"Mouse?! That is an odd nick name? How did you get it?"
My attempt to steer the conversation in a different direction failed. Mouse's eyes narrowed.
"I'll tell and show you how I got it, if, and only if you answer some of my questions about your...um...condition."
I had to laugh. I had never thought of my curse as a condition. She seemed pleased to make me laugh. I had already put so many people in danger with my secret I wasn't about to pull someone else down with me. I didn't even want Alex to know.
"How about I ask you questions and at the end of them all, I might answer some of the questions you have?"
Mouse raised an eye brow and sighed. She did not look happy about the counter proposal. She started to stare at me as if to make me change my mind. "Ugh! Fine, I guess I should have guessed that you would go all "top secret" on me." She pushed away from the counter. "Come on." She tugged on the sleeve of my jacket.
I followed her down the hall and noticed three closed doors. She opened the one closest to us. It felt colder than the other rooms I had been in. She flipped on the light and in the middle of the room was computer set up that could rival any federal undercover set up. Against the wall were multiple large flat screens and surround sound speaker system. As I turned to look at Mouse I noticed she was looking up at me with a smirk on her face.
"What is this place?!"
"You like? Its my TechCave. I love computers, technology, and building things. This is where I can do all that and not have to worry about the damage I might inflict on the apartment." She finished as she pointed at the right wall. Which was sporting a foot wide hole. She shook her head,"Don't ask. Needless to say some of my experiments don't always go as planned." Her nose scrunched up in disappointment.
She walked over to the computer set up and grabbed something from the top of the desk. She put it behind her back and walked toward me with a smile on her face. She stopped in front of me and brought her right hand forward. Lying in her palm was a pink cordless Mouse. I could feel my brows pull together.
"This is how I got my nick name." She said matter of factly. I picked up the mouse from her hand and noticed that it looked well used. "It was a gift from my Mom before I left for college. I carried it around with me everywhere. It was my little good luck charm. When I got into my computer engineering courses a bunch of the guys called me Pinky or Mousey to pick on me. Not a lot of girls go into engineering or tech courses. So guys don't really take you seriously. However," Her face got a little smug, " after I kicked all their asses in the first midterm they left me alone. Some of them actually hug out with me, became my friends and started to call me Mouse."
"So, where did you go to college?" I asked as I handed back her treasure.
"M.I.T" she said nonchalantly and headed back to the desk.
I blinked. "You graduated from M.I.T! What, are you crazy mad scientist smart?" I said joking around with her.
"Well kind of." I laughed. She turned around to face me with her right eye brow raised. "You don't believe me. I'm good. No. I'm great! I can hack into any system in the world and walk away undetected. I can show you if you want?"
She sat down in the black leather chair and put on a head set that looked home made. And I guessed that it was one of her inventions that didn't go wrong. "You pick a place and I can give you eyes." She said as her hands flew across the key board.
"Any place?" I asked as I looked at the computer screen that had a bunch of numbers running down the screen. "You name it I can hack it."
It was a risk but Catherine hadn't spoken to me in a week and when I went by her place she wasn't there or already asleep. So not really thinking I named Catherine's precinct. Mouse didn't ask questions. Her hands worked so fast and gracefully across the key board. Suddenly the two monitors in front of her lit up with images. She then spoke into her mouth peace, " On." Two flat screens flashed on and she was able to transfer the images to the screens with a flick of the pink mouse.
She folded her hands across her chest and looked up at me. "Local police stations are really easy. You could have picked the Pentagon or the White House."
I wasn't paying attention to anything that she was saying because on the left screen in the middle camera feed I saw her. Catherine was at her desk filling out some type of paperwork. My heart felt heavy. I moved closer not thinking, taking in her face, she was frowning down at her paper. Was she upset over a case? Something in me wanted reach across the distance and grab her shoulder. I wanted to ask her what was wrong. But she probably wouldn't talk to me. Which made my chest tight.
"Whose she?" Mouse had come up behind me and was now staring at Catherine. "She's Hot! You know, for a cop!" I looked back at Mouse and I am not sure what was displayed on my face but she put up her hands. "Right, I forgot. No questions." She walked back to the chair. I looked back at Catherine for a moment and then my phone rang. I looked down and saw Alex's number.
I put up a finger. Signaling to Mouse I was going to need a minute. She just nodded and started typing again. I pick up. "Alex." I step out into the hall and headed towards the kitchen.
"Vincent. Are you coming over tonight? I got a movie its a comedy. We can stay in eat popcorn..."
"Alex, I'm going to have to take a rain check." Silence was all that came across the end of the line.
"Are you with Catherine?" She ask wearily.
"No. I am with a new friend. I can't get away right now but how about tomorrow?" She was jealous I could hear it and even feel it. I had handled situation with Alex and Catherine so badly. It would serve me right if both of them stopped talking to me. However, there was a part of me, a very selfish part, that hoped Alex wouldn't leave my life.
"Ok." Alex said "Talk to you tomorrow?" She was looking for reassurance.
"You can count on it." I hung up and turned to find Mouse behind me with her headset still on.
"Wow! You are totally living the superhero life!" She said with her arms crossed and her lips pulled up in a half smile.
"What?"
"You are caught between two women and you like them both. Cop lady Catherine and Alex. And I bet they are both in love with you. Aren't they? Vincent."
I was shocked. "How do you know?"
She tapped her head set. "I picked up your conversation. I told you I was great."
I swallowed. "Don't worry. I am not going to tell anyone. I mean, I've hacked into so many systems I could be in prison right now. So please don't worry."
I relaxed my shoulders and sat down on the kitchen bar stool. "I trust you. I just was trying to save you from my secret life and all the dangers that came with it."
"So, you going to tell me about your woman troubles?" She said wiggling her eye brows up and down. "I do like drama. Especially when it's not my drama." She headed to the fridge and pulled out two beers. She sat on the stool beside me and waited for my story calmly.