Author Devylish
Title I Want To Be Yours
Chapter The Setup 1/?
Words 1861
Pairing Eliot/Sophie (elphie)
Rating PG 13 (lil language)
Disclaimer Please see my profile
AN Unbeta'd per usual.
I make a rich woman beg,
I'll make a good woman steal
I'll make an old woman blush,
and make a young woman squeal
I wanna be yours pretty baby,
yours and yours alone
~Bad To The Bone
The day's workout done, he headed into the shower; he had 45 minutes until the he had to show up for the team's next job. He laid the suit, tie and shoes he'd be wearing on the bed and studied them with half a critical eye. Did they read as his character was suppose to read? Youngish stud, trying to impress older woman? With a shrug, he stripped out of his sweat pants and t-shirt, and headed into the bathroom. Turning on all of the jets, he grabbed a new razor and stepped into the shower.
Turning under the spray, he mentally reviewed some of the finer points of the case. An escort company was apparently making a lot of money, not from setting up 'dates' for its patrons, but from blackmailing its patrons. Its wealthy, sexy, female patrons.
The company's official sales pitch was Elite Escorts – For the Mature Elite Woman's Escort Needs. Its unofficial name was Cougar Central – Only Mature Women With Lots of Money need apply. Women in their 30's and up, with a net worth value of $500,000+ were set up with escorts - men in their 20's and early thirties for dates, evenings at the opera, and… other activities.
It was the other activities where EE was making its money. Photographs and videotapes were being taken of the women using the services… the full services of the company. The women were then finding themselves paying a hefty monthly sum to EE to save their reputations, businesses, and families from being destroyed by the visual proof of just what kind of activities they were engaging in.
Ellie Stephens had gathered the courage to approach Nate and the team regarding her blackmail situation with the escort company. Ellie Stephens the Senator Elect.
As a result of their meeting with her, the team had set Eliot up as one of the EE… studs. His photos, clothed and in a swimming suit, along with a list of preferences (brunettes in their late thirties, early forties) had been documented along with his interest in martial arts, culinary arts, and late night strolls on the beach… the usual bull. It had surprised him that in the two weeks he'd been posted on EE's video site, he'd received seven requests for meetings. He'd turned down all but two of them.
The first escort offer he'd accepted had with Genevieve Elst, a popular news anchor. He'd wined and dined her this past Wednesday. A perfectly innocent, pleasurable date; a date that served a twofold purpose. It had allowed the team to make certain they could observe and review the scam EE was running. It also was a way for Eliot to look legitimate as an escort…, before he moved in on Sophie/Sophia.
The second date he'd accepted was, of course, for tonight, with Sophia DiGenta (their own Sophie Genereaux) – Italian American heiress and business woman.
He would pick her up at the mansion they'd rented for her, take her out to dinner, and agree to escort her to another event later in the week. The team's assumption, was that Eliot would be approached by EE sometime around that second maybe third date regarding videoing/photographing… getting the goods on his Cougar --for a substantial bonus, of course.
Once the approach was made, the team could figure out exactly how the taping/photographing was being done, and they could collect the evidence EE had on Ms. Stephens, and on the other women who'd used the service.
Easy as roping a calf.
That was the plan at least.
***
He pulled up to the house at the agreed upon time in the rental car that they'd switched the plates out on. Flashy, but not over the top.
Climbing out of the car he cleared his throat and notched his neck to one side and then to the other. Game time.
Ringing the doorbell, he counted to 10 and then the door was opened.
"May I help you?" Hardison, dressed in a black suit looked at him as if he was stranger.
"I'm here for Ms. DiGenta. I'm Eliot Simons."
"Yes," Hardison stepped aside, "Ms. DiGenta is expecting you."
Eliot walked past the taller man and waited till the door was shut to quirk an eyebrow in his direction.
"We checked for cameras and wires… nothing in here at present. Well, nothing I haven't put here myself. Sophie is getting dressed… still. I'd guess you have another half an hour wait.
Eliot groaned, and Sophie, earpiece in, retorted, "Hey! It'll only be five more minutes… I only need my shoes and to brush my hair."
Eliot used his ever present southern charm and responded, "Sophie darling, you could come down wearing nothing and I'd be impressed."
"You better believe you would be, buster."
Chuckling, Eliot faced Hardison and ran through the rest of the nights plans. "You'll be here monitoring the place for any attempts to set up surveillance while we're out at dinner?"
"Yeah. And can I once again point out how unfair this set up is? Why can't I be Sophie's boy toy…, stud muffin…? I could be her chocolate stud muffin. But noooo, instead, I'm gonna be sitting here playing with my monitors while you two get your wine and dine on. It's not fair man, it's just not fair.
