Chapter 4
Hanging up the phone after talking to Finch about the invites for the charity gala, Zoe knew what the biggest obstacle was going to be.
Getting the invites to the private, invitation only, charity gala would be no problem, she knew just about every mover and shaker in NYC. No, the hardest part was going to be convincing Elise to get dressed up AND go to a party. Zoe was not looking forward to that discussion! Being stubborn was the most daunting part of Elise's personality. When she dug her heels in, almost nothing could convince her to change her mind.
'I need to come up with an angle, one that will prevent her from throwing up that wall she's going to make at the mere mention of dressing up.' mused Zoe. She'd never seen Elise in anything but mostly dark clothing: jeans, boots, sweater or jacket and a hat, it seldom varied. The few times she'd had to wear something different for a job, she did so grudgingly and was back in her regular clothes as fast as possible. Zoe didn't know why Elise was that way. Heck, she didn't even know where Elise lived! 'Hmmm….never thought about how little I know about my own partner!' Elise was due to come by this evening to check on any new jobs in the offering. Zoe would have to have the dreaded conversation then. She tried to get all of her 'arguments' in order so that she could convince Elise that they had to do this.
Knocking on her door and then unlocking it and coming in, Elise blew into Zoe's apartment like a small whirlwind. Being small in stature she was surprisingly bigger than life sometimes. This was one of those times. When she strode into the apartment, Elise let the door slam behind her and Zoe, already on edge, jumped.
"Uh sorry Zoe, didn't mean to do that. But damn it I've had it with John Reese!" Pacing back and forth from the dining room to the living room and back again, she pulled off her gloves and her black leather jacket and threw them on a chair. As usual, she kept her hat on.
"He keeps showing up at the most inopportune moments when I'm working a job! I don't like him! He's smarmy and snarky and ...and...UGH! I hate him! I know you like him Zoe but keep him away from me! Next time I see him I just might shoot him!"
Zoe was taken aback at Elise's vehemence when talking about Reese. Elise seldom showed that kind of emotion about anything or anybody. The word 'stoic' came to mind when thinking of Elise, nothing seemed to affect her, good or bad. Till now that was. 'Hmmmm, interesting,' thought Zoe.
"Well that's going to be rather difficult Elise." Standing up so she'd at least have the height advantage, Zoe continued. "We have a date with Mr. Reese and Mr. Finch to a charity gala. It's for business purposes of course. Now before you start screaming, I will tell you that I've already accepted the 'date' and we need to go shopping for formal dresses..."
"We have a WHAT? Are you out of you mind? I didn't sign up for this! I want nothing to do with that, that...that MAN. He is infuriating! I can handle any job we take on. Things have been fine for the last year haven't they? Have I ever let you down? Ever? But now...now that John Reese shows up everywhere, things go to hell in a hand basket! There is NO WAY I'm doing any job with Mr. J-O-H-N Reese! You'll just have to handle this yourself!" She said through gritted teeth.
Standing in front of Zoe, who was a good eight inches taller, Elise's animosity towards John Reese was an almost physical thing. It made Zoe want to step back. With her hands on her hips, and her chin jutting out, Elise's dark blue eyes were fire-filled and her pursed lips were a sure sign that she had reached the limit of her control. She was almost panting with barely contained rage. It wouldn't take much to push her over that edge. Zoe didn't think she wanted to see Elise in full rant mode, the hints she was witnessing were enough. What in the hell had happened to get Elise so worked up? Zoe had never, in the year that they had known each other, ever seen Elise like this.
Turning on her heel, Zoe walked away from Elise to try and collect her thoughts. All of the arguments that she had planned to use went out the window. They'd just fall on deaf ears right now. 'I've got to get her calmed down so she will listen to me, I know if she understands how important this 'date' is she'll go along with it.
Well, sometimes offense is the best defense, she thought. Taking a deep breath she turned back to Elise. "Are you done? Have you gotten it out of your system? Sorry for the inconvenience of having to work with John but we've been hired for a job that I have already accepted. DEAL WITH IT. You behave yourself and I will happily keep John away from you. Have I made myself clear?"
Glaring at Zoe, her hands clenched, Elise took a deep breath and held it. Zoe could almost 'hear' Elise talking to herself. She watched a myriad of expressions flow across Elise's face and thought she could almost hear the 'click' when Elise had come to a decision.
The ghost of a smile flirted with the edges of Elise's mouth and she answered, "Sure, whatever." And walked over to the couch and flopped down. Elise immediately propped her boots on the antique coffee table, much to the consternation of Zoe. Zoe knew Elise's action was a deliberate act of defiance. Elise always seemed to need to have the last word. But Zoe took it for what it was worth...Elise was finally back in control of...Elise.
Elise was more than annoyed at having to dress up. It brought back a memory that was best left buried, buried so deep no one knew about it but her. That was a part of her that no longer existed. Her life was better this way...no weakness to be exploited by anyone.
