Fervent

by Claudia Burgoa

  Table of Contents

  Epilogue

  Fervent

  Untitled

  Dedicated to

  Luna

  Harrison

  Dear Reader,

  Found

  Until I Fall

  In the beginning The first time I saw you my heart whispered, “that’s the one.” ~ Anonymou

  Acknowledgments

  Also By Claudia Burgoa

  About the Author

  Fervent

  Claudia Burgoa

  Contents

  Fervent

  Untitled

  Dedicated to

  Fervent

  1. Luna

  2. Harrison

  3. Harrison

  4. Luna

  5. Harrison

  6. Luna

  7. Harrison

  8. Harrison

  9. Luna

  10. Luna

  11. Harrison

  12. Luna

  13. Luna

  14. Luna

  15. Harrison

  16. Luna

  17. Harrison

  18. Luna

  19. Luna

  20. Luna

  21. Harrison

  22. Luna

  23. Harrison

  24. Harrison

  25. Harrison

  26. Harrison

  27. Luna

  28. Luna

  29. Harrison

  30. Luna

  31. Harrison

  32. Luna

  33. Harrison

  34. Harrison

  35. Luna

  36. Luna

  Epilogue

  Untitled

  Dear Reader,

  Found

  Until I Fall

  In the beginning The first time I saw you my heart whispered, “that’s the one.” ~ Anonymous

  Acknowledgments

  Also By Claudia Burgoa

  About the Author

  Copyright © 2017 by Claudia Burgoa

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, distributed, stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic, photocopying, mechanical or otherwise, without express permission of the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages for review purposes.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, brands, media, places, story lines and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead, or any events or occurrences, is purely coincidental.

  The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products, brands, and-or restaurants referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The use of these trademarks is not authorized with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  Cover Design by Hang Le

  Edited by: Paulina Burgoa

  Elli Mclove

  Virginia Tesy Carey

  Marla Esposito

  Dedicated to

  For all the women who dream and work hard to become their own heroes.

  Never stop.

  Fervent

  “I love those who can smile in trouble, who can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. 'Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but they whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves their conduct, will pursue their principles unto death.” –Leonardo da Vinci

  One

  Luna

  “If you had only one word to describe yourself, what would it be?”

  “Hazel, focus on work only. How do you compensate for your weaknesses?” Scott Everhart, the CEO of Everhart Enterprises, overlaps the questions.

  “Dedicated.” I turn my head slightly to the left of my computer screen, smiling to Hazel Beesley. According to my research, she’s his right hand. She’s also been featured in several business magazines as one of the most powerful women under thirty. While investigating the company, we didn’t find much about their personal lives. However, Lucas and I gathered that if I get on her good side, I get the job. “Loyal would be the second one.”

  I turn to Scott, straightening my back. “My strengths and flaws aren’t what define me or my work. It’s the dedication and enthusiasm that I bring to the table while balancing my best assets and the challenges that the job brings.”

  I wish I had flown to New York for this interview. It would be easier for me to read their body language in person. From where I sit— in my grandmother’s kitchen—it’s impossible to get an idea if they are interested or not. Multitasking is proving to be harder than I thought. I’m keeping one eye on the screen and the other one at the entrance of the kitchen to ensure that my dear abuelita stays away. Nothing ruins a job interview like the lovely woman offering me food saying I’m too skinny and with my narrow hips and tiny ass, I’m never going to find a man.

  After she reminds me that I’m alone, I’ll politely tell her that she’s wrong. My ass is huge, my hips are fine, and I don’t need a man. The conversation is not fit for this important job interview.

  “Describe a time when you were asked to do something you weren’t trained to do. How did you handle it?” Scott asks a question I wasn’t ready to answer yet—or ever.

  Well, I handled it as best as I could. My boss didn’t agree. I almost got fired, but they put me on probation for a couple of months instead. I was in therapy for a year because I hate killing people and using my gun. I fight them every time I want to go undercover . . . They don’t need to know any of that though, or that I’m an FBI agent. I perk up, flashing my best smile.

  “There have been several times where I’ve had to steer away from my comfort zone. I guess the most recent was when my boss had a car accident.” I pause to add a little suspense, skipping the gory details attached to my last case, I continue, “I had to step into his shoes. It was a different role for me, but I took charge during the difficult moments, and in the end, everything worked out as we planned.”

  “Difficult moments?” Hazel enunciates those words.

  I nod. “We had a meeting with a potential client.” I reach for my glass of water and take a few sips. “Negotiating contracts when there’s a better choice within the price range for the client is challenging. I had to find a way to convince them that even though my offer wasn’t as attractive, it was the right one in the long run.”

