Covert Interview

by Missy Marciassa

  Chapter Eleven

  Elle nearly headed for the hotel when she returned to Norfolk before remembering she had her apartment keys and her furniture had been delivered while she was gone. She felt groggy after the flight, but a little thrill still ran through her when she stepped into her new apartment. Although she and Marni had been sharing an apartment since their sophomore year of college, this was her first apartment that was solely hers.

  It was another step into the adult life she’d been waiting to start for so long. She wanted to stay and enjoy it, but she had to leave for Charlottesville the next day. She planned to spend Monday apartment hunting, and she would start at the university library in Charlottesville on Tuesday. It was about a three hour drive, so she had time to think on the way.

  Who would have thought she was going to end up having multiple homes right out of college? Growing up, Elle had always felt unwanted at her parents’ homes. Her parents divorced when she was young, remarried, and had children with their second spouses. Elle’s father married a woman, okay, a witch, and although her mother’s second husband tolerated her presence, with “tolerate” being the operative word, he’d made it clear his house wasn’t really her home.

  She had gone to boarding school for high school and during her last year of college her mother packed up her things and put them in the attic so one of her younger sisters could have her room. Since before Elle was even in high school she had looked forward to the day she would have her own place. Now she would have three places, between Norfolk, Charlottesville, and DC. Since she still had another hour for the drive, she went ahead and called her mother. They had last spoken at her graduation.

  “Elle, what are you up to?” her mother asked, sounding surprised. Elle guessed she should be surprised. Her graduation had been less than a month ago: normally they wouldn’t be talking so soon.

  “I’m getting settled.” She told her mother the cover about a job at the Library of Congress, working with Virginia university library system, etc. “So I need for you to ship my things down.” Last Christmas she had returned home to find all of her things boxed up in the attic since her mother had given her room to one of her younger sisters.

  “Perfect timing. Robert’s been wanting to make use of the attic space, turning it into some kind of ‘man cave’ or something.”

  Figured. Like she gave a damn what her mother’s husband wanted. He was marginally better than her father’s wife, but that really wasn’t saying much.

  “With three apartments, you’ll have plenty of room,” her mother continued. “You’re going to spend a lot of time on the road.”

  Elle laughed. “I’m going to be spending most of my time in Norfolk, I think, so I’ll have you send my stuff there. Maybe you can come down and see my places or at least one of them.” Those words shocked her probably more than her mother. What the hell made her even go there?

  “Oh, Ellie, let me see…” She could see her mother checking the big calendar she kept in the kitchen. “All three of the kids are going to be gone for a week in July, but Robert and I are going to Bora Bora. Maybe I can come down the weekend before or weekend after that.”

  Elle didn’t say anything. For a woman who didn’t have a job, a housekeeper who came in three times a week, and kids who were taken to and from school on a school bus, she still managed to keep a packed schedule.

  “It would be a lot of traveling, but maybe…” her mother said.

  “Sure, whatever.” Elle kept her voice light. “Just let me know. Listen, Mom, I’m getting close to Charlottesville, so I’d better go-”

  “Of course. Drive safely.”

  Norfolk was a working-class town with echoes of the past with a mixture of modern and colonial-style buildings. Charlottesville, on the other hand, was a college town that looked like it was firmly entrenched in the colonial era. The buildings looked like they had been preserved from then with some modern college shops mixed in. Lush grass and blooming flowers and trees were everywhere. The Appalachian Mountains were visible from some spots. Elle felt like she was driving through a postcard and maybe even through history.

  She took plenty of pictures at the apartments she toured the next day and sent them to Marni, who wasn’t shy with her thumbs-up and thumbs-down. By the end of the day, however, they had settled on a place, and Elle submitted a housing application before looking for dinner. She decided to eat out rather than taking something back to the hotel. After placing her order, Elle realized the last time she had eaten alone was when she was interviewing at the CIA. Then, she had known she was flying back to her college apartment in a couple of days. Not anymore. She really was on her own.

