by Susanna Carr
She slowly turned and gasped when she saw Eric sprawled on the floor. He was a few feet away but she could see the bruises on his chest and abdomen. A small cut bled on his forehead and there was a swelling on his cheek. “What happened to you?” she asked as she crawled over to him. “I swear, that Mercedes is going down.”
“By you?” He winced and held his arm at the elbow. “You suck at self-defense.”
“I am so sorry this happened to you.” Julie placed her hand on his forehead and looked into his eyes. She could tell that he was in pain. “Let me help you up.”
“Seriously, you should get your money back on that self-defense course.” He grimaced as she assisted him into a sitting position.
“I drew blood on one of them,” Julie reminded him as she took the edge of her skirt and pressed it on his bleeding knuckles. She noticed that he didn’t pull away and couldn’t tell if that was a good or a bad sign. “Give me a Taser and I could have done some permanent damage.”
“Don’t be too sure about that,” he muttered. “You probably wouldn’t know how to work it.”
“Oh, now that’s just mean.” She clucked her tongue as she silently catalogued his injuries. “And this from a guy who came out of the fight bloodied and captured.”
He gently touched the swelling on his cheek with his fingertips. “You should have seen the other guy.”
Julie rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right.”
“No, really,” a female voice said at the far end of the room. Julie turned and saw Mercedes at the door. Damn, she should have known they wouldn’t have left them unattended.
Julie saw the Taser in Mercedes’s manicured hands. Her stomach curled as she remembered the jolt of intense pain. She was tempted to rush and attack the blonde, but the sight of the weapon made her hesitate.
“Tyler is all messed up,” Mercedes complained. “Your boyfriend here just about took his head off.”
Julie glanced at Eric for confirmation. He gave her an I-told-you-so look. “Damn, I miss everything!” she said with a grumble. She would have loved to see Eric in action.
“You’re bleeding all over the carpet,” Julie said to Eric and held his jaw as she studied the cut on his forehead. “Where are we?” she whispered.
He tried to shrug but had to stop halfway. He winced and wrapped an arm around her bruised ribs. “Not far from the hotel.”
“Stop talking,” Mercedes ordered and patted the Taser. “I don’t trust you two.”
“With good reason,” Julie said out of the corner of her mouth. She stood up and wobbled on her stilettos as she took a peek out the windows. She saw Mount Rainier and it was a very similar view from the one at the hotel.
Julie faced Mercedes. “Are we at Boone Studios?”
Mercedes’s eyes widened in surprise and she tilted her face as if she sensed trouble. She didn’t answer and Julie decided that was enough of a confirmation.
“How did you come up with that?” Eric asked.
“I can observe and deduce,” she told him. “I can also add and subtract.”
Eric groaned, lay back down on the floor and closed his eyes. “Are we going to do this again? Do you really think this is the time and place?”
“Long division is still a challenge,” she said as if he hadn’t spoken, “but I can do the math. I can tell that Jeremiah Boone is going to meet us shortly.”
“Huh,” Mercedes said and gave Julie a speculative look. “You’re kind of smart for a party girl.”
Party girl? Where the hell did she get that idea? Julie knew she looked messed up, but not as if she’d been doing men and drugs all night.
She saw Eric slowly open his eyes and they shared a brief look. He didn’t have to say anything or give a signal. She was on the same wavelength as Eric.
Okay, she could do that. Party Girl Julie coming up. She wore the wrong dress and didn’t have the makeup for it, but this was a special circumstance.
She tried to make her eyes look bleary as she tousled her hair. “Mercedes, I am very smart. You should see me when I’m not wasted.”
Mercedes stood to attention. “How do you know my name?” she asked sharply.
Right. Julie tried to look as if she were in a drug-induced fog. She needed to be more careful on sharing what she knew. “It doesn’t matter.” She staggered to a chair in front of the desk and half fell, half slid into the seat. “I need a Vicodin. I have this mother of a hangover.”