  “That’s the attitude we want for this position,” Hazel says with an approving smile.

  If only she knew what I’m talking about. It happened a couple of months ago in the interrogation room. The better offer was twenty years in jail versus dying at the hands of a Colombian cartel. But I smile at her since I can’t release that kind of information. Patiently, I wait for the next question. If I play my cards right, these two might give me what I need.

  “My goal is to bring a new business approach to the company while following the philosophy of Everhart Enterprises.” I take my pen and draw a squiggly line through that statement, making sure I don’t repeat those words during the rest of the interview.

  “If we offer you the job, how soon can you start?” Scott inquires after a long pause.

  How about now? They don’t know how important it is for me to start with my investigation. If I could, I’d have arrived weeks ago. However, my supervisor is an asshole who is setting me up to fail.

  Who tells an asset to go and get her own shit? My boss. And I’ll show him that I can find a job and do my work at the same time.

  “It depends. As I said at the beginning of the interview, my dream is to live in New York. Though moving has to be right. I love my current job, but I would like to find just the right position where I can move forward,” I lie and feel a little sorry abo
ut the situation. The reminder that my job is to catch pedophiles and save children dissipates the guilt. For now, they have to think that I’m the best out there and they are lucky to get me, even though the only business transactions I’ve made in my life are when I go shopping. I know about balancing my checkbook, but I don’t do it often. And my knowledge about marketing is that I know those suckers know how to sell me cute clothing.

  “How soon are you planning to make a decision?” I pull out my phone checking on the calendar.

  “We need someone who can start within a week,” Hazel responds. “Are you sure you can move to New York that fast?”

  “A friend of a friend is subletting me his apartment,” I lie because Lucas, my brother, hasn’t confirmed anything about housing.

  Luna: Is the apartment available?

  Lucas: What apartment?

  Luna: I’m moving to New York. Remember?

  “New York is my dream city, I want to live there. At least for a few years.”

  “What about your other job?” Hazel narrows her gaze, waiting for me to slip. Or is it to make sure I’m reliable? She seems to be obsessed with plans and long-term commitments.

  “I have some vacation time accumulated.” I come up with the best plan to move into my new job ASAP. That is if they are going to give it to me. Please, hire me now! “If you offer me the job, I can start as early as next week. That gives me plenty of time to pack and say my goodbyes—while still giving my two-week notice.”

  Lucas: You can’t move.

  Luna: It isn’t optional.

  Lucas: I’m still in denial. Also, I’m working on your situation.

  “Do you have any questions for us?” Scott asks.

  “Can you tell me more about the day-to-day responsibilities of this job?” I click on my recorder and continue texting my brother.

  He doesn’t get it, does he? I don’t choose my assignments. If he and my father don’t like them, it doesn’t matter.

  Luna: Well, my situation is that I am moving to New York soon. Is the apartment available?

  Lucas: The place is yours for at least six months.

  Luna: Thank you. You can always come visit.

  Lucas: Have you told Abue about it?

  Luna: Once I have secured a job and the transfer, I’ll make sure our father is the one who takes the bullet. :D

  “What is the typical career path for someone in this role?” I continue with my questions toward my interviewers.

  Lucas: You’re evil and smart.

  I learned from his past experiences. A few years back my brother moved temporarily to San Francisco. He told Abuela that he was leaving weeks before it happened. Worst idea ever. Every day she brought her best guilt-trip game. She played the I’m going to die before you’re back card more often than she drank her café con leche. She drinks at least ten cups a day—it keeps her younger. I love her dearly. She’s like a mother to me, but I can’t handle those guilt-trips.

  It won’t be long before my grandmother takes the train to New York to drag me back. Moving from Alexandria to that city is going to give her a heart attack. I choose to miss the melodramatic display. I don’t know how long I’m staying in Manhattan, but I’ll make sure to take the train at least once a month on the weekends, unlike Lucas who never came to visit us. She almost disowned him.

  How can he put his job before family?

  Family comes first.

  We should remain together.

  To her, we have to be so close that we should live in the same city or neighborhood. She’ll love me the most if I live next door. But I can’t move out of the house until I marry a good Mexican man. A hot Latino is acceptable too. That’s what good girls do. She thinks I’m still a virgin because no granddaughter of hers will be deflowered before she marries.

  Sex, grandma, it’s called sex.

  I stare at the monitor, listening to Hazel Beesley speak about the incredible career track ahead of me. About all the benefits and opportunities within the company. They sound great, but I don’t care much about the business world.

  Luna: I’m not evil. I just choose not to face the telenovela scene.

