Heather exhaled loudly. “The point is, you get to choose. What is this swank party you’re going to anyway?”
Lindsey walked over to the bed and ran her fingers down the fabric of the white dress. “Winter Party at the dean’s house.”
“Dean Cruz?” Heather said. “Gaudy.”
“Shameless,” Brie said.
Taylor shrugged. “She’s okay.”
“She could take advice from us, that’s for sure.” Heather said. “Do you see how much jewelry she wears? Like Coco Channel said, ‘always remove a piece before leaving the house’.”
“Edit,” Brie nodded.
Lindsey could barely take in what they were saying. She was focused on the voices rising outside the bedroom door.
Chapter 28: Zach
Zach felt the air leave his body the moment she opened the door. Lindsey glowed, her pale skin shining against the red silk of her dress. His brain dropped all the thoughts that had been swirling within; nothing remaining but the sudden strong beat of his own heart.
“Hi,” she said, her lips red and soft as rose petals. “Well…what do you think?”
“God, Lindsey, you look so fucking good.”
A smile played at her lips. She turned once so he could see the back of her dress, and the black seam that ran up the back of her stockings. As she swung back around, she stopped and looked wide-eyed at Zach. “What…?”
Zach swallowed, then lunged forward, his blood thick in his ears. Before she could say another word, his mouth was on hers. She tensed for a moment, then loosened and curled her arms around him, giving into the sudden force of his desire. As his mouth dropped to the nape of her neck, he heard her take a breath, rough and deep, the sound making him grow thicker, straining against the fabric of his pants.
Her small breasts tilted upwards with the arch of her back, cupped perfectly by the cut of her dress. He pulled one hand away from her and ran it along the material so fine he could feel the curve of her torso beneath his fingers. He traced her belly back up to the top of the fabric, lingering at the edge of the bodice, every muscle in his arm longing to rip it off of her body.
“Zach,” she whispered, “I…”
“You what?” he asked, feeling her heat rise against him.
“I…I wish we had more time.”
Zach’s mind raced back to center as he pulled away. Her lipstick was smeared across her chin, matching the red that flushed her cheeks.
“Right.” He smiled, raising his hand up to his mouth.
“Yeah.” Lindsey grinned. “It’s all over you, too.” She led him to the bathroom where they washed the lipstick from their faces. She pulled out a tube and began to re-apply the color, her lips parted slightly, her pink tongue behind her teeth within. Zach wondered how he would ever keep his eyes off of her at the party. “You’re beautiful,” he said.
Lindsey turned her almond eyes toward him and let out a long, slow breath. “You are, too.” she said, taking a final look in the mirror before speaking to Zach’s reflection. “Hey, what was all that stuff about the U.S.C laws?”
Zach shrugged. “I wasn’t always so straight. As a kid, I hacked into the base where we were stationed. My dad had to take early retirement.”
“Wow.”
“Don’t look so surprised. Cedric wasn’t the only hacker my brother saved.”
“Hello?” A voice came from the living room.
Zach and Lindsey emerged from the bathroom to see Cedric clad in a waiter’s uniform, his face free of makeup.
“Don’t look that surprised,” Cedric said. “We can’t all go in all dolled up like supermodels. One of us should be invisible, and believe me, waiters are invisible. I learned that early, which is why I settled on a life of crime.”
“Cedric—” Zach began.
“Alright, Professor, I just say that to poke at you. I’m on the straight and narrow now.”
“You look…nice.” Lindsey said.
“Nice? Just kick me in the balls why don’t you,” Cedric said, pulling out a box with three tiny earpieces. “In addition to this heinous outfit, I procured a catering van.”
“Cedric…” Zach said again.
“Relax. I didn’t steal it. I have friends,” Cedric said, handing Zach one of the earpieces then a USB. “As planned, you find her system and pop in this VPN. From the van, I’ll remote in and steal our baby back.”
“Speaking of friends,” Lindsey said, “what happened with James?”
“We came to an understanding. He gave me her password. SexyJ6969.” Zach said, fitting in his ear piece. “Can you see it?” he asked Lindsey, bending down.
