Chapter 2
Jade woke with a groan. *Ugh, I have to start sleeping more* she chastised herself as her bleary eyes began to focus in the darkened room. She felt a soft arm curl around her waste and she instinctively stiffened at the contact. She had forgotten that she was not alone. Jade gently picked the arm up and placed it on the sheet beside her before rolling over and checking the neon digits of the clock on the bedside table. 6:45 a.m.
She leaned over and groped the floor for her clothing discarded somewhere the night before. Grasping the soft cotton of her button up blouse, she picked it up and began to move her arms through the sleeves. "Where are you off to so early?" A sleepy voice inquired. Jade looked over her shoulder at the half naked red head. Brianna? Britney? She scanned her photographic memory for the name of the woman lying next to her. "Work," she replied. "Feel free to use the shower, or the kitchen. I will leave some money on the counter if you'd like to call a cab." "Do you have a number I could reach you at?" Britney asked- or was it Becky? "Oh. Yeah, sure I will leave a number on the counter." Jade answered as she closed the last button on her blouse and unceremoniously walked from the room.
Elizabeth sighed and tapped her pen against her forehead. Staring at her computer screen all morning was giving her a serious eye headache. She clicked a few more times, enhancing a line here and there, clicked save and stood up. Stretching her petite arms over her head and groaning as she felt every bone in her back crack in succession. Liz looked up at the clock precariously hung at the far corner of her spacious office. 11:35 a.m. where had the day gone? She looked out through the glass wall of her office and watched the people shuffling through the cubicles, filing things here, and answering phones there. Maybe she would go grab a cup of coffee. She sifted the needed change from her purse and walked out into the bustling tide of people, making her way to the break room.
Curled up on the luxurious company couch, Liz sipped her coffee and shifted through the latest issue of People. Her head still protesting any use of her eyes, she set the magazine down and squeezed her lids shut, willing the pain to go away. Minutes passed, and she was almost in the euphoric state of "No More Pain" when she heard another set of voices entering the break room. One familiar, the other she did not recognize. She opened one eye to see Chris speaking in his usual manner of enthusiastically waving his arms and accentuating his vowels as he entered the room. His companion, was a dark headed woman with piercing blue eyes. Liz almost spilled her coffee as she hurriedly unfolded herself from the couch, moving to a proper sitting position, she unconciously moved her hands over her hair.
"Oh Jade, we are just in time to catch our own celebrity, head of Advertising, Liz Silverton." Chris smiled as they approached Liz on the couch. "I don't believe you two have met, Liz this is Jade Mercury, new in charge of the Exon project." Chris' eyes twinkled at Liz. "Pleasure to meet you," Liz stood up and held her hand out to the technician. The woman was taller than Liz had originally summarized from her view at the Social, and her beauty was magnified even more so up close. Jade met her eyes with an intense, but casual gaze. "likewise," she replied and shook the blonde's hand. "We were just discussing the possible marketing strategy of Exon, and the way its going to revolutionize the world of security as we know it." Chris looked at Liz.
"That is if I can get it polished and pretty before you guys are deadlined to release it to the yet-to-be-secure masses." Jade said with a smile, one that consumed all of her features as well as the observer's attention, Liz noted.
"Hey, I've got an idea, if neither of you girls are busy for lunch, I know a great Indian place with the best Pakoras this side of western civilization." Chris beamed at Liz.
"Well, I do have kind of a headache, I think food might actually be a good idea sometime today." Liz tried not to sound too eager as both heads turned now to Jade.
"Actually, that's a tempting offer, but I really should get back to my desk. I'm swamped, and sinking as we speak." Jade said with what almost sounded like regret- Liz hoped.
"Oh don't be silly, everyone has to eat." Chris brushed off her resistance and ushered both women towards the parking lot. Liz admired his no-nonsense bravado, and doggedly followed behind the two. Her eyes raked across the woman in front of her, despite her best efforts to be professional. Up the slender legs and over the firm muscles of her behind as they moved against the soft fabric of her pantsuit. At that moment, the dark head turned, and Jade caught her eyes from over her shoulder. Liz flushed, and quickly jerked her gaze up to the woman's face, and then reverberated it to the nearest object, which; a second later, happened to be the floor as she unceremoniously tripped over an unnoticed carpet, and face planted it in the entrance of the lobby. Chris turned around and immediately helped her to her feet.
"You alright kiddo? Your air diet has made you light headed." He chuckled. If a black hole opened up in the floor at this moment, and the devil bargained the soul to all those who fell in, Liz would have gladly jumped head first just to avoid the eyes of Jade Mercury as she gathered her briefcase and continued to walk to the parking lot. Real smooth Slick.
