“Well, let’s just say I’m running the West Coast branch at the moment,” Mrs. Merrivel said, smiling in bemusement at Jane’s antics.
“Oh,” Nikki said, unable to think of anything else. “That’s good?”
“I like to think so,” Mrs. Merrivel said. “Now, dear, why don’t you take a seat? You’re looking a little bit worse for wear.”
“I came straight from the airport,” Nikki said.
“Ick. Just driving by the airport makes me want a facial,” Jane said. Nikki and Mrs. M stared at Jane, who blushed. “Well, not that I do, but honestly that place puts ten years on your skin—the fumes, the horrible lighting, and the recycled air . . .”
“True,” agreed Mrs. Merrivel, and Nikki nodded. There was another pause while everyone tried to figure out how to get the conversation back to where it had been.
“I spoke to Laura this morning,” said Mrs. M. “She spoke very highly of your efforts in Bangkok.”
“She did?” Nikki asked, sounding dubious. “That was, uh, very nice of her.”
“I take it you don’t think your trip to Thailand was very successful?” Mrs. M asked, jogging her stack of papers with a firm thwack against the tabletop.
“It could have gone better,” answered Nikki.
“You weren’t instrumental in helping the Thai government apprehend Jirair Sarkassian?”
“Well, yeah, I mean I guess the piano is an instrument.” Mrs. M smiled, and Nikki continued. “But I didn’t bring in Val.”
“Nikki, it isn’t as though we could have brought Val to trial. And we certainly couldn’t have allowed her to fall into the hands of any other intelligence agencies. She was a traitor and a threat to our organization.”
Nikki swallowed hard, realizing what Mrs. Merrivel meant. “Even if I’d captured her, you would have killed her?”
“Yes. It’s not something we’re proud of, but it’s a necessity.”
“Well, I’m sure that makes Val feel all better,” said Nikki bitterly.
“If Val had cared at all, she wouldn’t have betrayed us in the first place. It’s unfortunate, really. She was such a good agent, and now we’ll have to remove her name from the ‘Consultants of Note’ plaque.” Mrs. Merrivel shook her head sadly, but there was a cement hardness to her tone that made Nikki doubt her sincerity.
“But what’s done is done,” Mrs. Merrivel continued. “And I’m glad it’s done. We will discuss matters after your reports and debriefing are concluded, but initial reports indicate that you did fairly well on your first assignment. At this time we would like to discuss further options with Carrie Mae.”
Nikki nodded hesitantly, not sure what this was leading up to, but fearful that she’d end up back on the real front lines—selling lipsticks that had no explosive properties whatsoever. She just wasn’t sure she was tough enough for that.
“Now, as you know, usually after the first assignment, agents are asked to join the company on either a full-time or a per-contract basis. We would like you to join full time. I’m thinking I would like to put you in charge of a new quick-response team I’m forming. Would you be interested in something like that?”
“I guess so,” said Nikki. As usual when dealing with Mrs. Merrivel, her brain felt fuzzy.
“Excellent,” Mrs. Merrivel said. She produced a contract from a folder. “This is simply an extension of your first contract, and all you have to do is sign at the bottom.”
She offered Nikki an elegant black-and-gold pen. Nikki took the pen, but looked around the room instead of at the contract. Mrs. M was wearing a cream pantsuit with rubies, and Jane was wearing one of her plaid skirts, but had dignified the occasion by wearing heels instead of boots. Nikki, in her black T-shirt and jeans, was underdressed, sporting a black eye and a bad mood. Just as she was starting to feel the first pangs of inferiority, she had a sudden flashback to the evening she’d spent in jail. She remembered the brusque lawyer and the advice she had offered.
“Don’t sign anything without reading it, and always ask for more than is being offered.”
“Just on principle,” she said, remembering.
“I beg your pardon?” Mrs. Merrivel asked with a polite smile, but a questioning lift to her eyebrow.
And then Nikki knew why Val had always smoked at Mrs. Merrivel’s house. She didn’t like being a little cog in a big machine. Val wanted to be remembered, even if it was badly. She liked to stand out. Nikki never stood out. At least she had never felt as though she did.
