OOPS! I'M A SECRET AGENT (Romance)

by Black, De-ann

  I studied his expensive clothes. ‘Do you buy your clothes from one or two main sources? If you’re not into shopping, where do you get that wardrobe of exquisite menswear?’

  ‘I visit a menswear specialist. They make my suits, and match them with shirts, ties, accessories. They’re invaluable.’

  ‘It must cost a packet.’

  I thought he was going to choke on his meal. ‘Yes, it does, but I’m...’ He trailed off, and I saw the conflicting expressions flit across his features. I think he’d almost come out and said something he had no intension of revealing. And I think that disconcerted him.

  ‘You’re what?’ I leaned closer across the table. ‘You can tell me. I’m a secret agent.’

  He laughed and any tension melted from his handsome features.

  He sat back in his chair and surveyed me. ‘Okay, I’ll tell you. I’m horribly rich. My family are wealthy and I inherited it all. I’m paid by the department, though we’re not paid lots of money because it would encourage those who were after the money rather than through wanting to work for the department for the right reasons.’

  ‘A rich kid, eh?’

  ‘Filthy rich.’

  ‘In that case, can I indulge in another slice of that delicious cake, seeing it’s your treat?’

  ‘You certainly can. I love a woman who has an appetite.’

  For a second, a fleeting moment, his pale grey eyes flashed a sexy signal to me. Then it was gone.

  ‘In fact,’ he said, ‘I think I’ll join you. It does look mouthwateringly tasty.’

  We laughed and enjoyed the remainder of our lunch, chatting about my past while I tried to glean details about his.

  We finished our second helping of cake and got ready to leave the restaurant. I gazed out at the view of the city while he paid the bill. The grey sky had deepened, threatening a winter storm.

  He helped me on with my coat. ‘Remind me to be wary when I’m around you, especially at lunch. I wouldn’t usually indulge in a slice of cake never mind two.’

  ‘Tsk! Don’t pick up any of my bad habits,’ I said, smiling at him.

  ‘Though I suppose we could go shopping before we head back to the department and work off all those calories.’

  Linking my arm through his, we left the restaurant and walked around the city for half an hour or so. It had changed, but so had I, and I envisaged Montpelier had lots to tell the others within the department who’d wondered how I kept fit by shopping.

  We arrived back at the department after lunch, and I felt I’d got to know Montpelier better and yet he’d divulged little about himself. But I sensed that he didn’t judge me or frown upon my lack of experience.

  ‘Alexavier is in his office,’ the secretary said to Montpelier. ‘He’s been waiting for you for almost half an hour.’ Her tone hinted that he was displeased.

  Montpelier didn’t falter and escorted me to Alexavier’s office. He was seated at his desk and acknowledged Montpelier with a nod while I received a questioning look. Had I done something wrong?

  Alexavier closed the file he’d been reading. ‘Shall we commence the briefing?’

  ‘Yes,’ said Montpelier. ‘I’ve explained the broad details of our current situation to Neve. Though obviously you and I have to decide whose fiancee she will be.’

  ‘What?’ I said rather too loudly.

  ‘Undercover,’ said Montpelier. ‘You’ll be going undercover during this assignment.’

  ‘Neve will be your fiancee,’ Alexavier said, sounding as if he was conceding some sort of defeat.

  Montpelier smiled at me. ‘I think we’ll make a charming couple. Don’t you agree, Alexavier?’

  Alexavier ground out a half smile. ‘You’ll be perfect for each other.’ He reached into his jacket pocket and brought out a small velvet box. ‘We’ve got you a ring. Wear it at all times. You’ve been engaged for several months so you have to appear comfortable with it, and yet still in the throws of love’s first flush.’

  He showed me the ring. Three diamonds set in yellow gold sparkled under the lights. He went to hand it to me, but Montpelier reached out and took it from him, lifted my hand and slipped the ring on to my engagement finger.

  This gesture seemed to annoy Alexavier and he got up from his desk and paced over to the window.

  ‘It fits perfectly,’ I said, admiring the sparkler.

  ‘We wouldn’t have given you a ring that didn’t fit,’ said Alexavier.

