Weighing her duties as an actress in the limelight against being a member of a crime syndicate was not an easy task. For Vermouth, having two identities who were living in two different worlds was like walking a tightrope. One single wrong step, her life could come to an end.
Her day started having a talk with a producer regarding an offer to play a leading role in a motion picture. The meeting was crucial for her to continue being Chris Vineyard in the public eye. Since she was too preoccupied with her ventures in Japan, she had been rejecting her life as a star of the silver screen.
Their meeting had been smooth sailing and went completely as she wanted .On the contrary to this, departing the place was a big inconvenience. Due to the change of weather condition, Vermouth was forced to remain along with the others inside the tower building as directed by the authority regarding public's safety. In spite of the warning, people began to gather in the main foyer, and cars started to fill up the outside entrance causing a bottleneck.
It was risky and bothersome especially for someone as famous as her to be stuck in a crowded place.
Her bad day did not end there. As if to pile up more to her growing headache, her car broke down and there was no way in her damnation could she ever get away from that place immediately.
Damn was she pissed.
As her fingers itched to dial Gin's number, a familiar voice stole her attention away from the phone.
The man had his back on her but she could recognize his figure nevertheless.
Bourbon.
What a coincidence.
She thought of asking him instead but her desires were pleading it was Gin she craved. Her beloved Gin - the perfect match for an ultimate martini. Of course, she would not trade the opportunity of a night to tease him. Oh, how she loved getting on his nerves.
The thought evaporated real quickly when a woman approached the good looking dark skinned man. She took his arm and hold on to it affectionately. Vermouth found herself frowning at the sight.
Something inside her snapped. She was doomed any way she looked at things that day and then came someone who was enjoying life leisurely. Whether they were about to spend the night together or not she couldn't care less. There was that urgency in her blood prompting her to ruin their date night. She was nicknamed rotten apple, called a bitch by her coworkers, and not to mention several individuals referring her as Satan's mistress. She figured she might as well live up to those monikers.
Instead of Gin's, it was Bourbon's number she dialed. After the fourth ring, he picked up.
"I need you to come over here." The words came out urgent and without any trace of courtesy.
No beating around the bush.
There was a pause on the other line followed by a curious tone. "Did something happen?"
"I'm stuck here somewhere. I need a ride home." She spoke while her eyes never leaving the man's figure.
Bourbon moved closer to the woman beside him and whispered something before he stepped back and moved away.
When certain it was safe and afar from being heard he finally responded, "I don't think I could lend you a hand right now."
"My,aren't you being rude? You behaving ungentlemanly is disappointing me." From a distance, Vermouth continued to observe him carefully.
"Sorry but I'm actually working on something rather important at the moment. You should just call Gin or Calvados to pick you up instead."
"Oh yeah? Is it really that important, that thing your doing right now? 'Cause I can see it's not."
"Sorry?"
"Look around you"
He did what he was told to do. And when he found her, he hung up the phone. Bourbon gestured something she could not decipher. Vermouth furrowed her eyebrows and quirked the left one after. He smirked before he turned around again and approached the woman he was with. He guided her with his hands on her back and disappeared in the sea of people.
Oh, she did not want to point the gun, pull the trigger and send the bullet through his head for that action alone.
Did he just turn her down?
She sighed and waited. Her eyes were closed and arms were crossed.
She waited some more.
Minutes gone by before she heard steps coming her way. Then the sound of a man's voice was heard saying, "May I know what you're business in a place like this?I'm surprised you're not using a disguise this time. I thought you're maintaining a low profile."
"I had a rendezvous with a film producer. I've been away from the limelight longer than I intentionally planned. It's now seeking my attention."
It would take some time to wait in line for other cars to leave the building's driveway so the two had no choice but to walk in the rain on the way to Bourbon's car. It was pouring heavily accompanied by strong wind. They shared an umbrella enough to accommodate only one person, which made it impossible not to get soaked.
The look of exasperation was evident in her face as soon as they entered the car.
"Your umbrella contributed a lot to cover us from the rain."
"I didn't think I would ever share an umbrella with anyone. You have to forgive my unpreparedness in a situation like this. " He answered nonchalantly while buckling his seat belt.
She looked at his direction and uttered, "I guess that's fine. Anyways, what took you so long? I began to think you stood me up. " Her expression changed to a boringly blank, her usual look every time she talked to Bourbon.
"I had to make an excuse. I couldn't just ditch her right there without giving her the reason why."
"It was on me. It seems like my intrusion ruined your plan to spend the night together."
"It can't be helped. And besides there will always be a next time."
She nodded briefly while her eyes were closed.
Her suspicions were confirmed after all, the young man was getting laid if it wasn't for her sudden change of preference from Gin to Bourbon.
