AN: It's been a while, I know. But... update :) Also, can I mention how much fun it was to write that 'wake-up' scene? :)
It might interest you to hear that I managed to somehow find a storyline moving foward. Or rather... the endgame of this. I hope the wait for an update was worth it...
They say "three times is the charm", but when I comes to Carlos Manoso stepping into my life, in not sure I'd agree. I didn't need the headaches his existence caused me since I knew with each meeting, he'd potentially be one step closer in finding things he could arrest me for. I was careful in everything I did, but even the most careful laid out plans had one or two weak areas. And it was only a matter of time for him to find one. Or a person he could turn. So, before he could actually capture me, I needed to make sure to eliminate his presence as much as possible. Turns out, easier said than done.
Not even two days after running into him at the restaurant, we met again. At a fundraiser one acquaintance or another talked me into attending. It isn't like I minded. Fundraisers were a good way of keeping up appearances and also making a contribution to places that were in general need of financial support, but the timing could have been better to be honest. I knew turning up by myself would be annoying enough, mainly because everyone and their mother would feel the need to talk to me about everything and nothing. And if there was anything I hated more than people snooping around my business, it was attention. But it came with the name and the fact that I was rich and therefore everyone's darling, because money meant fundraisers and election campaigns. And my number seemed to be the first everyone called these days. So, I found my little black book and called the number I called when I needed a companion for an event.
Technically I had a variety of men I could call, depending on who was currently in my life. And with life I mean, who I was sleeping with. And that was pretty much all it was to me: sex. I didn't have any illusions in regards to partners or relationships, mainly because it was hard finding a guy who was okay with my profession and didn't sell me out to an enemy or the authorities. Not that I blamed anyone. I'm certain would I be a good girl, I'd probably have issues as well. So, a guy for the night was all I could afford. I was pretty clear on my point right from the start and surprisingly few people had issues of there not ever being a future. We had sex, went very occasionally on a dinner date or held loose contract until one of us would call it quits. You want to call that a relationship? Go ahead. I usually went after the same type of guy: the one who got easily blinded by beauty and money and usually didn't ask too many questions - of the business or personal variety.
Curtis was as American as you could be and all that was missing to complete the image was a Stetson. I can't even remember how we met, but for a few months now he had been the one I called for events like the one I was about to walk into. He looked good in a tux, good on the front page and even better on paper. Overall, we might have had a total of three conversions during which neither of us lied or he actually showed a real interest. He was stable enough to be a stable part of my life and absent enough to not have me worried about expectations on his side. All in all, a perfect combination. The sex was... mediocre to be honest. But, with the list of requirements I had for a guy to be able to share my bed, I had to make amends somewhere. In the end I guess it was better than no sex, wasn't it?
"Stephanie," I heard my name almost the second I walked into the venue. Turning towards where the sound came from, I wasn't too surprised to see the Mayor of Trenton. "How good to see you," he exclaimed a second later when I was close to him. A moment after that I was pulled into one of these swanky kiss left, kiss right things. Funny how certain people never paid too much attention to any rumours surrounding my persona despite the fact that I assumed the mayor was first in line wherever something new came up that required possible dealing with. But then again, I was a generous donor to his re-election campaign and he figured as long as there was no real evidence why bother? "I'm surprised to see you, dear. Someone mentioned you had been out of the country."
"Me? Hardly. I'm too busy with my business to take a vacation. And my business barely takes me outside the state let alone the country," I smiled and saw him nod and smile. No need for me to debate that most of my foreign dealings usually found their way to me instead of the other way around.
"How are things business-wise? Few people mentioned trouble on their end, seeing that demand doesn't seem to cover supply and therefore they are thinking about closing a few branches. I believe it was Compton who mentioned something like that to me. Hope you won't have to suffer the same issue."
"Not really," I replied almost bored. It seemed whenever I was showing up at an event and running into the Mayor or the Chief Commissioner or other people, they always asked the same questions. "As a matter of fact, I seem to have one of my most successful years yet."
Judging by the expression on his face, he was not expecting that answer and had rather assumed I'd be in similar muddy waters as that Compton guy was. Little did the mayor know that while I was telling the truth about this being my most successful year yet, it wasn't referring to my restaurant-enterprise but rather my 'side-business'. I didn't see any reason in correcting that mistake in his thought process. He was well aware of my activities, as a matter of fact, he was the reason I actually got away with so much. But it wasn't like I needed to tell him everything that was going on. He also didn't care as such. The mayor as well as the Commissioner operated under the idea the less they knew, the more they could deny involvement if it ever came to it.