As she stepped into the deep blue dress that Zoe had picked out for her, she refused to look in the mirror. Afraid to see what was reflected there. She no longer saw herself that way...sweet, soft, innocent. She didn't need that kind of reminder. She had worked long and hard to leave that person behind.
Zoe kept asking her how it looked and if she liked it from outside the dressing room. Elise didn't answer because she didn't know HOW it looked and she didn't CARE how it looked. Finally Zoe gave up and walked in uninvited. She was prepared to tell Elise to grow up and do what she HAD to do, not necessarily what she WANTED to do. She stopped abruptly with her mouth agape. Elise was standing on a riser while the alterations woman was pinning up the hem. Elise was...beautiful. 'Even with her hair pinned up under that damn hat, she's gorgeous!' thought Zoe. The dress fit her like a glove and accented curves that her normal attire kept hidden. Being small in stature made her look fragile, like a doll. She looked like she should be set up on a pedestal and protected, kept out of harm's way. The absurdity of that idea made Zoe laugh out loud...Elise? Need protection? She was the most capable woman Zoe had ever met as far as being able to take care of herself.
Zoe's laughter made Elise look up and see herself in the mirror. Pain shot through her like a knife and actually made her cry out. Her knees almost gave way but seeing Zoe behind her in the mirror made Elise steel herself and remain standing. The woman pinning up the hem asked if she was ok and Elise whispered that she was fine. Elise's eyes met Zoe's in the mirror. Zoe was unprepared for the unguarded look on Elise's face, a look that Zoe had never seen in the two years they had worked together.
The anguish reflected there was gone so quickly that Zoe was not quite sure she had actually seen it. But the thousand yard stare on Elise's face made her certain she had seen something. Facing the mirror, Elise no longer saw herself in the blue evening gown. She saw herself in a girlish prom dress, splattered with blood; her boyfriend of four years with his head in her lap as she watched him bleed to death from a gunshot wound. She could still hear herself keening as her heart was taken from her.
Shaking her head to rid herself of the image, Elise looked around at Zoe. "Can I change out of this…..this costume now?" she growled, trying to recover from the momentary break in her façade; the façade that she showed the world, the one that tended to keep everybody at arms distance from her.
Collecting her thoughts for processing later, Zoe answered sharply "No. Take off that damn hat so I can see if you are going to be presentable at the gala." Elise rolled her eyes at Zoe and got that stubborn look on her face, but faced with the fashionista that was Zoe, she decided she'd better behave. Whipping off her knitted cap, Elise's hair fell out all scrunched up in a hair clip. Zoe cocked one eyebrow and put her hands on her hips saying nothing. Elise caught the unspoken demand and reached up to remove the hair clip. Her hair fell down past her shoulders, to the middle of her back. The change in Elise's appearance was startling to say the least. The inky darkness of her hair in contrast to the deep blue of her eyes was striking.
Zoe's eyes narrowed for a moment, "We'll have to do something with that mop of hair before the gala."
It suddenly popped into Zoe's mind that Elise might be competition for John's attention. That idea was a shock to her confidence. But then she remembered Elise's rant at her apartment and felt better about the coming 'date'.
Riding up the elevator to Zoe's apartment, Elise was in a foul mood. She did NOT want to play 'dress up'. She did NOT want to go to a dance/party whatever Zoe wanted to call it. She did NOT want to have anything to do with John Reese...ever again!
Like a mantra, she repeated over and over in her mind the words: 'I will not go. I refuse to go. She can't make me go.' The closer she got to Zoe's floor the angrier she became. Why do I have to go? Why can't she handle it? This is her area of expertise, schmoozing big wigs and playing pretty. My job is to get in, get what I need and get out. Handle any obstacle, man or man-made object, and get the job done. This is just WRONG!
The elevator dinged signaling that she'd arrived at Zoe's floor. The doors opened and Elise took a deep breath and stepped out. Standing outside Zoe's door she tried to bring back the anger she had just moments ago, but failed. She knew there was no way she could get out of tonight. Their services were needed; it was a job they were being paid to do, but the combination of reliving a nightmare from her past and have to deal with the irritating John Reese was truly going to test her ability to function.
Deciding to take the path of least resistance, Elise knocked on the door and waited for Zoe to answer instead of barging in, which was her usual manner. Hearing a muffled 'come on in', Elise used her key to let herself in. Two steps in, she stopped short. It looked like the women's department at Sax Fifth Avenue had exploded all over Zoe's living room! There were boxes of all shapes and sizes strewn all over the couch, the chairs, the tables and in stacks by the wall. Most were open already with a piece of women's attire hanging out. Elise looked around in total confusion.
"What in the HELL is all of this Zoe?" Elise asked with trepidation. It looked like somebody was going to be planning a major 'dress-up' and it sure wasn't going to be her!
Zoe came into the room with some slinky lingerie hanging over her arm and smiled. "This is how I am going to get YOU dressed for the party tonight. We don't have time to go shopping so I got a personal shopper to do the leg work. Now all we have to do is pick and choose. We already had the dresses so this was the easiest way to get all the accessories we'll need." She smiled smugly.