“That’s from the Taser.”
She stilled at the unfamiliar male voice. The tension in the room thickened as Jeremiah Boone walked into the room. Julie tossed her hair, allowing it to fall in her face, as she studied the man.
Flashy. That was her first impression of him. His gray suit was tailored to exaggerate his shoulders. His scruffy beard and slicked-back hair were a little too carefully maintained. His bright gold jewelry distracted her. It was blinding as it hung from his ear, neck and wrist. She saw the gold on his hands and the jewelry looked more like brass knuckles than rings.
Appearances definitely mattered to Jeremiah Boone. In his office, in his clothes and in his women. She flicked a look at Mercedes, who stayed at the door.
But Jeremiah was taken in with the appearance of his other guest. He barely gave her a look. His attention was on Eric. Eric might be bloodied and lying on the floor, but Jeremiah saw him as the threat.
She might be able to use it to her advantage. She needed to distract Jeremiah so Eric could take them by surprise. If he could attack? She speculated, noticing Eric’s slow and painful movements.
“I could use a drink,” she declared and leaned back in her chair to spread out her legs. “Have any beer?”
“It’s the morning,” Mercedes said in a withering tone.
Julie tossed her hand in the air as if the time of day didn’t matter. “A Bloody Mary, then? How about a mimosa?”
“I want the cell phone.” Jeremiah’s deep voice cut through her request. He sat down at his desk and waited for Eric to respond.
Eric sat up and Mercedes took a few steps, her weapon aimed at him. Jeremiah had remained seated, but she saw how his body reacted. They were watching Eric very closely.
It was up to her to attack.
Julie stood up and stretched. Her movements were loose as she cupped her breasts before reaching over her head. She tilted her head back and gave an earthy moan. She felt everyone’s eyes on her.
“I swear, it’s too early in the morning for this,” she announced, trying to slur her words. “Jeremiah, dude, let’s cut a deal.”
“Julie, what are you doing?” Eric’s words held a bite of warning.
She shushed him before she hooked her finger in her mouth and looked at Jeremiah. “I want to work for you. I want to do what Mercedes and Tiffany do for you.”
Jeremiah tilted his head, his earring catching the morning light. “How do you know their names?”
“I’m a regular at the nightclub. But I can’t afford Versace and Louboutin,” she said with a pout. “Not on my salary.”
“You don’t know anything about my girls,” he said, dismissing her claim as he watched Eric through hooded eyes.
“I know that they target computer programmers from Z-Ray,” she said, pleased at how her words gave him a start. “They get real friendly with the guys so they can lift their keys. Then they excuse themselves to the restroom and download the information from their USB sticks to their phones. They return the keys without any of the men knowing.”
Jeremiah silently glared at Mercedes.
The blonde held up her hands in protest. “I don’t know how she found out.”
Julie looked down and made a show of readjusting her halter. “Dude, if I know what Mercedes and Tiffany do, other people know, too.” She pushed her breasts together and jiggled them
with her hands. “It’s only a matter of time before the geeks wise up.”
“I don’t need to hire another girl,” Jeremiah said as he watched Julie’s hands.
“You don’t have to,” she said as she walked to his desk, her hips rocking side to side. Julie saw Jeremiah staring at her legs. His tongue darted past his lips as he saw her shoes. “All you have to do is replace Mercedes with me.”
“What?” Mercedes’s voice shook with outrage and she motioned at Julie with her Taser. “Don’t listen to her!”
“Mercedes’s gotten sloppy. They both have,” Julie told him, trying to ignore the weapon. “The other night Tiffany forgot her cable to download information. They almost got caught.”
Mercedes stomped her foot. “That’s an exaggeration.”
“But there is some truth to it?” Jeremiah asked, his tone quelling Mercedes’s defense.
“And I was able to get several pictures of them,” she confided. “It’s time to upgrade. Let them go.”