"Well if you wanna switch with me, I'll stay and …," Eliot teasingly started to offer as he turned his head to the stairs to watch for Sophie's arrival.
His timing was perfect because, there she was, at the top of the stairs, wearing something black and fitted and soft looking with her hair up and little wisps of it falling over her shoulders. Whatever he had been planning to say to Alec was lost in his throat, and all he could manage was a low, half whistled, "Holy shit."
Hardison looked up at the stairs, and absentmindedly tapped Eliot on the arm, "Yeah man, let's switch. We're definitely switching."
"Not a chance in hell."
Sophie made it to the bottom of the stairs with a knowing smile. "I take it I meet with your approval gentlemen?"
Eliot, snapping to attention pointed at Hardison and responded, "See that drool on Alec's chin? That's his way of showing his approval."
Hardison unconsciously lifted his hand to his chin before turning to Eliot. "Well if you're going to drool over something man…" he tilted his head in Sophie's direction, "that's what you drool over.
'Okay guys, we all get it. Sophie looks good. Can we get on with the job now?' Nate's voice broke in over their earpieces from headquarters. 'Eliot, Soph, you two have a reservation to make. Hardison, between now and 10, Parker is going to try and break into the EE headquarters to see what she can find on paper, or in their safes. I need you to see if you can tap into their system once she's set up a link for you. Everyone ready?'
A few half hearted 'ready's' were made in response to his question before they all went to work.
****
"You really do look great." Eliot offered as he held open the car door for Sophie.
"Well thank you Mr. Simons."
"Eliot. Just call me Eliot."
"Well then you can call me Sophia." She settled into the passenger seat, draping her long legs into the car. Her long legs that were definitely on display.
Shutting the door behind her and jogging around to the driver's side, Eliot reminded himself to focus on the job. Not on his partner's legs.
"Ready?" He turned to face her as he started the car.
"For an expensive meal with a handsome gentleman?" Sophie smiled, "Darling that's what I live for."
***
"So tell me about you." He asked as they settled at their table. They were in public, so they were now fully in character. Ears have walls and all of that bullshit.
"My favorite topic." She smiled and started to recite part of the spiel they'd concocted for her character.
He kept the smile on his face even though he'd heard and read her history half a dozen times already. Apparently, Sophie wasn't satisfied with his half smile and glazed eyes. She kicked his shin under the table and stared at him pointedly, as if she was waiting for something.
"Uhm, I'm sorry, what?"
"I asked you if you've always been interested in women who were… slightly older than you?"
Leave it to Sophie to change the script on him. The woman loved to improvise. Especially if she didn't feel her audience was captivated, which, well, he hadn't been, at least not by her words…. He kept his eyes off of her cleavage and answered her question. "Honestly? It's kinda a new thing for me."
'Guys, back on script.' Nate twittered in their ears.
"So, if I were to… let things progress, I'd be your first?" Sophie raised her eyebrows and looked at him. And somehow, she was both, in and out of character, all at the same time.
"Uh… yes ma'am."
"Oh, no, not the dreaded, 'ma'am', that word always makes me feel old." She stretched slightly in her seat, her cleavage in his line of sight again.
"You definitely don't look old."
She grinned. "Why thank you Mr. Simons."
'Guys, we write the script for a reason; and we don't veer from it unless we need to.'
Eliot ignored Nate and leaned forward. "What about you? Always been interested in younger men? Or would I be a first for you?"
"I find men of all sorts, fascinating. I date older, younger, black, white, brown; equal opportunity dater here. But I just got out of this semi messy relationship with this older man. And, well, I decided I wanted something different next. Someone who could keep me on my toes; who would chase after me versus my always having to chase after him." She picked up her glass of wine. "There's nothing worse than being interested in a man who isn't interested in you. Or who won't admit he's interested in you."
'Sophie.' Nate warned over the wires.
"But as I said, I'm over my oldie moldy ex, and I'm on to newer, younger," she paused and added with emphasis, "bigger and better things."
Eliot wasn't a man to blush, but he was almost certain Sophie was coming on to him. Or was it Sophia? And not only was Sophie/Sophia coming on to him, but if it was Sophie, saying she was done with Nate? He couldn't help but think it was about time. "Good for you."
'Eliot! Don't encourage her!'
"But back to my question… just to clarify, would I be your first younger man?"
She smiled, a sensual smile, "I've been with a man who was a few years younger than me… four years to be exact. You're what, thirty two?"
Eliot nodded.
"I wonder if the extra three years difference would be noticeable?"
"Noticeable?" Oh! Noticeable! "Uh, well, darlin' you'll definitely have to let me know the answer to that question."
"If things progress to that point." She reminded him teasingly.
"Of course… if things progress to that point."