Green Light

Chapter 1:Secretaries

My best friend, Ivy Nonbol, shut her book with a slam, thought it didn't do much. I tried to keep a straight face. "What were trying to do, create a sound?" I teased. "With a paperback?"

She stuck her tongue at me, but turned away and sighed. I rolled my eyes. "What is it this time?" 

She nervously tapped her nails against her wooden desk, her book now tossed aside. She turned to face me, a disoriented look in her eyes. She was silent for a moment, chewing her lips, then finally took a breath. "Why is it always secretaries?"

This comment befuddled me, and I stopped twiddling with her bookmark. "What do you mean?"

She rolled her eyes and snatched the bookmark out of my hands. "You're going to rip it." 

"Sorry," I replied, not particularly sorry. "But what did you mean, why is it always secretaries?" 

She paused for a moment longer, and I stifled a snort. If Ivy didn't grow up to be an artist, she was surely going to become a drama actress. She was great at making tension. "I meant," she finally said. "Why is it always the secretaries who start have love affairs with their bosses?" 

This, too, disoriented me. "Ummm... it is?"

"Of course it is!" she cried, jumping up. I watched as her wheely chair spun to the far side of her room to hit a poster. "I mean, can you think of one romance movie that doesn't involve secretaries?" 

"Yeah. I've seen plenty."

She looked up at the ceiling in exasperation. "Well, in a lot of books I read, it's like that."

"Okay." I processed this information. "But you haven't read all the books in the world."

"OH. MY. GOD!" she exclaimed. "I don't even know why  I even freaking try."

Neither do I,  I thought, but kept my mouth shut. 

At that moment, I could hear Mrs. Nonbol coming up the stairs. "Girls? Audrey's father is here."

"Okay, I'm coming," I called back. I stood up, brushing off my knees, though there wasn't much to brush off. It was mostly just a habit, since I spent so much time outdoors. 

I walked to the door, Ivy following closely behind, and indeed, as I clambered down the steps, I saw Dad standing there. He grinned. "Hey, girls! Audrey, you got everything you need? Ready to come home?" 

I've never been more ready, I thought, but instead politely said, "Yep! See ya, Ivy!" 

She waved, and I closed the door behind me, thanking Ms. Nonbol for having me. 

As I walked home with my dad, the ice cream truck was driving by, it's tinny music floating in the air. My heart ached as it passed by, but I didn't ask my dad for any ice cream. 

Once I got home, I spent the rest of the day doing homework--I needed to catch up on everything I'd missed. 

The next day, I left to see Ivy again. 

As I walked on my street, I admired my street. It really was beautiful. The trees were hanging low over the sidewalk, the green leaves reaching for earth. There were so many different colors of houses. Purple, white, blue, yellow. The sidewalk was uneven, uprooted by roots. 

I walked into town--Ivy lives pretty far away, but it's shorter than you think--and as I passed a certain neighborhood, I walked faster. I had heard rumors about the people who lived here--bullies who would beat you up. I didn't know if it was true, but I wasn't going to take any chances. 

I was almost at the end of the alley when I heard footsteps behind me. I wanted to look behind me so badly, but I resisted the urge and kept up my pace. The steps quickened, and I felt someone grab my wrist, turning me around. 

I cried out and the guy growled, catching my other wrist. "Let--go!" I shouted. I kicked him in the knee, momently disorienting him, and I got a good look at his face. Brown hair, brown eyes. Lips the color of a ripe apple. 

I kicked him again, forcing him to let go and ran off as fast as I could. 

All of this is flashing through my head as I walk down the long hallway to meet with my boss. I was twelve then. Now, I'm twenty. 

I guess if I have to take you along on my journey, I have to tell you about myself. 

My name is Audrey Scholper. My birthday is January 25th, and it's currently February 6th. 

Until what's going to happen very soon, I'm a virgin. I tried to have sex with a guy once, but I got too scared and called my mom, creating quite an awkward situation. 

Anyways, my boss is about to talk to me about my new undercover job. I'm not allowed to tell you--or anyone the name of the organization I work for. It's sort of like C.I.A., but way more secretive and way more hidden. In fact, only 300 out of them 7.8 billion people living on earth know about this company, and those 300 people are the people that work here. 

I'm pretty sure I know what my job will be, though what it is is the only thing I know about it. I have no idea who I'll be working for, when I'll start working, why I'm working, and I don't really care. As long as I do my job. 

I open the door to my boss's office and he welcomes me in with broad gestures of his hands. "Welcome, Audrey." He waits 'till I settle down then gets to the point. "So. You read the New Yorker, I presume?" 

I nod. 

"Well, we need to know more about them to properly ruin them. And before you ask, we must ruin them so we can use their money. Now, are you a virgin?"

A blanket of Styrofoam seems to have covered the insides of my throat. I force myself to take a deep breath. "Yes, sir."

"Hmm... If you were any less attractive, vibrant and young, I would choose someone else. But then again, will he like you pure or will he like you experienced?"

My throat closed up. When I was young, I used to find the idea of sex fascinating. Now I think of it as something prostitutes do. "With all due respect, sir, who is 'he'?" I ask. When he doesn't respond, I clear my throat, and he looks at me distractedly. "Who is 'he'?" I repeat. 

He smiles in a way that makes me regret me asking. "You'll find out." 

My intestines twist at the thought. It could be my next door neighbor or a completely random guy. Anything could be possible... I swallow, hoping my apprehension doesn't show too much, but I guess it does, because the boss says, "Don't worry." 

As if I could do anything but worry. 

"So, you'll be working as a secretary. But I'm sure you already knew that. Now, since you are going to be working for one of the top figures in the business. You need to be extremely discrete. If you slip up on one little detail..." he pauses, letting fear swell inside me, then he smiles good-naturedly. "Well, it won't be pleasant. I think I don't have to go over how to find out about how they operate with their money, et cetera. You probably already know."

Under the table, I stick my middle finger out at him. 

"I'll text you the address, the info, all of that stuff tomorrow."

I fake a smile. "When will I be starting?"

He laces his hands together, leaning on the table, his face close to mine. "Tomorrow."

As I walk out of his office, I let the dreaded suspicions flood into my memory. "If you were any less attractive, vibrant and young, I would choose someone else. But then again, will he like you pure or will he like you experienced?"

I know what this means. I know it and I hate it. I know all the risks. I could fall in love. I could make a mistake. But there's no going out now. 

I will be forced to love someone.