Page 25 of The Deal Maker

The screen doesn’t change even after several taps. How do I get in to see what the first task is? I shut down the app and try again, but nothing has changed.

There’s a message through the app that pops up and I’m able to navigate to that area. It’s a message from Duke.

Are you ready for this? ??

No.

I can’t see what our assignment is.

Me either. Do you want to meet at the shop? Say in thirty minutes?

I want to tell him to go to the place spelled with hockey sticks but decide better of it. If I want to make things work and get everything I could hope for out of this contest, I’ll have to work with him instead of trying to do it all myself. Unless I can figure out a way to open up the assignment and do it on my own. Maybe Marlin would’ve been a better partner for this.

Fine. See you then.

What does one wear to a scavenger hunt? Should I track down a pirate hat and some striped red and white stockings to go traipsing through Willow Cove?

That would be even worse than doing whatever this app can conjure up.

Instead, I pull on some yoga pants and a comfortable t-shirt. I don’t need to impress my partner by any means, so I might as well look homeless to reduce the chance of attraction. Not that there will be any from either party.

I grab the stuff I’ll need for the day, hoping I’ll be able to balance the accounts at the shop by lunch after we’ve finished our first task.

Instead of going straight to the shop, I stop at the Coffee Bean and grab myself a small hot chocolate. It’s going to be hot today, but I need the chocolate to flow through my system. It’s like a way to get Zen for me.

“You made it,” Duke says, glancing down at his watch. Is he being judgy? I have two minutes to spare for our thirty minute agreement.

“Yes, I’m here. Did you figure out how to unlock our assignment?” I ask. I take a sip of the warm chocolate and smile. They make the best kind there and I’m instantly more relaxed.

Duke shakes his head. “No. I don’t know what to do or how?—”

He pauses and I hear the same ping as I did this morning.

“It looks like it’s open now. Maybe it’s the time difference?”

“No,” a voice calls out and I see a guy who I think works at the surf shop. “You have to be within twenty feet of your partner to get it to open. At least that’s what I heard from Barnabee when he came in to set up a surf lesson this morning.”

“That would’ve been nice to know last night,” I say.

My stomach sinks. I have to be that close to Duke to know what the next challenge is? So much for thinking I could get an early start and spend less time with the guy.

“Thanks, Brody,” Duke says, waving to the guy as he jogs by. “Leave it to Barnabee to think he gave out all the information but leave all of us confused.”

Something about his words makes the ice I have formed around my heart crack a little. He always seems like he’s Mr. Positivity, but at least he can get annoyed with normal things.

I open the app and see the small palm tree logo again. I hate having notifications at the top of the screen, staring at me like I’m the ultimate procrastinator, so I clear it out and head to the app, curious about our mission.

“We’re so happy to have you joining us today. Your first stop on the scavenger hunt is to visit Town Square. Pick a well-known duet and use the speakers there to serenade the crowd. Good luck and happy tunes!”

Is it too late to pull out of this? Because this girl does not have pipes of any kind.

Duke looks a little nervous as well. He waves for me to follow as he steps away from the shop toward the town square.

“Any ideas on what we could sing?”

I shake my head. I’ve never been good at knowing popular songs, and my musical talents were maxed out in the fifth grade when we had to learn to play the recorder. My parents agreed that I didn’t need to try any other musical instruments after attempting the violin for three months.

“Can we choose to skip these? Maybe get another task?” I ask, dreading singing anything in front of a crowd. “Kind of a swipe right type of thing?”

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