"Maybe you need all this but I sure as hell don't! You got me a dress and I do need shoes but that's all! And that's final!" Elise glared at Zoe, feeling the anger kicking back in. "I do not like to dress up! I am more comfortable just like you see me, in my jeans, boots and shirt. That's my 'work uniform' as it were. Since we'll be working tonight why do I have to change out of my work uniform? Can't I just blend in as the hired help or something?" Elise almost pleaded with her.
"No you cannot!" said an exasperated Zoe. "We don't have time for you to infiltrate a catering company. Harold needs us to help fill out the 'couple' look that will help him and John blend in. They have someone they are trying to help and we are helping THEM. Is that understood? I thought we had this settled earlier. Plus, we have a client of our own to help, remember? The guy who is throwing this party is the one who swindled our client."
Elise sighed, standing there in the middle of all those boxes and bags from those high end clothing stores, tapping her foot impatiently, Zoe was an imposing sight...not one Elise cared to cross ...again.
"Fine!" Elise almost shouted. Shoving some boxes to the side she plopped down on the couch, intent on not helping at all, but Zoe had other ideas.
"You can use the guest room to get ready. Go ahead and take a shower while I put something together for you to try on. I'll do your hair later."
"Hair? My hair? What are you going to do to my hair?" Elise asked in a panicked voice. She nervously pulled on her cap and actually bit her bottom lip. Damn, hadn't thought about having to do something with my hair. I like putting it up under my cap and forgetting about it. "Who is going to do my hair? I don't know how to do hair!" her voice had almost gotten shrill.
"Me of course!" said Zoe. "Come on Elise, did you think you could go to the gala with it shoved up under that cap? It'll be fine, I promise to do a good job. Do you think I let anybody touch MY hair? I do my own and I can make it as simple or fancy as we need. Take off that damn cap and let me see your hair again so I can get some ideas while you take a shower."
Elise closed her eyes, took a deep breath, finally realizing that Zoe was an irresistible force and she might as well just give in. Exhaling slowly in defeat, Elise removed her cap and shook her hair down. Once again Zoe was struck by how different Elise looked with her hair down instead of hidden by the cap. She walked around her slowly, combing Elise's hair with her fingers. It was thick and wavy, and the black contrasted sharply against her porcelain white skin. Pulling up the back like a ponytail and letting the ends fall, gave Zoe an idea for the best look with the strapless dark blue velvet dress. "Got it….think you'll like my idea. Now go take a shower. We only have four hours before we get our manicure and pedicure and wax."
"WHAT?" Yelled Elise. "I don't need that and I sure don't want it!"
"Yes you do and yes I know, but too bad, it will be done. I've got someone to come here to do it so it fits with our time schedule. John and Harold will be here by 8pm. Now get going." Zoe gently pushed Elise toward the guest bedroom.
Forty-five minutes later Elise came out of the guest bedroom in a big white bath towel and her hair wrapped up in a towel atop her head. Fresh faced, Elise looked like a totally different person. The hard look in her eyes was gone, her skin was soft and glowing from the hot shower, her eyes actually looked bluer than normal and she looked...relaxed. That was it. This was the most relaxed Zoe had ever seen Elise. The tenseness was gone out of her shoulders, the furtive look in her eyes was not there. Zoe was amazed at the transformation and smiled to herself thinking how far this transformation was going to go when she got Elise 'decked out' for the party.
Zoe showed Elise the silky lingerie she'd picked out. Elise stared at it in wonder. It was so soft and smooth. She touched it almost reverently. There was a wistful quality to the way she handled the items that Zoe had chosen. Apparently, it had been some time since Elise had worn anything like these, from what Zoe could surmise. 'Wonder why?' She thought.
"Ok, let's get to work on your hair. Come into my room and we'll get started."
Elise had never been in this part of Zoe's apartment and she was a little bit curious. Zoe was always dressed to the nine's. She was a sharp dresser with no frills but very expensive attire. Rather business-like but with touches of femininity thrown in, like a lacy camisole with a jacket. That was her 'work uniform', attractive, self-assured but still very female. Her bedroom was of a similar style, classically furnished with dark wood furniture and sheets that were obviously silk. Zoe's closet was full of clothes but their two dresses were hanging on the outside doors. Seeing her blue velvet dress brought Elise back to the present and her predicament of the moment.
Zoe walked into her large bathroom and motioned for Elise to sit in the chair in front of the make-up area. Elise sat down but kept her eyes averted from her reflection. She was not going there again. She didn't want to lose it again in front of Zoe. She knew Zoe had seen that weak moment in the dress store but was thankful that she hadn't asked about it.
Removing the towel from Elise's hair, Zoe started combing the tangles out. The rhythmic motion of the Zoe's ministrations relaxed Elise even further. Closing her eyes, she gave into the delicious experience of having her hair done. Zoe chit-chatted a little as she combed Elise's hair.
"Have you always worn you hair long? It's beautiful. You obviously take good care of your hair but then you hide it under that cap. Why do you do that?"