  ‘I’m sure Neve meant that she’s surprised we knew her size,’ said Montpelier.

  ‘And I’m sure Neve can speak for herself,’ Alexavier countered.

  The atmosphere in the office sizzled with tension.

  Alexavier opened the file on the desk. ‘I’ll go over this brief with you, Neve, then you can read it again later but you cannot take these documents outside of the department.’

  ‘Okay,’ I said, trying to sound unperturbed by the tension, and that I had to pretend to be Montpelier’s fiancee.

  ‘You and Montpelier are engaged and due to be married within two years, though you’ve yet to set a date. His cover is straightforward. He’s a businessman who makes his money from investments. You don’t need to know the details of his business. You’ll be portraying the fiancee —’

  ‘Why wouldn’t I know the details of my fiance’s business?’

  ‘Because you’re the type of woman who is more concerned about frivolous things.’

  ‘If that’s the role I’ve to play, then fine, but it’s not terribly realistic. I’d definitely know what my future husband did to earn his money.’

  ‘She’s right,’ said Montpelier. ‘I think Neve and I should create a stronger bond and present a better image. I’d never associate with a frivolous type of woman. No one, especially the chaps we’ll be dealing with, would believe that for a moment, particularly as Neve looks...’

  Looks what? Forgettable?

  Alexavier’s blue eyes clashed with the pale grey of Montpelier’s.

  ‘I know I’m rather plain and it’s hard to believe that a man as handsome and suave as Montpelier would be interested in me —’

  Alexavier’s eyes flashed at me. ‘You’re not plain. You’re...’

  We waited for him to find the right word. One that wouldn’t be too insulting I assumed.

  ‘Undervalued,’ said Alexavier. ‘With your confidence bolstered, you’ll be a beauty on his arm.’ Then he added, ‘Rupert has a lot to answer for.’

  ‘Rupert?’ It was so strange to hear him mention my ex.

  ‘Yes,’ said Alexavier. ‘He did nothing except undermine your confidence according to our assessment of your background with him. I believe you wouldn’t even be sitting here right now were it not for his snide attitude and disbelief in you.’

  How the hell did they know that?

  ‘We’re never far off the mark when it comes to our assessments,’ said Alexavier, accurately reading my expression. Or was it my thoughts? Either way he’d nailed me right. Perhaps I’d said more than I intended during my initial job interviews.

  ‘Rupert was a prat,’ I said. ‘And it’s true that I applied for this job so that I could thumb my nose at him, but I intend to make this work.’

  ‘Fine,’ said Alexavier, sounding anything but fine. ‘Glean some knowledge of Montpelier’s business if you wish. Your cover background is that of a small, independent fashion designer. We thought you’d know enough about fashion to get by. The men you’ll be in contact with, under your new cover, know as much about women’s fashion as we do, and that’s precious little.’

  ‘I beg to differ,’ said Montpelier. ‘I take an interest in ladies fashion.’

  Alexavier sunk him with a look, but Montpelier bobbed back up to the surface. ‘They were going to make you some obscure knitwear designer but I suggested you’d be better being a fashion boutique sort.’

  ‘Yes, I’d prefer that. And will I have a different name?’

  ‘No,’ said Alexavier. ‘No one that y
ou’ll be dealing with has any knowledge of you, so we thought it would be easier for you to keep your own name. Montpelier has been abroad for several months, so he’s been off the scene, and again the men you’ll be investigating don’t know him.’

  ‘Investigating?’ That sounded exciting.

  ‘It may sound exciting,’ said Alexavier, sussing my thoughts, ‘but it’s mainly trawling through reams of paperwork, researching data, information collected by other agents.’ He paused, then said, ‘You’ll have to look like a couple.’

  ‘Do you miss Rupert?’ said Montpelier.

  ‘No. We’d drifted and I realised he wasn’t the man for me.’

  ‘But you’d loved him when you first got together?’ he added.

  ‘Yes, but he’d become a prat.’

  Montpelier laughed. Alexavier didn’t.

  ‘Well, now you’ve got me,’ said Montpelier. ‘And thank you for the compliments. Handsome and suave, eh?’ He said this while smiling triumphantly at Alexavier.

