Page 149 of Without a Clue

“I choose you.”

“I haven’t even finished a book yet, let alone two chapters.”

Hugh’s smile broadens as his hand grips my shoulder and gives it a squeeze. “Pip, I still choose you. And don’t worry. I’m not, after all, dead. I will mentor you, and everyone here will mentor you, and together, my dear, you will soar.”

I’m so stunned I can’t speak.

“Welcome to The Magnificent Seven, Pip. It’s going to be one heck of a ride.”

Epilogue

“Rule #87,” Crystal says, “you can’t buy a new house without a hot tub for guests. And those guests being us. I made that one up.”

“What?”

After three glorious days in Barcelona and two more weeks of Nash and me hopping around the European countryside, Crystal decided the fun should absolutely continue, given the celebratory circumstances of my induction into the group and all.

Which is how exactly two months later I’ve ended up somewhere in the Amazon, with some stranger yanking me up by a harness at my hip.

Some would call the view glorious.

I can only bestow such a term when my feet are firmly back on solid ground.

Today, as we’ve ziplined through the rainforest, we’ve finally begun to dig into all the secret rules.

And yes, apparently there is also a secret handshake.

It’s quite laborious to learn actually.

Took me three solid weeks.

“How many rules are there exactly?”

“Ninety-six,” Neena trills.

“Ninety-seven,” Crystal amends. “I added one last meeting, remember? The Mandatory Fondue Christmas Eve Party.”

The rules, for the record, are unreal.

They say that writing is an isolating experience.

Maybe that’s the case for other people, but when you’re part of The Magnificent Seven, there is never (and I mean never) a dull moment.

“Are we absolutely sure we should be doing this?” I say, trying my best to avoid looking down. “I thought I would be doing less of these moments when I wasn’t getting paid to do it for Hugh.”

“Now you’re just doing it for free,” Neena says, grinning.

“It’s called friendship,” Gordon says. “We do stupid things for friends because we love them.”

“Bottoms up,” Crystal calls, and the whole platform lurches as she hops off it and into thin air.

She free-falls for about twenty terrifying feet before her line finally catches.

“But this has ten reviews on Google,” I say.

“Wheeeee,” Crystal says.

“Total!” I say louder to everyone.