The Fine Print

The next room features many tables covered in mini 3D models of Dreamland, and I’m blown away by the attention to detail. I lean over one, finding an exact replica of Fairy Tale Land and Princess Cara’s Castle. I can’t help myself from ru

My neck prickles and I look over my shoulder to find Rowan staring at my ass.

Oh my God. Is he attracted to me? As if he has the same thought, his lips press into a thin line. My scoff becomes a full-blown belly laugh as I curl over. He blinks a couple of times, erasing the look of darkness from his eyes. 

“Are you ready to meet everyone or are you still interested in wasting company time with your tour?” he snaps before moving toward the door. 

I don’t bother correcting him about who started this tour. I’m not too sure who he’s trying to fool here because I see right through him. But the real question is why? Why bother giving me a moment to take in my surroundings like this? Why lead me through the warehouse himself rather than throw the task on someone more willing and available? 

I remember Brady mentioning how Rowan loved visiting the warehouse when he was a child. Is he enjoying this walk-through as much as I am? If so, why is he so angry now? 

Rowan is like a secret code I want to crack—a human Fort Knox I’m interested in breaking into, if only to uncover a vaulted heart full of gold. Or maybe that’s just the hopeful part of me that wonders if Rowan is truly as sweet as Brady described him to be.  

I follow him into the final room packed with Creators, and the main room seems to be a gathering space surrounded by rows of cubicles. The room is paradise, with bean bag chairs, dry erase walls, and 3D simulation stations. 

Welcome to your new home. I can’t believe I’m finally here. Brady was right. It was only a matter of time before I would find myself officially trading in my old work badge for a Creator one. 

What would he think of me now? 

He might have told you to lay off the wine and write something while sober, but beggars can’t be choosers. 

I blink away the mistiness in my eyes.

Rowan introduces me to the Creators, who he refers to as the Alpha and Beta teams. Different members welcome me to the warehouse. My heart squeezes in my chest at their eagerness and the idea of working by their side. 

Je

Rowan offers me a bored look. “Go on.” He looks around the room. “Get back to work, everyone.”

Everyone follows his royal decree like the faithful foot soldiers we are to the Kane brand.  

Je

I drop into the luxurious rolling chair and run a hand over the ergonomic keyboard.  

Look at me, having grown-up things like a desk and my very own stapler. I click it twice to make sure I’m not dreaming. 

Je

“A fight over me?” The words seem ridiculous leaving my mouth. 

She grins. “Don’t worry. I took it easy on him. I laid on the fake tears and he broke down quicker than a McDonald’s ice cream machine.” 

We laugh. Compared to Regina, Je

“I’m the one who thought Mr. Kane needed to read your submission himself. Sam was a bit hesitant given the nature of the content.” 

I wince. “I’m sorry.” 

She waves her hand in the air. “Please. No apologies needed. We’re in such a time crunch and there’s no reason to apologize for stating how you feel. You’re the kind of Creator we need on our team.”

“Wow. I mean—thank you.” That went so much better than I thought. 

“Let me give you a quick rundown of how things work around here. On Fridays, each Creator is responsible for presenting a new proposal. There’s a multi-step six-month process set in place to give Mr. Kane as many options as possible to choose from.”

“Choose for what?” 

Je

“You got it! I won’t let you down.” 

“I’ll let you get settled in. I hope you like Italian because the Betas pla

“Only monsters hate Italian food.” 

She laughs. “I knew you’d fit right in. See you at noon.” She walks out of the cubicle, leaving me with all my shiny new toys. 

I might collapse from how nice everyone is here. It’s a much different vibe than I expected based on the stories I’ve heard about the Creators. My worries from before seem kind of silly now. 

I slide my backpack underneath my desk before giving my rolling chair a spin. After my dizziness goes away, I swipe the stapler and press it together over and over again. Staples rain around me like celebratory confetti. 

I feel Rowan before I see him. My neck tingles, and I look over my shoulder to find his eyes piercing my back like he wants to stab it. 

“Yes?” I smile wide because I enjoy the way it makes his right eye twitch. 

“Do you mind putting away your weapon before I start speaking?” His eyes narrow at the stapler. 

“Is the big bad Mr. Kane afraid of a little stapler?” I click it a few times in his direction. The staples fly in the air before landing a few inches from my ballet flats.

“I wouldn’t trust you with bubble wrap, let alone a stapler.” 

“You’re right. That choking hazard warning should be taken more seriously.” 

A strange noise between a scoff and a groan escapes from his throat, and I classify it as a laugh. Looks like he has a personality after all. 

I place the stapler back on my desk where it belongs.

“Any other weapons I should know about?” 

I roll my eyes as I pretend to grab an invisible gun out from under my desk. I’m sure to make a show of removing the fake magazine and placing it on the desk. 

If I squint, I could classify the small smirk on Rowan’s face as a smile. He lets out an exaggerated breath and steps inside the cubicle. 

Wow. Was that his attempt at a joke? 

I reward him with a grin that goes unreturned. The space instantly feels smaller, with his size taking up a quarter of the square footage. 

I break the silence. “Can I help you with something in particular?” 

He opens his mouth, only to close it a second later. 

Does he even know why he’s here? The thought makes my chest all tingly. 

Bad Zahra. “What do you think of my new digs?” 

“Leaves something to be desired.” His eyes slide from my face to the gray cubicle walls. 

I blink at him. Would it kill him to be nice? 

Probably. I focus my attention back on my desk. I’m committed to ignoring him until he goes away because I don’t want him to rain on my parade. 

I press every single button twice on the computer but the damn thing won’t turn on no matter what I do.