  Her cell rang. Seeing the number, Elle immediately answered.

  “What are you up to?” It was Preston.

  Elle could feel her cheeks stretching from her grin. “Just having dinner in Charlottesville,” she told him. “What about you?”

  “Hanging out in a safe house,” Preston said. “What you’re doing sounds far more fun.”

  Elle stopped herself just before asking where the safe house was. Of course he couldn’t tell her that. “Are you okay?” She figured that wasn’t an inappropriate question.

  “Oh, I’m fine,” he assured her. “This was planned: I didn’t come in hot or anything.”

  Elle guessed “hot” meant if his cover had been blown and he needed an emergency extraction. “Will you be heading back here soon?” she asked. “I’ve already got a place in Norfolk and am about to have one in Charlottesville. I’m doing all this exploring alone.”

  “Two places, huh? We’re going to have fun fully exploring each place.”

  “Something tells me your idea of ‘exploring’ is even more fun than what I’m doing,” Elle said.

  “Solo exploring has its limitations.” It was as if the deep tones of his voice somehow caressed her across the air waves.

  “I’m at work on a new model, all new variables. I just need more data, but I’m limited with what I can gather solo.”

  “We can’t have you limited.” She was sure his voice had grown even huskier, but then he was all business. “I’ve gotta run. I’ll call later.”

  He hung up before she could even say good-bye.

  ***

  As Elle made her way up the steps and past the white columns of the library the next morning, she truly felt like she had gone back in time. The sense of history felt like a presence. Yet the college student working at the circulation desk looked like any other you would find across the country: shorts, college t-shirt.

  “I’m here to see Janet Kress,” she told the student. The student nodded to the staircase up ahead. “Her office is on the second floor, at the far end of the main reference room. One of the reference librarians can let you in back there.”

  Janet Kress looked like she wasn’t much younger than Raleigh, with her graying hair, but that seemed to be about the only similarity between the two library directors. She wore slacks and a blouse; her jacket was hanging over the back of her chair. She greeted Elle with a warm smile. “Your appointment here is a godsend,” she said, holding Elle’s hand in a gentle clasp with both of hers. “We do a lot to improve the technological capabilities of our libraries, but normally we have to rely on consultants. Having you here, even part-time, is simply wonderful.”

  Hearing that was a relief.

  “And having someone directly from the Library of Congress- it’s beyond anything we dreamed of,” she continued as she ushered Elle into her office. Elle had never been so happy to see modern furniture and an up-to-date desktop computer as she sat down. “I heard the funding for this program is for five years. Is that correct?”

  Elle hadn’t heard anything of the kind, but she figured playing along was best. “That’s my understanding,” she said.

  Janet beamed at Elle. “Your credentials are impressive,” she said, “simply exceptional. We are just thrilled. Our current library system is strong, but our collections are not fully utilized be
cause students can’t find all that we have. I have a hope for a dream system, and I’m hoping you can tell me if it’s possible.”

  She launched right into what she wanted. It did sound like an impressive program to Elle, using similar types of algorithms to what major internet companies used to personalize searches. Developing that type of program would be an impressive accomplishment for her.

  “I don’t see why it isn’t possible,” Elle told her after hearing what she wanted. “But it will take some time. Internet companies spend years developing and refining algorithms. This won’t be quite as complex, but I can’t give you a specific time frame for when this would be fully operational.”

  “But it’s possible?” Janet asked.

  “Absolutely possible,” Elle assured her.

  Janet’s beam was as powerful as a sunray as she clapped her hands together. “Bless your heart,” she said. “I’m so excited; I might not let you go to your other locations!”

  Something told Elle that Raleigh might actually be okay with that, but she simply laughed with Janet.

  What Janet wanted was so impressive, in fact, that it was what occupied Elle’s thoughts as she completed yet another round of employment paperwork, sat through more presentations about benefits, got yet another campus ID made, and all the other employment stuff she had to do.

