Project X Page 2

  “Thank the stars.” She groaned. “So how long before you know for sure?”

  “Couple of days.”

  Walter placed Tilley's coffee on the table, offering a smile and returning to his counter. He always smiled at Tilley, more so now that she was dressed like some Goth wannabe.

  “If I get it I'm going to have to get an advance to buy clothes, you should see the place.” I scoffed “It's like Stepford wives and husbands.”

  “Really?” She crinkled her nose.

  I nodded reluctantly, knowing I was going to have to go shopping for some high end clothes. If I was smart, I figured I could get away with a few pieces and change them for different weeks. Hopefully I won't be there for too long so it won't matter. Forethought and planning would have to go into this, I would lay money on them having some kind of clique going.

  “How bad?”

  “I saw red sole shoes, hand bags with little letters.”

  Tilley huffed as she shook her head.

  “I guess I will have to wait and see. Might not get the job.”

  “That will go down like a lead balloon.” She scoffed. “What then?”

  I shrugged, imagining some far-fetched plan would be hatched and I would be in trouble.

  “The intel on the security was undercooked.”

  My eyes darted around the coffee shop, it was vacant except for Walter who was engrossed in stocking the shelves with bags of take home beans.

  “They've got a corridor that checks for electronic devices.”

  “So use your brains and figure it out.”

  Her eyes darted out the window, watching a figure pass by with a sly smile and a flick of his head.

  “Okay that's me done, catch you later KC.”

  “Yeah later.”

  Tilley was gone in a flash, her concern was for her latest job and the boss that had her twisting herself inside out. Even in the flash of the figure that passed the window I saw a handsome man and I could understand why Tilley was besotted. Problem was, she was supposed to keep business and pleasure separate. This wasn't going to end well and it left me grateful that it was her and not me.

  The phone rang and Walter answered it, I thought nothing of it until he placed a plate on the table with a muffin on it. Under the muffin was a napkin with writing on it.

  Gringos @ noon

  I looked up at Walter with his soft smirk. He was a part of our dark little secret, he was the first attempt at trying to crack Aphrodite International. Of course he hadn't got there yet, many of the executives came in here for their coffees but he was yet to find the weak point. There was always one, somewhere in that company would be an employee that could be cracked with a little pressure. He was going for the bad boy look, the hot barista that was charming to the pretty women. According to his reports he had a few prospective candidates that were being molded nicely but it was taking far too long and that is why I was being sent in.

  “Thanks.”

  “No problem, don't forget you need to pay for Tilley's drink too.”

  I scoffed as he turned around.

  “Put them both on her account.”

  He nodded as he began to wipe the counters down, both of us knew that daddy would come in and wipe the account clean at the end of the week. He always did. Tilley was the favorite and I was the screw up.

  Chapter 3: Gringos

  I was sitting at the bar at Gringos, downing my third Corona when the smell of Old Spice filled the air around me. It was rather stomach churning considering that I was on my way to be so drunk I would need a toilet bowl soon. Gringos was all things Mexican and was a great place to hang out and have a light lunch with far too many beers.

  “The yellow flower rises at dawn facing north.”

  I wanted to roll my eyes as the inane words dribbled out of his mouth, smooth and soft.

  “Hey Chet.”

  He baulked at me as he sat on the bar stool beside me.

  “KC.” He grumbled. “Is there ever going to be a day where you might follow the rules?”

  “What? It's not as if I said hello Charles.”

  “Dear lord give me strength.”

  “And a million bucks in the bank while you're at it.”

  Chet huffed loudly as he gestured to the bartender to bring him a beer. He hadn't actually faced me nor indicated that he actually knew me which I understood completely. He was embarrassed by his little sister.

  “Why the cloak and dagger?”

  “You're being watched, that's why I gave the line rather than saying 'Hi KC'.”

  I looked around the bar, it was reasonably full except for the section where there were no stools. People were passing to the bar and their tables with little concern for anyone else. The restaurant side was buzzing with people, mostly families. No one seemed out of place, nothing that I could worry about.

