Finally managed to finish this chapter. Note to self, never try to write while taking cold medicine haha
Bill Tanner stood in the doorway of Eve's office doing his very best not to laugh as he quietly watched her crane her neck around in an attempt to nonchalantly look in M's office
"What are you doing?" he whispered as he approached her desk
"Oh...Bill...Sorry I didn't see you standing there" she said with a slightly embarrassed look
"Apparently not" he replied with a grin "So what are you doing?"
"Shhh...Keep your voice down" she hissed
"I could be wrong but spying on the boss is generally not a good idea...especially when your boss is M"
"Are you busy right now?" she asked
"Not particularly...Why?"
"Come with me" she said as she headed toward the door
Bill followed Eve down the hall to the break room where she carefully shut the door behind them so they wouldn't be overheard.
"What's gotten in to you?" he asked curiously
"Have you noticed anything unusual about Bond and M today?" she asked
"Define unusual"
"He hasn't left her side for more than 5 minutes all day" she said
"What's so unusual about that? I know that they are working on a special project for Mr. Mallory and it has something to do with the business trip M is scheduled to be on starting tomorrow"
"All I know is there is an awful lot of whispering going on in there and I could almost swear at one point I saw James put his arm around M and give her a quick kiss" replied Eve sounding rather suspicious
"Eve, you certainly have an active imagination. Can you really see James putting his arm around M much less kissing her?"
"If you had asked me that yesterday I would have said no, but after seeing them together all day...I'm not so sure anymore" She said as she headed back to her office
James sat across from M busily texting away as M worked on the stack of files on her desk.
"James...It really isn't necessary for you to be with me every second while we are still in London" she said sounding a bit annoyed
"Oh I think it is" he said as he read and responded to the newest text on his phone
"Don't you have some packing to do?" she asked hoping he would get the hint
"It won't take long for me to pack" he said still concentrating on his phone
"What are you doing over there anyway?" she asked flatly
"Working on some insurance"
"What kind of insurance?"
"Well we can't use any of our own people because Mirrinov is sure to know who they are so I called in a favor from a friend" he replied looking up at her with a smile after he tapped in a few more words and hit send.
"So you think there is going to be trouble" she said quietly as she got up to go stand by the window looking out over the river.
"I didn't say that" he said as he rose to join her, putting his arms around her "I'm just not taking any chances is all"
"This isn't like you to be so organized and so full of contingency plans" she said turning to face him
"Well I don't usually have the boss along on a mission"
"I see, then maybe I should come along more often...It might save the department some money if I did" she said with a nervous laugh
"M...I want to make one thing perfectly clear to you and to Mallory before we leave" he said in all seriousness
"Oh and what is that?"
"I know that I'm supposed to be your escort, for lack of a better word, but I want this lunatic to be aware that I am you bodyguard as well"
"Well I would think that would be obvious...don't you?"
"No. This is a usual Mallory mission so it's full of holes. I want Mirrinov to understand loud and clear that you will NOT be alone with him for any reason."
"He isn't going to like that"
"I don't give a monkeys butt what he likes. He spent all the time alone with you he is ever going to 30 years ago..."
"But
what if he won't agree and takes matters into his own hands?"
"That's what the insurance is for" he said with a smile
"I don't suppose you would care to tell me just who this insurance is by any chance?"
"Later" he said looking at his watch "We have a final briefing with Mallory in an hour"
"Right" she said pulling away from him
"Look...after the briefing...we'll stop by my flat and pick up my gear and then well go to your place so you can pack, then we'll have a nice relaxing dinner and get some sleep so that we'll both be bright eyed and bushy tailed in the morning. How does that sound?"
"It sounds like you have this all planned out, but I don't see the need for you to stay with me tonight."
"Really...You don't?"
"Why?...What do you know?"
"I know that our little friend's report to Mirrinov will be extraordinarily boring if I go home instead of staying with you tonight" he said with a grin
"What little friend?"
"The one that's been following us for the last 24 hours"
"So that's why you haven't left my side."
"M...surly you knew you were being followed"
"Well the thought did occur to me when I came to your flat last night"
"And yet you came by yourself anyway instead of just calling"
"Well I knew he wouldn't be stupid enough to try something here in London, and you have to admit my coming to you does make this relationship more believable"
"So you orchestrated the whole argument last night..."
"No...That was real, but after you left I thought about it and we need him to believe that you really are more than just my bodyguard" she said quietly
"And am I?"
"I think you already know the answer to that" she said as she reached up to pull him down into a kiss to which he happily responded
"We should get going" he said as he released her
As James and M left her office she stopped by Eve's desk to drop off the files she had been working on , along with a list of tasks for her to complete while she was away.
"Is there a contact number in case I need to reach you?" asked Eve as she eyed James and M curiously
"You can try either of our mobiles and if that doesn't work you can phone Mr. Mallory, He will know how to contact me" she said rather matter of fact
"You haven't really said much about this trip...Is it business or pleasure?" Eve asked trying hard not to sound like she was prying
"Business...definitely business" replied James as he put his arm around M and escorted her out the door, brushing past Bill in the process
After James and M had left, Eve just sat at her desk with an "I told you so" sort of look on her face.
"What's up with them?" asked Bill
"That's what I was trying to tell you earlier" said Eve shaking her head
"Well whatever is going on...It must be big...Even I don't have security clearance for it" said Bill
"I just hope whatever it is they're careful"
"Well at least they are together. What could possibly go wrong?"
TO BE CONTINUED...