  Alexavier put a credit card down on the desk. ‘Use this to buy yourself a suitable wardrobe of clothes.’

  ‘I’ll go shopping with you,’ said Montpelier. ‘I know the type of men whose world we’ll be in. Government types.’

  ‘You’ve got a meeting this afternoon,’ Alexavier reminded him. ‘I’ll accompany Neve shopping.’

  ‘I can go shopping on my own,’ I said.

  ‘No, I’ll go with you,’ said Alexavier. ‘This assignment if too important to risk anything happening to you. You’ll both be attending a dinner tonight. This will establish you as a couple within the social circles you’ll be investigating.’

  A credit card to go wild on the high street, shopping for clothes, shoes...everything. And a diamond ring sparkling on my finger. I liked this assignment. And I liked Montpelier. Would I be required to kiss him? As his faux fiancee, how far was I to go when it came to romance?

  As we left the office Alexavier said, ‘You won’t be required to make excessive physical contact or displays of tactile affection with Montpelier.’

  ‘Oh, you’re no fun,’ Montpelier said to him.

  My thoughts exactly.

  ‘You’ll be living in a hotel with Montpelier for the next month,’ said Alexavier. ‘Separate rooms. I’m staying there too. But if anyone asks, Montpelier is down here from Edinburgh on business and he’s brought you with him.’

  We were in a fashion shop. I was trying to decide whether to buy the silver evening shoes or the sparkling bronze.

  I held up one of each type. ‘What ones should I buy?’

  He frowned. ‘Buy both pairs.’

  ‘Really?’

  ‘Yes, really. And we need to hurry up. It’s almost five. The dinner party is being held at one of the hotels in Glasgow. You’ll need to be ready.’ He glanced at my hair. I’d washed it that morning in London.

  ‘I’ll sort my hair,’ I assured him.

  ‘Your hair looks lovely. It’s got a natural shine. Wear it like that. Don’t appear false.’

  While the shop assistant rang my purchases through the till, Alexavier disappeared over to where the evening bags were on display. He selected four and gave them to the assistant to be included.

  ‘Thanks,’ I said to him. He’d chosen a black one, a gold, silver and sparkly bronze. I couldn’t have chosen better. ‘They’re lovely.’

  He checked the time. ‘We’ll have to go. There are other things we need to brief you on before the party.’

  ‘What things?’

  We left the shop and headed to his car. ‘We suspect three men of being the informant. We need to find out what they’ve been up to recently.’

  ‘How will I do that?’

  ‘You just need to accompany Montpelier. He’s the one who will deal with them. You’re part of his cover.’

  ‘Why was I chosen for this assignment? Surely there are women at the department who are trained for this.’

  ‘Circumstances forced our hand. We’ve been working on this for a few months. Our first agent, a woman, well experienced, wasn’t Scottish and her accent or lack of it and failure to create an authentic voice almost blew her cover. We had to pull her out before anything bad happened to her.’

  I gulped. Somehow the shopping and light heartedness of everything so far had made me forget that this could be dangerous work.

  ‘Our second agent managed to achieve the required accent, but she didn’t fit the part she needed to portray. She was too clever. She’d worked for five years with us in intelligence, and found it hard to pretend that she wasn’t. So we had to find someone else.’

  ‘Someone dimmer?’

  ‘Someone less intelligent.’

  I accepted that I wasn’t the sharpest bauble on the Christmas tree, though I was bright enough.

  ‘You’re Scottish, from Glasgow, and you look...’

  ‘Completely forgettable?’

  ‘You heard?’

  I nodded.

  He looked at me, and I felt myself melt. It was probably just as well that I had to be Montpelier’s fiancee and not his, for I doubted that I could resist him even if it was against the rules of the assignment.

  His voice was deep and smooth. ‘This assignment is vital to our security. We need a woman who seems reasonably intelligent who will fly below the radar and not alert their suspicions. No offence, Neve, but you fit that mould ideally. You’re fresh to the agency. You don’t sound like one of us. It’s more likely they’ll trust you. That’s what we need.’ He hesitated and then said, ‘but know this...you’ll never be forgettable to me.’