“Upgrade?” Mercedes said in a hiss. “Why you—”
Jeremiah held up his hand to stop Mercedes. Julie didn’t like riling someone with a Taser, or having her back to the unpredictable woman. But she knew that Mercedes was being ruled by her emotions. She wasn’t thinking or watching. She was reacting.
“Those pictures are going to eventually lead back to you. It’s how I found you.” She sat on the edge of the desk, allowing her dress to hike up high. If the glittering of his eyes was any indication, Jeremiah was enjoying the view.
“All this for Mercedes’s job?” he asked.
“What can I say? I have champagne taste.” She leaned forward, letting Jeremiah get a good look at her breasts. It made her skin crawl, but she tried not to show it. “I want everything life has to offer, but I don’t want to work that hard.”
“A girl like you shouldn’t have to,” Jeremiah murmured as he placed his hand on her bare thigh.
Julie didn’t flinch. Instead, she smiled in response and she had a spurt of pleasure when she heard Mercedes’s jealous growl. Julie straightened and let her foot sway gently. Just as she expected, Jeremiah’s attention was drawn to her legs.
“And I’m happy to give you the pictures in exchange,” Julie said casually. “Even better, I can delete them.”
“You haven’t shared them with anyone else?” he asked mildly.
“Julie…”
She heard Eric’s warning, but she was already aware of the trap. If she didn’t play this right, she was going to wind up in a hospital or in a hearse.
“Stop calling me Julie,” she said to Eric over her shoulder. “I’m not going by that name anymore.” She flattened her hands on the desk and leaned back. It made her open and vulnerable to Jeremiah and her nerves were shredded. “I think I’m going to go by Sapphire.”
Eric groaned. She couldn’t tell if he understood her signal. She was about to make her move and go all Sapphire on Jeremiah.
“Sapphire,” Mercedes said with a snort.
“Tell me, Sapphire…” Jeremiah rose from his seat and placed his hands on either side of her. He towered above her, trapping her on the desk. “Did you share the pictures with anyone else?”
She smiled but her stomach roiled. She needed him closer, but she couldn’t take it anymore. Julie curled her hand into a fist and punched him hard in the nose.
She saw the spurt of blood as he howled. Jeremiah staggered back and covered his nose with his hands. Just as she had hoped. Julie took advantage of his exposed position and kicked him in the groin with her pointed heels.
As Jeremiah doubled over, she sensed that Mercedes was rushing to attack. Julie jumped off the desk and slammed her stiletto heel on Jeremiah’s foot.
The man crumpled to the ground. She whirled around to take on Mercedes, but she wasn’t behind her. She was trapped in Eric’s headlock. Julie raised her fists above her head and did a little victory dance.
“Where did you get that move?” Eric asked as he struggled to keep Mercedes still.
“I got an A in my self-defense class,” she said proudly. She sounded out of breath and the adrenaline was rushing so fast in her body she felt a little light-headed. “I told you my shoes were my secret weapon.”
“I can’t believe you did that,” Eric called out as he kept Mercedes from grabbing the Taser on the floor. “Boone is twice your size.”
“Excuse me?” Julie was offended. “Try three times as big. At least.”
He tightened his grip on Mercedes as she squirmed and kicked. “Don’t forget to—”
“Frisk and immobilize him. I know.” She watched Mercedes fight back. If Eric didn’t watch out, the blonde was going to sink her teeth into his arm. “Need help with that one?”
“I think I can manage.”
Julie walked over and picked up the Taser. She pushed the button and exclaimed with excitement when it crackled. “Can I at least use this on her?”
“What?” Mercedes yelled.
“No,” Eric said firmly. “I don’t let you use a gun. Do you really think I’m going to let you play with electric voltage?”
“She used it on me,” Julie reminded him as she twirled the gun with her trigger finger. “Fair is fair.”
“Don’t you dare!” Mercedes tried to get away from her.