"It gets in the way when I'm working." Murmured Elise, under the spell of having her hair brushed. "And hiding it helps me blend in, people don't tend to notice me too much when I have my hat on and pulled low down on my head."
"Makes sense, but tonight it will be different. We will be noticed. I'll be with Harold so we can schmooze the 'suits' that will be at the gala. You and John can do your blending act later and then fade out to go do your search for that information we need."
"Mmmmm." Was the only response Elise gave. She was totally into the feeling of having her hair messed with. Elise's lack of response to her comment about her and John being together, meant Elise was right where Zoe wanted her. She could now start to find out about what happened in the dress shop.
After drying Elise's hair, Zoe started styling it in an upswept look and held it in place with crystal clips. Zoe left the bulk of hair to cascade down Elise's right shoulder with tendrils hanging down in front of her ears. Elise still sat there, almost swaying with contentment, and a small smile on her lips. Her head dipped slightly and Zoe sighed loudly and said, "Elise, WAKE UP! Look straight into the mirror so I can make sure I've got everything even."
Pulled out of her reverie, Elise opened her eyes quickly and stared at the mirror. But instead of seeing herself and Zoe, she saw a teenage girl in a crumpled prom dress, covered in blood. Her eyes opened wider and filled with tears and she pulled away from Zoe.
"Noooo." She moaned and tried to get up out of the chair. Zoe quickly placed both hands on her shoulders and started whispering quietly to Elise, holding her in the chair.
"It's ok, don't worry, you're fine, you're safe," over and over until Elise finally heard her.
Keeping her head down, tears spilled out of Elise's eyes and down her cheeks. Other than the weak 'no' she'd moaned earlier, Elise made no further sounds, but the tears continued to fall.
Zoe held onto Elise until she felt Elise's sobs quiet down. She reached over and got tissues to hand to Elise. Wiping her eyes, Elise finally looked up at Zoe. Her blue eyes were twin pools of deep pain and memory. Zoe almost felt guilty bringing that look to Elise's face but she knew that sometimes confronting something was better than burying it. Looking at Elise, she gave her a small smile and said, "You want to tell me about it?"
Elise took a deep breath and began. "I was SO excited to be riding in a limo for the first time in my life and what made it extra special is that I was doing it with my friends and more importantly, Patrick, my boyfriend of four years and the love of my life. We had grown up together and begun dating as freshmen. He and I were two halves of a whole. We hadn't spoken of marriage, not because we weren't planning on it, but rather because we both just knew that it would surely happen…it was the most natural thing in the world. And then, that terrible night, I realized that I could never again take anything for granted.
Once we arrived at the school, Patrick took my hand and we ran together, laughing through the dark night to the back of the gym. We kissed and touched and whispered 'I love you' for a while before going in to join the rest of our friends.
About an hour into the prom, we all heard several bangs from the hallway. Then the bangs became louder and time moved in slow motion. I heard screaming and people started running away from the main doors. There were more bangs and I saw my friend Jessica fall to the floor. I stared at her for a moment before I realized what that dark stain on her dress was. Patrick reacted more quickly and pulled me to the ground, covering me with his body. The bangs continued and spread around the room. They continued for what seemed like several minutes and then, even worse, was the silence. I could hear moaning and sobbing all around me. I turned my head and saw my friend April lying next to me. She was staring at me and I reached over to comfort her but felt something sticky when I grabbed her hand. I opened my mouth the scream but Patrick clamped his hand over it and whispered "shhh…" I nodded but the tears started rolling down my cheeks. He leaned his head down and gave me a quick kiss but his head jerked up as we heard the stomp of boots approaching.
"You two! Get up!" A menacing voice spoke nearby. There was something off about the voice, I thought briefly, it sounded young rather than the deeper voice I was expecting. "I said get up!" And the barrel of a shotgun, poked me in the arm. We sat up and all around me, I saw similar scenes. Four people were herding a bunch of others in prom attire over to the far wall. We all stood there, up against that wall…. I expected that I too would be dead soon and reached for Patrick's hand. He took mine and pulled me a little behind him. Three of the gunmen stalked out of the gym and once again, the bang of gunshots started up. A girl next to me jumped and screamed. One of the remaining two swung his shotgun in our direction and the girl cringed, waiting for the shot to come.
"Shut up!" I heard...wait, I thought….. "Steve?" I gasped and stared at the person in front of me holding the gun in my direction. I realized he was shorter than I had thought at first. Suddenly it all made sense. These 'gunmen' were my classmates!
"Steve?" I asked again. "Steve, what are you doing?" I hissed. Steve Perri was the boy in my English class who sat behind me. Everyone picked on Steve because his dad was a known drunk and his mom had run off when he was six. Steve rarely came to school in clean clothes or brushed hair and he always smelled of his father's cigarette smoke. While I couldn't stand the smell, I felt terrible watching his reaction as people mocked him. At that point I began to stick up for him in class and the others stopped bothering him.