  Lucas: Change your phone number and, your name, and perhaps she won’t find you.

  Luna: She’ll send the hellhounds.

  “What are the next steps in the interview process?” I ask, hoping that they haven’t noticed that I’m only half-listening to the conversation.

  “We have a few other candidates to interview today,” Scott answers promptly. “Our board will get together afterward, and we will be making a decision as early as Friday.”

  “Once we make that decision, we will want to move fast. Please, call me if you need help with the logistics of your move,” Hazel continues.

  Those words grab my attention. Moving fast is something we agreed on one hundred percent. I reach for my pen to write down Hazel’s cell number when I hear the door. Damn it. I needed just a few more minutes.

  “Mijita, estas preparando el almuerzo?” My grandma and her timing. Is she serious? Sorry, but I can’t prepare lunch and find a job at the same time, Abue. She enters in the kitchen with my abuelo right behind her. He gives me a slight shrug. Yeah, I know he did his best to stall her. “Me da gusto que ya dejaste ese trabajo en la policia? Porque eso es solo para hombres.”

  My face falls, what the hell is wrong with my grandmother. I cross my fingers, hoping that they don’t know Spanish or that their knowledge of the Spanish language is limited to the basics. If not, my cover has been compromised before it even began.

  How can she ask about my job? At least she didn’t say the FBI. But damn she’s back with her lecture that what I do is only for men. Her old-school attitude irritates me. I might stay in New York forever.

  “Well, that’s all for now.” Hazel is the first one to speak after the embarrassing silence created by the intruders in the kitchen.

  “Yes, I think that’s all we needed to know.” Scott’s jaw sets and nods once toward Hazel who shakes her head slightly. I serve the screen a charming smile, hoping they have no idea what Grandma said. “Have a good lunch, Miss Galvez.”

  “Thank you for your time.” I huff turning off the video call.

  My stomach churns. It’s either hunger or my gut telling me that I flunked the interview. Going to my browser, I pull up my daily horoscope.

  Under today’s outspoken moon, uttering out the first thing that comes to mind is an unsafe action. Unless, of course, you’ve got an ingenious idea.

  Oh, God. I didn’t say anything stupid, but it was stupid to have the interview at home. Carajo! Why didn’t I read this before I scheduled the time?

  Luna: I need to continue my search.

  Lucas: For what?

  Luna: A job.

  Lucas: I thought you already had it. Not that I want you to leave.

  Luna: Well, my horoscope said so, and Abue entered the kitchen right when I was about to end the interview.

  Lucas: You have to stop reading that shit! You’re so smart. I just don’t get why you base 99% of your decisions on what those sites say.

  Luna: I love you, but this time it’s not a hypothesis. She mentioned my job with the police.

  Lucas: Fuck! Get something along the lines of your quirks, like a tarot reading or . . . Shit, you’re fucked.

  Yep, shit and fuck are just about right. But his stupid comments about my quirks aren’t welcomed. I love my brother, but he’s never going to understand it. If Mom were here, she’d agree with me.

  “What would you like me to prepare for lunch?” I rise from my seat, taking off my blazer and my button-down blouse, leaving me in a sleeveless sundress.

  “That’s more like you, Luna,” Abue says, taking the clothing, I discard and folding them neatly. “You should find a husband. Men pay more attention if you wear those pretty dresses. I need some grandbabies to spoil.”

  “My mission in life.” I kiss her on the cheek and march to the fridge.

  You can only
teach so many tricks to an old dog, but to my abuelita, there’s nothing I can teach her. She knows it all. At least that’s what she says.

  Two

  Harrison

  “Not yet!”

  It will happen any second now, I murmur.

  “Are they ready to deploy?” I continue mumbling shit, watching. Waiting for what feels like fucking forever. “Everyone awaits, sir. All units are ready for your instructions. What is your take on this mission? This doesn’t look good, when the explosion—”

  “Shut the fuck up, Everhart,” a voice comes through my earpiece. I adjust it and recognize Mason Bradley’s voice bitching at me. “This isn’t a fucking game with action figures.”

  “Or a video game,” Anderson Hawkins, who is on the ground waiting for our informant, states. “I swear to God, I have no idea how I’ve been putting up with your shit for years.”

  “Because I’ve saved your ass a few dozen times,” I remind him.

  “You want me to kick his ass?” Tiago, who stands next to me, asks in a mocking tone.

  “By now, you all should understand that I hate to be on standby.” Tiago, Hawk, and I have been brothers since the Army. Then, we moved to the Rangers, and now we all work for the same high intelligence, private security company.