"Remind me then to considered selling you several tickets to my election campaign fundraiser," he joked with a smile that usually made me want to kick his shine.
The mayor was a puppet on strings for me most day, that did what I wanted it to do. Money of course was playing a big part in his willingness, but it wasn't all or the most pressing reason. I made it a habit to collect as much information on people that could potentially become a problem and make sure that when things shifted in regards to their loyalty, I would never lose the upper hand. I had some much stuff on the good mayor that I could bury him alive with it and ruin him for generations to come. Whether he was actually aware of it I wasn't entirely sure about, but I let slip a few details every once in a while, when he started to annoy me too much. On most days I barely tolerated him and the only reason I played along with his society-crap and posing for pictures for all the right papers and magazines was that it did help with my standing in the community as well as free press. And that I of course needed him on my side for all the things I did. Though, there were days when I wondered whether it wouldn't be easier for me to find some other candidate and make him mayor, conditioning him to only keep up the bare minimum of contact. I was too busy for playing social butterfly and everyone's darling. It of course helped sell an image and steer people away from looking too long at me and my activities, but it was annoying. I wasn't the girl that needed that attention or craved it and preferred to stay background as much as possible. Of course, our dear mayor did not get that memo.
"I've never been to an election campaign," my companion all of a sudden brought himself into the conversation and I wasn't sure whether it had been the best or worst time he could have done so.
"It's just… a lot of handshaking," I tried explaining. "Nothing too exciting."
"Nevertheless, you are more than welcome to join us, if your pockets are deep enough," the mayor replied unabashedly and I wondered whether he had an extra portion of stupid this morning. I gave him points for getting right to the points, but a remark like that usually left a sour aftertaste as well as a certain awkwardness for the people addressed.
"He most likely won't be in or around Jersey," I just offered and ignored the question how I could know this since not even a date had been published. I would make sure he wasn't around. As much as I relied on my companions when it came to outings like this as well as keeping the question of people in regards to boyfriends at bay, I also didn't need them around election venues and making friends or connections that could become tricky at some point in the future.
Curtis must have gotten my drift and seemed to remember his place in a way since he all of a sudden waved the mayor off. "I have quite a large business that keeps me away from the people I'd like to spend more time with. So, chances that Stephanie is right are pretty good."
"Well, I'm certain you have plenty of friends who you could bring," the mayor replied and I wanted to roll my eyes. Just let it go, for Christ's sake!
"I do, but they aren't really into political fundraisers," I offered. As a matter of fact, they actually all were rather political, just… in other parts of the world. And I was almost certain that the mayor had no interest in meeting the heads of some of the most ruthless drug cartels South America and Central Asia had to offer.
"Shame," he simply said and I thought I finally had put a stop to this conversation, when he offered an option that could only be described as madness. "But I can also make a suggestion and offer you a friend. Like one of the most respectable men, I know – also the scariest, who just happens to walk our way."
Turning around it took me a moment to realize who he was talking about. And then my eyes settled on Carlos Manoso. Crap!
"Manoso, let me introduce you to a friend of mine," the mayor started of before I could even think about an excuse to get away. I did not need the mayor and Manoso.
"Ms. Plum," I heard his soft and deep voice recognizing me a second after the mayor had finished. I could see in his eyes that he was as surprised to see me as I was to see him. Quite odd if you thought about it, since it isn't unseen that I make the rounds and the event was catering to a rather broad crowd.
"You two know each other already?" the mayor asked surprised. Not that I really could blame him. We were operating on exact ends of the legal spectrum. Which confused me a second later. Yes, we were in exactly opposite directions. And the mayor had to know, since he would have had heard about some agency or another going after me. At least, he had in the past and whenever one of the alphabets thought they stood a chance and went for my head, it had been him who had warned me off.
"Our paths crossed, yes," I simply said, taking a sip from my wine glass. "Curtis, I believe you are the only one who hasn't met him," I turned towards my companion. Seeing as this group only consisted of the mayor, me and Curtis as well as Manoso it stood to chance that Manoso would have picked up on Curtis by himself. "He's in … law enforcement."
"Oh, how exciting. How come you know all these exciting people, pumpkin?" he asked and it took my training at remaining neutral when he called me by a nickname.
