One
Callie leaned over her drink and feigned interest in the handsome man sitting across from her at the bar. The pulsing blue lights of the club lit up his face and gave his eyes an otherworldly glow. Gavin Hughes was handsome. He was the right age for her. He even had the right job: chief of staff for an up-and-coming Congressman. There was only one problem: he was a blackmailer. Why do all the handsome guys have to be such creeps? she wondered. Ok, there were other problems, too. Mainly, he was boring. How can a handsome criminal be so completely uninteresting? She had been flirting with him for over an hour, and she was struggling to keep the conversation going. The loud house music made it hard enough to hear her own thoughts, never mind Gavin's voice. "So what makes you tick?" she shouted to him.
"Same thing as everyone else,” he said. He puckered his lips in a half grin.
"Happiness?" Callie asked. She wanted to say "a chance at finding love?" Instead, she threw up her hands and added, "Money?"
"Power," Gavin said, moving closer to Callie, close enough that she could smell his cologne and the hint of vodka on his breath. He placed his hand on her shoulder and smiled like her reluctance to pull away was some kind of consent to his creepiness.
One drink in, and Callie could already tell this was going to be a long night. In her three years at her sister’s company Haven Communications, Callie had played many roles — lawyer, investigator, spokesperson — but there was one role she never particularly liked playing: decoy. Tonight, she felt more like the bait than the decoy, and Gavin looked ready to devour her.
The worst part was that this whole thing had been her idea. Callie had been taking on more and more responsibility over the past year, and she was anxious to prove that she could deal with every problem her clients had. With her sister almost due to give birth to her first child, Callie was poised to start running the entire organization. She just had to get through this night first.
Her official objective for the night was to glean as much information from Gavin as possible without letting him know what she was doing. Unofficially, she was just stalling Gavin long enough for her co-worker Rich to go through his place and search for a hard drive containing certain compromising photos of a Senator's daughter. He would also be looking for any compromising photos of Gavin for insurance, none of which was exactly legal.
Not that Gavin deserved the protection of the law. Callie was sick of playing defense with jerks like Gavin. She wanted to go on the offensive and keep him from creating headaches about her clients for the foreseeable future. If only she didn't have to sit so close to him, the whole thing would have been fine. Gavin leaned in a little closer and rubbed Callie's shoulder. "You look so sweet, but I bet you have a bad side. Why don't we go back to my place so we can see just how bad you can be?"
Wow, this guy didn't waste time. Callie had to do everything within her power not to run out of the bar, screaming "Creep! Creep!" at the top of her lungs. Instead she mustered a smile. "We could hang out here for a bit longer,” she said as innocently as possible. “After all, I wouldn't want to be one of those women who just gives in to her urges. I'd hate for you to lose any respect for me." The only urge Callie had was to slap him.
Gavin laughed. "Like I said before, people in this town only respect one thing: power. If I were hanging out on the street in cargo pants and a t-shirt, you wouldn't have given me the time of day. But you came over and talked to me. Now why is that? It's all about power and the perception of power."
Wardrobe be damned. If it weren’t her job to stall this creep, she'd keep her distance no matter what he was wearing. She imagined throwing her drink in his face and smiled. "And what power do I have?"
"The ability to give me what I want,” Gavin said.
"That's funny," Callie replied. "I was thinking the same thing about you." She leaned forward, suppressed her gag reflex, and kissed him on the cheek. "I'll be back in a minute. And, don't worry; I always get what I want."
Callie skirted the edge of the dance floor and made her way over to the women’s bathroom. She wondered how long she could hide out there before Gavin decided to give up on her. She paced back and forth along the length of the bathroom, clacking her heels against the polished concrete floor. She hated everything about the club, the stupid throbbing lights, the cold, industrial aesthetic, the terrible, dead-eyed women and men obsessed with showing off their newfound wealth and status. Soon enough, she'd have to touch up her makeup to give herself an excuse for running off.
