“She was pulled into a work emergency.”

“I understand,” the manager replied. “But we have other appointments scheduled. We can’t keep holding both the lounge and this merchandise without payment.”

Rita straightened. “She’ll be here.”

The manager turned the tablet so they could see the balance. “You’re welcome to complete the purchase with another payment method. Otherwise, we’ll need to return these items to inventory.”

Gordon looked toward the entrance once more. I never appeared. A sheen of sweat formed on his forehead. Slowly, he pulled out his wallet, already knowing what was inside — a single personal credit card he rarely used, with a low limit and a balance he seldom paid in full.

Nearly every major purchase had always gone on cards connected to my accounts. He handed it over anyway. “Run this.”