Jade woke with a groan. *Ugh, I have to start sleeping more* she chastised herself as her bleary eyes began to focus in the darkened room. She felt a soft arm curl around her waste and she instinctively stiffened at the contact. She had forgotten that she was not alone. Jade gently picked the arm up and placed it on the sheet beside her before rolling over and checking the neon digits of the clock on the bedside table. 6:45 a.m.
She leaned over and groped the floor for her clothing discarded somewhere the night before. Grasping the soft cotton of her button up blouse, she picked it up and began to move her arms through the sleeves. "Where are you off to so early?" A sleepy voice inquired. Jade looked over her shoulder at the half naked red head. Brianna? Britney? She scanned her photographic memory for the name of the woman lying next to her. "Work," she replied. "Feel free to use the shower, or the kitchen. I will leave some money on the counter if you'd like to call a cab." "Do you have a number I could reach you at?" Britney asked- or was it Becky? "Oh. Yeah, sure I will leave a number on the counter." Jade answered as she closed the last button on her blouse and unceremoniously walked from the room.
Elizabeth sighed and tapped her pen against her forehead. Staring at her computer screen all morning was giving her a serious eye headache. She clicked a few more times, enhancing a line here and there, clicked save and stood up. Stretching her petite arms over her head and groaning as she felt every bone in her back crack in succession. Liz looked up at the clock precariously hung at the far corner of her spacious office. 11:35 a.m. where had the day gone? She looked out through the glass wall of her office and watched the people shuffling through the cubicles, filing things here, and answering phones there. Maybe she would go grab a cup of coffee. She sifted the needed change from her purse and walked out into the bustling tide of people, making her way to the break room.
Curled up on the luxurious company couch, Liz sipped her coffee and shifted through the latest issue of People. Her head still protesting any use of her eyes, she set the magazine down and squeezed her lids shut, willing the pain to go away. Minutes passed, and she was almost in the euphoric state of "No More Pain" when she heard another set of voices entering the break room. One familiar, the other she did not recognize. She opened one eye to see Chris speaking in his usual manner of enthusiastically waving his arms and accentuating his vowels as he entered the room. His companion, was a dark headed woman with piercing blue eyes. Liz almost spilled her coffee as she hurriedly unfolded herself from the couch, moving to a proper sitting position, she unconciously moved her hands over her hair.
"Oh Jade, we are just in time to catch our own celebrity, head of Advertising, Liz Silverton." Chris smiled as they approached Liz on the couch. "I don't believe you two have met, Liz this is Jade Mercury, new in charge of the Exon project." Chris' eyes twinkled at Liz. "Pleasure to meet you," Liz stood up and held her hand out to the technician. The woman was taller than Liz had originally summarized from her view at the Social, and her beauty was magnified even more so up close. Jade met her eyes with an intense, but casual gaze. "likewise," she replied and shook the blonde's hand. "We were just discussing the possible marketing strategy of Exon, and the way its going to revolutionize the world of security as we know it." Chris looked at Liz.
"That is if I can get it polished and pretty before you guys are deadlined to release it to the yet-to-be-secure masses." Jade said with a smile, one that consumed all of her features as well as the observer's attention, Liz noted.
"Hey, I've got an idea, if neither of you girls are busy for lunch, I know a great Indian place with the best Pakoras this side of western civilization." Chris beamed at Liz.
"Well, I do have kind of a headache, I think food might actually be a good idea sometime today." Liz tried not to sound too eager as both heads turned now to Jade.
"Actually, that's a tempting offer, but I really should get back to my desk. I'm swamped, and sinking as we speak." Jade said with what almost sounded like regret- Liz hoped.
"Oh don't be silly, everyone has to eat." Chris brushed off her resistance and ushered both women towards the parking lot. Liz admired his no-nonsense bravado, and doggedly followed behind the two. Her eyes raked across the woman in front of her, despite her best efforts to be professional. Up the slender legs and over the firm muscles of her behind as they moved against the soft fabric of her pantsuit. At that moment, the dark head turned, and Jade caught her eyes from over her shoulder. Liz flushed, and quickly jerked her gaze up to the woman's face, and then reverberated it to the nearest object, which; a second later, happened to be the floor as she unceremoniously tripped over an unnoticed carpet, and face planted it in the entrance of the lobby. Chris turned around and immediately helped her to her feet.
"You alright kiddo? Your air diet has made you light headed." He chuckled. If a black hole opened up in the floor at this moment, and the devil bargained the soul to all those who fell in, Liz would have gladly jumped head first just to avoid the eyes of Jade Mercury as she gathered her briefcase and continued to walk to the parking lot. Real smooth Slick.