Callie pulled out her phone and checked for any messages. Rich was taking too long. If she didn’t hear back from him soon, she’d have to take drastic steps. She counted the seconds as she paced and wondered whether or not Rich had finished his job. She could feel the first pangs of a headache starting to pulse deep behind her eyes. She rubbed her temples and tried to calm herself. Why hadn’t he called yet?
She stepped up to the sink and placed her purse on the counter, grabbing some blush and patting her cheeks. Well, that killed about ten seconds, she thought. She looked down at her phone again. Rich should have been done. Callie looked over at the tall blonde next to her. The woman's dress was so tight that it looked like an anatomy lesson. Callie pretended to fiddle with her makeup and stole a glance at the blonde. She looked to be about forty, no ring on her finger, and enough makeup to hide the wrinkles starting to form around her eyes. Is this what I'm in for? Callie wondered.
While she waited, Callie looked at herself in the mirror. With this makeup and this dress, she should be out having a good time, finding a decent guy who would bring her out for a nice dinner and watch Netflix with her when she was too exhausted from work to do anything else. Instead, she was stuck playing the damsel in distress while Rich rooted through Gavin's place looking for a hard drive and any other evidence of Gavin's blackmail scheme. If Rich couldn't find the drive, Callie would have to go back to Gavin's apartment. She shuddered at the thought. When the blonde finally left, Callie took a deep breath and pulled out her phone. She was not going to enjoy this call.
"Hey, he asked me back to his place. Please, please tell me you found it," she said. "I don't think I can stand another minute with this creep."
"Not a trace. Has he said anything that might tell you where it is?"
"Just that he likes to keep things close to him,” Callie said.
"You think he has it on him right now?" Rich asked.
“God, I really don't want to find out,” Callie said.
"Oh come on," Rich said. "Have you any idea how many times I've had to use my sex appeal to get a job done?"
"Ummm," Callie replied. Rich was many things, but sexy wasn't really one of them.
"Yeah, that's right,” Rich quickly said. “Instead I have to climb through muck and sort through trash. Lean against the guy and pat him down. If he has the photos on a flash drive, you'll know right away. Well either that or..."
"Don't finish that sentence," Callie said.
"Ok. 'Is that a thumb drive full of blackmail photos or are you just happy to see me' has a nice ring to it though."
"You've got five minutes before we get back to his place. Please, for the love of God find the drive so I can run away from this creep as quickly as possible. Text me when you're out."
Callie ended the call and looked at herself again in the mirror, trying to force herself to fake any look of interest or attraction.
"I've swept the whole place. This one's careful. I was able to get onto his computer, but I think he's backed up the files. I'm downloading his hard drive now. I need three more minutes. From there I can tell if he's made any additional copies from his computer."
"Have you tried his phone?"
"Already hacked it. Nothing, just the emails he sent from a burner account to Senator Wyatt. Any idea what he wants?"
"Leverage," Callie said. "I think he thinks of himself as a hatchet man, and he's trying to make some kind of play on behalf of his boss."
"Interesting," Rich said. Callie could hear him going through drawers in the background. "Whatever happened to good old-fashioned blackmail? At least then the motives were clear enough."
"Just finish up. I've already been in here too long. He'll either think something's up or find some other woman to hit on. Either way I have to go."
"Good luck, Callie. Be careful."
"You too, Rich."
Rich was like the older brother that Callie had never had growing up. He looked out for her, taught her how to do things like pick locks and tail someone without getting caught. Even he seemed to have a bad feeling about Gavin.
When Callie got back to the bar, Gavin was waiting. "Come on," he said. "Let's get out of here and find someplace quieter."
"What did you have in mind?" Callie asked.
"My place is only a few blocks away. It's like a minute and a half cab ride."
Callie glanced down at her phone as she waited for Rich's text. "How about we walk? It's a beautiful night."
"If you insist,” Gavin said. Something told Callie he wasn’t interested in a leisurely stroll.
By the time they reached Gavin's building, Callie had tried almost everything she could think of to slow their pace, and she was on the verge of admitting defeat. Rich still hadn't texted, and Callie's blood pressure was rising by the second. She pulled out her phone one last time.