The sun was streaming in golden bars across the table, and as Nikki watched the dust motes dance, she had an epiphany. Her chin came up.
“Seventy-five thousand,” she said, sitting back in her chair.
“I beg your pardon?” Mrs. Merrivel repeated, sounding more like Nikki’s mother every minute.
“Seventy-five thousand a year, plus full medical and dental. I don’t want co-pays. I don’t want to split anything. I want you to cover everything from a facelift to a bullet through my skull. I want an insurance policy on my life, made out to the beneficiary of my choosing, for one million dollars, and I don’t want to pay for an apartment while I’m living in this stupid state.”
Mrs. Merrivel opened her mouth to speak, but Nikki thought of another demand.
“And I want Valerie Robinson’s name left on the ‘Consultants of Note’ plaque as long as I’m alive.”
For the first time in Nikki’s speech Mrs. Merrivel smiled.
“Fifty thousand, medical and dental, plus the insurance policy. But you pay for your own apartment and Valerie’s name goes.”
“Sixty-five,” Nikki countered. “And the name stays.”
“That’s more than double what we’re offering you. Do you really think you’re worth it?” Mrs. M asked with some asperity.
“Yes, I do,” Nikki said, staring her in the eye. “You only ever gave me half the information I needed, and I not only figured it out, I lived.”
“Sixty-thousand and Valerie stays on the plaque. That’s my final offer.”
Nikki stared at Mrs. M and tried to measure just how far she could push the matter. Mrs. M’s smile was hard and there was a glint in her eye that told Nikki this was as far as she was going to go today. Nikki held out her hand. Mrs. Merrivel shook it with a smile, and for the second time that day, it seemed genuine.
“I assume John asked you to stay with us while you’re looking for a place?”
The change of mood and topic was dramatic, and it threw Nikki off-balance.
“Uh, yes. I hope that’s OK?”
“Of course. We’re always glad to have you. I’ll have Legal make the changes and bring the contract home tonight.” Mrs. Merrivel stood up. Nikki and Jane followed suit. “You know, I knew you’d fit in perfectly here.” She had the air of a baker pulling a perfect cake from the oven.
“I guess it’s a good thing I won the starter kit then,” Nikki said with a smile, thinking of the strange twist of fate that had brought her to this point.
“No. It’s a good thing that I rigged the drawing. Jane will get you agent profiles and help you with team selection. Just give me your list of selections for approval when you’re done.” Mrs. Merrivel beamed at Nikki and Jane and then walked briskly from the room.
Nikki watched her leave and then turned around to look at Jane in bewilderment. Jane was grinning like the Cheshire Cat.
“Pick me, pick me,” she said, bouncing up and down.
“For what, Jane? What did I just agree to?”
“You agreed to be a team leader, which is, like, a huge opportunity. She asked you to put together the team, so that means you get to pick everyone. This is so great! I get to be your analyst, don’t I? Please, please.”
“Yeah, sure, of course.” Nikki was still reeling. “I knew she fixed it. I don’t know how she did it, but I knew it. I knew I couldn’t have been that unlucky!”
“Awesome,” said Jane, ignoring Nikki’s rambling. “We will pick the best team. This is going to b
e awesome!”
“Awesome,” repeated Nikki, feeling lightheaded.
LOS ANGELES II
The Morning After
Mr. Merrivel helped Nikki angle the heavy box full of coffee table parts up the stairs and into her new apartment. They dropped it flat onto the floor, probably irritating the downstairs neighbors.
Nikki flopped onto the couch. “Thanks, Mr. M.”
“Whew,” he said. “Didn’t think we were going to get it in here for a sec.”
“You should have been here when they moved the couch in. I’ve never been a hire-movers kind of person, but I have to admit they were worth it.”
Mr. M nodded. “It’s one of the perks of having money. It makes it easier to get things done when you’re by yourself. You know,” he said, looking out the window and changing the subject. “I gotta say that’s one heck of a car you got for yourself.”
