by Palladian
“I see,” Lex said, feeling even more confused.
The lawyer’s smile seemed unwavering, however, as he continued. “I won’t charge you my full fee for reviewing this, since from just glancing at the document I can tell that it’s the same contract I’ve seen before but customized for your group, so it won’t be as much work for me as a new contract review. I will review it thoroughly, however, and I’ll let you know if I find anything strange. Is the beginning of next week soon enough for you?”
Lex nodded, smiling. “That would be really great, Mr. Mathieu. Thank you for being willing to take care of this so quickly.”
“Not at all,” he said, standing to shake her hand again as she rose to go. “I welcome the chance to help, and I hope that you enjoy your time here in Brussels.”
Lex thought about her meeting with the lawyer on the subway ride home but decided that she probably just shouldn’t worry unless her final meeting with him turned up something odd. The days in between seemed to fly by, especially since they had a show to play over the weekend, which the entire band agreed went better than anticipated. Having Casey inform everyone that they’d probably need to order more CDs sooner than expected, since they continued to sell well at shows, had definitely been a bonus.
So, in what felt sooner than she’d anticipated, Lex sat in front of the lawyer’s desk again, watching a beam of late-day sunlight find its way across his desk.
“As expected,” he began, “the contract is standard for others I’ve examined before, with the exception that it covers six people. The terms of employment seem normal: citizenship, a position, salary, expectations, etc. You can get further details within the contract, but as an overview, the standard schedule is a five day, thirty-five hour week to actually be on the premises of the central headquarters buildings of the area where you’re assigned, and to be on call to some extent when you’re not actually working normal hours. I assume this has to do with utilizing everyone’s special talents as needed.
“As you requested, I tried to find anything that seems ambiguous or would leave open large holes as to intent or expectations, but the contract is worded straightforwardly for the most part, and I don’t legally see any way they could get around that.”
He looked at Lex then, and she smiled at him in return. “I know you haven’t requested me to advise you about this choice, but if you had I would encourage you to accept this offer, since it seems fair and aboveboard. Of course, my opinion may not suit you, so you must determine for yourselves what you wish to do. If you take a quick look at the contract, I’ve tried to identify any areas you might want to ask your contact for more information about.”
Lex smiled at him, feeling her shoulders descend a few inches after hearing Mr. Mathieu’s opinion on the contract. She flipped through the papers to glance at his notes—on sticky papers, attached to the relevant sections— closed the folder, and met his eyes again.
“Thanks so much for reviewing this, and for your advice,” Lex said, standing to leave and shaking his hand. “I’ll be sure to think it all over before the next time I talk to our contact.”
“Good luck to you, young lady,” Mr. Mathieu said as he let go of her hand. “I’m sure you’ll be successful no matter what you decide.”
That night when she got home, Lex called everyone together so she could discuss her findings. She explained the responsibilities and work structure that she’d confirmed with the lawyer, and the fact that the contract seemed plainly worded enough that it couldn’t be assumed to incorporate anything that hadn’t been called out. Lex looked around the table when she’d finished speaking in order to see what the rest of the group seemed to think.
“It sounds fair to me,” Kate spoke up. “I think we should take it.”
Riss and Victor both nodded in response to Kate’s statement, neither adding anything else. Looking over at Casey and Lou, Lex could see the two looking at each other as if deep in conversation, but neither spoke. After a few moments, Lou smiled subtly and Casey broke out into a grin.
“We agree,” Casey said. “Let’s do it.”
“There’s one more thing I wanted to talk to all of you about,” Lex said, looking cautiously around the table. “I wanted to get everyone’s agreement on this before I talked about it with the people who’re making us this offer, though. I want to see if we can get the Chens included—Lily, Mr. Chen, and Lily’s little boy. I know that it would be something extra, and that the Chens might not go for it, but I feel I owe it to them to try, at least. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t go for it if the people here say no, but I would like to ask and give it a try. What do you all think?”
