White-Hot Hack

by Tracey Garvis Graves

  After locating Nathan’s cubicle, Kate walked by slowly, relieved to discover it was empty. If she hurried, maybe she could install the keylogger before he returned. She crouched down and darted underneath his desk before she lost her nerve.

  It was dark and she worried she might drop the keylogger, so she pulled out her phone and turned on the flashlight, wedging it underneath her chin. Working quickly, she found the correct cable and pulled it from the tower. Then she connected the keylogger and plugged it back in again.

  She was on her hands and knees, backing up slowly to avoid hitting her head on the underside of his desk, when a man’s voice said, “Excuse me. Why are you under my desk?”

  “Oh my God, is this your desk? I’m so sorry!” Calm down, Kate. No need to shout. “I lost the back to my earring,” she said in a much softer tone. “I saw it hit the ground and roll under here. I chased after it without thinking.”

  He crouched down. “Do you need help?”

  “Thanks, but I found it,” she said, scrambling to her feet as she pretended to put the back of the earring on. Her heart thundered in her chest.

  “I’m Nathan.”

  She extended her hand and he shook it. “Jeannine.” He was nice-looking, maybe a few years older than her.

  “You don’t work in IT, do you? I’m sure I’d remember you.”

  “I’m a temp working on a compliance audit for Legal. I just had a brief meeting on this floor and was on my way to the break room.”

  “I’m headed there myself. Mind if I walk with you?”

  “Not at all.” That was the last thing she wanted, but she wasn’t willing to jeopardize his acceptance of her explanation for being under his desk.

  In the break room, she poured a cup of coffee. She’d had trouble sleeping the night before because her frequent stops in the break room yesterday had caused her caffeine consumption to skyrocket. As soon as she was out of Nathan’s view, she’d dump the cup in the garbage.

  “How long will you be working on this assignment?” he asked.

  “I’m not sure. Probably another day or two.”

  He leaned against the counter. “Maybe we could grab a cup of coffee before work someday this week.”

  “Sure.”

  He pulled his phone from his pocket. “What’s your number?”

  “I’ll give you my e-mail address.”

  He grinned. “Fair enough.”

  Ian had set up a bogus e-mail account for Kate to use anytime someone asked for her contact information. She rattled it off and he typed it in.

  They left the break room, and when they reached the aisle where his cubicle was located, he said, “Have a nice afternoon.”

  “Thanks, you too.”

  On her way back to let Ian know everything had—mostly—gone off without a hitch, she realized Nathan hadn’t actually needed anything in the break room.

  Ian was leaning back in his chair grinning, arms crossed in front of him when she let herself back into the conference room. “I send you to install a keylogger and you come back with a date?”

  “How do you know that?” Her eyes widened. “Hold up. He’s already sent an e-mail? I literally just left him five minutes ago.”

  “Oh, yes. Nathan thinks he’s taking my wife to Starbucks for coffee and scones. Please.”

  Kate clasped her hands together and gasped. “Do you think he’ll let me order one of those seasonal lattes from the secret menu?”

  “I think he just might. A venti, even.” He pulled her down onto his lap and tickled her, making her laugh and squirm.

  “Stop that. I had no choice. He caught me underneath his desk, and I’m not wearing a ring. I have to admire his fearlessness.”

  “I think it’s great that you have a date. Really. Couldn’t be cooler with the idea.”

  “You’re a horrible liar.”

  “I’m an excellent liar. How do you think Nathan will feel about you bringing your husband along?”

  “I think he’ll be bummed because that’s probably not the kind of three-way he was hoping for.”

  “It’s not the kind any man hopes for.”

  “Have you ever actually had a three-way? You said most men wouldn’t turn one down.”