“It’s . . . it was Val’s. I figured she’d want someone who cared about it to have it.”
“I doubt it. I expect she’d want to drop it off a cliff before someone else got to play with her stuff.”
Nikki grinned. “I thought of that, too. And it still seemed like a good idea.”
“What’d you do with her cat?”
“Gave it to Jane,” answered Nikki with a guilty smile. Mr. M laughed. “You want a soda pop?” Nikki asked, going to the fridge.
“Sure, if you’ve got diet-something.”
“Diet root beer?” she suggested, standing in the cold blast of the refrigerator. “You know I still cannot believe that apartments here don’t come with refrigerators. I nearly had a heart attack when I saw how much they cost.”
“There are apartments that come with refrigerators?” Mr. M asked, accepting a root beer and sitting down at the kitchen table.
“In Washington there are!”
“Huh. Must make it easy to move.”
Nikki nodded and looked with some pride around her first very own apartment. It had taken two weeks to find it, and she had practically wiped out her bank account furnishing it, but it looked good. And there were bigger and better paychecks to come.
Thinking of paychecks reminded her of her new job, and she frowned. “You’ve hired people before, haven’t you, Mr. M?” she asked, sitting down.
“And fired,” he answered.
“How do you decide who’s the best person to hire? I have to put together a team, but everyone looks really qualified. I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“Nikki,” said Mr. M in exasperation. “You said that before you went to Thailand, and look how that turned out.”
“It could have gone better,” she said honestly.
“Sure, things can always go better, but you figured it out, didn’t you? You persevered and trusted your instincts, and things came together. Be more confident!”
Nikki laughed. “That’s why I like you, Mr. M. You’re like my very own pep coach.”
“Everyone needs a little pepping up now and again. And if you want actual advice about hiring, well, I find that the best way to hire people is face-to-face. A piece of paper can’t tell you what you need to know about a person.”
Nikki nodded.
“OK, sweetie, I’m off to do the golfing thing.” He kissed the top of her head and ambled toward the front door. Nikki followed after him and waved goodbye from the front stoop. The phone was ringing as she shut the door, and she ran to answer it.
“Hello?”
“Nikki, what is this nonsense you just sent me?” Her mother’s voice sounded crisply across the phone line.
“Just some stuff from Thailand, Mom,” Nikki said with a sigh. “I told you I was going there for a conference. I thought you would like some souvenirs. There’s some Thai silk and some pearls underneath the pictures and carvings.”
“I don’t think you should be spending that much money on souvenirs.”
“They’re really cheap in Thailand, Mom. And I just got a raise.”
“A raise?” asked Nell skeptically. “You’ve only been with them a couple of months!”
“I did a pretty good job at the conference,” Nikki said, taking the phone into the living room and lying down on the couch.
“Huh,” said Nell. Nikki felt like laughing. Her entire life she had been under constant assault from her mother to better herself. Her post-collegiate life had been one barbed comment after another about her being a jobless slacker. Without that staple of conversation her mother was speechless.
“So, who are you dating?”
Nikki really did laugh. “Mom! I just got back from Thailand. I’ve barely had time to find an apartment. I don’t have time to meet anyone new.”
“Anyone new? So you broke up with the lawyer?”
“The lawyer?” Nikki repeated in confusion.
“That man with the nice voice.”
“Oh, right, the lawyer.” Somehow lawyer was not the term that sprang to mind when she thought of Z’ev.
“Will you be seeing him again?”
“He works in other countries, Mom. It wouldn’t really work out.”
“Well, you’re not getting any younger, Nikki. I was married and had a child by the time I was your age.”
“You had a child? Do I know her?” Nikki asked incredulously.
“Don’t be strange, Nikki. You know what I mean.”
Nikki could hear some rustling in the background.
“These elephants are kind of cute.” Nikki congratulated herself on sending the elephants instead of the dragon-faced mask. “Oh! I just found the pearls. These are pretty!”
“I’m glad you like them, Mom. I wanted to get something you’d like.”