Lex brought her gaze up for the first time since saying her piece, not sure of her reception. The first person she saw was Kate, nodding fiercely.
“Hell yes,” she said. “I owe her, and I’d like it if I had a chance to pay her back.”
“Well, you know I wouldn’t say no to getting the Chens here,” Casey chimed in with a smile. “I’d love to be able to work with Mr. Chen again, and I owe Lily so much for keeping you alive.”
Riss responded, “Yes. Let’s try at least, because without what she did for us, we never would have ended up here in the first place.”
“Let’s do it,” Victor added. “I think they’d be strong additions to our team.”
Lex looked curiously at him for a moment, but Kate spoke up to answer her unasked question. “We both met Mr. Chen. Do you remember back after you defeated George? He made it a point to find out who trained you, and managed to have Mr. Chen reassigned to giving him lessons instead. Victor and I sat in on a session, and it was funny: I could tell he didn’t want to train George. But, that wasn’t much of an issue because of how lazy George is.”
Nodding, Lex responded, “Yeah, he’s about the last person Mr. Chen would ever want to teach.” She looked over to Lou and asked, “What do you think?”
He nodded in response. “I saw what Lily was able to do for Kate, and I’ve seen the results of the training that Mr. Chen gave you and Casey. I agree that they would both be good to have around, and that we owe them. Let’s give it a try.”
Letting out a breath she hadn’t been aware of holding in, Lex spoke again. “Thanks, you guys. I’ll give Rolf a call and set up a meeting to talk about it, then. Who’d like to go with me?”
There were glances around the table as everyone started to rise, then a chorus of “Not me,” and “We trust you, Lex,” followed by a few smug smirks, until she sat at the table alone. She looked after them for a moment as she got out her phone and started dialing. “You guys,” she muttered to herself, feeling her cheeks heating up with a blush as she put the phone to her ear to listen to it ring.
She and Rolf met in a restaurant near the middle of the city for lunch on one of the days the band didn’t have a show. In a few days, the group would leave the city to widen their tour, and Lex already felt bad about it. She’d come to like the city, with its beautiful old-stone buildings and friendly people, and to her surprise she looked forward to returning.
As she scanned the busy restaurant, full of people who seemed to be on lunch break from their work, Lex spotted Rolf at a corner table. He waved in her direction, which she returned, ducking her head, then headed in his direction.
She felt ridiculous, but she tried to swallow it down and act as if everything seemed normal. It had started a couple of hours ago as she’d stood in front of her small closet, staring at the contents and wishing that she could change them. It’s just a lunch meeting, she had tried to tell herself, ignoring the butterflies in her stomach. Due to the quick move and the fact that they hadn’t had a lot of time to go clothes shopping, her choices had seemed limited to clothing she wore onstage and a few casual outfits besides.
After a while, Lex had chosen a simple black t-shirt with a v-neck that didn’t dip too low and some black jeans paired with boots. She’d looked at herself in the mirror with trepidation, however, not wanting to show up looking
completely gothic. At that moment, Riss had walked by and caught sight of Lex looking into the mirror. The other woman had slowed as she passed and then backed up so the doorway framed her slim figure.
“Isn’t today the day you’re having lunch with Rolf?” Riss had asked, smiling one of her barely-there smiles.
“Yeah,” Lex had muttered, shooting Riss a glare from under her lids.
“Hey, there’s no need to be all defensive,” Riss had said as she had entered Lex’s room and stood to the side, looking at Lex’s reflection as well. “That’s really, uh, dark, you know.”
“I know,” Lex had said, an edge of despair in her voice. “I don’t have a lot of choice, though. I guess I should have packed more clothes, but there’s no time to go shopping right now or anything.”
“No, but,” Riss had trailed off, looking at Lex’s reflection thoughtfully. After a moment she’d smiled, the effect more pronounced.