Julie pointed the Taser at the blonde. “Then lie on your stomach. Keep your hands where I can see them.”
Mercedes reluctantly followed her orders, cursing under her breath.
“And no talking,” Julie added. She gave a quick look at Eric. “What do you think of my skills now?”
“Keep swinging that thing around and you’re going to Taser yourself,” he said.
“Funny.” She saw Eric frown. She wanted to rush over and comfort him, but she knew he was too proud and would decline her offer. “I’m going to tie up Boone and Mercedes. You can call the police.”
He cradled his arm and gritted his teeth. “Why do you get to have all the fun?”
“Because you’re the sidekick.” And because he was in no condition to help. Not that she would tell him that.
“Now I’m back to being a sidekick?”
She saw a sneaky movement from the corner of her eye. She immediately pointed the Taser at Mercedes. “I’m really looking for a reason to use this.”
Mercedes sagged against the floor and surrendered.
“I really need to get me one of these,” Julie told Eric.
He groaned. “God help us all.”
* * *
TWO DAYS LATER JULIE strode into the offices of Gunthrie Security & Investigations. She felt like a different person. Bolder. Stronger. She showed that she could take care of herself—and her sidekick—when the occasion called for it. More important, she proved it to herself.
She walked to her cubicle and stared at the jumble of uniforms. Her sunny attitude took a dip. She may have helped uncover an act of corporate espionage, but her job description hadn’t changed.
As much as she adored Perry and enjoyed working with her colleagues, she didn’t think she could keep being Uniform Girl. She wanted action and adventure and that meant leaving the cubicle. If it meant she would have to find work elsewhere, she would. It wouldn’t be easy, but she was ready to move on.
Though there were some things from which she couldn’t move on. Julie glanced at Eric’s office and saw the door was closed. She wasn’t sure if she should go and knock. He had been guarded, very aloof, after they had called the police.
At first she thought it was because he was trying to stay strong when he was in so much pain. But she hadn’t heard from him since they’d given statements. Her call went unanswered and none of the excuses she came up for him erased her uneasiness.
“Oh, hi, Julie.” Asia looked up from an opened f
ile and stopped at her cubicle. “Perry’s called a meeting.”
“This early in the morning?” She looked around and noticed everyone else was walking into the conference room. Julie dropped her purse in the bottom drawer of her desk as Asia waited for her. “So…” Julie tried to hide her smile. “How was your weekend?”
“Not as exciting as yours.” Asia playfully swatted her with the file folder.
“Oh, you heard?” she asked modestly. “Gossip travels fast around here.”
Asia linked her arm with Julie’s. “I’m sorry I didn’t believe you,” she said. “I really thought…”
“It’s okay, Asia.” She patted her friend’s hand. “You were right to question it.”
“I should have believed you,” she said as she shook her head with regret. “I should have been there to back you up!”
“Next time,” Julie promised. She opened the door to the conference room and stumbled to a halt at the threshold as she was greeted with confetti and cheers from her coworkers.
Julie spluttered the confetti out of her mouth as she stared at the banner and balloons. “What’s all this?” she asked.
“Julie!” Perry greeted her with a big hug. “Thanks to you, we have a very lucrative security contract with Z-Ray Studios.”
“How? Why?” She didn’t expect anything like this. She didn’t look that far ahead and had only wanted to figure out what had been going on.
“Z-Ray is very appreciative and Eric finalized the deal last night,” Perry explained.
“That’s great.” Her heart did a funny flip at the mention of Eric. She looked around the crowded room but didn’t see him.
“And,” Perry continued, “because you saved our bacon with your perseverance and instinct, you are moving out of your cubicle and moving into Eric’s old office.”
“Old office?”
Perry nodded. “You can move in right away. Eric’s medical leave is over and he returned to D.C. late last night.”
“He left?” Her heart stopped. No, he wouldn’t do that without saying goodbye. Without promising to keep in touch. Not after all they’d been through. Not when they had shared something special.