"Elise! Elise, I'm….." He stopped and looked around wildly. "Just be quiet and you won't get hurt." He hissed warningly back at me.
We must have stood there for a good twenty minutes, occasionally hearing bangs over the moaning of my injured classmates strewn about the floor of the gym. We heard the approach of several sirens at some point.
When Steve walked close by once more, I tried again to engage him in conversation. "Steve? Why are you doing this? Please, talk to me." My voice was cracking with the strain of trying not to scream.
"Elise. I…Tom….he said it was the only way….. the only way to get people to stop bullying us….to show them we weren't weak…." He choked out the words brokenly.
"Oh Steve, it's NOT the only way! Please, you need to stop this before anyone else gets hurt. You need to convince Tom to stop before it's too late…you'll all…"
I stopped as we all heard a voice on a megaphone, "Hey in there! Boys, you need to come out with your hands up and unarmed, before someone gets hurt!"
I swung to face Steve, my eyes pleading with him to please, please, stop. He looked away from me for a second, took a deep breath and walked over to the other boy who was holding a gun on us all.
"Jack, we have to do as they said. We weren't supposed to be here this long. The police will be in here soon and then….."
"But Tom said…."
"I know, Jack, but do you want to die here?"
"Come out Tom, Jack, Steve, Ian and Henry. Your parents are here. They want to see you. Come out before we have to come in there and someone else gets hurt." The person on the megaphone cajoled.
"Jack?" Steve spoke sharply.
"No." Jack replied in a small voice. "I don't want to die here Steve. I want to go home."
"Then.." Steve never finished what he was going to say. A door banged open and a student that I barely knew, came running in. Behind him was the kid I knew as Tom O'Brady. I gasped as I saw Tom raise his rifle and shoot the other boy.
"We're all gonna die here! The cops won't take ME to jail!" Tom yelled and opened fire on all of us, including Steve and Jack. Patrick jumped in front of me and I saw him double over. I fell to the ground and crawled over to him. He was gasping and holding onto his stomach. I gathered him up in my arms and cried out his name. He gripped my hand and whispered in my ear, "Elise, I love you..please don't…" He stiffened suddenly and then died in my arms. I held him that way until the police came and pulled me away from him…I was…covered…"
Elise stopped talking and began to sob uncontrollably again. Zoe reached over and gathered her in her arms, crying herself. She held Elise as she let out all the hurt that had been bottled up and once more brought to the surface.
After several minutes, Elise pulled back and wiped her eyes. "The sad part about the whole thing is that I ALMOST had them! Steve and Jack were about to give up and let us all go! It was that stupid, inexperienced police sergeant who pushed Tom into panicking killing everyone. I swore then that I would do anything to prevent that from happening to anyone else. That's why I jumped at the chance to join HRT after I left the service."
"I'm so sorry Elise. I had no idea. I wish we didn't have to go tonight, but I have it on good authority that the proof we need for our client is in a ledger that Jonathan Fisher keeps in his safe. We also have to go tonight to help John and Harold keep someone safe."
Elise sighed and wiped her eyes. "I know. I'll do this. I wouldn't want anyone else to lose their life. Thanks Zoe, for listening to me. I'm so glad we met up that day."
"Me too." Zoe said, giving Elise one last hug and resuming her work on Elise's hair.
Riding up in the elevator to Zoe's apartment, Reese and Finch were barely on speaking terms. Reese was still smarting from Elise's harsh reaction to her rescue and he was angry at Finch for roping him into this part of the job. There had to be another way to get the information they needed without having to dress up and play nice. 'Play nice to that she-cat Elise who took offense to EVERYTHING that involved him? Was that even possible?' Reese snorted.
Finch calmly bided his time, letting Reese work it out in his own head in his own time. The elevator dinged as they reached Zoe's floor. Making their way to her front door, Reese reached up and rang the bell. The door was immediately answered by very vivacious Zoe, looking fantastic in a deep rose evening dress that fit her very feminine shape perfectly. She leaned over and gave Finch a kiss on the cheek and a light hug. Turning to Reese she gave him her sultriest smile and reached up and hugged him and whispered that he looked almost as good as she did.
Reese chuckled, pulled back and smiled at her as he commented, "Then I must look pretty damn good. You look beautiful as usual." Smiling with a glint in her eye, Zoe invited them in and shut the door.
Finch asked where Elise was and Zoe told them that Elise was putting the finishing touches on her outfit and would be out shortly. Very loud music was coming from the closed guest bedroom. Reese thought he heard KISS- Wanna rock and roll all night & party every day.
Finch and Reese looked at each other with a questioning look. Zoe waved them off and said "Not to worry, that's just Elise's way of dealing with the situation. She hates dressing up and going out. She's such a homebody!" Sighed Zoe.
Both Finch and Reese were dressed in haute couture evening wear ... black tuxes with snowy white shirts. Seeing both of them in a bow tie was quite a treat. 'Very dashing and debonair!' Zoe sent admiring looks their way. Every time Zoe had seen Finch he had always been dressed fit to kill, beautifully coordinated ties, handkerchief and suits with a vest. His clothes were always understated but screamed high end designers.