  We looked at each other for a long moment.

  We’d arrived outside the hotel and he’d parked in the hotel car park.

  He got out of the car and collected the shopping bags from the boot. I stepped out. The air was freezing and I pulled my coat around me.

  ‘Your suitcases from London are in your hotel room. I’ll help you in with these shopping bags, and then you’ll be with Montpelier.’

  ‘Why don’t you like each other?’

  He blinked, taken aback. ‘He was in love with a woman a few years ago. Although I had no relationship with her, we’d met socially and she decided she wanted to be with me instead of him. He thought I’d stolen her behind his back. To this day I don’t think he believes that I never had anything to do with her.’

  ‘But you still work together?’

  ‘Yes, and we’d back each other to the hilt. No question about that.’

  ‘He must have really loved her.’

  ‘He did. She lives abroad now and has nothing to do with him.’

  ‘It must be difficult to have a relationship in your line of work. All that secrecy and travelling away on assignments.’

  ‘It takes a special type of woman to understand that she can’t be privy to that part of my life.’

  ‘Maybe one day you’ll find someone who understands.’

  ‘I live in hope that she’s out there somewhere.’ He sounded as if he had no hope of ever finding her.

  We went into the hotel. Our rooms were on the third floor.

  Montpelier’s belongings and my suitcases were already in the room. Alexavier came into the room with me and checked that I had everything I needed. ‘Call me if you need anything urgently. Montpelier will be here soon. He’s in the adjoining room. I’m further along the corridor. I suggest you get dressed.’

  ‘Will you be there tonight? At the party?’

  ‘Yes, in the background. Make no contact with me. We do not know each other. Do you understand?’

  ‘Yes, I do.’

  ‘I’ll leave you to get dressed,’ he said and headed out of the room.

  I looked around. The bed was sumptuous, the room upmarket, en suite bathroom, and a great view of the city. I unpacked some of my things, hung them in the wardrobe and snipped the tags from the black evening dress I planned to wear.

  I glanced at myself in the mirror. The diamante straps of the full length, figure
skimming dress sparkled in the light. I’d need no jewellery other than the diamond ring on my engagement finger. A flicker of panic threatened to overwhelm me as I realised where I was and what I’d ended up getting involved in. And I thought about Rupert. I didn’t miss him, but I missed the familiarity and comfort we’d had.

  Come on, you can do this, I urged myself. I brushed my hair, taking Alexavier’s advice to wear it down, silky smooth, touching my shoulders. The black evening bag he’d chosen was perfect. Black high heeled shoes completed the look, though I should’ve bought a coat, something a bit more special than the black coat I’d been wearing to go shopping. It was fashionable and warm, but an evening coat would’ve been ideal.

  Montpelier arrived. ‘Are you decent?’

  ‘Yes, come in.’

  He entered through the adjoining room, already dressed in an immaculate dinner suit.

  ‘You look beautiful, Neve.’

  He had a large bag with him. ‘I took the liberty of buying you a coat. I wasn’t sure whether you’d brought one with you.’

  How tactful. My coat wasn’t up to the mark. Not in the black tie environment we were about to step into.

  He took the coat out of the bag. It was a gorgeous black coat, warm, long, with a collar that I could pull up against the cold. I tried it on. ‘It’s lovely, thank you.’

  We both knew he’d bought this for me from his own pocket, though neither of us mentioned this. He was pleased I liked it. That’s what mattered.

  He held his arm out for me to take. ‘Shall we go?’

  I linked my arm through his and we headed out into the night, driving to the hotel where the party was being held.

  As we drove the fairly short distance across the city, I gazed out the window. Flakes of snow were falling and I admired the Christmas lights and decorations illuminating the streets.

  ‘It feels like Christmas,’ I said, resigning myself to forgoing it this year in favour of working as a secret agent. Would my life ever be the same again? Would this job end up broken like the others in my past? I glanced at the people, the couples in the street, huddled up against the cold but happily together. Maybe they weren’t as content as they looked, though they seemed happy. In the last few months if anyone had seen me out with Rupert it would’ve been obvious we weren’t happy.