"Expecting a call?" Gavin asked. He stared down at the phone, trying to glean some information.
"Oh, I was just looking at the time. I was thinking maybe it would make more sense to go out to another place for a little bit. It's still relatively early."
"Nonsense, I have a bottle of cabernet you'll absolutely love. It was a gift from a former classmate."
Callie froze on the steps of the building as she tried to figure out what to do next. Her ears throbbed with heavy pulses of panicky blood as her mind raced. Somewhere in the whirling of her thoughts, a little mechanical ding broke through. Her eyes shot to the elevator. Rich stepped out. Callie grabbed Gavin’s hand and locked her eyes on his long enough for Rich to walk by unseen. “You know what," she said. "That sounds great."
***
Gavin's apartment was tastefully decorated. Masculine, yet welcoming. It was filled with the cool, musky scent of Gavin's cologne. Callie had to admit that it smelled good. Why do you have to be so evil? Callie wondered. Callie quickly looked around the room for any sign that Rich had been there, but the place looked impeccable.
Gavin slipped away into the kitchen and came back with two glasses of wine. Callie wondered what the percentage chance was that he had tried to slip a little something extra into her drink. There was no chance in hell that she’d even take a sip.
Callie placed her glass down on the coffee table and leaned back on the couch. She’d have to make small talk with Gavin while she figured out where the hell he had stashed the evidence. ”So, why don't you tell me a little more about yourself," Callie said. You know, hobbies, interests, incriminating hard drives…
“What else is there to know?” He said. “How about we try something a little more interesting than show and tell?”
Gavin reached out and twirled a lock of Callie’s hair around his finger. He smiled at her the way an alligator smiles at its next meal. God, this guy had no idea he was being set up. Callie did her best to suppress her gag reflex and smiled back at him. Is this really what passes for foreplay these days? “Uhh…” Callie was at a loss for words.
“I can give you a tour of the apartment. Maybe you'll find something or someplace that stokes your interest.”
The creep had probably already set up a camera in the bedroom. Too bad he wouldn't have a chance to use it, Callie thought. Her best chance to get any alone time to search his place was to play along with his game. "How about you go start a bath and strip down. I want you to wait for me." She watched pupils dilate as he processed the suggestion. Callie raised her hand to her head and slowly pushed Gavin’s hand away. "Call me old fashioned, but would you mind if I went into another room to change? I don't want to ruin the surprise. Maybe I can change in your bedroom?"
Gavin looked at the door to his bedroom and then back at Callie. "Um, my office is at the end of the hall, that would probably work fine. But don't take too long or I'll have to start without you." Gavin began to unbutton his shirt as he headed into the bathroom. As soon as he turned on the water, Callie rushed to the office. She shut the door and flicked on the light. "Ok, where are you?" she said quietly. She walked over to the desk and opened one drawer after another, sifting through them as quietly as she could, looking for anything resembling a hard drive. There was nothing in the desk drawer but a box of tissues, some hairspray and a mirror. Callie spun around and took stock of the room: The Ivy League diploma on the wall, the pictures of Gavin with various political heroes. Time to check the bedroom. Callie opened the door and slipped back into the hall. "Gavin, are you ready?"
“I've been ready since the moment I saw you," he called back.
Callie shook her head. Could this guy really think that line worked? Callie slipped into his bedroom and ran over to his nightstand, opening the top drawer. She found nothing but a pair of fuzzy handcuffs and a few other toys that Gavin was probably hoping to try on her. She stepped back out into the hallway, fresh out of ideas about what to do. Then, she saw them: Gavin's pants in the middle of the living room.
She walked over and reached into the pockets. A set of keys, a flash drive, and a wallet.
"You coming?" Gavin called from the bathroom.
"One second," Callie said. She palmed the flash drive and turned for the door.
"Where are you heading?" Gavin asked.
Callie almost jumped. She hadn't heard him get out of the tub. He leaned against the doorframe, water dripping from his sculpted physique. He probably thought he was being sexy, when, in fact, he made her skin crawl.
