01-02-2023, 05:45 AM
He watched her walk away until she disappeared inside the building beyond. The car pulled out into traffic after that, and Adrian was satisfied with his awareness of Natalie’s home, and was content to let it roll behind him. It took a few deep breaths to settle himself. To catch his breath. The body was slow to respond, but Adrian’s willpower won in the end. He hadn’t asked to follow her inside. Nor did he particularly expect an invitation. Either way, he was content. If anything, he might have been disappointed if she relinquished so easily. A task for another night.
Before they journeyed far, he swiped his address with a command from the wallet so it could populate the driver’s control panel. The motion led his gaze to settle on the mirror, but only part of the driver’s face was visible.
He smirked at himself, then. Realizing his disarray. As he was zipping his pants, he commented on the situation.
“I hope you’re paid well,” he said. She would have witnessed quite the show, he thought, closing the buttons on the shirt that Natalie had opened.
“The job has its perks,” she responded, gaze flicking briefly into mirror to meet his. Adrian smiled to himself. Some people were into that.
“I bet it does,” he responded.
He could still feel the slick of her makeup against his cheeks, but it was nothing that couldn’t be wiped away. Although he imagined the traces of lipstick on his collar was not so easily hidden. It wasn’t the first time, but that was a problem for his future self. The ride back to Moscow was decidedly more pleasant than the initial delivery to the country. The time passed quicker, but Adrain felt plucked from his affairs for too long. He opened more command modules on the Wallet to check statuses while they drove.
“How long have you worked for her?” he added without looking up. Responding to a message that had been waiting longer than he liked.
She answered almost before he was finished speaking. “You’re assuming I work for her,” she said.
Adrian murmured his interest, which by this point was quite piqued. Although he was still focused on work at the moment, he understood that Natalie should be able to pay those bills. So either the driver was randomly assigned by a larger company, or someone planted her. Or perhaps to watch him?
“Then who do you work for?”
She tsked. “Dear one, I could not possibly say. Secrets are quite safe with me,” her voice trailed, and he caught her glimpse in the mirror. He held it for as long as she was able. The directness led him to believe there were certain secrets that he would take a personal interest in withholding. His hand flexed subconsciously, imagining the sad sparks his fingers had attempted to create.
He nodded in understanding. All these years and not a soul was aware. Then one evening with Natalie and he’d lowered his defenses to let that particular secret slip free. It was a good lesson for the future. Natalie couldn’t distract him so much again.
“Sounds like quite the burden,” he said off-handedly. Wondering what it would take to make sure that secret did not get out.
She laughed at that. “Has the blood quite returned to your head? I would have assumed you'd value discretion?”
She had a point about being clear-headed. Another lesson, but this time, it was Adrian who was fast to respond. “I value information,” he said. She would hear the smirk in his voice. Then his shifted in his seat and peered around the edge toward the front.
“Like what your name is?” he said, testing the waters with a bit of charm that won over so many before her.
She didn’t seem interested in the bait, but she found something worthwhile to share something in return.
“Then you know it rarely comes for free, but you may have this one as a gift, Adrian Kane. My name is Toma,” she said.
Adrian nodded. So she knew all about him, then. That was fine. He didn’t hide, and it was a matter of time before the reciprocal was true. Someone cloaked in secrets like her was unlikely to share their birth name, but he didn’t care. Toma was enough to give him what he needed to find out the rest.
The car rolled into the valet’s lane at the hotel he called home. He touched the handle, but before opening, he looked back at her. His appearance was rearranged by then, though his hair not quite as perfect as before the ride.
“Pleasure to meet you, Toma. I imagine I'll see more of you?"
“Don't imagine too hard,” she responded, laughter bubbling up. Adrian chuckled to himself as he emerged upon the sidewalk. The valet closed the door behind him, but Adrian was already walking inside before it departed.
While he walked toward the elevator, targeting his office and a clean shirt in the closet inside, his manager joined him at the left and his personal assistant flanked his right.
The hotel had some immediate needs. Adrian made sure they were handled by the time they climbed into the elevator.
“I couldn’t reach you, so your appointment this evening was rescheduled.”
Adrian nodded. He could meet the consultant another night.
His priority instead was on the Rod of Dominion. “That’s fine. I want to meet Jay Carpenter immediately. Find him.”
The assistant cringed.
“Actually…”
Adrian frowned, sharply turning toward him. “What?”