Reese was an especially gorgeous surprise. Zoe had seen him in a suit with a tie when they had first met. Being her driver meant he had had to dress a little more formally than his normal black suit and white shirt with no tie. But this vision of manly beauty was breathtaking! He looked manor born, the clothes fit him perfectly and he moved with such elegance that she found herself staring.
Snapping herself back to the job at hand, Zoe asked Reese to make them a drink. Reese replied with, "No thank you. I don't drink on the job and I don't think any of us should."
Zoe poo-pooed that idea and said, "One drink will NOT impair anyone and it will help loosen everybody up, something we surely need!" She looked at Reese and Finch. "We won't be drinking at the gala after all. I'm not a novice at this you know."
She looped her arm into Finch's and guided him over to a table cluttered with papers and pictures. Over her shoulder, she waved Reese over to the bar and asked him to do the honors. Pausing she turned around and smiled at Reese. "You know my favorite drink."
Zoe and Finch sat down immediately and starting talking about the different people that would be at the gala, what movers and what shakers could be expected to be there, who they should watch out for and planning how they were going to schmooze the right people.
Reese walked over to the side bar and found it well stocked. He made a vodka gimlet for Zoe and a gin and tonic for Finch. Then he paused, he had no idea what to fix for Elise. Turning to ask Zoe what he should make, he heard the guest room door open and the music got louder.
Elise came out of the room with her hands up behind her neck, trying to put on a necklace. With her head down she didn't see Reese and called out to Zoe for help. Zoe, deep in discussion with Finch, didn't look up but just said, "John will you please help her with whatever?"
Standing there with Zoe and Finch's drinks in his hands, Reese felt like he had suddenly developed tunnel vision. Everything in the room blurred out except for the vision that was Elise. There was no living room, no rock & roll music, no Finch, no Zoe...just Elise... standing there.
Elise looked up and saw Zoe seated with Finch at the table both had their heads close together and were obviously deep in discussion. Looking around she spotted Reese standing off to the side by the bar. Dressed in the black tux Reese looked someone straight out of GQ. The fit of the tux was exquisite. The lines of the tux followed his long, lean lines. Without the usual snide look on his face, she was quietly surprised at how very handsome he was. His salt and pepper hair was neatly combed with just a little bit hanging over his forehead. She felt the insane desire to brush it back into place.
Looking at Elise, Reese saw that the blue velvet gown softly followed curves that Reese had never noticed, neither in her jeans and sweater nor when he had pulled her out of that frozen crate. He'd been too busy trying to save her life to take note of ...her. Her shoulders were bare which left a lovely and enticing view of her considerable charms, especially as she was such a small woman. The blackness of her hair made the blue of her eyes glow with their own light. Her hair was flowing down from two sparkling hair combs onto her right shoulder. The loose waves stopped just above the neckline, dragging his eyes to forbidden territory. Diamond tear drop earrings hung from her ears and small tendrils curled in front of her face. He felt the urge to reach out and wind one of those curls around his fingers. He even went to so far as to stretch out his arm to do just that but the clink of the ice cubes in the glasses broke the spell that they had both been under.
They both shook off the mesmerizing moment and put back on the facade they showed the world and each other. Their respective walls were back in place.
"Well, you certainly look better with clothes on." Smirked Reese, but with a twinkle in his eye.
"WHAT? Why you... How DARE you! Don't you ever...How could you...get away from me!" Elise said in a low whisper with clenched teeth. She immediately took offense at what he said and didn't see the twinkle. Flouncing away from him, she tried again to hook the necklace and had even less luck because now her hands were shaking. Shaking with rage or embarrassment she didn't know, she just needed to get away from John Reese before she showed him just what she was capable of in close quarter combat! Their size difference would have little meaning if she struck first! And she was seriously considering it while at the same time still trying to hook the necklace.
Reese put down the drinks and walked over to Elise once again. He gently grabbed her hands and said in a quiet voice "Please allow me.
The touch of his warm hands on hers shook Elise to her core. 'Thank goodness he can't see my face!' She thought. She knew her cheeks were bright pink with agitation. 'What is wrong with me? He is just a man. An infuriating, stubborn MAN! I don't even like him! ' She screamed in her own head.
Standing behind Elise, Reese took both ends of the necklace and latched the catch securely. The wispy curls at the base of Elise's neck beckoned to him. He wondered if her hair felt as silky as it looked. He settled the necklace down onto her neck and slowly let out the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. Stepping away from her, he turned away to compose himself. Reacting like this was foreign to him. He was used to always being in control and having the upper hand. Elise had a way of making him unsure of himself and he didn't like it!
Reese continued over to the bar and picked up Zoe and Finch's drinks, taking them over to them. Zoe and Finch were so engrossed in their conversation they didn't even notice his hands shook just a little when he sat their drinks down. Turning around to head back to the bar, he was once again in control.