Callie bit down hard on the inside of her cheek as she tried to keep herself from shouting in surprise. She tried to concentrate on the metallic twang of blood and said the first thing that popped into her mind. "I was looking for protection." Hey, that one wasn't even a lie. Sure the protection was for her client, but Gavin probably wouldn't appreciate the irony.
"You're still dressed," he said. He walked over to Callie and placed his hands on her shoulders. He slid one hand over her back and grabbed the zipper to her dress. "Maybe I can help you with that."
She curled her hand tight around the flash drive. How long until he noticed what she was holding? How long until she had to figure out a way to get herself out of this room? As Gavin slid the dress off her shoulders, she tried to control her breathing. She wondered if she could get her phone out and call for help in time. She wondered if she should just hit him and run. No, there had to be a better way. Use his weaknesses against him.
Callie slid her free hand over Gavin's, and pulled the dress down off of her shoulders. This was one way of taking his mind off of everything else. As Gavin slid the dress down over her hips, Callie slipped the flash drive into her bra. Then, as the dress fell around her feet, she started to take off her heels.
"Maybe we can continue this in the other room."
"Why don't I take you right here on the floor?”
Callie panicked. Her mind was spinning out of control imagining all the ways this could go wrong. As Gavin crossed the room toward her,
"Go get a condom."
"Why not start without one?"
Callie looked over to her purse. Somewhere deep inside it, there was a small canister of pepper spray. "Go get it, and wait for me in there. I'll have a little surprise for you."
"I like surprises."
"Then you'll love this,” Callie called. “In fact, you’ll remember this for the rest of your life.” She tried to calm herself and stand still as she watched the wheels turn in Gavin’s head. Come on, come on, come on, please go.
As soon as Gavin stepped into his bedroom, Callie scooped her heels, purse and dress off the floor. No time to get dressed, she thought. This was going to be one hell of an escape. She looked back one last time as she opened the front door of the apartment and stepped into the hall.
She couldn't afford to wait for the elevator. Instead she ran to the stairs and sprinted down them as quickly as she could, almost stumbling as she raced downward. Then she reached the door to the lobby. She froze for a moment and looked for any sign of Gavin. She stepped out onto the cold marble floor of the lobby and looked straight ahead, walking right past the doorman without even blinking. As she stepped outside, she slipped herself back into the dress.
Even after she stepped out into the lobby and walked out into the warm night air, Callie couldn't relax. She just needed to get as far from Gavin as possible. Two blocks later, she stopped and held out her thumb for a cab. Instead, a black sedan pulled up to the curb.
"Get in," someone said from inside.
Callie looked up and down the street, but she saw no sign of Gavin or anyone else. She opened the car door and got inside. "Rich, I thought for sure he was going to find me."
"Do you have the drive?"
"Yup," Callie said. She belted herself into the passenger seat and leaned back as Rich sped off into the night.
"Why the hell aren't you wearing shoes?"
"Heels aren't exactly made for running."
"Well, the laptop is set up already. Load the file, and see what kind of decryption we're dealing with here."
"Sure thing," Callie said. As Rich wove through the streets of DC, making sure no one was following, Callie plugged the thumb drive into the computer. "Looks fairly standard," she said.
"Run the decryption program, and we'll know what we have before I get you home."
Two minutes later, the computer pinged. It was time to see what kind of dirt Gavin really had. There were a few other files, but she guessed that the one titled "Wyatt" would have what she was looking for. Callie clicked through the photos. The pictures were fairly standard hidden camera stuff, nothing she hadn't dealt with before. At least they now knew what they were dealing with.
"Let me check that out," Rich said. He pulled the car over and took the laptop from Callie. He shook his head as he went back through the photos. Then he went back through the files. Callie watched as Rich's eyes grew wide. "Holy shit," he said under his breath. Callie could hear his excitement. "You'll never guess who else this guy has photos of. God, there’s a video too. Your sister is going to flip."