“Three sugars, no cream,” he said, walking into my living room and sitting down without being invited to do so. He nodded at Robbie, who was carrying a small computer bag. Robbie sat on the couch and set the bag between his feet, then unzipped the bag and started unpacking its contents on the coffee table.
Ed said, “We brought the bugs for you.”
“Thanks,” I said, sitting on the other end of the sofa. I pried the lid off the coffee and took a careful sip. Ed was staring at me. I could tell he was not happy.
“How was your weekend?” he asked.
“Fine. How was yours?”
“Fine,” he took a sip of his coffee and let his eyes drift around the room. “I noticed you were out of the city this weekend.”
My lips froze on the rim of the cup. “How did you…”
“He’s tracking your burner phone,” Robbie said matter-of-factly as he lined up what looked like a dozen small watch batteries on the table in front of him. He picked up one and handed it to me. “There are the bugs, wireless, of course. All you have to do is peel the tape off the back and stick them wherever. Under a desk, behind a lamp, on a picture frame...”
“Behind a headboard,” Ed said, his eyes still avoiding mine.
“Right, just stick them in place and I can remotely activate them,” Robbie said. He carefully took the bug out of my fingers like he thought I might drop it and set it on the table with the others. “Do you have the USB stick?”
My purse was on the floor next to the coffee table. I reached inside to get the tiny USB stick Ed had given me a few days before. I handed it to Robbie.
“Okay, all you have to do is stick this in any computer on the network and type in the code I give you,” he said, holding up the stick between two fingers and shaking it at me. “It takes about thirty seconds to activate and connect after you type in the code, so make sure you give yourself time.”
“Okay,” I said. I held out my hand and Robbie set the stick into my palm. I dropped it back in the purse and picked up the coffee cup. Ed was giving me a hard stare now. I liked it better when he wouldn’t look at me. I didn’t want to get into anything in front of Robbie, so I just shrugged my eyebrows at him.
“That it?” I asked, glancing at my watch. “I need to get ready for work.”
“That’s it,” Ed said, getting to his feet. He waited for Robbie to pack the little bugs into a plastic container and hand them to me. Robbie slipped the computer bag over his shoulder and started toward the door.
Ed followed him, then turned back to me and lowered his voice. “You be careful today.”
“I will,” I said, putting a hand on his arm. “Don’t worry.”
“I am worried,” he said. “I’m worried you are getting too close to the suspect.”
I wanted to tell him to mind his own fucking business, then remembered that Sean was his fucking business.
And so was I.
I gave him a reassuring look.
“I’m getting right where I need to be to nail the mother fucker,” I said, trying to sound convincing even though my head and heart were locked in a battle that had kept me up most of the night.
“I hope that’s the case,” he said as he went through the door.
“Don’t worry, Ed. I will get the job done. You have my word.”
Sean
It was a little weird at first, taking Claire around to introduce her to my dad, the warehouse workers, and The Three Stooges as our new secretary and office manager. My dad literally licked his chops as he shook Claire’s hand and welcomed her to the fold. The Stooges just gave her the once over and went back to their coffee and donuts.
I gave her a tour of the warehouse and loading docks, showed her where all the files and office supplies were kept, how to log onto her computer and into the network, and how to use the printer.
She got a quick tutorial on how to use the ancient coffee maker that dad refused to replace and how to fix the washroom toilet when the damn thing kept running.
We ended back at her desk where we’d started. She sat in the office chair and gave me a smile. She was wearing a black pencil skirt that hugged her rounds hips and a dark blue blouse that showed off her boobs without being slutty. Her makeup was modestly done and her fingernails were a muted shade of red. She wore just a hint of perfume. She was a thousand times more professional than Boozie had ever been. Even my old man couldn’t help but give her an admiring look.
I couldn’t help but picture her without her clothes. And it was all I could do to keep my hands off her as we walked around. Our hands kept brushing together. Each time my skin touched hers I felt a little tingle in my cock. I knew she felt it, too, but we had both agreed to behave ourselves in the office. I’d never looked so forward to the end of the day in my life.