Elise turned around as he approached and had a belligerent look on her face, one completely out of place with the beautiful dress and jewelry she had on. She looked like she was ready to throw down with him. Reese almost laughed at that thought but caught the warning look in her eyes and just gave a small tip of his head to signal a truce.
"What may I fix you to drink, Ms. Tate?" Reese asked formally. "Zoe seems to have a fully stocked bar at our disposal."
"I don't drink when I'm doing a job." Replied Elise, tersely.
"Neither do I, but Zoe seems to think that one drink won't hurt but rather relax us. She may have a point. So, what may I make for you?" He asked again.
Sensing that Reese was on the up and up for once, Elise finally said, "If it's all the same, I'd just as soon have a beer than a mixed drink. If it's really cold that is." Reese smiled at that, a beautiful woman, in velvet and diamonds drinking a beer. It somehow it seemed to fit Elise.
Opening the bar fridge, Reese found some beer, grabbed two and opened them. Wrapping one in a napkin he handed it to Elise. Stiffly thanking him, Elise took the beer and walked over to the table where Zoe and Finch were talking.
Hearing her approach, Finch looked around and immediately stood up. "Why Ms. Tate, you look lovely tonight! What a pleasure to have you with us. I can see Zoe's practiced eye has paid off. You are truly exquisite!"
"Thank you so much, Mr. Finch." Elise smiled at him. The rosy color came back to her cheeks and her eyes sparkled at the compliment. Glancing at Reese she said, "It's always nice to have someone compliment you." Turning back to Finch she continued. "Zoe had her hands full, but she convinced me I could pull this off. I guess we'll see!"
Turning that smile full force on Finch, Reese was surprised at the sense of jealousy he felt. He wanted her to smile like that at him. Instead, he said to her, "Who knew you could clean up so well, Elise!"
Shrugging his shoulders, he took a deep breath and shook his head. 'Where the HELL did that jealousy come from?' He wondered. He pulled on his shirt collar and wondered if the tie was too tight. Maybe his brain wasn't getting enough oxygen.
Finch got Elise and Reese's attention and outlined the plan that he and Zoe had come up with. He and Zoe would go together in the first limo. They had determined that between the two of them they were going to know almost everybody at the gala. He, with his business contacts as Harold Wren and Zoe with her social connections and under the table political knowledge, would do the schmoozing. Reese and Elise would follow in the second limo. They would determine the best time to sneak off and look for the necessary evidence. Elise made a very unladylike noise when Finch mentioned that she and Reese would be in a limo together. That was not going to happen as far as she was concerned! She didn't care what they had to say!
Seeing Elise's pretty face get that stubborn look, Zoe again was mystified at Elise's resentment about being around John. She enjoyed his company immensely and couldn't imagine why Elise fought so hard to avoid it.
Taking the upper hand, she stopped Elise before she began and explained why she and Finch needed to be together and that it would free Elise and John to handle the behind the scenes part of the job. She handed John the blue prints of the house where the gala was being held that Harold had provided.
"This should be pretty accurate. The rooms we think you'll have the best luck finding the safe are marked. Here is the combination.Here"
Zoe finally stood up and announced that the limos would be there within the next thirty minutes so they needed to hurry up and finish getting ready.
Standing in the hallway, John and Harold helped them with their wraps. Zoe turned to look in the mirror one last time. All four of them were framed in the gilded mirror and Zoe was struck by their appearance. "Oh my God, I never thought about how this would look!" She exclaimed.
"How what looks Zoe?" Asked John in a bored manner. He'd already written off most of this evening and was focusing on the job rather than the company he was in. It was safer that way.
"Look at us! Look!" Four pairs of eyes looked in the mirror and they all saw it at the same time. They looked like Mutt and Jeff two times over. Zoe was standing by Finch, her date. She was a good five to six inches taller than he was. Reese, standing by Elise was at least ten inches taller than she was.
"Well this is definitely NOT going to work, we want to fit in, not stand out!" Zoe said. "We'll just have to swap. Harold, you can be Elise's date and John you can be my date. At some point in the evening, you two can then meet up somewhere."
Reese helped Zoe into the limo and shut the door. Walking around to the other side, he glanced back at the other limo. Seeing Finch handing Elise into the backseat bothered him for some reason. Finch looked up and saw John looking his way. He paused for a moment to see if John wanted to say anything, but Reese just frowned, shook his head and turned away to get into the limo. Frowning to himself, Finch looked confused but then shook his head and got into his own limo.
After Reese got in and shut the door, Zoe slid over next to him, even though there was plenty of room for the two of them. She snuggled up close to John until she was touching him knee to knee, thigh to thigh, hip to hip and shoulder to shoulder.
This was the closest she'd ever been to John since she'd kissed him a couple of months ago as she slipped him the paperclip he later used to get out of his handcuffs. That kiss put a whole new perspective on just who John Reese was and what he might mean to her. Her respect for her 'driver' changed and she'd been interested in him ever since.
