. “I had an idea.” Reyes stared at him. Victor stared back. Then his eyes moved, very deliberately, toward the normal agent in Reyes’s hand. Not Birgitta’s. He could not see the other one in her pocket. He did not need to. Victor had built the face. Victor had built the voice. Victor knew exactly whose cover used it. And Victor knew Reyes well enough to recognize when technology had stopped being merely professional. Reyes pointed at him. “No.” Victor raised both hands. “I haven't said anything.” “Keep it that way.” “Sure.” Reyes turned toward the door. Made it two steps. “Reyes.” She stopped. Looked back. Victor was leaning against the counter again. Expression neutral. Almost. “Panam?” Reyes stared at him. There was a beat of absolute silence. Then: “Fuck off.” Victor smiled. Reyes walked out. --- She made it halfway down the block before Birgitta’s agent vibrated in her pocket. Reyes stopped. For one absurd second, she just stood there. Then she took it out. Panam. > random question Reyes laughed under her breath. Of course. > Those are rarely random with you. > rude > Ask. The typing indicator appeared. Stopped. Appeared again. Then: > next time > could we have more than one day again? Reyes stared at the screen. Night City moved around her. Traffic. Voices. Advertisements. Someone arguing across the street. None of it mattered. Another message appeared. > no pressure > just liked waking up with you Then: > twice Reyes closed her eyes. Victor’s voice came back perfectly. _Up to seven days._ She opened her eyes. Panam’s typing indicator appeared again. Reyes answered before the next message could arrive. > I liked it too. Panam: > yeah? Reyes smiled. > Yeah. A heart appeared. Then: > soon? Reyes looked at it. At the woman who had once sent seventeen messages into silence because Birgitta only existed once a week. At the conversation that no longer had to wait. At the agent Reyes now carried with her every day. She typed: > Soon. Panam sent another heart. Reyes put the agent back into her pocket. She stood there for another moment. Then looked back toward Victor’s clinic. Seven days. Her smile grew. “Oh, fuck.” And somewhere behind her, safely out of earshot, Victor was almost certainly still laughing.