  As Elle walked down the red brick streets, looking for a place to grab dinner, she kept noting all the things she saw that Marni would like, like the various bars, different shops and cafes. Marni would go to law school here, and she was going to enjoy it. She couldn’t wait for her friend to get here. They could explore the nearby areas, too, especially when Tina came down to visit.

  It turned out Elle wouldn’t have as long to wait as she thought. When she got back to the hotel, there was a message on her tablet that Marni and Tina had tried to contact her via the internet. She turned on the webcam and sent them a message. They took over the screen less than a minute later.

  “When will the apartment be ready?” Marni asked.

  Elle laughed. “Geez, good to see you, too, roomie. You look like you’ve gotten a lot of sun.”

  Tina laughed as Marni made a face. “Sorry- we’ve just had a change in plans,” she said.

  Change in plans? Elle waited for them to continue.

  “Tina’s cousin is kicking us out-”

  Tina rolled her eyes. “They’ve got an offer to rent this place out for $10000 for the rest of the summer, but Marni’s also decided to go to school early-”

  Elle shook her head, trying to figure out what the hell they were saying. “You’re coming to Charlottesville early?”

  “There’s a summer program for first year law students. It reviews the basics of reading legal cases, legal writing: all that shit.” Marni looked sheepish. “I thought it might be a good idea if I went.”

  Elle and Tina exchanged shocked looks. Marni normally didn’t do any more studying than she had to. “So let me get this straight,” Elle said, making a show of sitting up straight. “You’re leaving the South of France early for school?”

  “That was my question,” Tina added.

  Marni spoke over their laughter. “It’ll get me off to a good start!” She waiting until the laughter subsided before focusing on Elle. “So when will our apartment be ready?”

  Elle didn’t bother to hide her grin. “Well, I’m sorry your vacay is ending early, but I’m glad you’re coming.”

  “Yeah, you’re real sorry,” Tina grumbled, although her sparkling eyes betrayed her humor.

  “I’m sure it’s tearing you up inside that we’ll both be working all summer,” Marni added.

  “Yep.” Elle let the cheer brighten her voice.

  Chapter Twelve

  The next few weeks went by in a blur, between starting to develop the major program Janet Kress wanted and dealing with Raleigh’s busy work in Norfolk. Mason had her continue to make modifications to the program to better track transactions. Marni and Tina returned from Europe. While Tina planned to spend some time with her family in Michigan before moving to New York, Marni only had a couple of weeks before coming to Charlottesville. It helped Elle feel less lonely in the evenings to know her friend would be there before long. In the interim, she kept busy.

  Raleigh insisted she work some shifts at the circulation and reference desks, just like the rest of the staff, even though neither circulation nor reference were her specialties. Elle tested their library system to see what it could do, and thought of some improvements, but she figured she wouldn’t rush to present them to Raleigh. Maybe the older librarian would come to see her as less of a threat as she got used to Elle. Besides, Elle enjoyed working at the desks because she often got to hang out with Betsy, even if Betsy continued to ask questions about Preston.

  “You’ve been here for a little over a month,” she told Elle one day. “He’s still off working somewhere?”

  Elle nodded, sipping her drink. When June hit, the heat skyrocketed. Not only did she invest in plenty of lightweight business wear pieces, but she started to carry cool liquids around with her everywhere. It was a good thing the libraries were air-conditioned (heat could damage the books and computers, so air-conditioning was essential) or Elle didn’t know how she would cope. She didn’t even want to see her electric bills for her own apartments when they started to arrive.

  “He’s coming up this weekend,” she said. She could hear the giddiness in her voice but she didn’t care if she sounded like a love-struck puppy. After a month of evenings and weekends spent pretty much by herself, she was looking forward to seeing someone she didn’t work with. She and Betsy hung out occasionally outside of work, but since she was married, she spent most of her free time with her husband, which was understandable. If her husband didn’t have to study so much for med school, she didn’t know if they would ever get to hang out. The other librarians in Norfolk were married as well.

