whole thing as
she got to her car, and drove to the hotel. It was downtown, or just off of it,
and had a nice big parking lot with an actual covered area to pull into. Even
though they hadn't planned out a place to meet, she knew to drive up to the
front. He was standing right there, after all. Dressed up for a real date this
time.
Actually, he looked good .
His lean form was dressed up in all
black. It was a nice suit, that hugged him at the waist, with a deep red shirt
on underneath it. His short hair was always tidy, kept that way to prevent it
being pulled in a fight. That was a great idea, Cin knew, but not a thing that
she could get away with. Proxy had a reason for it that was known and public.
He killed people for a living. Ones that were going to take out others, most of
the time, so it only made sense to almost everyone that he lived in a way that
was ready to fight.
His shoes were shiny however. Not
running shoes, in particular. As she pulled up, the text over his head
explained that part. They were soft soled, and built for him specially. He
could, at need, run in them, or do almost anything else.
The sound of her tires stopping
got him to look over at her, as she drove up in front of the building. The idea
that he hadn't realized she was pulling up was a bit planned on his part. The
man was hyper aware of everything around him, all the time. Then, he wasn't
pretending he wasn't himself with her, just trying not to seem insane.
Cindy smiled, and waved. Two of
them were working that number, so she could let it go. She could have
anyway, if it had been a real date. As it was, the data point was a needed one.
A thing she could use to survive.
Brian came to the car as she
opened the door for him, reaching across to the passenger's side to let him in.
"Hey, you!" There was
an attempt to make her voice bright and cheery. It was close enough that Brian
didn't pick up on her stress level.
"Hi! Um, Do you know where
the Davenport is?" He said it softly, as if it wasn't a big deal.
Cindy had to keep herself from
whistling in appreciation.
"Damn. Here I was getting
all ready for a taco platter. I do know where it is, of course."
Everyone did. It was the most expensive place in town.
Then, she'd asked for
something impressive.
Brian smiled at her. It was more
of a smirk than anything. A bit cocky seeming, really. The words over his head
did let her know that he could afford it. Apparently being an IPB operative
could pay well, at times. So she didn't have to feel bad, or worry that he was
going to stick her with the bill at the end of the night. He even had his
wallet with him. His mind triple checked that, feeling the shape in his inside
jacket pocket.
He also felt the small knife that
was strapped to his right thigh, which could be reached through his pants
pocket, which wasn't real. There was a handgun in a holster on his back, too.
She nodded, and smiled a bit
larger, responding to all of this. No one had ever stated that Proxy was a safe date. The very idea was ridiculous. This wasn't a real get together, however,
so she could roll with it. Even if it had been, him being ready to kill people
kind of turned her on. Even if it was her he ended up going for.
"Buckle up. I'll have us
there in... Ten minutes?"
Brian didn't have a watch, but
nodded, knowing the time. Exactly.
"The reservation is for
seven-thirty. We have a bit of time."
That was good, it turned out,
since it would give her a moment to adjust to the whole thing. The one where
Brian was thinking of this as a real date. It was clear, and she'd known that
was the case the whole time, but for some reason it was different, seeing him
close up. Outwardly he was relaxed, but there was tension underneath that. Real
concern that he was going to move too fast, or too slow, and mess everything
up. Again. Even as he knew, inside that none of his failures in relationships
were truly his fault. He'd been set up for what had happened, by a strategist
that was
she got to her car, and drove to the hotel. It was downtown, or just off of it,
and had a nice big parking lot with an actual covered area to pull into. Even
though they hadn't planned out a place to meet, she knew to drive up to the
front. He was standing right there, after all. Dressed up for a real date this
time.
Actually, he looked good .
His lean form was dressed up in all
black. It was a nice suit, that hugged him at the waist, with a deep red shirt
on underneath it. His short hair was always tidy, kept that way to prevent it
being pulled in a fight. That was a great idea, Cin knew, but not a thing that
she could get away with. Proxy had a reason for it that was known and public.
He killed people for a living. Ones that were going to take out others, most of
the time, so it only made sense to almost everyone that he lived in a way that
was ready to fight.
His shoes were shiny however. Not
running shoes, in particular. As she pulled up, the text over his head
explained that part. They were soft soled, and built for him specially. He
could, at need, run in them, or do almost anything else.
The sound of her tires stopping
got him to look over at her, as she drove up in front of the building. The idea
that he hadn't realized she was pulling up was a bit planned on his part. The
man was hyper aware of everything around him, all the time. Then, he wasn't
pretending he wasn't himself with her, just trying not to seem insane.
Cindy smiled, and waved. Two of
them were working that number, so she could let it go. She could have
anyway, if it had been a real date. As it was, the data point was a needed one.
A thing she could use to survive.
Brian came to the car as she
opened the door for him, reaching across to the passenger's side to let him in.
"Hey, you!" There was
an attempt to make her voice bright and cheery. It was close enough that Brian
didn't pick up on her stress level.
"Hi! Um, Do you know where
the Davenport is?" He said it softly, as if it wasn't a big deal.
Cindy had to keep herself from
whistling in appreciation.
"Damn. Here I was getting
all ready for a taco platter. I do know where it is, of course."
Everyone did. It was the most expensive place in town.
Then, she'd asked for
something impressive.
Brian smiled at her. It was more
of a smirk than anything. A bit cocky seeming, really. The words over his head
did let her know that he could afford it. Apparently being an IPB operative
could pay well, at times. So she didn't have to feel bad, or worry that he was
going to stick her with the bill at the end of the night. He even had his
wallet with him. His mind triple checked that, feeling the shape in his inside
jacket pocket.
He also felt the small knife that
was strapped to his right thigh, which could be reached through his pants
pocket, which wasn't real. There was a handgun in a holster on his back, too.
She nodded, and smiled a bit
larger, responding to all of this. No one had ever stated that Proxy was a safe date. The very idea was ridiculous. This wasn't a real get together, however,
so she could roll with it. Even if it had been, him being ready to kill people
kind of turned her on. Even if it was her he ended up going for.
"Buckle up. I'll have us
there in... Ten minutes?"
Brian didn't have a watch, but
nodded, knowing the time. Exactly.
"The reservation is for
seven-thirty. We have a bit of time."
That was good, it turned out,
since it would give her a moment to adjust to the whole thing. The one where
Brian was thinking of this as a real date. It was clear, and she'd known that
was the case the whole time, but for some reason it was different, seeing him
close up. Outwardly he was relaxed, but there was tension underneath that. Real
concern that he was going to move too fast, or too slow, and mess everything
up. Again. Even as he knew, inside that none of his failures in relationships
were truly his fault. He'd been set up for what had happened, by a strategist
that was
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