Disappearing, Inc.

Chapter 7- The Date

Chapter 7- The Date

For the second time that day, my phone rang.

"I'm not sure I can take this again!" I whined jokingly. After our deal, we went out and got lunch at a café and took a long nap. I was feeling a lot better. This time instead of my parents, it was Madame Miranda.

"Ladies. You've got a date tonight!" We exchanged confused glances. She continued, "Not that kind date. You guys have never really been into boys anyways. Derek Thorton will be at the restaurant on the Eiffel Tower tonight at eight-thirty. Your reservation is at eight, except you won't all be sitting together. In three minutes on the dot, a bald ell hop will bring you a purple satchel. Inside is your directions. Aú revoir!"

We buzzed with the news of an actual mission and Brooke was overflowing with glory from finally being able to dress us up.

The bellhop came we read over the packet. It instructed that Kelsey will be waitressing Derek's section, Brooke and Morgan will be eating together, and I'll be sitting alone at the bar with a perfect view of him.

Once we got all gussied up, we took off to the restaurant. I sat down in my purple mini dress in which the neckline hung just a little too low for my liking. I was wearing black patent leather flats and a string of fat pearls. Technically, since I was only fifteen, I wasn't allowed at the bar, but who cared about the details. We are in Paris and the night is young! I glanced over at Brooke and Morgan, or should I say Chanel and Maria, eating breadsticks in the candlelight and Kelsey rocking the all-black waitressing costume and speaking entirely in French. I couldn't help but smiling, this group, my team was amazing.

I was startled out of my daydream by the buzzing in my ear. It was the comm, or communication system, that Kelsey made whirring to life.

"Subject in quarters." It was Morgan on the other end.

"Understood. Straight shot by Tempest." I said. That meant I could clearly see Derek coming in. Tempest was my covert name, named precisely after my temper.

"Venus on wing." Morgan getting a better look at him.

I faced my head towards the door and watched Derek walk towards his table out of the corner of my eye. Again, something about him rang a bell, but I couldn't seem to put my finger on it. Maybe it was the way he moved, fluently like water, and a lot like my father. It was weird, Derek froze mid-sentence with his waiter only to turn and look at me. Luckily, the bartender walked up and asked my order which was a good cover. I returned to my gaze after my glass of half sparkling-half flat glass of water with one lemon slice and one lime slice arrived. He whispered something into the waiter's ear and then pointed at me. I took a big swig of my drink and walked towards the bathroom. Oh, I thought to myself, if only the waiter he had been talking to had been Kelsey, she could help me. But no, it had only been the hostess.

"Subject pointed at me. Cover blown? Anymore views?" My only response was the faint crackle of the comm.

I returned to my seat, hoping my little escape to the bathroom had changed the tides.

None the less, the same hostess walked towards me. In French, she told me that Derek had offered to cover my bill.

"Mercí," I responded, astounded at the news. I needed to conference with my team, but not while we were in the field.

"Subject paying Tempest bill. Repeat. Subject paying Tempest bill." This time instead of silence, I got a response.

"Fashionista on. Go with the flow. Act normal. Wink at him. Just keep the cover up."

"Tempest understood." I took Brooke's instructions to heart. I twirled my napkin and winked in his direction, hoping that this would be enough to cover up by tracks. Apparently it was enough for a while. He ate his dinner in peace and I had a few more glasses of the water concoction I came up with.

A dark and shadowy figure walked through the door and I sat bolt upright. My thoughts jumped before I had time let the person sink in. X. But no, it couldn't be X. Why would X be here anyways? To watch us, my conscience thought. That couldn't be right though. Could it? One thing was for sure: this person was not here for dinner.

"Tempest on. Big person. All black clothes and no known gender." I stated. Although the figure was tall, it was also very thin.

"Oh my gosh." Stuttered Kelsey. "I think...I think..."

"What? Keep talking Easter Bunny." Asked Morgan.

"I think he has a weapon!"

Too late, that's when I felt the cold blade against the back of my knee.