Authors: Julie Moffett
“Oh.”
“So, can I come in?”
I opened the door. “Sure, I guess.”
Ursula stepped across the threshold and slipped out of her coat. She was clearly braless beneath a tight white tank top. A pair of super snug black shorts hugged her butt. Handing me her coat, she strolled into my living room like she owned it. “Where’s the stereo?” she asked, pulling a CD out of her bag.
I trailed after her, still holding her coat. “Look, Ursula. I know Basia means well, but I really think this is a bad idea.”
“There’s nothing bad about understanding your sexual prowess as a woman. It’s empowering and feminist. Get on board the new millennium train, honey.”
She snatched the coat from my hand and threw it across the room where it landed on the couch. “Relax. I’m just going to show you some moves. But first, I want to set the mood with some music.”
Before I could say anything, she spotted my stereo. Walking over, she slipped her CD in and turned up the volume. A sexy, grinding beat thrummed through my living room.
Ursula started to sway her hips. “I’m a stripper.” She ran her hands over her curves. “My job is to entertain and entrance men, to make them forget about their daily ho-hum lives and permit them to fantasize about whatever they want.”
Despite my reluctance, I was intrigued. “It sounds like a monumental task.”
She laughed. “I think I’m going to like you, Lexi.”
“You’ll probably change your mind about that because I think…” Before I could finish my thought, she grabbed my hand and pulled me into the center of the living room. My leg bumped against the coffee table and I winced.
“No thinking,” she warned. “Just feeling. Dancing is a form of expression. Dancing provocatively is a tool of empowerment. You told Basia you wanted to improve your sexual confidence, so I’m here to help you do that.”
I gulped. “Okay.”
She started swinging my arm back and forth and then, with astonishing speed, she untied the belt of my bathrobe and yanked it open. As I gasped in shock, she eyed me in my T-shirt critically.
“Hmm…you have the right body for a stripper, although it would have been nicer if the girls were a bit bigger.”
I looked down at my chest and flushed. I tried to pull my hand away, but she held on tight.
“However, you have amazingly long legs,” she continued. “Extremely sexy and excellent for dancing. They are your best feature, so we’ll play them up. Your hair is nice, too. Long and naturally wavy, but it requires a bit of a sexier cut and some soft blond highlights.”
“Hell no. I’m
so
not dying my hair.”
Ursula clucked her tongue softly. “Female empowerment requires putting your best assets front and center. You do want to make a good impression on this new guy of yours, don’t you?”
Just the mention of Finn had me wavering. “Well, yes, but…”
“Then no buts. Do as I say. Act as I act. Remember I’m here to help you.”
I heaved a deep breath. I had nothing to lose. Besides, what could be the harm of dancing a little in the privacy of my own living room?
“Okay, I guess I can give it a try.”
She smiled, showing pretty white teeth. “Excellent. Now, you need to feel the beat of the music. Close your eyes. Sway to the rhythm.”
I closed my eyes and started to move back and forth on each leg. However, instead of feeling sexy, I felt incredibly sleepy.
She jarred me awake with a shove on the shoulder. “You’re not a robot, Lexi. Loosen up a bit. Lose your insecurities and start feeling comfortable in your own body.”
Easier said than done. I tried to loosen myself up by imagining I was a limp noodle. Unfortunately, I wasn’t sure it improved my swaying ability. When I cracked my eyes open, I saw Ursula staring at me, a look of shock on her face.
“God, this is going to be a challenge,” she said.
Walking over to the stereo, she turned it off. Then she steered me to the couch and we both sat down. “We’re going to have to try a different approach,” she said. “I think in your case, we have to start with your mind.”
“Thank goodness,” I said with feeling.
She leaned back on the cushions and considered me for a moment. “We are going to create an alter ego for you.”
I raised an eyebrow. “An alter ego?”
“Yes. Someone who is you, but not you. A fantasy inside a fantasy. It can be anyone from Mary Poppins to Marilyn Monroe. You can study this person, watch films of them and safely become that person in your own mind because none of it’s real. And if it’s not real, there are no inhibitions and no insecurities. You can do what you want, be what you want.”
It kind of scared me that she was making sense.
“Okay. So, who should I be?”
She tapped her long fingers on the top of her thigh, her brow furrowed in concentration. After a full minute she said, “Pussy Galore.”
“No way.” I’m a huge Bond geek and
Goldfinger
is one of my favorites.
“Yes way. Pussy owns a flying circus of sexy female pilots and is Goldfinger’s accomplice in the plot to rob Fort Knox. She and her female pilots plan to spray a gas over the area to immobilize key personnel and then steal the goods.”