Being a little preoccupied wondering what Elise and Finch were talking about, Reese initially didn't hear Zoe's question. Zoe, wanting his full attention on her, placed her hand on his left knee and squeezed gently,
"I said, tonight we can have some fun while we work. Perhaps we can dance or stroll through the gardens a little before dinner." Snaking her arm under his she hugged it to her and asked, "You do plan to eat before you do your 'stealthy' thing don't you?"
"What? Uh yes, I thought I could slip away when they auction actually starts. Did Finch give you some money to 'play' with?' Reese said with a smile. He did enjoy Zoe's company and she certainly was a pleasure to look at. The dark red dress brought out the dark red in her hair. He was old fashioned enough to prefer his women with long hair, especially when they wore it down. Looking at Zoe's dark auburn hair, his mind drifted back to the silky black tendrils that graced another's neck. Shaking himself out of his reverie, John sat up straighter and pulled away from Zoe.
Feeling like she was being pushed out of a conversation she wasn't even a part of, Zoe pouted for a moment. Then she realized this was a perfect opportunity to find out what was going on, or not going on, between Elise and John.
"Speaking of going stealthy, have you and Elise discussed how you will proceed once you get to the second floor?" asked Zoe, sitting back and watching John very closely. She wanted to see how he reacted to talking about Elise.
"No, we didn't get a chance to discuss it in any detail. I have no idea when she plans to try and get away. Hopefully during the auction like me." he mumbled.
"You two certainly don't seem to get along very well. It seems you're always arguing over the smallest things! And what happened the other night at the warehouse? She absolutely refuses to discuss anything about that night. She gets even more stubborn than usual, if that's possible, and clams up tight. Did something happen? Did either of you get discovered, have to fight your way out or worse, kill someone?"
Zoe's question caught Reese by surprise. He leaned back in the seat and paused for a moment to collect his thoughts. Turning to look at Zoe he said, "She didn't tell you what happened? She told you nothing?"
HIs memory came back to him in sharp focus...a naked, unconscious Elise in his arms before he covered her up with his coat.
Sighing, Zoe said, "Not a word. The more I questioned her, the madder she got. When she gets that look in her eyes and they actually get darker blue, well I've learned to back off. So I thought I could ask you. The two of you have to work together and you certainly can't do that if you hate each other. That will cause problems with the kind of work you do. What happened? Is it something I should know or something I can help with?"
Looking out the window of the limo, Reese realized they were almost there. Glancing back to Zoe all he said was "I don't hate Elise at all; she's VERY irritating, but I don't hate her. I think you need to get Elise to tell you what happened. She may have valid reasons she hasn't told you yet. It's not my place to say."
John's non-answer did not sit well with Zoe. She was very good at getting people to talk, to divulge things without even knowing it. But John Reese stopped her at every turn. He put the skids on almost any leading question she had asked or any point she tried to argue. She was good at what she did but John Reese was better. As John opened her door and held his hand out to her, Zoe frowned for a moment but decided that having a good time with John was infinitely more enjoyable than trying to pry information out of him. Damn if she was going to miss this golden opportunity to be seen with the handsomest man at the gala!
As Finch shut the door of the limo and walked around to the other side, Elise felt the all too familiar panic attack beginning. The sides of the spacious limo seemed to shrink, the roaring in her ears was becoming deafening, her heart rate almost doubled and she found herself gasping for air…she could almost hear Patrick's laugh. This whole night was too soon after her talk with Zoe!
The moment Finch opened the door to get in, her downward spiral stopped. The chain of events blurred into a distant memory. Getting into the limo and shutting the door, Finch looked over at Elise and was alarmed by the wildness he saw in her eyes. Reaching out, but not quite touching her, Finch whispered "Miss Tate? Miss Tate? Are you ok? Is somethi…"
Before he could finish his sentence Elise turned and looked at him. He wasn't sure she actually saw him but she grabbed his hand and held on tight. He watched as she came back to herself slowly and exhaled. She looked down and realized she that she had a death grip on his hand.
"Oh, oh, I am so sorry Mr. Finch! Did I hurt you? Please say I didn't hurt you….I'm so sorry" She began rubbing his hand to try and massage away any pain.
Finch just used his other hand to gently pat hers and told her 'I'm quite fine, Miss Tate, I'm not as delicate as I appear…kind of like you." He said with a smile.
Elise looked Finch in the eye and saw ….a friend. Someone who cared about her but wanted nothing from her. Someone she could actually trust. Smiling, she gently squeezed his hand. Looking out the window, she worked hard at trying to bring back the calm she had just moments ago, before getting into the limo. Finch saw the inward look to her eyes and knew she was reliving an obviously painful memory. Once again he was impressed with the control she seem to exhibit when under stress. There was much more to Miss Tate than met the eye.
"Please, Mr. Finch, call me Elise." Elise told him, blinking her eyes and returning to the present.
"Thank you, Elise. And, please, call me Harold." They both exchanged smiles and the sat back in the limo, each occupied with their own thoughts.