“I’ll be right back,” Riss had said finally, darting out of Lex’s door only to reappear seconds later with a small, dark green jacket.
Lex had looked it over as Riss had handed it to her, shaking it out and holding it up in front of her. It had had almost a military-style cut but with simpler lines. She’d put it on and buttoned the cuffs at her wrists, then checked the collar, making sure she’d folded it over properly. The jacket had fallen to her hipbones, and as Lex had looked at it in the mirror, she’d found herself smiling because it had seemed like the perfect thing to add. Her outfit now had looked put together instead of like something scraped out of the bottom of her closet.
“Thank you, Riss! So you don’t mind if I borrow this?” Lex had asked, fingering the jacket as she looked at her friend.
“That’s what I brought it over here for. I could tell you wanted to look good for your date,” Riss had said, her smile a bit sly this time.
“Riss, it’s not a date,” Lex had replied as she looked away, able to see her blush in the mirror out of the corner of her eye.
“For you, I wish it was,” her friend had said. “The entire time I’ve known you I’ve never seen you look at a guy like you looked at him. Don’t you think it’s time to forget about what happened with your fiancé and move on?”
Lex had stared at Riss in the mirror for a moment, her wide eyes showing her surprise. Finally she had turned to look at her friend, and Riss had continued.
“I wasn’t there for the whole moving adventure, but Casey told me all about it. I wish Serena had taken him to the North Pole and left him there, the jackass. You spend all your time worrying about everyone else, but I think you should think about yourself sometimes, too. There are a lot of guys out there who’d be smart enough to treat you right, and I don’t think it’ll be too hard for you to find one.”
Ducking her head for a moment, Lex had then turned to look at Riss. “Thanks,” she’d said as she’d impulsively hugged her friend.
She had heard Riss chuckle near her ear, then Lex had pulled back. “Have a good time today and don’t just be all business,” Riss had replied.
Nodding, Lex had turned back to the mirror when a question had come to her mind. She had caught Riss’ gaze in the reflection and asked, “So, what about you?”
Riss’ eyes had widened before she laughed. Lex had watched as Riss had looked thoughtfully into the middle distance, and then the other woman had locked gazes with her again. “Don’t worry about me: I’m already spoken for.”
Lex’s mouth had fallen open as she’d looked at her friend. “Why didn’t you mention this before? Who is he? Or she?” Lex had quickly amended, mentally thanking Serena.
Laughing, Riss had answered, “He. And I haven’t mentioned him before because, well…it’s hard to explain. I promise I’ll introduce you all soon, I just need some more time to figure out how.”
Brow furrowed, Lex had spoken up as something had occurred to her. “Do you see each other online?” she’d asked.
“Yeah, something like that,” Riss had said, her cryptic smile in evidence again. “Soon, Lex. But you’d better get going to your lunch or you’ll be late.”
Seeing that Riss was right, Lex had grabbed her bag and run out the door, just pausing to stick her head back around the doorjamb to say, “Thanks again, Riss!” Her grin had kept up all the way to the meeting place, at least until she’d spotted Rolf across the room and her nervousness took over.
Chapter 35: New Beginnings
Lex fingered the cuff of the jacket Riss had lent her as she approached the table and sat. She couldn’t think of a thing to say as she studied the man sitting there. He had dressed casually today, blue jeans and a polo shirt with a fitted, black leather jacket hanging over the back of his chair. Realizing she hadn’t seen him before except in dim light, Lex looked at his face again, then lowered her eyes just after locking onto his dark gold gaze. To her surprise, he seemed even more attractive in daylight, with strong cheekbones, a lively, intelligent expression, and those amazing eyes. She smiled again as she glanced back up at him, flooded with amazement as she saw on his face that he appeared to be nervous as well.
“You look more comfortable in casual clothes,” Lex said and smiled, hoping that it didn’t sound too stupid as an opening gambit, but he smiled as she said it, which made her feel like a genius.