“But Bond seduces her and points out the error of her ways.”
Ursula laughed. “Exactly. Pussy Galore had skills and a brain. But she’s extremely sexy. I think you might connect to her.”
I thought it over. “Guess there could be worse choices.”
Ursula patted my leg. “Now, that’s the spirit. Here’s your homework. Rent the film. Watch it several times. Pay special attention to the way Pussy talks and acts. Memorize her habits, the way she flicks her hair, bats her eyelashes and presses up against Bond. These are visual clues that let Bond know that she’s attracted to him. We’ll incorporate these mannerisms into your dance.” She stood up and took her coat from the couch. “See you tomorrow evening. I can’t say exactly when, but it will probably be late.”
“How much is this going to cost me?”
“It’s a present from your girlfriend. And, honey, even if it wasn’t, I’d consider it my duty to womankind to help you out.”
I wasn’t sure if I should be flattered or worried, so I just hurried to the door and let her out. After she left, I set the alarm and leaned back against the door.
Settling one hand on my hip, I drawled in as sultry a voice as I could manage, “Hello, James. My name is Pussy Galore.”
Then, in my best James Bond voice imitation, I replied, “Yes, and I must be dreaming.”
Sex appeal or not, I still had to earn a living. Driving to work the next morning, I rehashed all I’d learned about Darren Greening. Unfortunately, I felt no closer to figuring out why he’d fingered me in the note, why I’d been accosted in the parking garage and what it all meant in the bigger scope of things. Upon arriving at the office, I poured myself a cup of coffee and started to go through the info Ken and Jay had emailed me about Darren. Both guys were spending the day at Flow Technologies, digging around Darren’s wiped-clean hard drive in the hope they could find something I’d missed in my cursory search.
Ken had taken the initiative and tracked Darren’s online presence from the office for the twenty-four hours prior to his disappearance. Not surprisingly, it indicated Darren had spent about four hours online in the STRUT chat room. I made a note to visit again to see if I’d missed anything.
I also got an email from Ben saying he’d been digging into Flow’s manufacturing partner, NanoLab, but nothing had jumped out at him yet. After my third cup of coffee, I gave Darren’s analysis on the dangers of nanotechnology another thorough read. This time around, I began to understand how worried he really was about the potential dangers of future manufacturing practices. I read it again slowly and took notes. I had taken so much time, it was after noon when Basia entered my office and sat down.
“So, how’d you like my present?” She crossed her legs and gave me a Cheshire Cat smile.
“You’re inventive.” I took my glasses off and put them on the desk. “I’ll give you that.”
“True. So, how did it go?”
“She might charge you extra.”
She laughed. “I’m sure I’ll get my money’s worth. Do you think it will work?”
“Well, she’s starting with my mind.”
“Smart girl.”
“And she’s insisting on giving me an alter ego. Bond girl, Pussy Galore.”
She clapped her hands in delight. “Oh! I can’t wait to see how this turns out.”
“I’m glad you’re so positive because I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”
“You wanted help, so I delivered. After all, that’s what friends are for.”
“Jeez. I’d hate to have any enemies.”
After she left, I decided I needed a fourth cup of coffee and maybe something chocolate to substitute for lunch from the vending machine. I slipped a couple dollars’ worth of change in my pocket and headed for the break room. On the way down, I ran into Finn, who looked glad to see me.
“Oh, there you are, Lexi. I was just coming to see you.”
“About what?”
Taking my hand, he pulled me toward a nearby utility room. “About this.”
He opened the door and motioned me inside. Stepping in, I looked around. The tiny room was barely bigger than a closet and had some metal shelving units with three of our spare printers, an extra computer used for data storage and assorted boxes with various cables, cords and wires.
“You want me to set up another printer?”
To my surprise he stepped into the room behind me and closed the door. I turned around and found myself pressed up against him.
“No printer. I’m going to steal a kiss.”
I blinked in astonishment. “Steal?”
He lifted his hand and tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear. “God, I adore you. It’s just a turn of phrase, Lexi. I’m not really going to do anything without your permission. It’s just I’ve gone barmy thinking about you all morning and I hoped one kiss would give me a moment’s peace to get my mind elsewhere. But I couldn’t figure out a way to stroll into your office, devise a pretext to lean over close enough to plant one on you, so then I remembered this closet and…” He let the sentence trail off and his cheeks reddened. “Bloody hell. Listen to me. I’ve completely mucked this up. I sound like a randy teenager.”
Since I could totally relate to his embarrassment, I stepped up against him and cupped his warm cheeks with my hand. Without a word, I kissed him gently on the lips, letting my mouth linger just a bit because he tasted like tea and honey.
