So, I want to thank all of you for the warm responses to this new fic of mine. I really didn't expect it to get the interest that it did.I hope it wasn't too confusing to read, what with the identity switch and all that. Hopefully, it gets better. :D

Chapter 2 – When Things Were Still Simple

"Morning," Haley breezed into the office, immaculately dressed and punctual like every other day. Patting Jake on the shoulder, she grinned. "Trying to set some kind of personal record, Jagielski? You're never earlier than I am."

Jake looked up at her woefully and stifled a yawn. "Tell that to the bus. Missy broke down."

"She did?" Haley cocked an eyebrow, referring to Jake's old station wagon who he had affectionately named Missy. "What happened?"

"I have no idea," he slumped back into his chair. "The mechanics are probably giving Missy a full body check as we speak."

"Sounds kinky," she laughed, as Jake tossed a pencil at her.

"Shut up," he grumbled under his breath.

Haley took a sip of her coffee. "Why so glum?"

"Besides for the obvious lack of hot women in my life, Brad also called for a meeting."

She tossed the pencil back at him pointedly. "I shall choose to ignore the first part of that snide statement."

Jake laughed, the rich deep laughter which she had gotten so used to over the years. "What I meant to say was that, you're not hot, Hales-" he paused dramatically, dodging a playful punch from her. "-you're hotter than hot, you're boiling point hot. Sizzling, even."

"That's better."

"Oh eww, I can't believe I just called you hot. That's almost incest."

Brad, their boss walked in, a stack of folders in his arms. "Who's hot?"

"Jake said I was." Haley said triumphantly, while Jake made a face behind her back.

Shaking his head, Brad reached over to pat Haley lightly on the shoulder. "Honestly Haley, you need a new best friend."

Haley laughed. "Yeah, Jagielski's just for buying time till I find a new better one. He'll do for the time being."

"For that remark Brad, I expect a raise at the end of this year." Jake yelled after his boss good-naturedly.

"Meeting in five!" he called back, the door slamming behind him.

"Finally, some work." Haley remarked.

"Only you could look so happy at the prospect of more work," Jake retorted.

"Oh come on, you know you know you live for this," she swiveled around in her chair. "You'll perk up soon."

Jake rolled his eyes comically. "Really? Perk up at what? An assignment to an old rich man who needs someone to protect him from the big, bad robbers?"

Haley grinned. "Well, we'll find out soon enough." She gathered her files and headed for the meeting room. "You coming?" she asked.

"You're such an energizer bunny, James." Jake stood up and stretched. "What keeps you so motivated?"

Haley knew very well what it was. It was the ability to keep someone safe and sound.

Five years back, Joy Solomon had changed her name to Haley Joy James. Nothing too fancy or grand. Just Haley, after her maternal grandmother. She had gotten accepted into a security agency after passing her rookie course and tests. Immediately after, she made friends with Jake Jagielski, another rookie who had joined about the same time as she had. He was one of the few people she considered close to her, her best friend. So close, that she almost told him everything about herself. Almost. It felt good to have a best friend because growing up; she didn't have any friends besides Karen, her parents, the bodyguards and the maids in the house. None of which were her own age. Her friendship with Jake was real, genuine.
Brad smiled at his crew. He had hand-selected them himself, and he only had the very best. Slowly, his gaze settled on Haley, his only female recruit. She was great at what she did, very agile and intelligent, with a spotless record. She was tiny, at least a head shorter than most of them, but she could pack a mean right hook. The thing about her, was that no one ever expected her to be able to do what she did, and what's more, to be damn good at what she did.

"Okay, first up." Brad spoke. "Good morning, guys."

Choruses of 'mornings!' were heard from the ten people seated around the long table.

"Well, let's get this done with." He reached over for the file on the top of the stack. "This is Dorie Folkner. She's a widow, her husband just passed away this year." He passed the file around for scrutinizing.

Jake took one look at the picture of the young blonde girl in the file, and the picture of her deceased old husband next to it, and snorted. "Let me guess. She thinks all guys are after her to cheat her of her huge bank account which her poor dead husband left her, when actually it's what she married him for in the first place?"

Brad grinned. "You're getting better at this, Jagielski. You want the job?"

Jake cringed. "I'll shut up now, thanks very much."

"It can't possibly be that bad," Haley offered.

"Jake could use a girlfriend." Another guard, Sean, snickered. "Weren't you complaining about the lack of hot women just awhile ago?"

Jake shot him a death look.

"Put your money where your mouth is, Sean. I've got you down for the job." Brad smiled. "I've paired you up with Miller for this."

Andy Miller, the clown of the office, let out an exaggerated string of obscenities under his breath, his dimple deepening good-naturedly when he was done. "Again?"

Haley laughed along with everyone. "Oh come on, guys, if it really is such a hassle, I'll take it. It'll probably be easier for me than it would be for them," she said, glancing at her boss.

"Thank you, James! I knew I loved you once I set eyes on you." Sean joked, laughing, while Andy made puppy-dog eyes at her. "I promise the name of my first-born after you, even if it's a boy."

Brad shook his head, smirking at Sean and at the camaraderie that all of them shared. "As a matter of fact, Haley, I've got another job for you." He grabbed another file off the stack. "This job'll require you to travel."

Haley nodded.

"It's a group of basketball players."

"Basketball?"

By now, everyone was listening attentively to Brad.

"They're touring Europe as a part of a sponsorship deal with Nimble Shoes and in an effort to get more interest in the NBA amongst Europeans."

"Basketball," Haley said under her breath. Her father had played basketball in high school, she remembered. She had watched videos of him playing back in the days when she was little, and it had seemed so vivid, so passionate, so raw. So unlike what she saw on television these days, of highly paid basketball players who were always in the news for some controversy or affair. For all the wrong reasons.

"Are you a fan?"

"No, not at all."

"Well, then they'll be needing two extra guards with them since they'll be on tour. Their manager requested a female guard because it would seem less suspicious with a woman traveling with them whereas a few big beefy guys- not that you guys are beefy anyway-" he grinned, while Jake and the rest glared at him. "-would look a little, well, a little too much. They'll need your service for about three months while they tour Europe. I've got you and Jake down for this. Jagielski, you play a bit of ball, don't you?"

Jake nodded, flexing his fingers. He loved a good game of basketball, and to travel with a few upcoming NBA stars sounded like the job of a lifetime. He glanced at Haley, and nudged her lightly in the ribs, knowing how she felt about it.

Haley shrugged. "Well, I'm the only one you have." Brad usually ran an easy ship and allowed them to trade assignments at times, but it didn't seem like he would budge this time round. "So basically all I have to do is to keep the band away from hordes of crazy screaming girls?"

"And guys, too, don't forget," Brad added, raising an eyebrow.

She shrugged. "Okay, I guess," she glanced at Jake.

Jake nodded. "Look on the bright side. Free trip round Europe."

Haley rolled her eyes, and folded her arms. This would be one long assignment. Those basketball players better not expect her to wait on them hand and foot. Fat chance, but she could still hope.

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