  “Are you sure about that?”

  “Yep, I was tailing you and saw him follow you. He's probably identified Tilley now too. She's an idiot, she should have got her damned coffee and nothing more.”

  “Why are you tailing me… wait, let me guess. Dad doesn't think I can do this so he's making sure things go to his plan by making you keep tabs on me. Don’t you have your own assignment?”

  He took a swig of his beer as he murmured that I was the assignment.

  “Bastard.” I hissed. “Will he ever let me be?”

  “Unlikely. Though if you get this assignment right, you might just find he will ease off a little.”

  I rolled my eyes knowing that Chet probably wouldn't see it. It didn't matter, he understood the dynamic between my father and I. I was the youngest of his children from his second relationship and it didn't help that I was the spitting image of my mother. Frankie said to me once that I act like her even though she had barely any influence in my life and it was only a matter of time before I screwed our father over like she had.

  Chet and Frankie were twins from my father's first relationship, their mother had died of cancer when they were ten. So they were instantly loved because they were the product of a relationship with a woman that was sorely missed. My mother was the rebound relationship that had lasted long enough for Walter and I to be born. We were barely a year apart and were almost inseparable as children. Our mother had run off with a man leaving Walter and I in our father’s care. He wasn't impressed to say the least, running a corporate spy company and raising four kids wasn't easy.

  I can't say as I blamed him, I know that I would be incredibly annoyed too. One day she says I love you, have a great day at work dear and then the next she's gone leaving a note reminding him to pick the kids up from school. I didn't have any emotions about it, if I saw my mother again I would turn around and walk away, like she had done to me. Walter on the other hand was a whole different story, he was talking to her on Facebook. She had tried to contact me but I blocked her. Walter said that she had told him that she was completely hurt by the gesture but I couldn't give a rat’s ass if she was hurt. She walked away from us when I was a child, leaving me with a man that didn't really love me. I was in the way, I was a nuisance and still am. The only bonus my father found with having his wife leave him to care for the children was the hot nanny he hired to look after us. And that's why we had Tilley in the world now.

  “So it's a guy then? Did you get a look at him?”

  “Nope, just came out of the building a few minutes after you. He's been keeping a low profile and it's hard to get a good look at him.”

  “It's probably creepy guy.” I muttered as a sank back the last of the beer. “Well Chet it's been a great family reunion.”

  “Wait.” He hissed. “What creepy guy?”

  I huffed and started to pick the wet label from the bottle.

  “Just a dude behind the security counter who wouldn't stop staring at me.”

  “Oh KC he was probably perving, there's nothing creepy about that.”

  “There is when you say that I've been followed.”

  Wi
th a large sigh I flicked the wet label onto the counter below the bench I was leaning on, ignoring the chastisement from Chet.

  “Okay, I really do have to go unless you are going to haul the groceries back to my apartment for me.”

  “You're going grocery shopping drunk?” He sighed rather exasperated. “Fine, just be vigilant, okay? He's tall and thin, wearing jeans and a Yankees jacket and cap.”

  “Thanks and make sure you give the barman a tip when you pay him, he's been a great sympathetic ear.”

  Chet frowned, like some prehistoric cave man the brow furrowed deep.

  “Cheapskate.” He hissed into his bottle.

  “Learned from the best, dear brother.”

  I left Chet at the bar, staggering my way to the shops. At least my path home from here would be short. I was acutely more aware of my surroundings now that I knew I was being followed. Of course I figured that it was part of the security check that they would ensure that I wasn't a spy or an animal activist. Problem was, I was one of those things.

  I had gone to a coffee shop where my brother was deeply entrenched in his own assignment, my step-sister turned up and stupidly sat at my table. At least Walter could get away with still being the coffee shop barista and not the spy that he really was. My father thought that the sun shone out of Tilley's ass and he was clearly mistaken. She was supposedly the greatest asset his company had ever seen, her record was clicking higher and higher. Yet she had faltered this morning, she clearly hadn't seen the guy following me like Chet had and she had swanned into the place and made it glaringly obvious that we knew each other.