“I’ve never been much of one for suits,” he replied. “Do you know what you’d like, Ms. Mansfield? I see the waiter on his way here.”
“If you order first, I’ll find something,” Lex said, quickly scanning the menu. As something occurred to her, she spoke again. “And, please call me Lex. Everyone was just…surprised to hear someone else call me by name. We tried to be really careful not to use our old nicknames in front of anyone else, because, well…”
She trailed off as the waiter arrived at their table. After the two of them had finished ordering and they were alone again, Rolf spoke after a moment.
“So, what did your group think of the offer? I trust you checked it over with a lawyer?” He looked serious and sincere and Lex swallowed a little nervously before she answered.
“Everyone thought it sounded very fair, and we’re all interested to take you up on it,” she replied, then paused for a breath before continuing. “There is something we’d like to ask you for in addition, however.”
He raised an eyebrow in interest. “Please, go ahead,” Rolf invited her.
“Well,” she started slowly, looking at Rolf to try to gauge his reaction, “we’d like to ask that three more people be included in your invitation. The other people are two former coworkers of ours and our former coworker’s son. They used Fai Chen as the martial arts trainer for people like us stationed around the Washington, DC, area. He trained Casey and I, and I know either one of us would be glad to demonstrate what he taught us. The other is Lily Chen, a healer who’s so skilled that she can bring people back from the dead.”
Lex watched Rolf’s eyes widen, his voice quiet when he finally spoke. “I don’t mean to sound doubtful, but do you have any proof of that?”
Lex nodded and raised her hand. “Yes. She did it for me. Twice. I don’t really remember the incidents, but I’d died and Casey kept me alive using CPR until the healer arrived and brought me back. If you want to talk to Casey about it, please be sure to keep it brief because the whole thing still seems to really bother her.”
“I could see why,” Rolf replied, shaking his head. They were both quiet for a moment, Lex waiting to hear what he might say and Rolf looking down at the table. Finally, he raised his head.
“Well,” he continued, “I’m pretty sure the answer will be yes. Please keep this in confidence, but my boss told me to come out here and see if I could get your group to sign under just about any conditions. I can make a phone call and confirm that for you after lunch, if you like.”
“Thank you,” said Lex, smiling at him. “We’ll have to propose it to Lily and Mr. Chen to make sure they’re onboard. I didn’t want to do that until we knew it could be done. If the
y want to come over here, and I’m pretty sure they will, we can take care of transporting them.”
Rolf just lifted an eyebrow at that, but then their food arrived and the two settled in to eat. After a few bites, Rolf spoke up again, his eyes sparkling with curiosity. “So, do you think you’re finally ready to share your story, Lex? I have to admit, what you have shared has only made me more curious about what happened to you.”
Lex swallowed the food she’d been chewing and met Rolf’s gaze uncertainly. “Can you keep what I tell you confidential, or do you have to let your organization know everything we discuss?”
He responded with a nod. “You want to know whether I’m obligated to report what we talk about? Actually, the only official business I’m here on is to explain any questions you have about the contract if I can, call for approval on any extensive additional requests, and encourage you to sign. Other than that, we can talk as confidentially as you like, and I promise you I will keep your secrets.”
She couldn’t help smiling in return. “Thanks, Rolf. I have one more thing to ask you before I start—how much do you know about what goes on for people like us in America?”
He looked serious for a moment, then shrugged. “I know that none of the American expatriates that I met in the special forces traveled under the names they’d been given at birth. All of them had been on the run before they’d arrived here. For those that would talk about why they ran, some had these sort of bogeyman stories about disappearing coworkers and some shadowy organization, but no one seemed to know anything definite.”
Lex nodded as if something had been confirmed for her. “Well, they’re right: there is something going on over there.” She looked down at the table for a moment, trying to think about where to start and realizing that only one place made sense. “I’ll tell you everything, but it’s going to be a long story,” Lex finally said as she met Rolf’s eyes again.