Now
Alec and Max had two weeks to prepare for the Eilers mission, which apparently was fine for Alec, but difficult for Max. She could concentrate on some of her studies and continue her training, but really, she could hardly wait to be Edward Bruneau's fiancée again... maybe they'd get a little more action this time around. It was easy to justify when their cover identities were so intertwined.
Alec brought her to the boxing ring a few times each week to train. She asked if this was a skill she'd need for one of the future ops, and he'd nodded and explained only that once she was proficient, there was an important job that required she go undercover as a boxer with him as her coach.
They used the speed rope and jumped side-by-side, boxed the heavy bag, and sparred with the training pads on in the ring, but Max's favorite were the drills with the speed bag; more specifically, watching Alec run drills with the speed bag. She liked the way he moved, the way his biceps contracted into hard muscle, the rhythms he created and controlled. And she felt thirsty when his sweat had to find alternate paths as his muscles jumped. He was a natural, and it showed.
"Maxie, you need a break," he asked, stilling the speed bag when he caught her staring.
"Huh? Oh, no, I'm okay." Smooth cover, Max.
"Alright, you just looked a little... dehydrated."
Did he purposely look right at her lips when he said that? She wasn't sure. But goddamn, the man was torturing her.
"Yeah, I guess I could use a water break." She grabbed her bottle and filled it up at the cooler.
Alec joined her a moment later. "So you ready to see the Eilers again?"
She sighed. "I don't know about the old guy, but Colleen is so incredibly fake, and I'm not just talking about her breasts. I feel like she's got me on Auto-Hate because I snagged you and that means she won't get a piece."
Giving a partial smile, Alec scoffed. "Maybe she's jealous of you for a different reason," he said.
This time, he did look down to her lips, she was sure of it. Those freckles sifted to the top of his cheeks again, which meant... oh my god, he's flirting!
"Like the fact that you're beautiful," he said openly.
She wasn't sure what to say - he hadn't really complimented her quite like that before. She remained pleasantly speechless, just looking into his eyes until the door to the gym banged shut, interrupting their moment. X5-841, Dani, walked in, went right to the speed ropes, and picked the one that corresponded to her height.
Alec didn't look up at Dani. He just took a drink from his water bottle and asked, "Ready to show me that south paw?"
The dinner was a semi-formal event, but a much more intimate one. The Congressman had invited three couples to join him and his wife at their estate, presumably all investors who might be interested in the weapons he purchased, weapons which had been shipped in a few days prior and were sitting in containers at the docks.
Wardrobe fitted Alec in a navy blue suit with a crisp white shirt, top two buttons undone, and a pair of shiny black oxfords. A slice of silver peeked out from the cuff of his sleeve, undoubtedly a platinum Rolex. His hair had been freshly cut and the sides shaved in a gradual fade. He looked clean cut and goddamn delicious, and when Max saw him, she had to steady herself by grabbing the stair railing on her way down to the main floor of the parking garage, where he was waiting for her, hand outstretched to help her down the last few steps.
"Thanks." Closer, she could smell his aftershave or cologne or whatever it was. There was no reason he should smell this good. It was illogical.
He held onto her hand a little longer than was strictly necessary and looked her over from the loose waves of her hair down to her silver strappy-heeled feet.
In addition to the heels, Max wore a navy blue tea-length wrap dress with a sharp v-cut neckline and the tie on the side, with simple but elegant jewelry, including a diamond studded bracelet with matching earrings, and diamond engagement ring that mirrored the earring with which he'd initially proposed.
When Alec did not say anything, Max asked sincerely, "is this okay?"
He smiled softly and gave a slight nod. "You look beautiful, Eva."
Max returned the gesture and, assuming they were both slipping into their roles, said, "So do you, Edward."
They passed by the BMWs, Lamborghinis, and Tesla SUVs and stopped at the Aston Martin Luxury Electric SUV. It was black chrome and elegant, and fit Edward Bruneau's persona perfectly. Alec opened the passenger's side door and offered his hand again. "Your chariot, my lady."