The young agent glanced at her as if reading her mind he spoke, "Please get your mind out of the gutter, it's making me uncomfortable."
She snorted and looked out the window, her cheek resting on her closed hand.
"She's vital to my investigation. In order to get close to and acquire the information that I need , I have to spend time with her."
His eyes flashed mischief and for a second she would not agree to his reasoning. The man was always even tempered and carefree and quite expressive that sometimes it annoyed her.
"It's none of my business, actually. And besides, I have zero interest in meddling with your affairs."
"Now, it looks like I made you misunderstand my words…"
Still looking outside the window she spoke, "It's good to have those kind of pleasures outside our work, truly, just to spice things up a little. Doing criminal acts tend to get boring sometimes and it's really tiring."
"Indeed, you're right. On another matter, we are about to be stuck in traffic. It looks like we're going to spend the night together instead. Our alone time will get its extension from the usual, isn't that nice?" Bourbon jabbed playfully.
How convenient.
She matched it with the same approach, "My, I didn't know you were looking forward to one"
"Of course I am. A chance of an evening with the famous actress, Chris Vineyard. Who would want to refuse such opportunity…..Or shall I say Sharon?"
She glowered at him suspiciously.
"Either an alter ego of which or simply a shadow of her former self, it hardly matters. For they are but two of hundreds of countenance collection you give life to through the art of disguise."
If looks could kill, Bourbon would be dead meat by then.
Being skilled in acting and exceptional in controlling her emotions, she grin devilishly. "If my heart you're aiming to pierce, I suggest you try harder than that."
" You hurt me. I'm only expressing my admiration towards you."
"I thought you wanted a night with me. How can we enjoy it if you already ruined the mood?"
"This is just me being privy to your secrets. After all, who would have guessed that Sharon and Chris were created just for a show. I'm curious, how would the people especially those inside the organization react once they've found out those two identities belong to the same person."
"Oh, is this one of those ace up your sleeves where you would make use of psychological traps and blackmail me to guarantee submission on your part? Is that it?"
"Now, blackmailing is not really new to our line of work, you see."
"Yes, and so is murdering someone in cold blood. You know, one of these days I might just have to kill you."
"Relax, I don't intend to reveal those classified information of yours to others . Let's just say I am only reminding you to preserve our good working relationship."
"But it wouldn't be long before you sell me out. A relationship that's built on deceit and compulsion doesn't last, Bourbon."
His only replied was a mysterious smile.
"I really ruined the mood, didn't I?"
"You have a habit of doing that, I'm not surprised."
The atmosphere suddenly grew heavy and intense, Bourbon decided to move onward with the conversation and started a new one. He did not want to hit a nerve yet again, seeing how she was on the verge of losing her composure.
"It's more convenient to just stay the night at a hotel. What do you say?"
She figured he did not want to push through the taunting anymore much to her relief. She'd had a long day; her clothes were wet from the rain, she was exhausted. She was not in the mood to deal with bullshit, so she decided to went along with it. "Any hotel would do, I don't feel like being picky right now since I'm all drenched from the rain."
She surveyed the room, her eyes roaming around the small space. A double bed, a small couch, and a washroom. It's not luxurious, it's not her typical taste but it's decent enough to provide them a temporary protection from the bad weather. She tried to convince herself it was a lot better than spending the night in traffic, but her vanity wouldn't agree. "First you wanted a night together, then you ruined the mood by being such a smart Alec .And now you're taking me into a cheap hotel. What an awful way to charm a woman."
"It's small but suitable. Rooms are almost fully booked. We're lucky we've found one."
"You could've at least gotten a deluxe one if you want to win me over."
"I don't doubt we can get a much bigger and luxurious one but unfortunate for us, deluxe hotels are on the other side. Unless you want to get stuck in traffic again.."
"We're already here, it's useless if we leave now." She moved her hand and rest it on her waist. " So, do they have any towels here or anything?I can't take this wet clothes anymore. I'm shivering."
"I have a spare T shirt with me. You can have it."
"Thank you.."
It's his time to survey the room. There's not much inside,certainly, they got what they paid for. His eyes continued to inspect the room, before it lingered on the couch. Vermouth noticed it and teased him."Oh please, quit your detective mode, we're not at a crime scene. And that couch is not certainly an evidence for you to assess."
"No,it's just that..." He mumbled, " it's not the most comfortable place right now…I presumed I could fall into a deep slumber tonight. Nevertheless-" He diverted his attention toward the other object that held the comfort he yearned for.
Vermouth was quick to caught the transition from couch to bed. Seeing through his forethought, she spoke to him, rather annoyed, "Whatever idea you have in mind, know that I'm not agreeing."
Bourbon smirked and passed her the half sleeve vest (the only alternative piece of clothing in their possession).