  Connection? Yep, now they had one. Because I had not given them my real name, I had told them my name was Kasey Ryan when it was really KC Bryant. KC was short for Katherine Claire but everyone that knew the real me called me KC. KC was also my code name for when we were in an unsecured location. At least Chet could see that Tilley was an idiot, if the plan crumbled I knew that he would be on my side when our father went ape shit crazy at us.

  I wandered the aisles, leaning on the trolley for support. Maybe Chet was right. Maybe this wasn't the time to be grocery shopping. I wasn't exactly drunk but I was certainly a little looser than usual. It may have impaired my thoughts and what actually went into the basket. It may have made me put a few too many chocolates into it. But it also made me forget to keep my wits about me. Maybe it was the false sense of security that the grocery store gave but the second that I turned into the last aisle, I realized that I had made a serious mistake.

  It was the guy in the Yankees jacket, the cap was pulled low as he looked at a bottle of pickles. Instantly I sobered and found calm, no issue right? He's just followed me for the entire morning and just happens to be in the same grocery store as me. Sure, no issue at all. I had to be calm, I couldn't turn back now, he had seen me enter the aisle. But there was no calm as I slowly drew closer to him, my heart was hammering hard as my legs felt like they had lead in them. He turned his head to look at me and instantly I saw the same piercing green eyes that were pinned to me at Aphrodite International. It was the creepy guy.

  Chapter 4: Creepy guy says hello

  The aisles were tightly packed together in the small grocery store, cheesy music blared too loud for this poor soul, reminding her that she should not drink and then go grocery shopping. Chet would be so smug. I couldn't turn back, a store employee had dragged a large trolley full of stock into the aisle, effectively blocking me in. I had to go past creepy guy, I had to be cool and calm. Taking a deep breath, I looked to the right of me, pulling a packet of dry pasta and dumping it into the trolley. I held firm as I passed him, acting as if it was completely normal. It was normal until I felt his hand on my arm, holding me back. I gasped and turned, ready to yell the place down and make a scene.

  “Miss Ryan, a word please?”

  “I uh, I've got cold stuff.”

  I gestured to the trolley full of boxed and tinned things, not a single item of cold or frozen goods to be found. Damn me and my terrible drunken shopping habits.

  “It won't take long, I'm sure you can spare the time.”

  He offered a sneer of a smile as the hand slipped away from me. Like the rest of the people in Aphrodite International, he had perfect teeth. Maybe they had a dentist working for them and it was part of the incentive package. A girl could dream, right? Creepy guy was perfectly shaven, softly tanned skin that was hidden below the shadow of the baseball cap.

  “Uh okay.”

  “You applied for a job at Aphrodite International this morning, is that correct?”

  I nodded, gulping hard. He was incredible to look at but the whole following me and approaching me in a grocery store just screamed stalker.

  “Mail room.” I croaked out.

  “And then you went to the nearby coffee shop and drank one coffee for several hours?”

  Shit, think fast KC!

  “The uh… The barista is cute.” I whispered, hoping that I could feign a blush.

  Sure I was embarrassed, I just called my brother cute. Ugh.

  “And the coffee is good there.”

  He nodded almost like he agreed, he should, it is great coffee. Who would have thought the little bastard could brew a great cup?

  “You were approached by a woman.”

  His body lengthened more as he seemed to try to tower over me in a dominating way.

  “What did she ask of you?”

  “Pardon?” I paled.

  “The spy that approached you, Matilda Bryant. What did she want from you?”

  I was stunned. Completely lost for words. He knew of Tilley yet he clearly did not know of me.

  “She asked you for information, didn't she?”

  “I uh…. I can't….”

  “What did she offer you, money?”

  I tried to turn away to flee, completely ready to freak out. His hand reached out for me again, stopping me from leaving.

