Inspiration brought to you by: Kina Grannis
The pleasantly plump waitress was brought to you by: Malli/WeirdButAwesome (changed username)
Disclaimer: No, I am not Ally Carter because she probably doesn't want to throw darts at a picture of her science teacher. Or the teacher himself.
Part V: Motion Picture in the Sky
* * *
Then waves came crashing down on me
And they tried to take me out to sea
You fought them off so gallantly and won
Then back again upon our shore
We really wanted nothing more
Than to hold each other 'til our arms grew tired
-Together
Preston examined the bistro. While the place wasn't that furnished, he noticed, there were many costumers crowding around the waitress, ordering the special of the day -- a blue velvet cupcake with pecan frosting -- or one of the frozen delicacies. Preston crinkled his nose. Ever since he was a little boy, he despised the smell of coffee. The caffeine and sugar mixed together in those various blended concoctions. They tasted horrible, too. If he had to go on a mission that called for working in a coffee shop, he'd have to give up the job. The smell was just, ugh.
He inhaled a small swoop of air through his mouth and bravely walked up to the counter, where he muttered, "Tall black coffee. To go."
As he watched the pleasantly plump waitress with the all-too-familiar dirty blonde hair prance around in the ridiculous apron take her sweet time making his blend when she knew he couldn't last any longer in the shop, Preston coughed and glowered at her.
"Hurry it up Chameleon. I haven't got all day," he whispered in his comms unit.
Even if the waitress was turned around, he could see her lips form into a small, barely noticeable smirk. "If I'm being forced to wear a fat suit, thanks to your suggestion, you can be bothered to wait a couple extra seconds."
With that, the girl turned around, taking the tiniest of steps to where the straws rested and putting on a big show of removing the wrapper ever-so-slowly and trying to stick it in the coffee cup. Then her eyes went up in faux-apology and she looked at him, a small frown resting on her face. "Oops." She looked at him, her eyes smiling, "It's a coffee. Guess it doesn't need a straw." She threw the straw into the garbage can and handed Preston the drink.
"Thanks, Chameleon," he gruffed out, turning the comms unit off.
As he walked out of the bistro, clutching the coffee in his hand, no one noticed the awkward way he was holding it so the smell wouldn't seep into his nose. No one even noticed that while Preston took out his cell phone from his pocket and brought it up to his ear, he also happened to grasp the chip that was hidden underneath the coffee holder and drop it into his shirt pocket.
* * *
Liz handed the hotel key card to the lady dressed in red behind the counter.
"Mademoiselle, did you have a pleasant stay?" She hotel manager asked Liz in her exotic accent.
"Yes, I did." Liz didn't bother to say this in French. There was no need.
"Would you like us to book you a ticket to somewhere or point out the best restaurants in Paris? Our concierge would be more that happy to help you." The lady looked at her expectantly.
Elizabeth shook her head. "It's alright. Thank you."
As red suit turned around and put the key back, Lizzie took this as a queue to leave. So, quietly and quickly, she scampered to the hotel exit, bowing her head to the doorman who tipped his hat, and waving a cab, telling the driver after he had placed her luggage in the back, "To the airport, s'il vous plaît."
* * *
"Hello?" Jonas was on call duty at Headquarters.
"Connect me to Solomon, will you Jonas?"
"What, I don't get a hello?" Jonas teased.
"Just connect me to freaking Solomon, Jonas. I don't have much time." Preston was on edge ever since he heard Jonas's voice. What if he knew? What if Zach had told him?
No. Zach would never do such a thing, the more rational part of Preston's brain told him. Preston sighed.
"Sorry, Jo. I'm just a little tense. Can you please connect me to Boss Man?"
Preston could almost see how Jonas's eyebrows were scrunched together at the moment, wondering what caused Preston's mood swing.
"Sure man, no prob." Just as he predicted, Jo's voice had a tinge of bemusement to them.
About a millisecond later, Joe Solomon's voice rang through the phone. "Mission accomplished, I suspect?"
"Yes, sir." Preston answered in an affirmative tone. "What time's the plane?"
"Tomorrow. Seven sharp. The ticket should be in your second dresser drawer located in your hotel."
Preston threw the coffee cup in a nearby trash can. "'Bye, Solomon."
He heard a, "Good job, Preston" on the cell phone before he pocketed it.
As he kept walking down the street to his hotel, he saw a tall blonde toting around a turquoise Dolce & Gabanna. As he zipped up his brown leather jacket, he palmed the chip from his jacket pocket and dropped it in the blonde's bag, simultaneously turning on his comms unit just in time to hear Cammie's voice say, "Well done, Ranger."
He smiled. "I loved the fat suit Chameleon. Although, I think you deserve a hairnet as well."
"Don't worry about that Ranger. Next meeting, I'll suggest that you and I should work at a cafe. And you can pick the costumes."
The smile immediately disbanded from Preston's face. "You wouldn't dare."
"That's the exact same thing I said right before the suggested the suit."
"Touché." Preston turned off his unit.
* * *
Liz leaned back in her seat. She could never get comfortable in an airplane. She could never sleep, never eat, never... do anything except sit there and people-watch. In a way, it was a good thing, because it was part of her job. On the downside though, the drowsiness that came with it wasn't so nice to put up with it.
She sighed, looking out of the window. They were up in the sky now, so the clouds were very noticeable. When she was little, her Grandpop would say that he wished that he could sleep on a cloud. "They are the softest thing imaginable, Lizzie," he would tell her, touching her on the nose.
"But, Grandpa," she would respond, "how do you know?"
"I don't Lizzie," he would say gently. "You don't really know anything in this world. But wouldn't it be great to sleep on a cloud? Just look at how soft and puffy they seem. Like cotton candy."
"Grandpa!" Liz would giggle, as he gave her a raspberry.
Then, Liz remembered, when her Grandfather was lying on his hospital bed, about to die, he took her into his frail arms and said, "Lizzie, it's time for me to go sleep on those puffy clouds, now. Don't cry, sweet girl. Grandpa's just going to sleep on the clouds. Won't you let Grandpa go?"
Lizzie had answered by wheezing out, "Ok, Grandpa. Go sleep on the clouds."
So Liz looked at the clouds now. And it was foolish, she knew, but she couldn't help but look for her Grandpop, knowing that he was sleeping on one the clouds around her. She would never know which cloud, but she kept hoping she would find him.
She kept hoping for a lot of things. Even if she knew that she could never find them. Whatever them was - an answer, a person, love.
Then slowly like a timid flower
The sun rose up at just the hour
When we had slowly slipped out of my dream
* * *
Off the racks: Hi. How's everyone? This chapter was short because the story is ending soon. But, not to worry, one more chapter and there'll be a deleted scene. Aren't you happy? Of course you are. Oh, keep a lookout for my epic challenge entry/ fun-shot #4 – that's two birds with the same stone.
Review?
- Like the spy-ish stuff I added?
- I know, it was filler. But still.
- Do you have a deleted scene you would like to write? 'Cuz then I'll post it. And, like, prolong the ending.
- Omigosh! I have a FB. And I already have Catherine and Kas. Add me. Er, ask me what my username thing is and I might tell you.
- Cheers for Cammie finally coming in!
S.W.I.T.Z
Edit: As you know, I started this story a while ago. When I started filling out the rating and stuff, I realized that Preston W. was not on the characters list. =( So, after contacting the FF people, I would happily like to announce that yesterday (Pi day!) Preston was added to the list. WOOT! Therefore, I was the first person to write a Preston story. BRAGGING RIGHTS!