by Xavier Neal
Our salads are delivered just as the conversation at Landon's table suddenly turns interesting. “So, you're really going to display that coin?”
“It's my duty,” his slightly British accented voice responds. “Besides it's only one night. What could possibly happen?”
The cocky chuckle lifts Justin's eyebrows as I bury a smirk behind a forkful of spinach.
“Apparently this is a very big deal,” one of the other voices at the table says. “It hasn't been out of the vault in almost seven years-”
“I personally check on it twice a year,” Landon clarifies.
“Is that between throwing Galas or Parties for the mayors?” Another voice remarks with bitterness in it.
“I have a highly sophisticated job-”
Voice one argues, “Planning a party isn't a sophisticated job.”
“Party planning is child's play. I can make or break someone's career with the right bottle of scotch being served. I breathe perfection. Never forget that.”
The arrogance makes me gag. Justin chuckles having another bite of his food.
Landon declares a change in subjects, “Onto more important things.”
“Like taking Tara O’Connell as your date to the benefit?”
“I'd rather take Miranda Mcdougal. You know I have a thing for red heads,” his laughter makes the others join in.
Justin tilts his face down at me with a look I don't like. A look I don't appreciate. Something tells me this is going to be an argument when we get out of this restaurant.
The waitress refills my water just as Landon clears his throat. “I have to be getting back to the office. The Hilary Susan Benefit is in a couple of days with a series of special requests that are going to be keeping me up late for the next couple of days I'm sure. I'll see you both there?”
“Of course,” the men agree together.
Landon stands to exit, which is when I instinctively wanna watch him walk out. Get a better observation. Out of nowhere Justin's voice is strong and authoritative as he scolds, “Why don't you have my notes ready for my four o'clock?”
I trip over my words, “What?”
“Are you really what-ing me?”
My face lowers. “I-I-I-But-I-”
On an annoyed grump he throws money on the table, “I don't pay you to stutter.”
At that moment I notice Landon's table is doing it's best not to stare at the scene Justin's making. My eyes briefly spot our target walking out of the restaurant, attention tempted to look our way.
Justin roughly grabs me by the arm, his body now blocking mine from Landon's.
“I pay you to be efficient! Not this damn lazy!”
I know we're supposed to be acting, the words and action still hurt. “I'm sorry-”
“You're gonna be.” He says escorting me out of the restaurant just as Landon slides into his expensive two seater. Once we're on the street, he moves his body once more, to keep his back sheltering my face from being seen. The second Landon drives off, Justin drags me around the corner out of the line of vision of the audience who had just been staring. Quickly, his grip on me disappears. “Was that really better than being the sexy secretary?”
Folding my arms firmly on my chest, I growl, “If you ever touch me like that again-”
“Wouldn't dream of it.” His finger lifts my chin. When he sees relief on my face, he smirks. “Unless you want me too...”
The sexual playfulness of the joke sneers my nose as we continue another block or so to the apartment we're stationed in. Inside the apartment, I'm surprised to see everyone sitting around the kitchen table stuffing their faces with something that smells heavenly. God, I'm jealous. The three bites I had of that salad were awful.
“Look what the stock market threw up,” Peter grunts taking a bite of pasta.
“It's the shirt isn't it?” Justin tugs at the collar crossing to the kitchen, immediately being pointed to a bowl at the end of the table. “I'm always iffy with the dark grays.”
“Makes you look older,” Aiden chimes in.
“Taller,” Eiden adds.
“Snootier,” Belle says stabbing her food.
“Damn, I was hoping for pensive,” he sighs as he pulls my chair out beside him.
Sitting down, I pull the bowl of warm pasta to me. If it tastes half as good as it smells, this is going to be the best meal I've ever had. I'm so glad Belle can cook.
Peter lifts his drink to his lips. “Landon David.”
Immediately I respond, “He's arrogant.”
“He's a millionaire. They're supposed to be,” Peter counters.
“He's on a no bread diet.”
“I'm not making him toast. Why do I care?” He snaps.
In a mocking voice, I say, “He likes red heads.”
At least that makes the King of D-Bags chuckle. “They're fun in bed.” Belle swiftly kicks him with all she's got under the table. He does his best to hide the pain, but fails. Groaning through the discomfort he looks at Justin. “How about something of goddamn value?”
Justin shrugs. “Everything we already knew, except for the red head thing. While you took it the direction that deserved that kick you just received, it's a weakness we can exploit by making Peyton a redhead.”
Suddenly I start choking on a noodle. The second I get my throat clear, I snap, “Make me a what?”
“A redhead,” Justin repeats. “I think you'll look pretty hot.”
I shake my head. “Absolutely not.”
“We'll give her a mole too.” Belle nods slowly. “Fake glasses.”