It was a sleek ride, and Alec had already loaded their bags for changing into their gear after dinner, when they planned to go to the harbor and intercept the weapons container. On the drive, they each put in their in-ear comms devices, and Alec explained that they would be able to hear one another if they got separated. He also asked after her garter, which held the disc Max was charged with placing in the Congressman's study to - what else? - copy his drive. Max simply lifted the hem of her dress until he saw the smooth material of it with the outline of the circular disc disappearing into the shadows between her thighs. He swallowed thickly.
Once they arrived at the mansion, Alec came around to open her door and help her out, then said simply, "let's get to work, Eva."
As the last couple to arrive, Alec and Max were shown to the dining room by the Eilers' butler, a short, balding man wearing a typical uniform, who had introduced himself as Mr. Kondogianis. At the dining table sat three other couples, including the Eilers. The men all stood to receive them, while the ladies remained seated.
The congressman sat at the head of the table, with his wife directly to his left. From there, a couple with dark hair and brown eyes sat next to her, the man dressed in a black suit, and the woman in a black and burgundy two piece dress. Max recognized them from somewhere but couldn't quite put her finger on it. To the congressman's right sat a couple Alec recognized from the gala - the Texan, Harold Walker and his wife, Libby.
"Edward, glad you could make it," said the congressman, shaking Alec's hand and turning to Max. "And Eva, you look radiant. Congratulations on your engagement."
Alec slipped his hand to the small of her back and leaned toward her.
"Thank you, congressman," she said politely.
"Please, call me Teddy," he said with a quasi-suggestive smile.
Teddy? Eww! Max leaned into Alec and put her arm around him. "Thank you, Teddy."
"Let me introduce you," he offered, arm outstretched to the Texans. "Harold Walker of Texas and his wife Lizzy."
Harold looked like he'd once spent a great deal of time on a ranch. The weathered lines of his face put him at about forty, and his hands looked like they'd seen some work in his day. He wore dark jeans with cowboy boots, a white shirt under a black blazer with a turquoise bolo tie. The Texan laughed, motioning to his wife. "It's Libby, like Liberty Bell, which is her god given name." He shook Alec's hand and kissed Max's. "Nice to meet you both. Congrats on gettin' hitched soon."
"Nice to meet you, too," Alec said, then shook Libby's hand gently. "Beautiful name, Liberty Bell," he said.
She looked down to her baby blue sheath dress lined with yellow contrast stitching, and pushed her curly blonde hair over her shoulder. "Thank you sir. Nice to make your acquaintance, Eva."
The ladies also exchanged greetings before Eilers turned to the other couple. "And this is Roberto and Esmeralda Jimenez."
Again, the men shook hands over the table, but since the ladies were on the opposite sides of the tables, they just waved to one another. Their names sounded familiar to Max, too, but still, she couldn't place them. Alec pulled out the chair next to Harold and seated Max, then took his place at the foot of the table, putting him between Max and Esmeralda.
The wait staff immediately brought out French onion soup, and while everyone started in on it, Colleen watched Alec. "Now, Edward," came her voice over their polite small-talk. "Tell is how you and Eva met."
Seven pairs of eyes looked to Alec. He'd just taken a drink of water, and setting down his glass, he cleared his throat. "Eva is a buyer. We met at auction - actually, we were in a bidding war over some imported, uncut diamonds, the purest I've ever seen. I outbid her, but she came to see if she could acquire some for her client."
Everyone turned to Max and she continued the story. "My clients expect me to get top of the line products, so I had to see if Eddie would let me buy a few."
"So you deal in diamonds," asked Esmeralda, leaning in.
"Not just diamonds," Max went on. "Really anything. Art, cars, artifacts sometimes, rare books, jewelry. You name it, I've bought it at auction for my clients."
"'You name it'?" Asked Harold. His face lit up like it was a game. "How about a ship?"
Max nodded. "Picked up one of the lifeboats from the Titanic last year, and the year before that, I acquired one of the chairs from the Endeavor shuttle."
"Isn't that in a museum somewhere," asked Roberto.
"It was," answered Alec, smiling at his faux-fiancée.