“No,” Lindsey said, putting in her own ear piece. “How about me?”
“You’re good,” Zach answered. “I’m sure James had to change his underwear when he got home, but I think he learned a good lesson today.”
“Yeah, bless his little heart,” Cedric added, turning on his microphone. “We sent him away to cry in his six-pack and contemplate his new reality. Testing,” he said into it. “Testing, can you hear me alright?”
Zach and Lindsey nodded.
“Unfortunately,” Cedric continued, “I can’t hear you guys, but at least I can tell you when it’s done.” Zach and Lindsey nodded again. “Alright then,” Cedric continued. “After we get the program, assuming we get the program, load the file attached to the USB. Her system will never recover.”
“Got it,” Zach said.
“And I’ll be a lookout,” Lindsey said. “No one will get near you while you’re in there.”
Zach frowned. “We talked about this. You promised you wouldn’t jeopardize yourself.”
“Oh, I see, Professor,” Cedric said. “It’s okay if we get caught, just not Miss Lindsey here.”
“No one is getting caught,” Lindsey said, grabbing them both by the hand. “This is going to work.”
“Alright,” Cedric sang, “That’s the spirit. Now hold on to your nuts and nips, people, we are going to rob the dean.”
Chapter 29: Lindsey
They pulled up the circular drive behind three other cars and idled in silence as valets leaped to open the car doors ahead of them. Lindsey turned and peered nervously at the line of cars rolling up behind them. Her fingers gripped the handle of the door as she waited their turn, feeling suddenly trapped.
“You good?” Zach asked, placing his hand on hers.
She exhaled at the sound of his voice. “Yeah,” she answered. “I’m ready.”
His light eyes shone in the dim winter sun. “Not too late to turn back.”
“What? And miss all the fun?” she said, grinning. “No way.”
An engine revved behind them, a signal to pull forward. Zach put the car in gear and they moved ahead to a waiting valet in a red vest. “Okay,” he said as another valet pulled open Lindsey’s door. “Let’s do this.”
Lindsey stepped out next to the browning front lawn of the dean’s house and waited for Zach to circle around the car. A light melody could be heard from the sweeping veranda overlooking the property, the happy rhythms making her feel suddenly disjointed and out of place. She grabbed for Zach’s hand as he reached her and gripped it tightly as they began to walk forward, up the meandering sidewalk ahead. Zach switched hands so he could put the palm of his massive hand reassuringly on the small of her back. Together, they ascended the holiday adorned front steps and walked through the front door.
The cool outside air gave way to stifling humidity as a swarm of people enveloped them in the foyer. Even in heels and taller than most, Lindsey wished she could see over all the heads and get a lay of the house. She had no idea where they were going. Zach must, because he steered her silently through the crowd, past a coat-check, then a bar, and suddenly into an adjacent hallway. She felt the warm skin of his arms wrap around her. “How am I going to do this?” he whispered. “I can’t take my eyes off of you.”
Lindsey tilted her head up toward his jaw and smiled. “You have to. Otherwise the
plan won’t work.”
“I—,” he began, shaking his head. “I mean, I don’t want to leave you. What if something happens? What if we get caught?”
Lindsey wrapped her hand under his open jacket and around the taut muscles of his lower back. “Nothing’s going to happen.”
“If you don’t graduate, I’ll never forgive myself,” he said.
Her other hand reached up to his chest, feeling the thumping of his heart. “Let’s save the world,” she said, softly. “Then I’ll graduate. It’s going to be okay,” Lindsey said. “You’ll see.”
Zach squeezed his eyes shut, took a breath then looked at her. “Okay,” he said, giving her a final squeeze. “See you on the flip side.”
As Lindsey watched Zach’s large frame squeeze back through the crowd, she tried to remember the schematic of the house and gain her bearings. The den was adjacent to the Great Room, which she believed was around the corner. She stepped away from the hall and squared her shoulders, hoping she hadn’t gotten turned around. As she did, a waiter approached with a tray of champagne. “Why don’t you take two, lovely,” he said.