  “Do you have any big plans?” Betsy asked.

  “I was thinking we could hang out at the beach,” Elle said. And have some scorching sex, she thought to herself, but didn’t say aloud. At this point, heat stroke would be a small price to pay to be with Preston again. “Keep it low-key.”

  “Something tells me,” Betsy said, glancing around to make sure they couldn’t be overheard, “you two won’t see much of Norfolk outside of your apartment.”

  Elle just grinned. Hopefully Betsy was right.

  ***

  Elle practically threw herself at Preston as soon as she opened the door. He grasped her just as tight, his hands sliding down to squeeze her ass as he pressed her closer to him. Before Elle knew it he had her up against the apartment door, closing it while letting his hands roam.

  “It’s been so long,” Elle breathed between kisses. “Welcome to my new place.”

  “Too damn long,” he agreed, hitching her up so she could wrap her legs around his waist.

  “I guess I should show you the bedroom first,” she managed to say as his lips started moving down her throat. His hands were already lifting her sundress up over her head and tossing it to the side. With her legs wrapped around his waist, she was pressed right up against his hard length.

  “We can start there, but I plan on doing a thorough inspection.” He kept a tight grip on her ass, pressing her to him, as he strode through the living/dining room to the bedroom. Elle felt the cool breeze from the air conditioning on her bare skin. Her bra and panties provided the thinnest of barriers.

  “Absolutely,” Elle said as he dropped her onto the downy comforter as if she was light as a feather. “You can’t be too thorough.”

  He climbed up on the bed so he was hovering over her, his eyes drinking in her matching lace bra and panties set. “You’ve done some shopping.”

  Elle felt herself blush and couldn’t hide her grin. “Right after I got my first paycheck.” She had spent a considerable amount of it at a lingerie shop in anticipation of his visit.

  “So I guess,” he s
aid, running his fingers up her thigh and leaving a tingling trail before hitching a thumb under her panties, “ripping these off would be a bad thing.”

  Elle lifted herself up so he could slide them down her legs. When he leaned in to kiss her and unhook her bra, she ran her hands up under his shirt, enjoying the feel of his hot skin and hard muscles. She had the air conditioning on, but it wouldn’t do much against the heat they were about to generate.

  ***

  Later that night they ordered in rather than get dressed and go out. “So how long will you be here for?” Elle asked as she bit into a slice of pizza. They were sitting on the couch with the pizza on the coffee table.

  Preston chewed some before answering. “I’ve gotta head back up to DC Sunday night.”

  It was Friday; she had hoped he would be able to stay for a few more days, maybe a week or so, at least. Elle thought she kept her face neutral until he said, “Oh, don’t look like that.” He stroked her cheek. “I’m sorry I can’t stay longer-”

  She forced a smile. “It’s okay, I know the score. You have to work; so do I.” She hated the apologetic look in his eyes. The last thing he needed was to feel guilty. “Raleigh would pitch a fit if I asked for time off so soon.”

  “Raleigh?” Preston asked.

  Elle was glad to change the subject by launching into a colorful description of her Norfolk boss. For once, Raleigh had done her some good.

  Saturday went exactly as Betsy had predicted. They spent a couple of hours at the beach in the morning but didn’t waste much time getting back to the apartment to do things that would have gotten them arrested on the beach.

  On Sunday Elle didn’t even ask Preston when he had to leave. She figured he would leave when he had to. They ordered in more food, including an early dinner. After a final round of sex, she lay on the bed while she listened to the running water as he showered. The Chinese food they had eaten for dinner was heavy on her stomach. It felt so different having someone else in the apartment with her. She didn’t realize just how empty it was until she actually spent the weekend with someone. She never heard back from her mother to visit, but Marni would be in Virginia next week. Work would just have to keep her busy until then.