  “No, I’ve never had one. And what I said was that most men probably wouldn’t turn one down if the opportunity presented itself, which it never has for me. It’s also not the kind of thing I ever went looking for. I can’t speak for all mankind, but if I had to guess, I’d say the idea of a three-way is more enticing than the act itself. That doesn’t mean there aren’t men out there desperately trying to have them, but I’m not one of them. There’s only one woman I want in my bed, and there’s no room for anyone else. Besides, we’re plenty spicy on our own, and you have yet to say no to anything I’ve suggested. Together we’re pretty hot.” He slid his hand behind her head and kissed her gently.

  “I was just wondering.”

  “Have you ever had a three-way?”

  She shook her head. “Not my jam.”

  The sound of approaching footsteps halted further conversation, and Kate leapt from Ian’s lap. She landed in her own chair mere seconds before the door opened.

  “Hey,” Ian said, looking up like he was bored. Kate scribbled away on her notepad as if she were too busy to even look up.

  “I’m pretty sure I have this room reserved.”

  Ian tapped on his keyboard. “Is your name Colin?”

  “Yeah.”

  “You’re actually in 3A next door. You’ve got the room from noon until one.”

  “Okay. Thanks. I could have sworn I booked this one. Sorry to interrupt.”

  “No problem.”

  “You have the reflexes of a cat,” Ian said after Colin left.

  Kate laughed. “I’m also quite bendy.”

  “Trust me. I thank your Pilates instructor every day for that.”

  “I have to meet Ashley in the cafeteria. Do you want me to bring you back something to eat?”

  “Thanks, but it’s time for me to start raising my profile. I think I’ll go for a nice long stroll. I’ll hit the vending machine in one of the break rooms.”

  She kissed him again. “Okay. See you in an hour.”

  She spotted Ashley standing in the cafeteria line and joined her.

  “So, what’s his name?” Kate asked once they’d carried their trays to a table and sat down.

  “Tristan.”

  “What department does he work in?”

  “Marketing.”

  “What else do you know about him?”

  “That’s it.”

  “That’s it?” Maybe Ian had rubbed off on her because Kate found Ashley’s lack of due diligence somewhat confusing. “How long have you been timing your arrival to coincide with his?”

  “I don’t know. A month or so?”

  “Do you know if he has a girlfriend?”

  “I’ve never seen him with anyone. Sometimes I walk by his table at lunch, but he’s always with his coworkers. Just guys.”

  Kate looked around the cafeteria. “Is he here now?”

  Ever so nonchalantly, Ashley looked over her shoulder and did a quick visual sweep of the cafeteria. “I don’t see him.”

  “Maybe we should think about maximizing your potential for a little more interaction.”

  “That sounds good. I’m really tired of stopping at Starbucks every morning.” Ashley unscrewed the cap of her lemonade. “Do you have a boyfriend?”

  Kate was supposed to say she was single, but how could she help Ashley if she couldn’t even claim a boyfriend of her own? “Yes.”

  “What’s his name?”

  “Steve.” Wait, no. Steve is my dad. Oh, God.

  “Where does he work?”

  “NASA. He’s an astronaut.” Where is this coming from? No wonder Ian had cautioned her about providing too much backstory. “He’s away at training right now. At Cape Canaveral.”

  Seriously, Kate. Stop.

  “W
ow. That’s really exciting. How did you meet him?”

  Kate laughed. “I was on vacation in Florida and I literally crashed into him on the street. We’ve been together ever since.”

  Ashley’s forehead creased in confusion. “So it’s a long-distance relationship?”

  “For now. I’ll be moving there soon. That’s why I’m temping. I don’t want anything too permanent.”

  Ashley sighed. “I wish you were staying. I need all the help I can get with Tristan.”

  After lunch, Kate told Ashley she wanted to grab a bottle of water before she went back to work. They walked into the break room, and Ashley nearly crashed into the back of Kate who’d stopped suddenly because Ian was sitting at the table eating potato chips, surrounded by women. He paged through the newspaper while five adoring sets of eyes tried to cover up the fact they were staring at him.

  Kate hummed as she fed quarters into the machine and pushed the button for water.

  “Is that “Close to You” by the Carpenters?” Ashley asked.