“He’s gone out,” he said. Tapping away at a screen, which was turned to reveal the lobby footage.
Adrian’s disapproval flared when he realized with who, but it was quickly reigned in. The Dominion would be back soon enough, but Adrian’s patience was running thin.
[[Written with permission.]]
Before they journeyed far, he swiped his address with a command from the wallet so it could populate the driver’s control panel. The motion led his gaze to settle on the mirror, but only part of the driver’s face was visible.
He smirked at himself, then. Realizing his disarray. As he was zipping his pants, he commented on the situation.
“I hope you’re paid well,” he said. She would have witnessed quite the show, he thought, closing the buttons on the shirt that Natalie had opened.
“The job has its perks,” she responded, gaze flicking briefly into mirror to meet his. Adrian smiled to himself. Some people were into that.
“I bet it does,” he responded.
He could still feel the slick of her makeup against his cheeks, but it was nothing that couldn’t be wiped away. Although he imagined the traces of lipstick on his collar was not so easily hidden. It wasn’t the first time, but that was a problem for his future self. The ride back to Moscow was decidedly more pleasant than the initial delivery to the country. The time passed quicker, but Adrain felt plucked from his affairs for too long. He opened more command modules on the Wallet to check statuses while they drove.
“How long have you worked for her?” he added without looking up. Responding to a message that had been waiting longer than he liked.
She answered almost before he was finished speaking. “You’re assuming I work for her,” she said.
Adrian murmured his interest, which by this point was quite piqued. Although he was still focused on work at the moment, he understood that Natalie should be able to pay those bills. So either the driver was randomly assigned by a larger company, or someone planted her. Or perhaps to watch him?
“Then who do you work for?”
She tsked. “Dear one, I could not possibly say. Secrets are quite safe with me,” her voice trailed, and he caught her glimpse in the mirror. He held it for as long as she was able. The directness led him to believe there were certain secrets that he would take a personal interest in withholding. His hand flexed subconsciously, imagining the sad sparks his fingers had attempted to create.
He nodded in understanding. All these years and not a soul was aware. Then one evening with Natalie and he’d lowered his defenses to let that particular secret slip free. It was a good lesson for the future. Natalie couldn’t distract him so much again.
“Sounds like quite the burden,” he said off-handedly. Wondering what it would take to make sure that secret did not get out.
She laughed at that. “Has the blood quite returned to your head? I would have assumed you'd value discretion?”
She had a point about being clear-headed. Another lesson, but this time, it was Adrian who was fast to respond. “I value information,” he said. She would hear the smirk in his voice. Then his shifted in his seat and peered around the edge toward the front.
“Like what your name is?” he said, testing the waters with a bit of charm that won over so many before her.
She didn’t seem interested in the bait, but she found something worthwhile to share something in return.
“Then you know it rarely comes for free, but you may have this one as a gift, Adrian Kane. My name is Toma,” she said.
Adrian nodded. So she knew all about him, then. That was fine. He didn’t hide, and it was a matter of time before the reciprocal was true. Someone cloaked in secrets like her was unlikely to share their birth name, but he didn’t care. Toma was enough to give him what he needed to find out the rest.
The car rolled into the valet’s lane at the hotel he called home. He touched the handle, but before opening, he looked back at her. His appearance was rearranged by then, though his hair not quite as perfect as before the ride.
“Pleasure to meet you, Toma. I imagine I'll see more of you?"
“Don't imagine too hard,” she responded, laughter bubbling up. Adrian chuckled to himself as he emerged upon the sidewalk. The valet closed the door behind him, but Adrian was already walking inside before it departed.
While he walked toward the elevator, targeting his office and a clean shirt in the closet inside, his manager joined him at the left and his personal assistant flanked his right.
The hotel had some immediate needs. Adrian made sure they were handled by the time they climbed into the elevator.
“I couldn’t reach you, so your appointment this evening was rescheduled.”
Adrian nodded. He could meet the consultant another night.
His priority instead was on the Rod of Dominion. “That’s fine. I want to meet Jay Carpenter immediately. Find him.”
The assistant cringed.
“Actually…”
Adrian frowned, sharply turning toward him. “What?”
“He’s gone out,” he said. Tapping away at a screen, which was turned to reveal the lobby footage.
Adrian’s disapproval flared when he realized with who, but it was quickly reigned in. The Dominion would be back soon enough, but Adrian’s patience was running thin.
[[Written with permission.]]