“Oh, we weren’t talking about the program.”

Lucy eyed her skeptically.

“We weren’t. Ryan’s into music and so am I and—”

“Got it. Keep it to yourself. I can get my own intel.”

And with a determination to do just that, Lucy marched into the club. She wormed her way back onto the dance floor, gathered as many Pulse employees around her as she could, and took a selfie, immediately posting it online.

As a baseline to test the photo’s traction, she double-checked her Pulse. Still a 4. Thud, thud, thud, thud.

Below, in her recents, was Emma. Lucy clicked on Emma’s Pulse profile and almost dropped her phone.

And for the first time since she sent in her application, Lucy knew Stanford was hers for the taking.

ELEVEN

BUY-IN • Gaining support for an idea or project, often from management or the full team

THE THREE-HOUR TIME DIFFERENCE between them didn’t stop Maddie from checking if Danny had texted back. She shifted on the hard barstool where she’d been since leaving Lucy and Delia on the dance floor and logged in to her email. While she wasn’t taking on new clients during the program, she still had to field requests and answer questions from existing ones.

“This seat taken?” Nishi Kapoor asked.

Maddie looked up. “Feel free.”

“Me and my blisters thank you. Aren’t new shoes the worst? Damn cute though. That’s how they get you. Like babies.”

Though Maddie’s closet full of slip-on sneakers made her unable to relate, she nodded.

“Go ahead.” Nishi gestured to Maddie’s phone. “Don’t let me stop you from checking your Pulse.”

“Please. I don’t even have an account.”

“How refreshing. You have single-handedly restored my faith in the next generation, Maddie.”

“Don’t get too excited. I’m an anomaly.”

“Change always starts with one. One idea, one person, one chance, one risk. Without anomalies, life would forever be status quo. How boring would that be?” She smiled, and Maddie put her phone away. “Now, tell me why you’re here and not out there.” Nishi glanced at Maddie’s feet. “It’s not because of improper footwear.”

Maddie shrugged. “Not really my scene.”

“What is your scene?”

“I don’t have one, but if I did, it wouldn’t be this.”

“I’m familiar with the culture shock. Took me three months to realize ‘ramps’ was just a fancy word for onions. Though you do get used to the sunshine.”

Maddie leaned in to better hear Nishi. “You’re from the East Coast?”

“New Jersey. Tell me, is it drinking out of mason jars or adding a ‘preneur’ to every noun that gets you?”

“Both. It’s all so surface.”

“Not what you expected?”

Maddie sighed. “No, it’s exactly what I expected.”