"Comes with the job, I guess," I just said and looked at Manoso just to see he had been able to somehow read between the lines. But then, being called pumpkin left very few options about possible relations.
I could see it in his eyes the second my words registered. You can do better.
And yes, I know and I can, well, could, but with my issues and the complications my life offered, it wasn't possible to get what I deserved. As mentioned before, very few people would be okay with my profession (the illegal one) so I took what I could.
A server passed us and I deposited my empty glass and took a new one from his tray. I had a feeling this evening could only be survived on plenty of alcohol.
Ten minutes into whatever plain and boring conversation we had going on we were joined by the Commissioner as well as some people who looked important but who I had never seen before. They all seemed to know Manoso rather well, which left me feeling a little uneasy and with an even bigger urge to get away. But every time I actually came up with a plausible excuse someone stopped me by starting yet another conversation that seemed impossible to get out of.
"How about a dance?" I heard Carlos Manoso next to me ask and I already wondered what woman ended up on his radar. Imagine my surprise when it turned out that the question had been directed at me.
"Ex-cuse me?" I asked confused, looking around to make sure I wasn't mistaken.
"You do dance, don't you?" he asked ever so innocently. And where exactly was my companion when you needed him?
"He's at the bar for… no idea for what," he whispered into my ear so that only I could hear him and a second later grabbed my hand and pulled me after him. Guess, he had answered his own question.
Somehow at the rate this evening was going I had expected some slow, lovey-dovey tune to be played when Carlos Manoso had dragged me successfully towards the dancefloor but … it wasn't. It was some of the usual stuff they play at events like these, something with a bit tempo and rhythm to get people moving and dancing. Looking around the space, they failed spectacular, seeing that with us there were only two or maybe three more duos. While the people around us seemed like they definitely knew each other, I was in a situation where Manoso and me had to figure out each other as well as our footing. Which took surprisingly very little time. Within moments he had me swirling and doing the whole Sharad and I had to admit he wasn't a bad dancer. But than again, his file had suggested he had was of Cuban heritage, so… maybe there was some truth to the stereotype of Latinos and them being good dancers – among other things.
Within four or maybe five moments for us to be actually in complete sync, which was odd to say the least. He seemed as surprised as I was but didn't say a thing and together, we continued our dance. Until the music and rhythm changed into something quicker and more upbeat. All of a sudden, I found myself pulled in, his arms tightly wrapped around me and him leading me into our next dancing adventure.
The odd thing was how natural and somehow also good it felt when I let him take the lead. Usually, I was always the one in control and leading, but was somehow very agreeable with him turning the tables. Carlos Manoso also didn't strike me as someone who'd simply roll over when I would take over. No, he seemed like a guy who also was used to being in control and leading. Faced with my unwillingness to just back down (normally) this would have been a rather toxic issue under normal circumstances, but weirdly enough… we made it work. But than again, we were talking about a tango and not peace negotiations or business deals with a high dollar amount at stake. My ego would survive.
"So, tell me, Stephanie Plum, how is it that someone like you – beautiful, successful, smart – is dating a guy like Mr. America over there?" I heard him ask and felt his hot breath tickling the shell of my ear.
"Love at first sight," I offered without much emotion or feeling. It had been a reliable answer over the past months because, as weird as it may seem, Manoso wasn't the first person to ever ask me that question. Though, previous people had asked more subtle.
"They way you two are with each other, this has nothing to do with love. Admit it, he's a patsy for you to seem… normal. I'll dig it up eventually anyway."
"Your obsession with me, my life and the people in it starts worrying me, dear," I said calmly and with a voice as sweet as sugar.
"My obsession with you has a neat Million Dollars attached to it. So, my motivation isn't you in general, but rather the money I can make of you."
I've had hitmen after me, contract killers sent from the competition and who never succeeded, as well as obviously other guys sent from various agencies. And no one had ever actually managed to name a number in regards of how much I was worth to whoever had sent them after me. So, hearing Manoso telling me that the DEA seemingly was willing to pay him a million was… strangely enough good for my ego. But than again, didn't they pay similar amounts for terrorists and the FBI's Most Wanted? So, maybe not so good for my ego?
"And now I feel so used," I said, joking about his information and heard him snicker a moment later. "But I guess for collecting that money, you'll have to catch me first and make any of these wild accusations stick."
