I inhale a deep breath as I consider his offer. He did track me down, an ability that requires a certain notable skillset, I admit. I should’ve felt threatened—any other rational person would—but I was impressed. That’s ultimately why I set up this meeting, to evaluate him.

He’s definitely intelligent and has unique skills that could be beneficial. I could use him for this job…then ghost him if it gets weird. Maybe I’ll get a couple new fun programs out of the deal to make it worth my time.

“Say I consider this offer,” I say, gauging him closely. “What do you get out of it?”

He places his hands behind his head, relaxed, at ease. “I don’t know. Excitement. A break in monotony. What I was looking for at the club and found exceedingly lacking.”

All right. Maybe I can use him. My identity with Ericson is blown. Starting from scratch means money, spending capital, losing the profit I’ll make on the job—and Ericson did seem to glom on to this guy. “What do you know about company finances?”

He lowers his arms, taking my question seriously. “I know math. So…give me the afternoon to learn the rest.”

“Cocky,” I remark. But I like it. I’m pretty cocky myself in knowing my strengths. “Okay then. I hope I don’t regret this.” I swipe a napkin and jot down a location. “We’ll meet up here at noon. Bring your best toys.”

As I hike back toward Tribeca, I replay the past half hour in my head, looking for any cues I missed. Honestly, despite his annoying incessantness, I like Alex. I like very few people. He’s different, interesting.

I shake out my hair. Now that my identity is no longer secret, I’ll keep the blond. I find I’m starting to like it, too. It’s a part of this unpredictable change that, in any other circumstance, would frustrate me. Yet I’m somehow enjoying the sudden spontaneity of it all.

Hypothesis

Alex

The scratch of the lead across the page sends a prickling sensation over my skin. As I work on the outline of Blakely’s features, the woman begins to materialize. It’s an image right out of my memory bank. Blakely sitting across from me at the bistro table, her tousled blond hair falling over her slender shoulders, those sea-green orbs staring right down to my marrow.

I keep a journal for each subject. Filled with notes, observations, results, and sketches. I find that, even though I work primarily with data, a visual representation alongside all that data helps me see the whole picture.