“There. No stealing necessary. You really went barmy? Over me?”
He slid his arms around my waist and I put my hands against his chest. I could feel the thump of his heart beneath my palms.
“Straight up. It’s driving me mad, actually. I’ve never really had to use my brain to impress a woman before. In the past I’ve been able to rely on my other, um, assets.”
“Good looks, charm and money?”
“Not necessarily all of those, nor in that order, but yes.”
“Hmm. Money and looks are superficial, not to mention overrated. Charm and wit, not so much. Good thing you’ve got those things in abundance.”
He smiled. “That’s exactly what I like best about you, Lexi. No games. It’s the real deal with you. You say things like they are.”
“Why would I say it any other way?”
“Why, indeed?” He lowered his head to kiss me and I instinctively prepared myself for a hungry assault. Instead his mouth was gentle against mine. Just then I realized that despite his past sexual conquests, and I assumed there had been many, he was thinking of me and my comfort zone. That knowledge along with the exquisite and soft caress of his lips created a powerful web of dreamy seduction.
“There,” he murmured against my mouth. “That should do me for a little bit. Thank you.”
I sighed with contentment. “No, thank
you.
Really.”
My knees must have been a bit wobbly because I shifted in his hold and my elbow hit the corner of a metal unit. I yelped in pain and warning as a box above us teetered and fell, raining cables and wires.
For a moment we just stared at each other in disbelief before bursting out in laughter. The sound froze in our throats as we heard someone in the hall.
“What was that?” A voice. Male.
“Shit,” Finn breathed, and very carefully reached over and locked the door. A second later, someone pulled on the handle, shaking it a couple of times.
“Guess it didn’t come from here. It’s locked.”
“Probably nothing,” I heard a female reply.
We waited in silence until we didn’t hear the voices anymore.
Finally Finn pressed his fingers to his forehead. “Jesus, Joseph and Mary. I’m going to have to fire myself. Ravishing a female employee in the utility closet.”
I stared at him. “You, uh,
ravished
me?” It sounded so…amazing. Lexi Carmichael, a ravished woman. What would Basia think of me now?
Finn held up a hand. “Well, technically we were just kissing.”
My dream bubble burst. “Oh, right.” I hoped I didn’t sound too disappointed.
Finn ran his fingers through his hair and pulled out a thin black wire. “Regardless, that still doesn’t let me off the hook. I apologize for putting you in this situation.”
“Um, I don’t believe you heard me complaining.”
Smiling, he reached over to pull a red cable out of my blouse. It had snagged in the material and when he tugged harder, two buttons popped off my shirt.
I stared at the gap and the bra clearly visible beneath it. “Uh oh.”
Finn sighed. “Damn. Now you are technically ravished. Sorry.”
Hooray! I’d been ravished after all. “Hey, no sweat. I’ll fix it. I think.”
“I believe there’s a first-aid kit in the kitchen.”
“Are you suggesting a bandage?”
“A safety pin. Or you could ask the boss to let you off early.”
“He’d never go for it. He’s a real tough guy.”
He laughed, kissing my cheek. “Go home and get decent. I still can’t believe I just did this.”
“Me neither. But I’m glad you did.”
“And I’m bloody thankful for that. I’m also glad we’ll have more time to spend together on Friday. It’s a special day for me, you know.”
“It is?”
He straightened in his shirt. “It’s my birthday.”
“Your birthday? Really?”
“Really. Look, Lexi, I know that sometimes you’re uncomfortable spending a lot of time out on the town with other people, so I thought perhaps you’d enjoy an evening with just the two of us. I’d like to fix dinner for you at my place, if that’s okay.”
“Seriously? You cook?”
“A decent linguine with clam sauce. Sound good?”
“Sounds amazing. You are a man of many talents.”
“Ah, and I’ve yet a few up my sleeve.”
Pulling the gaping part of my blouse together with one hand, I tried to smooth down my hair with the other.
“How do I look?”
“Fantastic, sexy, kissable.”
“Bet you say that to all the girls.”
“Bet I don’t.”
Giggling like two kids, we picked the rest of the wires and cables off each other. I finally insisted that Finn leave the closet so I could pick the rest of the mess up. There was no way we could do it with both of us crammed in there and besides, I knew where everything went.
It took me about ten more minutes to pick up the cables, rearrange them and arrange myself into a semi-presentable state. Thankfully, I managed to slip out of the office without anyone noticing my missing buttons. I had the security guy walk me to my car and then I drove home, changing into jeans and a long-sleeved baby-blue T-shirt. While pulling my hair back into a ponytail, I gave the Zimmermans a quick call. Elvis answered.