"I'd say, judging your current position, I'm doing quiet well in regards to catching you. And I didn't even to lay as much as a trap," he smiled at me and I didn't like what his quick smile my way was doing to me. Things I hadn't actually felt it a long time and had also buried deep, deep down. But than again, he was attractive and looked like someone who knew how to have a good time in the bedroom. It was no crime admitting that and that realisation didn't mean I'd automatically roll over, belly up, waiting for a scratch. Due to my work, I crossed paths with plenty of attractive men, but none of them ever made it anywhere. After all, admiring beauty didn't result in anything. It is when you started acting on it when things became tricky.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, Mr Manoso, but all we are currently doing is dancing the tango. I hate bursting your bubble, but that is neither a trap nor any indication you actually caught me. And the way you dragged me out here, it isn't like I had a lot of options in regards to voicing any disagreement."
"Judging by your movements and how you press yourself against me, or how your legs move and wrap themselves around me, I don't seem to see a lot of disagreement to begin with," he just smiled, before he dipped me dramatically and pulled me tightly up against him a second later, his hand travelling suggestively down my back, over my hips and stopping just below my ass, providing me with a little lift, so that I could wrap my right leg once more around his midsection. Yes, I really didn't put up much of a fight, but it had been a while since I actually had as much fun as I was currently having and had a somewhat decent partner to tango with.
We shimmied, tangoed and danced our way across the dancefloor, including all the drama and legwork you would expect from a tango and only at the end when the music stopped did both of us realize we had by now been the only one's dancing, with everyone else around just watching us almost in awe and starting clapping when we came to an end. Guess we really had been as good as it had felt. In a lot of ways as well.
People were still clapping when I decided to take that as my cue and get away from once. I made my way towards doors that I knew led outside and grabbed a glass of champagne from one of the trays I passed on my way there, letting out a deep and long breathe once I actually felt the cold air hit me.
All that swirling, dipping and being pressed tightly against a rather impressive body left me slightly warm. It isn't like I really blamed myself, seeing that Manoso was an attractive guy and as a woman I wasn't as immune to him as I would have liked to be. I made it my priority to never be guided by emotions or feelings, because in all fairness, you couldn't make it to where I was today if you let emotions get the best of you. And so far, I had been rather successful in shielding myself to any of them, but for the first time in a long time I felt my façade slightly crumble. Great, and it of course had to be the guy who was after me. I'm certain psychologists had a name for that. Like Oedipus or… whatever.
I had drowned my champagne without even really realizing it and when I went for another sip and noticed my glass empty, I realized that maybe it was time to go. Maybe another round to not seem like I was in a rush and then I'd slowly start my retreat. I only had to avoid the mayor and Manoso to not end up in some other lengthy debate about… nothing I actually cared about. Or another tango.
I placed my empty glass on a tray and exchanged it with another full one, searching for a group of people to join a second later. I ended up with an art collector who couldn't talk about anything than his art collection or that he exhibited some artist I had never ever heard about starting next week. Of course, I was invited – which wasn't due to my waste knowledge about at, which I had to some degree, but rather due to the money they probably hoped getting from me when I bought something. I did need a new piece for one of my restaurants, so maybe… if it wasn't some art nouveau I might actually go. Or send my assistant. On that note, time to go….
~.~.~.~.~ CSCSCSCS ~.~.~.~.~
Letting out a groan, the first thing I realized was that my head hurt like hell. And that the rest of me wasn't feeling much better. Had been a while since I had woken up hungover. Though, judging by the amount of wine and champagne I had consumed last night, it shouldn't really come as a surprise. And maybe I really should have left a lot sooner, damn the consequences of raised eyebrows and questions I had no need to answer. But… regardless how much I tried to fight it, I was a Burg-girl and while I had managed to lose a lot of the ridiculous stipulations my parents and the entire Burg had managed to force onto me, manners were something that was hard to get rid of. Also, I always figured a certain number of manners should always be displayed, otherwise this already doomed world would go down even quicker.
Turning slightly around, I realized I wasn't by myself and let out a groan once again. Guess Curtis had managed to sweettalk his way into my bed last night. Though, I hadn't seen him for most of the night – at least the part I could remember – I guess our paths crossed again at some point and hadn't just left.