  “Know this Miss Ryan, we will not accept someone that is a risk of being a spy or has any association with a spy. If you want this job, I would suggest to you that you advise me of what was said.”

  My mouth had gone completely dry as I stared into those eyes, he wasn't going to let me go until I gave him something. Fake it KC, if you win this round you might just get in my mind screamed at me.

  “She did. She uh… said that if I got the job I could earn more money by getting samples of the make-up.”

  He made a scoffing noise as he rolled his eyes. It looked like he wasn't buying it.

  “Beauty creams….” I frowned for a moment, catching his gaze. “She said that she had lots of buyers who would want samples before they hit the market. But I couldn't do anything like that.”

  His attention perked just a fraction. Jackpot.

  “I told her that I wasn't that kind of person.”

  “You told Mrs Cooper that you weren't a big drinker yet I saw you down three beers in half an hour.”

  “That woman…. the spy…” I frowned like it was an odd statement. “She left me a little rattled. All I wanted was a coffee while I read the paper and she just sits down like she owns the place.”

  I inwardly chuckled as I played up the damsel in distress.

  “Is there really spies in this world… in your world?”

  His head tilted back as he narrowed his eyes at me, shifting his stance slightly.

  “I'm sorry, it's just when I think of spies I think of James Bond and the end of the world not a woman who wants a bit of lipstick for free. Is that what she wants?”

  “No Miss Ryan, she wants more than just a free sample or two.”

  His firm grip on my arm had left a white mark that slowly faded as he stepped back from me. It was warm and his skin was soft which left me wondering if he dipped into the hand creams as well as stopping by this amazing dentist. I really had to get this job. Stock up on the good stuff, get the assignment done and then disappear into thin air. His lips curled into a dark smile, he then turned and walk
ed down the aisle leaving me thoroughly confused. Goodbye mister no name creepy guy, thanks for the interesting conversation and the weirdness. I look forward to our next chat. Not my mind crooned.

  The after effects of the alcohol had caused a terrible thumping in my head, as I made my way to the counter I rummaged through my bag for headache pills. I needed a clear mind to process the morning, I couldn't be even slightly drunk or hung-over for the rest of the day. As I joined the queue for the only cash register that was open, I took stock of the situation. I had to make sure they thought that Tilley was the spy and focus on her but with Tilley in her own assignment I didn't know how much time she could spare.

  But the conversation with creepy guy revealed a different light to the situation. I was always worried that with the dud profile my father had made for me, I would never get past the first interview but clearly I had. Clearly some kind of unspoken word had passed between creepy guy and Madelyn and he saw the need to follow me. Maybe he was step two of the security check. I could use Tilley and her idiocy to my advantage, I knew that there would be a staff meeting tonight and with Chet at my side for support I would have words with my father.

  Chapter 5: Meeting @ Indigo Rain

  Indigo Rain wasn't exactly a cover; it was more of a pass through to avoid our meeting grounds being detected. I dressed up as if I was going to the nightclub, a short shimmery dress with my worn out pumps. The doorman gave me a nod, I was a permanent member on the VIP list, as was my entire family. It wasn't hard to get into Indigo Rain, it was just popular meaning that if it was full, they would limit who got in. At least with the VIP list, I could still get in if it was full.

  As I passed the door I shrank into the darkness of the curtained wall of the entry, looking out at the street. For all that I could see, I could not see creepy guy. But that did not mean that I wasn't being followed. It was quite possible that someone else was doing it now that creepy guy had approached me.

  With no visible threat, I continued into the club. The pounding beat was no longer a concern, my headache had departed and I was suddenly grateful. A quick glance at my watch told me I was still a little too early, the door that I had to go through would not be unlocked for another five minutes. Making a beeline to the bar, I ordered a cocktail and waited for the time to pass. Chet and Frankie passed through the nightclub together, seeing as they were almost identical it seemed the ideal thing to do. Tilley passed by me a minute or so later, completely ignoring me. I narrowed my eyes slightly, wondering if she had already been reprimanded for the coffee shop fiasco.