The table of couples were putting it together: that she dealt with legal and illegal purchasing. It made them both kind of perfect for discussing the container of weapons.
"How about replica guns?" Roberto probed.
Nodding, Max looked over to Alec. "Eddie and I picked up a couple from the civil war era a few months ago, remember? When we visited that cute little town where they put origami towels on the bed?"
Hazel eyes poured into hers, almost as if he was undressing her with them. His fingers twitched atop the table. "I was a bit distracted," he answered, letting their hosts and other guests guess as to what or whom distracted him. He reached out for Max's hand and rubbed it with his thumb.
Colleen seethed from across the table. "How sweet," she said through a fake smile. "Work brought them together."
Max held his eye contact for a moment. If they did end up together by some twist of fate, then that would also be true for them.
"How about you, Roberto? How did you and your wife meet?" Max shifted the attention to the other couple.
Esmeralda sat up straighter. "We... met at a work event," she said. Roberto smiled at the memory. "He looked so handsome in uniform, and I had been working dispatch."
Max almost stood up as it suddenly hit her where she'd seen this couple before. Roberto was the chief of police in Seattle. She knew that because he was one of Cale's contacts. That meant that Cale had the chief of police in his pocket.
Her eyes widened only a fraction as she looked over to Alec to try to figure out how to tell him.
Harold then told the story of how he met Libby. It was a pretty cute one about how she had an ailing horse and had taken him to Harold's ranch for a little R and R, but ended up falling in love. Harold suggested some of his activities were less than legal, but did not outright say so.
And Colleen and Teddy rounded out the stories by adding their own. Max made a mental joke that Teddy must have gone to his grandson's kindergarten graduation and met his young teacher, but the reality was that she used to work at a different kind of ranch, and he'd paid out her contract and all of her family's debt, and she'd married him in return. The story they told, however, was that Teddy had been dragged under a current and nearly drowned, and Colleen, working as a lifeguard at the time, had given him mouth to mouth and saved his life. "The first of many mouth to mouths," Teddy said, rubbing his own bald head.
Ew. Max made sure not to let her face in on the disgust, but fuck, that was a mountain of a task.
The next course came out - carrot and beet salad, a Moroccan style dish with a sweet and tangy dressing. Max and Alec, maybe the only two people in the room who had ever been to Morocco, ate it with their right hand's first two fingers and thumb, as was culturally expected in the region. If anyone else noticed it, they didn't say anything.
"So, Harold, tell me you've heard the rumors about the weapons I've acquired," started the Congressman. "Is that something you could use in Texas?"
Harold's baby blue eyes lit up in excitement. "For sure we could use them at home," he answered. "Just not sure how many of 'em we'll need."
Libby smiled politely and passed him the butter for his rolls. "It would be great to have some kind of protection against all the critters and threats runnin' around out there."
Roberto piped up. "I was thinking the same thing," he tagged on. "Not that my guys aren't doing a good job of it. It would just be better if they didn't have to put their lives on the line so easily."
Alec leaned in to the table. "How much are we talkin', Teddy?"
The Congressman sat back in his seat, happy to have his proposition so well received. "Let's talk about pricing after dinner."
The main entree was filet mignon with a side of cilantro and lime compound butter, and herbed fingerlings. The transgenic duo ate little bits at a time, and by the end of the meal, the men were ready to adjourn to the smoking room for brandy and cigars (and shop talk), while the ladies retired to the solarium which led out to the extensive gardens, where they would take their after dinner tea.
Max hated separating from Alec, especially since she had new information she needed to tell him about the police chief, but they could each take care of themselves; plus, their comms devices would allow each other to hear what everyone was saying.
Which was a problem right away when Colleen, thinking the ladies were alone, blurted out, "Okay, Eva, how big is he?"
Max nearly spat out her tea. "Excuse me? I think I misheard you."
Colleen arched one well drawn-in brow. "How big is Eddie," she asked, not bothering to mince words. "He seems like he would have a big cock."
Max blushed, thankful Alec hadn't somehow found a way to record her on video.
"Oh my god," Libby said. "That big?"