  “It is. Good ear.”

  “Oh, I love that song.”

  “Me too.”

  A few more people filed into the break room, patiently waiting their turns for the microwave or for space to open up at the table. Reluctantly it seemed, the women gathered their trash and headed back to their desks, casting wistful glances at Ian. Kate kept one eye on him as she and Ashley stood there chatting.

  She listened as he leaned toward the man sitting across from him. “Who’s the tall blonde by the coffeepot?”

  The man glanced over his shoulder at Kate. “I don’t know.”

  “Man, I wish she was wearing a skirt. I bet her legs go on for miles.”

  “Dude. Keep your voice down. You can’t say things like that.”

  “Why, is the sexual harassment policy here pretty strict?”

  It was all Kate could do not to burst out laughing because Ian had not lowered his voice at all.

  “What? Yeah. I mean, I’m sure it is.”

  “That’s good.”

  The last thing Kate heard as she and Ashley left the break room was Ian wondering aloud about her bra size. “I bet she’s a 34C. I have a really good eye for these things.”

  “Do the potato chips taste better when you’re surrounded by your harem?” Kate asked when Ian returned to the conference room.

  “Not really, but if one of them asks me out, maybe we can double with you and Nathan?”

  “Just keep it in your khakis, Todd, and no one will get hurt.”

  “How was lunch?”

  “Well, other than telling Ashley my boyfriend’s name was Steve and he’s away at astronaut training, it was uneventful.”

  He burst out laughing. “What the hell, Kate?”

  “I know. It was the first name I thought of and it just tumbled out of my mouth. By the way, can you find out a few things about a guy she likes so I can help her?”

  “Really? You’re asking me if I can find things out about someone?”

  “How silly of me.” She tore a piece of paper from her notebook and wrote Tristan’s name on it. “He works in the marketing department. I need to know if he already has a girlfriend or if he’s just socially inept. Guys sometimes need a little nudge when it comes to making the first move.”

  Ian seemed confused. “They do?”

  “Well, not you. But others sometimes do.”

  “You’re adorable when you play matchmaker.”

  “These kids need some help. I’m convinced they’re star-crossed lovers who need to be together, but Ashley’s paralyzed by shyness and Tristan is completely oblivious.”

  “I’m on it.” He folded the piece of paper and tucked it into his pocket. “C’mon. Let’s take a stroll.”

  She had no idea where he was leading her until they reached the second floor. “I assumed you’d want to avoid the IT department?”

  “I did at first, but now it’s time to start raising my visibility a bit.” They walked brazenly through the department as if they had no particular place to go, but no one gave them a second look. They walked by the server room, pausing when someone came out. Ian stared at the room through the open door and didn’t start walking again until it closed. Then he led her to the stairwell where they went up three flights to the fifth floor. He stopped in front of a door.

  “Whose office is this?”

  “The CEO’s. I just need a few pictures and we’ll be on our way.” He fished a small metal tool from his pocket, picked the lock, opened the door, and pulled her inside.

  “Is that from your lockpicking kit? Let me see it.”

  He handed it to her and then locked the door from the inside and started taking pictures with his phone.

  “Kate, sit down in his chair.” She complied, back straight, hands folded and resting on the desktop.

  “What are you going to do with the pictures?”

  “Maybe I’ll make a slideshow montage. I’ll call it ‘look at all the places we broke into while you were gone.’”

  “I’m sure he’ll love that. Let me take one of you.”

  They swapped places and Ian turned on the CEO’s computer. “I’m going to hack into his computer first. Putting some sensitive information on the screen adds a certain flair to the picture.”

  “Indeed it does.”

  He finished typing thirty seconds later. “There. The salary breakdown of the entire IT department ought to do the trick.”

  “Impressive.”

  Ian shut down the computer and they were about to leave when someone knocked on the door. They froze. The doorknob rattled and Kate shot him a panicked look. He winked and held a finger to his lips.