His usual sunny disposition threatened to overshadow any of the snide remarks she was intending to throw. "It was a statement and a rather polite approach of giving you the idea of sharing the bed. It has enough space to accommodate two bodies, you see. Which, if you ask me, preferably a lot cosier."
"What makes you think I will agree to sleep on the same mattress as you?"
"We can spare body heat. It's beneficial if you assess the current state we're in. I'd like for us to have a pleasurable night together, you know."
There's a sudden halt in the conversation before Vermouth burst out laughing (a genuine one). "Oh boy, you are horrible at wording. Really."
Bourbon gave her a confused look and uttered innocently, "Pardon me?"
Vermouth, who's still giggling, mocked him further. "You make it sound like you are propositioning me. And the way you are giving me the innocent look right now makes it more amusing. I always thought of you as one of those chaste proclaimed individuals out there."
While still chuckling she headed for the bathroom, leaving the still confused Bourbon alone.
The T shirt was large enough to cover her upper body down right below her hips. She sat on the bed, rubbing her damp hair with a towel. "What are you gonna wear now?This shirt was the only spare you have, wasn't it? Don't tell me you're sleeping naked"
"Of course, I'll have my pants on. If you will excuse me"
When he came back from the shower, Bourbon was already shirtless.
She checked him out fast before directing her gaze away. She reached for the phone and crossed her legs.
"Ano kata sent me an email a while ago. The FBI got a hold of the information about the assassination plot . I was thinking we move the location somewhere else. But if we do that, we will have to revise the plan and start from scratch all over again."
"There's nothing to worry about. I have already calculated the possible actions and taken all the precaution regarding this mission. It's safe to say we don't have to postpone it nor change the location. They want to stop us, let them try. We don't have to run away or withdraw. We only have to outwit them to claim the victory, right?"
She smirked with her eyes closed while listening to him.
"That's why even without your assistance, I am certain we will manage. You don't have to trouble yourself and get involved into something that would only waste your time and attention."
"Don't worry I'm not gonna intervene not until I need to clean up your mes. We still have to be careful, though. The failure of the last mission was because we were too relaxed. Gin sought it out and tried to tricked the FBI but it turned out we got played instead. I don't want a repeat of that event, that's why I'll be watching this one."
"But is that really the reason why you wanted to participate?Come to think of it, that detective boy and his company might appear knowing about the organization's involvement."
"Bourbon...You'll uphold your promise, won't you?"
"For as long as you don't turn your back on me."
"Of course…"
Bourbon's phone rang and he answered it immediately. A man's voice was audible but not loud enough for Vermouth to understand what he was saying.
"Goshinpai Naku. There's no changes of plan. Gin will be there,yes. to observe not to take command. The boss has given me the authority to be in charge of this mission. I'm with Vermouth at the moment. No, we couldn't not get passed the traffic because of the weather. We're taking shelter in a hotel." Then he hang up.
She looked at Bourbon with an expectation of knowing who the caller was and the reason for it.
"Calvados…"
She stayed silent and listened.
"He's a very devoted man," He watched her intently, despite not meeting her gaze. When she did not respond, he spoke again, "You knew from the beginning it's real."
Even with the vague and incomplete context, Vermouth seemed to understand what he meant by those words.
"I don't have the control over people to feel that way about me."
"Of course, you don't. But you tolerate it. You take advantage of it."
She chose that moment to looked up and meet his eyes. "We often do that to others, don't we? We're good at manipulation. You, of all people should know that, considering how you put the screws on me a second ago."
As they settled themselves in their respective side of the bed, she took a cigarette out of her purse, lit it, and took a long drag. He was lying on his back with his eyes already shut. While she was sitting and leaning against the headboard, finishing her smoke.
Bourbon exhaled and opened his eyes. Vermouth turned her face to him with his eyebrows raised questioningly. They met each other's gaze longer than they ever had. Neither wanting to break free first. Bourbon scrunched up his nose and looked up the ceiling.
"What, you don't smoke?"
"Not fond of it. No."
"Ara, too bad you're gonna have to put up with me for the whole night." She continued to finish her cigarette, this time looking at the space in front of her.
The atmosphere went quiet again. Only the sound of the rain and the howling of the wind filling the silence.
"The smell lingers."
"Hence, the couch.." She uttered the words nonchalantly, and blew out another puff of smoke.
When she did not hear a rebuttal coming, she looked down at him again, the cigarette between her two fingers. Her green eyes seemed to glow; the light from the dim lamp reflecting in her eyes.
He met her gaze once again and they hold it with silence.
"Is there something about smoke that reminds you of a horrible memory or something?"
He tried to adjust his body to a more comfortable position. "Just- it's not healthy."