Lindsey looked up to see Cedric before her. “One is fine,” she said, lifting a glass from the tray.
“This is so exciting!” Cedric said like a ventriloquist through clenched teeth, then peeled away and made his way out the front door. Lindsey stepped to a large adjoining window and watched Cedric ditch his tray, dodge a crowd to get past the sidewalk, then around a hedge to step into the side of a white van. There was a sting of static in her ear, then she heard Cedric’s voice. “The crow flies at midnight, over,” he said. “I repeat, the crow flies at midnight.”
Lindsey sipped at her bubbles and wished she could say something back. Instead, she scowled out the window.
“I always wanted to say that,” Cedric said into her ear. “Alright, party-people, we are live. I am ready for espionage to ensue. Over.”
Lindsey downed her glass and took a right into the Great Room. Through a mass of faces, she saw Zach at the top of a row of stairs. As if she had called his name, he turned and met her eye. Lindsey swept forward knowing he was watching her, and found an empty chair near the hallway to the den. She feigned a casual lean against it then turned back toward Zach. He gave her an almost imperceptible nod, began to move toward the den, but was abruptly thwarted by the dean.
Lindsey gasped and moved slightly to her right, hoping to see the look on Zach’s face. She couldn’t be sure, but she thought he was smiling. He was speaking, and the dean nodded. She wished again Cedric had gotten their microphones to work so she could hear what they were saying. Lindsey put down her glass and took a step to her right, but then, she too, was blocked.
“Did you mean what you said?”
Lindsey looked up to see James, his jaw slack and reeking of booze. “Not now, James,” she said, pivoting left.
“Wait,” he slurred. “Wait, you said I could do good.”
“Go away,” she demanded, practically hissing. “You’re drunk.”
“I know, I know, I know. Redundant much?” he mumbled to himself, then laughed. “Seriously, listen. I know you guys all hate me.”
“We don’t. But right now,” she said, looking over his shoulder, “you need to go away.”
“I want to do good, Lindsey,” he said, dragging her name out.
“Okay, you do that. Now go.”
He teetered slightly. “Okey dokey, Lindsey-Pinsey.”
Lindsey bent to her right. Zach was still trapped by the dean, except now he was frowning. “Damn it, James!” she said, pushing him to the side.
James leaned back and squinted, trying to get a clear view of Lindsey’s face. “What? What do you keep looking at?” he said, turning. “Oh,” he said. “Dean is cock-blocking the Prof. Crash and burn.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Lindsey said. “Go. Away.”
James reached his hand up to his swollen face and breathed into his palm, trying to get a sense of his breath. “I got this,” he said, spinning around about fifteen degrees too far. He corrected himself, then began to walk directly toward the dean.
Lindsey’s arm sprung out, trying to catch James by the back of his jacket, but it was too late. As his blond hair bobbed through the crowd, Lindsey waved her arms in Zach’s direction. He said something to the dean, his words animated by the scowl on his face, then he turned and saw her.
She pointed at James coming his way. His eyes flew from James to the dean, and back to Lindsey. Lindsey pointed toward the den then gestured with her hands that she needed five minutes.
Zach shook his head perceptibly and mouthed the word, “No.”
Lindsey watched his brow strain as he stared at her, his eyes begging her not to go. She spoke back into the abyss. “I love you,” she said, blew him a kiss, and walked out of sight.
Chapter 30: Zach
“What are you doing here, Professor Wheeler?” The dean asked. “Just couldn’t stay away from me, could you?”
Zach tore his eyes from Lindsey and forced himself to wield the most natural smile he could. “I wouldn’t miss your famous Winter Party, Dean.”
“Really,” she sang, her thick makeup competing with the jewelry dangling from her neck and arms. “That’s a surprise.”
“How so?” Zach asked, as Lindsey stared from across the room.
“You hate these functions. Besides, we both know my invitation was really a…formality.”
Zach shook his head. “What? I wouldn’t miss the celebration. Especially now that our project is done.”