Still focused on the issue that seems to be bothering me I deny again, “I don't wanna be a redhead.”
Justin's hand reaches across to me and I lean away. “Maybe a unique scar on her neck.”
“I don't-”
Justin redirects his attention to Aiden. “You put in her papers yet?”
Now taken off guard for a second time I question, “Papers? What papers?
Aiden replies, “I did. She starts tomorrow at 8 A.M.”
“Start what exactly?” I drop my fork. “Could we please clue me in on the game plan? And when did you get the idea of a game plan?!”
Eiden gets up to refill his bowl. “You took longer to get dressed than you thought.”
I do my best not to glare and focus back on the issue at hand. “Start talking Justin Ryan or so help God I'm gonna start shredding ties into confetti.”
Sitting up straight in his chair he says, “Let's cool down the hostility.”
“No, let's make confetti,” Peter encourages from the opposite end of the table. “I'm feeling like a fiesta.”
Justin flashes him his middle finger when Belle snaps her fingers. “Children in the classroom, can you please focus.”
My boyfriend starts to explain, “We're going to send you in as a trainee for another branch. Aiden already put in the paperwork for you. You'll go in wearing a camera pin and get a good look at every place we need. While Aiden can hack the cameras, there are some views and angles they can't get. A couple days of actual walk through footage will make it that much easier for us to make the swap.”
“How are we doing the swap?”
“So it'll start as I just explained. You're going in as a trainee that will switch branches. This is one of the training locations, so it all makes sense. A little before lunch time, I'm going to come and deposit a set of jewels into a lock box. Because of their value it should land us in the same area where Landon's coin is.”
“Like Justin said having you in there getting direct feed will give us a better idea of what the cameras can't catch. Besides, reviewing your footage will save me a little extra hacking time,” Aiden clarifies picking up a glass of orange juice.
My face tries not to scrunch at the idea of mixing the taste of juice and pasta. I know I should be focusing, but I can't help it. That just sounds like a gross combination.
Justin clears his throat to grab my attention again. “The day of the switch
I'm going to go in and retrieve the jewels from the deposit box. Aiden's gonna loop security footage while I swap the coin and then I'm gonna walk out the front door. No one will know the difference.”
“The more we can predict and keep in our favor, the better,” Eiden says.
“All that sounds great, but why me? Why can't Belle go in? She's prettier and charming―”
“Aw, you flatter me.” She pushes her blonde hair, which has returned to its bob, behind her ear. I think her natural fairy look is prettier. “However, I've done enough cons as the decoy woman to last me my lifetime and yours. This is one of the perks of no longer being the only female.”
My lips curve down to a frown. “Perks for you.”
“Yeah! Besides, you look great in business attire.”
Peter wriggles his eyebrows. “Like a naughty secretary.”
Justin starts laughing and opens his mouth to retort when I point a finger at him. “Say one word about it and you'll be sleeping on the cold living room couch. Alone.”
His mouth shuts and Peter chuckles. “Justin Ryan...looks like married life isn't all it's cracked up to be. How's that leash around your neck? Choking yet?”
“No tighter than yours,” Justin's words cause Peter to bite his tongue.
Belle smirks to herself before she whispers, “And yours needs to be tighter.”
I redirect the subject back on track, “So I go in and have to train to be an employee? You do know I know nothing about banks or financial anything, right?”
“You'll be spending the night running through the actual training manual with Aiden. It'll be enough to get you through the next few days. Plus, since you're training they're expecting you to make a few mistakes,” Justin tries to reassure me.
I sigh, “Great. I don't mind staying up another night. It's not like I've been sleeping anyways...”
Justin places a hand on my thigh. “We'll give you a shot of fairy dust with your orange juice in the morning. It'll give you energy like you've slept all night-”
“Maybe even take the edge off of the sexual frustration you're feeling,” Peter's comment gets a shake of the head from Aiden and Eiden.
“Is that why you drink so much? Take the edge off?” The comeback shuts his mouth.
Slightly worried I've crossed a line, I look over at Belle who shoots me a wink. I smile to myself at the quip and return to my meal doing my best to hide the fear that this mission is going to fail. And it's going to be all my fault.
Chapter 9
I don't want to be a redhead. I. Do. Not. Want. To. Be. A. Red. Head. Don't get me wrong. There's nothing wrong with red hair. In fact many females pull it off flawlessly, I'm just not one of them. It's totally not me. I guess that's the point. I'm not supposed to be me this time around. I'm not supposed to be a variation of Peyton Darling that's deep inside like I was with Nick. I won't be left vulnerable and full of mixed emotions. Not this time, I'll become someone else completely. Whoever this Landon David person wants me to be. Maybe it won't be so bad. I just really don't want to dye my hair.
