Surrender

I ordered a chicken salad to appease her and handed the waiter my menu.

An older couple walked in a few minutes later and sat in a booth at the back of the restaurant. Their heads bowed toward each other in quiet conversation. It was eerie in here.

“Let’s see. We have a lot to discuss,” Eloise began.

“Do we? I’m not sure about that.” I stared at her. I refused to fidget. I refused to let her be in charge.

“Look. I’ll be honest with you. The time table has moved up here. The client needs their services much sooner than we thought.”

I sighed. “Why are you telling me this? I’m not one of your employees, or contractors. This isn’t my business. It’s yours. And Vaughn’s,” I added. “I don’t really want to know the details.”

Eloise cocked her head to the side. “His business is your business. That’s how these types of relationships work. You helped before and you need to help him again.”

I shook my head. “No. We keep our work separate. I’m sorry, I can’t help you.”

“What work?” she snapped. “You do nothing, Kate. Nothing. Unless you consider book club a meaningful contribution. How much do you make from that? Are you planning on contributing to a blog or som

ething?”

My eyes narrowed. “I don’t need to explain what I do to you.” I was rattled. I hated that she knew how I spent my time. That she used it against me.

“Yes and no. But, that’s beside the point.” She paused when the waiter returned with our food. “Merci.” She smiled at him. He left, his shoulders slumped. His face expressionless.

“Let’s start this over. You have become useful where Aubrey Auclair is concerned. You have her confidence. Her trust. Both are valuable. We can move things along with your help. It’s necessary.”

“I’m not going to exploit my friendship with her to help the company.” It was a euphemism for Blackwing Vaughn and I agreed upon.

Eloise leaned into the table. “It’s not a friendship. She is next to the mark. Your relationship is a result of the assignment. I realize you haven’t been trained, but you have to realize that. She isn’t your friend.”

“She is,” I argued.

“And when you move to Morocco or to Cleveland, are you going to stay in touch? Write emails? Call each other?” She smirked. “Once she knows what you’ve done she’ll never want to hear your name again. People like us don’t have the luxury of friends.”

“I’m not like you,” I hissed.

Eloise chuckled. “That’s what your partner keeps saying. Do you have any idea what he has sacrificed? You shouldn’t even be here. The least you can do is prove your gratitude.”

“What sacrifices are you talking about?”

“The kind we don’t allow. At least we didn’t before you. It was the first time I can remember an exception like this.”

I shook my head. “You don’t have to tell me. I’ll ask Vaughn. Whatever it was, I know he doesn’t want me to work for you, so stop trying to pit us against each other. It won’t work, Eloise.”

“You’re a real modern power couple.” Her eyes were cold.

“I don’t think either of us are interested in that title.” I smiled.

“This isn’t a game. Our clients are worth billions. That’s with a B. You take the assignment, carry it out like last time, and everyone wins. Mrs. Auclair has access to her husband’s private safe. We need you to get us that code.”

I blinked. “Are you crazy?”

She cut into the chicken breast on her plate and dipped it in a sauce. “No. Do I seem like an impulsive person to you? We need the code. You have the appropriate cover to get access to their flat.”

“Well, I’m not going to do it.” I folded the napkin in my lap and pushed back, ready to leave the table. After the last time, I wasn’t going to do Eloise’s bidding again. I had promised Vaughn. I had promised myself.

It wasn’t worth pleasing her only to have to turn around and try to put us back together. I knew he could handle anything and everything Blackwing threw at him. He didn’t need me to do this. If Vaughn needed the code, he’d find a way.

“Sit down,” she hissed, gritting her teeth through a smile. “I have more to say.”