She sighed. There's no way she could finish up her cigarette when he kept on whining about it. Finally, she reached for the ashtray, and ground the lit cigarette out in it.
"Good thing, I don't date guys like you. " She lifted the comforter and placed it right up to her chest level as she laid down.
"Why not?"
"I don't prefer men who are fussier and choosier even more than I am."
"That's unfortunate we don't have that sort of connection with each other."
"Not at all. It's fine,actually, since I'm not fond of boredom."
It was cold even with the blanket comforter on, she kept tossing her body side to side, curled herself up in a ball but it would not solve her problem. She looked at her sleeping 'bed mate'. After all the flinching and movement she just did, he was not waking up. The man was sleeping comfortably and resting peacefully. How come he was so comfortable and she was not? For a second she was considering the share of body heat. Anything for her to drift off to sleep. She found herself getting closer to him. This man radiates so much heat, he's like a walking furnace, she thought. It's not that bad, his idea. She moved a bit closer. Now, if only her partner would participate. She didn't want to insist and wake him up just to beg for a cuddle. That would be totally inappropriate and awkward. The thought of it with Bourbon was absurd.
She sighed tiredly. She was caught off guard when he turned his body and faced her.
"Let's cuddle.."
Man, she swore she could have blown his brains right there and then . Why was he being so honest, it's not funny anymore.
But before she could even react, he had his arms around her and gathered her in his embrace. "And you think huddling for warmth was such a bad idea." He mumbled sleepily and looked at her with half lidded eyes. The scene was a bit too affectionate she was considering pulling away from him. But after careful consideration, she decided against it and relaxed herself . If it would help her doze off to sleep, why the hell not. Sleep was more important than pride.
"This never happens again…"
He shrugged and nodded, "Whatever pleases you.."
She woke up feeling a presence under her. She blinked a couple of times, adjusting her vision, before focusing it on the man beneath her.
Still wrapped around in his arms, she mentally scolded herself.
"Hey, Bourbon...Bourbon.." she called, tapping his face and shaking him a bit on the shoulder. "Wake up.."
He slowly opened his eyes and groaned.
"Aren't you enjoying this a bit too much?"
It took him awhile before processing what she just said. He let go and released her from the hug.
"G' morning.." Despite being in an awkward situation, he still managed to be calm and collected.
"Good morning to you,too, and your morning glory." She smirked and teased him playfully.
"Sorry..It's morning."
"You had a good sleep, I could tell."
Both were already sitting up.
"I could tell the same about you." Bourbon yawned, unconcerned.
"Our clothes must be drained by now. We should get going."
He nodded.
"But before we meet the others I'll have to come by my place first."
He nodded again.
He came by the dress shop first to buy a pair of clothes for himself so they did not have to go to his place which was on the opposite way from Vermouth's penthouse.
Seeing Vermouth's place for the first time, Bourbon finally understood why she didn't approved of normal hotels. Everything inside was lavish and fancy.
After changing their attires, Vermouth offered him to have some breakfast first since they hadn't eaten yet. It was 8:00 in the morning, and they wouldn't have the chance to grab a bite later when the meeting started.
"I can just make something for us, if you don't mind me using your kitchen."
"You cook."
"One of the few leisure activities I enjoy doing."
"Indulge me,then." She smiled and settled herself on the tall stool at the kitchen counter.
Bourbon opened her fridge and started taking out the ingredients he needed for cooking.
When all the preparations were done. He served the plates on the kitchen table and they began feeding themselves.
"Not bad. You'll make a good housewife." She took another bite and gave him another compliment with a hint of mockery.
"Why, you flatter me."
"I could get use to this. Should I hire you as my personal cook from now on?"
"Sure thing. As long as I have spare."
She raised her eyebrow. He sure took teasing seriously. The kid was so oblivious to the flirting.
She sighed and decided to give up on the teasing, "We'll have to be meet up with the rest today."
"Yes. But I'll have to go somewhere else before I head to the meeting place. Kir and I will pick up something important. It was the boss's order, I couldn't defy it."
"You have to be more cautious with that woman. I still don't trust her."
"Don't tell me you still suspect her as an agent under NOC? Does that mean you still doubt our allegiance to the organization?"
She shot him a serious look and answered, "I just have a feeling..."
He waited for her to continue but she didn't finish what she was trying to say. "No, never mind. But just to be safe, don't get too friendly with her. Considering you know a lot about me, you might spill the beans."
"Rest assured It'll stay just between the two us."
She nodded.
"I'll be going then.." He stood up and before he left she called his name again, "Bourbon."
They look at each other.
"I'm watching you."
Just then, the doorbell rang and interrupted their quite time. Bourbon opened the door, revealing another member of the organization. Calvados.
"Your escort's here just in time." He uttered before leaving.