She hadn't even said anything yet, but she was sure Alec probably thought she was making gestures or motioning how big she expected he truly was. After all, she'd kind of seen the suggestion of his penis that morning they woke up to the video of her masturbating. "Let's just say, I'm very lucky to have such a generous lover." She hoped they'd leave it at that.
"Teddy's dick is wrinkly and average, but I can fuck whoever I want as long as I keep it on the DL, and away from his political campaign." Colleen pulled a flask from the tray of teacups and took a long swig.
Fascinating, Max thought. Her sarcasm would have to live in her mind for now.
"How about you, Liberty Bell?"
Libby smiled nervously and pushed her hair behind her ear. "Harold is a kind man," she said shyly.
"Oh, Colleen, leave her alone," said Esmeralda. "No use in us comparing our husbands' dicks. They'll do that themselves."
Alec laughed on the other side of her comms, and it brought a smile to Max's face. "Yeah, I guess they will."
"Well, I'll tell you right now, Teddy's probably got the smallest dick, but the most power in that room." The congressman's wife teetered as she took another swig from the flask.
Jeez, Colleen was being awfully defensive. She was probably drunk already.
"Don't worry about them, honey," Esmeralda said to Libby.
"Oh, I'm not worried," the blonde responded. "I'm just eager to get my hands on those weapons. Do y'all know anything about them?"
In the smoking room, Teddy passed out cigars and Alec poured himself a brandy. Of course, Scotch was his drink of choice, but when in Rome...
"Roberto, how's business?" Harold swirled his brandy and bit the end of his cigar while waiting for the mustachioed man to respond.
"Muy bien," Roberto responded. "Just waiting for the price tag on these weapons so I can assure my guys we are all doing the best we can with the most up to date tech there is."
"I hear you, Roberto," Teddy said. "Just getting my bearings."
"Edward, your lady is a stone cold fox," Harold began. "I love my wife, but you let me know if you're ever thinkin' about a key swap party."
"Yes," Teddy sang. "She would make a fine addition to the club."
Licking his lips in aggravation, Alec smiled, though what he was really thinking echoed in his ear the second Max said it. "Can we kill him first?"
"Sorry, gentlemen, she only has eyes for me."
Alec had no idea exactly how true that statement really was.
"Excuse me for a moment," Teddy said. "Need to hit the head."
"They're swingers? All of them?"
He could imagine Max standing around, eyes wide with shock that these women were involved in swapping activities.
"Where are you," asked Alec, before clearing his throat and adding, "thinking about using these weapons? Everyone's been radio silent about it since the gala, and as you remember, I kinda had my hands full."
"The gardens. I took a walk when Colleen excused herself. Told them I had a little headache and needed some air."
"Probably more than yer hands," Harold said.
"I'm hoping to get ten so my guys don't have to keep getting shot up," Roberto seemed to brag. "How about you boys?"
Ten thousand sure would be a lot of weapons, Alec thought. For what they thought he did, Alec wondered how many of these weapons he should say he wanted.
"Alec, Libby's looking for me. Meet me in the study. I have to tell you - Hey, Libby... can you tell me where the bathroom is?"
Harold scratched his chin in thought. "Start with a couple, and if they work out, I'll see what we can do about expanding."
Expanding his ranch? Why would he need guns for that? Was he planning on a forced takeover? Libby made it sound like there were coyotes all around or something. What was he missing?
"You ever want to expand and cut me in, I'm there," Roberto said. He looked over to Alec. "How about you, Edward?"
The Congressman returned and Alec took that convenient moment to say, "Teddy. I need to drain the lizard. Hold that thought until I get back and we can talk about the price tag per."
Making his way out of the smoking room, he shut the door behind him and walked quietly down the hall toward the study. He'd already seen and memorized the mansion from a set of architectural prints in the dossier, so he knew just where to go. On the way, however, he noticed the slight whir of something electronic. Had to be a camera.
Fixing his face to one whose expression read 'Where the fuck is the bathroom, anyway?' he continued down the hall, peeking into a couple of rooms on the way to the study. Finally, he spotted Max on the threshold looking kind of worriedly around, walked straight to her, and bent to press his lips to hers.