  After not speaking or moving for five minutes, Ian gave the all clear. “Let’s go,” he whispered.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Kate arrived home before Ian. By the time he walked into the kitchen, she’d already poured a glass of wine and started dinner. He dropped a kiss onto her lips.

  “What took you so long? I thought you were right behind me.”

  “I stopped at a hardware store to buy supplies. During our server-room recon this afternoon, I noticed the door had a small gap underneath it. When the door opened, I also made note of the sensor on the wall inside the room, so I did a little snooping around before we left for the day.”

  “As you do,” Kate said.

  “Five years ago, a different company occupied the building and they used what’s now the server room for some kind of lab. It’s perfect, really. Secure. Contained. Except for the small gap between the floor and the bottom of the door they never bothered to close. As for the sensor on the wall, it’s heat activated. Say your hands were full of test tubes or some other lab-specific item and you didn’t want to put them down to swipe your badge. The heat from your body triggers the sensor and the door opens for you.”

  “Have I ever told you how much your brain turns me on?”

  “I thought it was my hair that did that?”

  “Your hair is just the nice packaging. It’s what’s underneath that really gets me going. Nothing is hotter than smart, my friend.” She poured him a bourbon and they clinked their glasses.

  “I don’t know if it still works. They could have easily disconnected the sensor. They should have disconnected it. Either that or sealed the gap under the door. At the very least they’re losing some of their cold air.”

  Kate mulled it over for a minute. “So you’re going to trigger the heat sensor from the outside.”

  “I could not be more proud of you right now.”

  “Don’t be too quick with your praise. I didn’t say I knew how you were going to do it.”

  He handed her a paper bag, and she reached in and withdrew a hand warmer. It was palm-sized so it could be slipped inside a glove or pocket. “I think I know where you’re going with this.”

  “I’m going to attach it to a stiff wire and slide it under the door and up toward the sensor. The room is kept so cool that it shouldn
’t take much to activate it.”

  “Have you ever done this before?”

  “No.”

  She clapped her hands together. “Can I do it?”

  “No.”

  “Oh, come on. Why not?”

  He looked sheepish. “Because I kinda want to do it.”

  “I’m not surprised. This is some Mission: Impossible stuff right here.”

  “I’ll let you do it next time, I promise.”

  “I’m going to hold you to that,” she said as she pulled items from the refrigerator and preheated the oven.

  “Are you sure you feel like cooking? We could pick up dinner.”

  “Cooking relaxes me. Or maybe the wine does. Either way, I’ve been looking forward to this all day.”

  “What does my gourmet chef have planned?”

  “Beef medallions with blue cheese, roasted asparagus, and baked potatoes. I’ve never made the beef before, so you might want to lower your expectations,” she said, laughing. “I’m making no promises.”

  “I have faith in you. I’m sure it’ll be wonderful.”

  Ian went into his office after they finished dinner, which he proclaimed was every bit as wonderful as he’d predicted. Kate went in to check on him an hour later, and he handed her a piece of paper with every detail about Tristan that Ashley could ever want to know, including the fact that his girlfriend had cheated on him a year ago with a coworker. When the guy dumped her, she’d come crawling back and Tristan wisely told her to take a hike. Kate smiled as she scanned the information and then looked at him tenderly. “I never thought I’d say this, but I’m actually feeling a bit nostalgic for the first time you hacked me.”

  He grinned. “Maybe Ashley and Tristan will get married someday. You should keep in touch with her.”

  The next morning, Ian drove them to work and they walked toward the entrance together. They no longer minded if people thought they knew each other, but Kate stopped short of the door. “You can go in without me. I need to wait for Ashley. This shouldn’t take too long.”

  “Check me out. No coffee. No box. I’m not even wearing my lanyard. Watch and learn, Katie.”

  He sauntered up to the entrance and leaned against the building. When the next cluster of employees reached the door, Ian fixed them with a bored stare until one of them pulled out their badge and swiped it. Just before entering the building, he turned around and gave her the thumbs-up.