Dean Cruz gave a small laugh and raised her glass. “Yes,” she said. “The project. Aren’t you adorable?”
Zach flinched. “How so?”
“You’re a terrible liar. Let me tell you why you’re really here. You know I have the real code and you want it back.”
His heart lurched. “Real code? I don’t follow—”
“Stop. Honestly, it’s so unattractive.”
“Fine,” Zach seethed. “You have it. But I’m sure, if you knew what that program could do in the wrong hands, you wouldn’t sell it. Right?”
“Sell it?” Her mouth curved. “Why, I would only do that with the permission of the university. After all, your work-product is, and always will be, property of this university.”
Zach took her in, the black of her eyeliner sliding into the corner of her eyes, making her look more snake-like than ever. “I didn’t know Blackburton was in the market for university property.”
The dean’s smile fell into a crooked line. “This university, and your position, are both funded by my efforts. Remember that.”
Zach felt a black pit swell in his stomach—this was a mistake. He glanced over to Lindsey, hoping to give her a signal to run when he saw her long arms waving above the crowd. She pointed feverishly into the pack of faces below, through which James was approaching. His eyes shot back to Lindsey. She pointed at her wrist, blew Zach a kiss, and disappeared down the hall toward the den. His heart lurched. It was too late to stop her.
“You can say no all you want,” the dean said, “but the fact is, I run this place. Get on board, or get out.”
Before Zach could respond, James plowed through and fell against him. “What is this?” he yelled at the dean, swaying. “You want him, now?”
Dean Cruz leaned back, her eyes pivoting to take in all the heads that were turning their way. “Have you lost your mind?” She spat.
James lunged forward and grabbed her around the waist, forcing his mouth onto hers. “You’re mine!” he yelled, pulling back, and throwing a wink at Zach. “Play along,” he mouthed to Zach silently. “Leave my girl alone!”
Zach put up his hands with a look of shocked surrender.
The dean wiped her mouth. “Stop it. You imbecile.” She hissed at James. “People are—wait,” she asked, her eyes wide. “Do you think I’m an idiot?” She swung toward Zach. “Did you really think this would work? Where is your star stu
dent right now?”
“I really don’t know what you mean,” Zach said. “Perhaps, your own indiscretions are coming back to bite you.”
Her eyes shot open, then narrowed into a sneer. She pivoted to her right, then shot through the crowd and toward a security guard. Zach ran after her, his blood running cold as he heard her words. “Officer Jones,” she said as the guard approached. “There is a thief in my house.”
Zach looked at Jones, giving him a tiny shake of his head, just as James ran up behind him, coughing and short of breath.
Officer Jones hooked his thumbs into his belt and took in their faces. “I’m a bit confused, Dean.”
The dean scowled. “I’ll speak more slowly, then. There is a thief in this house. A student. She’s here to rob me.”
“Alright, Ma’am,” Officer Jones said. “I can look around. But, what exactly should I be looking for?”
Zach’s blood ran cold. If they found Lindsey in the dean’s den, they would all go to jail. “Nobody’s stealing from you, Dean,” he said. “I just came to talk to you.” He glanced at the growing pack of onlookers and lowered his voice. “I’m sure we can work this out,” he said. “Privately.”
The dean tapped her pointy fingertips across her necklace as she considered his words. “Perhaps, Professor—,” she began.
“Thief!” James bellowed. “Exactly! There she is!” he said, pointing at Dean Cruz.
“Shut up!” she yelled.
Zach felt his breath stop. Anger washed across the dean’s face. All compassion had been purged from her eyes.
“What is going on here?” President Sanders asked, teetering up on his cane. “Why is everyone screaming?”
Zach turned to President Sanders. “President,” he said, hoping he could distract everyone long enough to give Lindsey the time she needed. “I believe Dean Cruz is attempting to steal university property.”
The president’s bushy, white eyebrows rose high as his eyes widened. “That’s a serious charge, Professor.”
“It’s true!” James broke in. “It’s on her computer. I can show you!”
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