back onto the chair just as Taylor takes her first step into the room.
Did she leave it faceup or facedown? But before there’s time to try and remember, Taylor is beside me.
She stares down at her phone and my stomach clenches. I’ve messed up. Now I recall that she left it with the screen facing down on the chair. I put it back the wrong way.
I swallow hard, trying to think of an excuse.
“Hey,” she says.
I drag my eyes up to meet hers.
“Love it. But can you try a darker lip gloss?”
She flops back onto the chair and I slowly exhale.
I redo her lips twice—first making them berry, then reverting to the original shade, all the while steadying my right elbow with my left palm so my shaking fingers don’t ruin the lines—and by the time I’m finished, my pulse has returned to normal.
When I leave the apartment with a distracted “Thank you” from the girls instead of a tip, my decision is confirmed.
I set the alarm on my phone for 7:15 A.M.
Saturday, November 17
The next morning, I review my plan carefully.
Sometimes an impulsive decision can change the course of your life.
I don’t want that to happen again.
I wait outside Hunter Hall, peering in the direction of Taylor’s apartment. It’s cloudy and the air is thick and gray, so for a moment I mistake another young woman rushing in my direction for her. But it’s just someone out for a jog. When it’s five minutes past eight and it appears that Taylor is still asleep, I enter the lobby, where a guy in khakis and a blue button-down shirt is checking his watch.
“Sorry I’m late!” I call.
“Taylor?” he says. “I’m Ben Quick.”
I’d correctly gambled on the assumption that Taylor wouldn’t phone to cancel.
“Taylor is sick, so she asked me to come and do the questionnaire instead. I’m Jessica. Jessica Farris.”
“Oh.” Ben blinks. He looks me up and down, examining me more carefully.
I’ve traded my ankle boots for Converse high-tops and slung a black nylon backpack over one shoulder. I figure it won’t hurt if I look like a student.
“Can you hang on a second?” he finally says. “I need to check with Dr. Shields.”
“Sure.” I aim for the slightly bored tone Taylor used last night.
The worst thing that’ll happen is he’ll tell me I can’t participate, I remind myself. No big deal; I’ll just grab a bagel and take Leo for a long walk.
Ben steps aside and pulls out his cell phone. I want to listen to his side of the conversation, but his voice is muted.
Then he walks over to me. “How old are you?”
“Twenty-eight,” I respond truthfully.
I sneak a glance at the entrance to make sure Taylor isn’t going to saunter in at the last minute.
“You currently reside in New York?” Ben asks.
I nod.
Ben has two more questions for me: “Where else have you lived? Anywhere outside the United States?”
I shake my head. “Just Pennsylvania. That’s where I grew up.”
“Okay,” Ben says, putting his phone away. “Dr. Shields says you can participate in the study. First, I need to get your full name and address. Can I see some ID?”
I shift my backpack into my hand and dig through it until I find my wallet, then I hand him my driver’s license.
He snaps a picture, then takes down the rest of my information. “I can Venmo you the payment tomorrow at the conclusion of your session if you have an account.”
“I do,” I say. “Taylor told me it’s five hundred dollars, right?”
He nods. “I’m going to text all this to Dr. Shields, then I’ll take you upstairs to the room.”
Could it possibly be this simple?
CHAPTER
TWO
Saturday, November 17
You aren’t the subject who was expected to show up this morning.
Still, you meet the demographic criteria of the study and the slot would otherwise be wasted, so my assistant Ben escorts you to Room 214. The testing space is large and rectangular, filled with windows along the eastern-facing side. Three rows of desks and chairs line the shiny linoleum floor. At the front of the room is a SMART Board, its screen blank. High on the back wall is an old-fashioned round clock. It could be any classroom in any college campus in any city.
Except for one thing: You are the only person here.
This venue has been selected because there is little to distract you, facilitating your ability to concentrate on the task ahead.
Ben explains that your instructions will appear on the computer that is being provided for your use. Then