I turned further to actually face him just to realize that the guy laying in bed next to me was not Curtis. I was looking at Carlos freaking Manoso and … WTF? How drunk had I been last night? Unless I wasn't as drunk as you'd get naturally when consuming too much alcohol…
"Did you drug me?" I asked in a shocked, surprised and rather loud voice, not even caring whether he was awake yet or not. Because I was about to raise hell. It was one thing to have that cat-and-mouse thing going on, but an entirely to lower yourself into… drugging your opponent just to get results. And getting them quickly. I know generally speaking was I the last person to make any sort of judgement in regards to…anything. And while I had managed to do some rather questionable things during my career, most of them were harmless – or conducted by people who didn't give me all the gory details and I didn't ask too many questions. Things were my request in regards to handling an issue were made broad enough to leave a huge leeway and options how to get it done.
Back to my bed-sharing companion, who was actually looking offended my way. Guess he had been awake then.
"What? No," he replied, sounding as offended as he looked. "If that is your first idea that hit you, I wonder what kind of experience you had with… men."
"Not the best," I answered, though I had only meant for that to be my thoughts.
"Clearly," he simply said. "In all fairness, you actually came onto me."
"Why?" I asked incredulous. There was no way I would. He could complicate my life to the max, so I knew staying as far as possible away from him was crucial.
"I don't know," he simply shrugged. "But maybe Cliff or Colin or whatever his name is doesn't get the job done properly."
"So, you took your delusion as an invite to take advantage of me? Because consent an all…"
"First of all, you were not that drunk. But you are right, normally I'd drop you off somewhere or park you on the couch while you sober up, but you were very into the moment and at some point, I'm just a guy and my restraint only goes that far. It might come to you as a shock, but you are rather attractive, crazy and psycho, but attractive. And you can be annoyingly persistent, up to a point where somehow, I knew we would end like this come morning but somehow didn't care as such. Big mistake as it turns out…."
While I looked at him incredulous, it was only now that I also realized that we were not at my place. Or a place I could claim knowledge of. "Where are we?" I finally asked, choosing to ignore his statement and pulling up the sheet until it was reaching my chin when I also realized I was as naked as the day I was born. That might answer then what we had been up to last night. Not that I had wondered about that question too hard.
"One of my houses," he just answered calmly. "I had debated for a moment whether to get you back to your place, but judging by your reaction in regards to whether I drugged you, I can only imagine how well the inquisition would have gone had we woken up in your bed instead of mine."
I shifted in my current position, moving up the bed a little until my back rested against the headboard. I noticed all our clothes littered all over the floor of the bedroom, with my dress furthest away from me, draped more or less over the threshold between bedroom and whatever was out there. One thing I however didn't see was my purse. Which meant…
"You went through my purse!" I accused him, being back to my sentiment of raising hell.
"You mean the one that has the size of my palm? A size I imagine holds all sorts of compromising evidence, seeing how much it can hold," he answered and the note of sarcasm in his voice wasn't lost on me. He let out a long sigh before he continued. "While I get your… accusation and suspicion, I usually don't make it a habit to simply seduce the people I go after. Mainly because they are most often male, but… anyway. I myself wasn't as sober as I maybe should have been last night and things just went a direction neither of us expected or had intended."
"Why is that you make it sound as if that is as bad for you as it is for me? God knows what you did last night. For all I know you could have cuffed me to the headboard and questioned me while holding off on getting me off."
"I might have done just that," he said and looked for a second like he was relieving a very memorable event. I guess that made one person who seemed to at least know what happened last night. "Though not to get any information on you, but rather to hear you beg." The more or less chauvinistic smile he threw me at the end of that statement made me want to hit him. Hard.
"You are a pig," I more or less spat, holding on to the sheet that was covering my body and got up, making my way towards my dress and picking it up from the floor.
"That is not what you called me a few hours ago," he simply said, looking slightly smug, and I wanted to hit him once more. I knew it had been a bad decision to actually drink all that alcohol last night, but in all fairness, it seemed the easiest and somehow also best way to endure all these idiotic men. "Also," Manoso went on after a few moments. "It is bad for me. It doesn't help when I catch you and the news breaks that I slept with you. That usually had a very sour aftertaste to it and gives prosecution a lot to go after and get you off easily. No pun intended."
I grabbed my dress forcefully, wheezed annoyed and dropped my sheet, no longer caring about decency. Why had I cared about that to begin with anyway? I pulled my dress over my head angrily and went in search for my shoes as well as my purse a second later. Retrieving my phone from my purse, I sent my driver my location and ordered him her for a pickup ASAP if he wanted to still be employed tomorrow.
I slammed the door with as much force as I had when I left and didn't care that my departure was anything but gracious. Because …Fuck, had my life just become a million times more complicated?
FUCK!