Insider X by Dave Buschi Page B

no luck.  I’ll be downstairs, one floor away.  But we’ll be close.  We’ll be neighbors.”
    Na followed her into the bedroom.  Huiliang was already at the closet.  It was still open.  Na hadn’t closed it.  Huiliang pulled out the pink outfit Na had worn yesterday.  “Ah!  Wear this!”
    “Maybe something less…” Na said, searching for a word, “showy.  That’s for special occasions.”
    “But today is special,” Huiliang said.  “You were selected for Big Blue.  It’s a big honor.”
    “Big Blue?” Na said.
    Huiliang giggled.  “I know, silly name.  But it is a big honor.  For you, particularly.  I understand you came from one of the dens.  Not many come from that route.  Most come straight from the universities.  That was how they recruited me.”  Huiliang put the pink outfit back and pulled out another outfit.  “Okay.  Wear this.  You have many good outfits.  How did you afford all this working at a den?”
    “A den?” Na said.
    “Not familiar with that term?” Huiliang said.
    Na shook her head.  “But I guess you’re talking about where I was working.  Doing shotgun specials, posting on blogs...”
    Huiliang’s face cringed.
    “What?” Na said.  “Did I say something wrong?”
    “We’re not supposed to talk about what we do,” Huiliang whispered.  “It is one of the rules.  But you didn’t know.  So I’m sure it will be okay.  Just be careful… don’t say again.”
    Na looked around; they were the only ones in the room.  “Can they hear what we are saying now?” Na whispered.
    Huiliang nodded slightly, as if to answer ‘yes’.  Huiliang went into the closet and pulled out some shoes.  “Oh!  I love these!” Huiliang said in a louder, chipper voice.  “They’ll work perfectly with that outfit.”
    Na took the shoes.  “Okay.  Give me a few moments.  I’ll get ready.”
    Huiliang nodded and walked from the room.  She shut the door behind her.  Na glanced at the dress.  It was one of her more formal ones.  She would need to change her bra, if she was going to wear this.  And put some makeup on.
    But she thought about what Huiliang had just let her know.  They could hear.  She looked around the room, and wondered if they could see her too? 
    She decided not to take any chances.  She went and drew the blackout blinds on the windows and turned off the light.  It plunged the room into near darkness.  Satisfied that it was too dark for any hidden cameras to see anything other than shadows, she began to undress.
    As she removed her socks, she thought of the memory stick she was carrying that was tucked in her underwear.  What should she do with it?  Carrying it was risky and dangerous, particularly if she got searched.  She needed to hide it.  But where?  She looked around in the dark.  Her eyes had adjusted some.  She looked at the shoes and socks she’d just taken off.
    She bit her lip.  Not a great hiding place, but it would have to do.  She picked the socks and shoes up and put them in the closet.  As she put them on a shelf, she discretely slipped the stick from the hem of her underwear and tucked it under the sole insert of one of the shoes.  She then stuffed her socks in the shoes and shut the closet door.
     
    “SO, ARE YOU excited?” Huiliang said, as the elevator went down.
    “I am,” Na said, doing her best to keep the same upbeat tone.
    “I’ll give you a tour first,” Huiliang said.  “We have time before your party.”  She looked at Na.  “You look very beautiful, Na.  I wish I had hair like yours.”
    “Thank you,” Na said.  “You look very beautiful too.”
    Huiliang smiled shyly, as if embarrassed.  “Thank you, Na, but I wasn’t fishing.”
    The elevator continued down.  Na fingered the magnetic keycard that Huiliang had just given her.  It had been in her room in a white envelope.
    “That card works for everything,” Huiliang said.  “Always carry it.  Don’t lose it.