“Well, I’ll wear them to the office tomorrow.”
There was a silence between the two of them as neither one could think of another time when they had been so in complete agreement. It was uncharted territory; they had sailed completely off the edge.
“Well, I should go,” Nell said with verve. “I don’t want to run up the phone bill.”
“Yeah, sure. I won’t keep you.”
“Nikki . . .” There was a pause, and Nikki felt a moment of panic. She had never heard her mother sound so uncertain. “I’m really glad you’re doing well.”
“Thanks, Mom.” It was all Nikki could do to stutter out the words.
“But you know that it’s all right to fail. You can always come home again.”
Nikki sighed and thought about arguing. “Well, that’s good to know, Mom. Bye.”
“Bye.”
Nikki hung up the phone and grinned. If her mother ever gave an unqualified compliment they would both keel over from the shock.
She looked around the apartment. Life was good. She had friends, money, a job, a really cool car, an apartment, and she had actually been praised by her mother. Why, then, did she feel this little empty spot? She rubbed her head. She knew why, and she knew who would fit perfectly into that spot. But he was in Thailand, and she wasn’t going to think about him. It wouldn’t do any good.
LOS ANGELES III
Discovering America
Nikki stepped off the elevator and into the lobby, feeling the urge to skip, but maintaining her grown-up facade. It had been a good day at work. Mrs. M had approved her final team list, a list that included Jenny and Ellen, who would soon be returning from their missions, and then she could begin team training sessions. She had several new ideas for the team. She’d been reading nonstop about tactics and training, and she couldn’t wait to put some of her theories into practice.
She felt she had a right to the self-confident swagger she was strutting at the moment. She was beginning to feel as if she really belonged here. She shared her sense of well-being by smiling at the security guard as she passed the information desk. She instantly regretted the bold move when the guard called her name.
“Miss Lanier!”
Nikki turned with an inquiring expression, masking her sudden spasm of doubt. Miss Lanier, you’re wanted in the pr
incipal’s office.
“I was just about to call upstairs. There was a gentleman here looking for you,” the guard said, looking concerned.
“Gentleman?” Nikki repeated, frowning.
“He was cute and had a really deep voice,” said the information girl with a smile.
“We told him we couldn’t let him upstairs or confirm that you were here,” the security guard said repressively.
“But he left a note,” the information girl added with a giggle.
Nikki took the note, which read I’LL BE AT THE BAR ACROSS THE STREET. Z. Nikki had the giggly, dizzy, elated feeling she used to get as a child when she’d whirl around as fast as she could until she fell down.
“I watched,” said the information girl helpfully. “He went into the Lion and Unicorn.”
“Thanks,” Nikki said.
“Is there a problem?” asked the security guard. “Should I notify anyone upstairs?”
“No, I don’t think so,” Nikki said, shaking her head. She tucked the note into her purse and walked across the street.
The Lion and Unicorn was owned by a retired Carrie Mae consultant. It had a large wooden shield over the door showing a lion and unicorn fighting for a crown. The bar drew a high percentage of Carrie Mae employees and was usually busy during the lunch hour and after quitting time, but at three in the afternoon it was fairly quiet.
Nikki stood in the doorway, letting her eyes adjust to the gloom. Z’ev was sitting at the bar staring skeptically at a woman next to him. She was laughing loudly and had her hand on his thigh. Nikki walked toward them, her shoes making the usual warning clatter, but neither one of them noticed.
“Would you mind taking your hands off my husband?” demanded Nikki when she was standing behind them. The woman froze and narrowed her eyes at Nikki. Nikki stared back.
“Should have told me you brought the wife,” she muttered, and flounced away from the bar.
“Now, what did you do that for? She was really nice,” Z’ev said sarcastically.
“With our luck,” Nikki said, taking the barstool next to his, “she’d turn out to be an Armenian gun smuggler.”
“You have a point,” conceded Z’ev, sipping his drink and watching her in the mirror behind the bar.
Bulletproof Mascara: A Novel Page 34