“It's really not that bad.” Belle leans against my bathroom door smirking to herself, her make-up briefcase dangling from her grip. She's in a pair of jeans and a loose pink sweater that's falling off her shoulders creating an innocent fall look. I'm used to her being in constricting wear and me in lounge clothes. Switching roles around here is starting to have serious drawbacks. “Look, I'm not even going to use hair dye. Remember that trick Justin did for a wardrobe change a while back?” I nod. “Same concept. I'm going to run my fingers over your hair and change its colors. When you get home dip your fingers in a little dust and it'll go back to normal again. I promise.”
I let out another heavy sigh and nod. Turning back to my reflection I try to refrain from feeling so uncomfortable in the black heels, knee length black skirt, and tucked in button down white shirt that's a bit see through. The look is sexy. Sophisticated. Modern. So not me. The thin box frame glasses sitting on my nose thankfully are just for show coated with fairy dust as well to prevent any damage to my actual eyes.
Belle walks over and uses a permanent marker to place a mole right above the corner of my lip and another on my jawbone line close to my left ear. Like the makeup artist she is, she dusts something over it mentioning how it won't rub away until we're ready. Afterwards she pushes my shirt to the side to create a very distinct scar by my collar bone. She's meticulous through the process even though I'm a little squirmy.
As she finishes up the addition to my body I ask, “And how did I get this scar again?”
“Car accident. Broken glass.” The brush dusts my skin again. “You were just a kid. If anyone asks more questions than that, just say you don't like to talk about it and change subjects.”
“Yes ma'am. Change subjects.”
Finally, she finishes just as the morning light is seeping through the window. Ugh. We're constantly up before the morning sun has even had its first stretch. Today is going to be exhausting.
I admire my reflection. “Where'd you learn to do all this stuff anyway?”
“Makeup?”
“Makeup. Style. The whole enchilada.”
Belle starts putting her things away. “Um...My sister taught me about the basics-”
“I didn't know you had a sister.”
“We don't talk anymore, so you wouldn't.”
“Oh.”
“I taught myself stage make up techniques. In the beginning when it was just me and Peter and he got this crazy idea to treasure hunt, I knew we'd need to be able to disguise ourselves so I read up on it. Practiced on myself and then him. Eventually when Aiden and Eiden came along, them too. You'd be surprised at how convincing the twins look as chicks.”
The two of us snicker on the way out of the bathroom, heading for the living room through the bedroom Justin and I are sharing. When we arrive I spot Aiden typing between his computers, Eiden is enjoying a big bowl of sugary cereal beside him, and Peter is flipping through some sort of magazine with his morning beverage.
Justin strolls out of the kitchen holding a cup of coffee tightly in his grip. At the first glimpse of me he says slowly, “Wow.”
Peter's head shoots up. Immediately, he rolls his eyes. “You look like Ariel in cooperate America.”
Belle points to the hair pinned up on top of my head. “Too red?”
“And too tight,” Justin insists coming into the light revealing his own appearance, which has aged. Easily mid-twenties. “Let it down. Shape her face.”
Belle pulls out the hair tie, runs her fingers across her exposed wings and then across my hair turning it several shades lighter. “Better?”
All the men agree, “Much.”
With my eyes on Justin I ask, “Why do you look so much older?”
He has a long sip. “I'm supposed to.”
His normal dark gray dress pants, light gray dress shirt, and fedora with a ribbon around it are being accessorized with a platinum watch and a pair of small diamond studs in his ears.
“You look like something out of a Justin Timberlake concert,” my remark forces him to chuckle under his breath then nod that it could be considered a compliment.
“I was going for GQ magazine, but close enough.” Justin shrugs. “I'm supposed to be playing a playboy millionaire role remember? This is what my older self looks like.”
“So like when you were tricking the vice-president's daughter?”
“Similar. Except now thanks to Belle it doesn't wash away as easy and thanks to Aiden I know precisely where certain age lines should go.”
I shoot him a look and glee is now painted on his face. “Aiden?”
“Aiden created—”
“Can I tell her? Can I tell her?” Aiden interrupts with so much excitement, it makes me smile. Justin waves a hand around for him to continue. Aiden yanks his computer up and places it in his lap. “I invented this program where I can put your picture in it, type the age you want to look like, and it'll show
you how you're supposed to look at that time. Down to the very hour of a day. Pretty amazing if I do say so myself.” He gives me a demonstration by showing me what Justin looks like at twenty five on his computer, which is remarkably close to the makeup job Belle did.
“And you can do that with anyone?” I question.
He pushes a few more buttons and I'm suddenly on the screen instead. “That's how we came up with your look.”
“How old am I now?”