“Hey, Lexi,” he said. “What’s up?”
“Can I come over? Or are you guys in the middle of something?”
“The door is always open for you.”
It took me about five minutes to get to their house. Elvis came to the door before I rang the bell. He wore jeans and a sky-blue sweater. We almost looked like twins.
“What brings you to our humble abode?” he asked, leading me to the computer control room. I shivered at the cold air when I took off my coat so Elvis fetched the blanket from the back of a chair and wrapped it around me.
“I wanted to ask your opinion on GURPS Robots. You ever play?”
“Sure,” Elvis said. “But Xavier is better at Robots than me. I’m more into the GURPS Fantasy, like you.”
Yeah, like me
before
I had to force myself to go cold turkey. I’d been spending too much time in the fantasy world and needed to pull out.
“Did someone say GURPS Robots?” Xavier walked into the room. “Hey, Lexi. Glad you’re here. I wanted to show you what I bought Basia.”
He walked to his desk and picked up a small box and something flat wrapped in tissue paper. Bringing them both over, he handed me the box first. “Open it and tell me what you think.”
I opened it, temporarily blinded by the bling. “Holy cow. Are all those diamonds?”
“It’s a tennis bracelet. Think she’ll like it?”
Before I could answer, he’d unraveled the tissue on the other gift, revealing a pair of edible chocolate underwear protected by a sheer plastic wrap. “You said chocolate, so I thought she might like these, too. Well, at least
I’ll
like them.”
For a moment, I just stared stupidly at the gifts. It was sure nice of him to buy her stuff, but hell if I knew if it was appropriate.
“That’s interesting.”
Apparently it was the correct reply, because he happily gathered everything up and replaced them on his desk. “You’re a good friend, Lexi. Thanks for cheering me up the other night.”
“My pleasure.”
He sat down in front of a computer. “So, I hear you want to play a little GURPS Robots.”
“I’d rather watch you, if that’s okay. I want to observe and think, not get involved in the play right now.”
“Okay. Want to start from scratch?”
“Yeah, I think that would be best.”
“Do you want to be a nanobot, megabot or a biomorph?”
I considered for a moment. “Nanobot.”
Elvis and I stood behind him, looking over his shoulder as he logged on and in. “Okay, give me a sec to create the settings.”
“Appreciate it.”
For the next forty minutes we watched as Xavier played. He interacted with androids, biomorphs, cyborgs and a slew of other characters. I took notes, trying to figure out the world building. It wasn’t as hard as I expected, but I wasn’t really sure what my point was in having Xavier play the game. Rudy had said Darren spent a lot of time on GURPS Robots, so maybe it was significant. On the other hand, Darren was a lonely geek like me and this could have been nothing more than a fun way to pass the time. How the heck would I know?
It wasn’t until I saw a passing reference to “MasterNano” that something clicked for me.
“Wait,” I said, bending over Xavier’s shoulder. “Can you check the profile for MasterNano?”
Xavier found the profile, but as expected, there was no personal information. MasterNano was clearly the reigning king of all nanobots in GURPS Robots and he had amassed an impressive nano-kingdom with slews of servants and citizens. However, in terms of personal information, we got zip. It was all fantasy in GURPS and there was no way the person behind MasterNano was really named Si Borg who lived on Mars Street in Roswell, New Mexico. But there was that Mars reference again and it bugged me.
“Can I sit? I’d like to hack into the profile and see if I can’t get the real name and location of MasterNano.”
The room fell silent and I exhaled a deep breath. “I know what you’re thinking and it’s okay, guys. I can do this. I
want
to do this.”
“I thought you’d gone legit,” Elvis said.
“Yeah, for seven hundred and thirty-nine days.” I’d become a
former
hacker once I’d started working at the NSA. I had liked my job and wanted to keep it, so I’d given up hacking altogether, even for recreational purposes.
“I’m getting off the wagon starting right now for two reasons. One, I’m not in my office at X-Corp and here I will be absolutely untraceable. And two, it’s our first case and somehow it’s all connected to me personally.”
Elvis gave me a thoughtful stare. “It’s not necessary, you know. I’ll do the hack for you.”
“I appreciate that more than you will probably ever know. But this is my case, so it should be my hack. Besides, it’s not a malicious hack—not that I ever did those, um, much. Anyway, I have to do this.”
The room was silent.
I paused, pressing my fingers against my temples. “Okay, okay, jeez, who am I kidding? You two know me better than anyone in the universe. I’m doing this because I damn well
want
to.”