Hired for secrets

Your plaything

Philip's rendezvous point was in the middle of the forest. It was dark, secluded and the very place that screamed "danger". Sofie had been here since before sunset to prepare the sensor net. Back then, it was beautiful, with birds chirping and butterflies playing in the mild afternoon breeze. Maybe that's the image Philip had in mind when he suggested this place, at least that's what she hoped.

But Sofie was prepared either way. Dozens of high-tech motion sensors lined the meadow, alerting her of anything moving in the undergrowth. She would not be ambushed. No one but Philip, would come close enough to hurt her. And the old man's taser would take care of him trying anything.

The only thing left to do was disguise all of her preparations and make it look like she was here for a date. She set up the blanket, unwrapped the cheese platter and propped herself down, pretending to look out for Philip.

The lanterns around the blanket cast a soft light across the wildflower meadow. Leaning back, Sofie let her fingers rake through the lush earthy grass and inhaled the faint aromas from the surrounding pine trees. With all the risks mitigated, this actually was a beautiful place. The mist from the nearby stream made the air taste like rain and the soft hoot from owls felt like freedom. It cast her back to when she was a teenager, disobedient and wild, without a care in the world, waiting for the sweetheart of her mid-summer romance.

Fireflies danced over the stream when the perimeter alarm buzzed in her pocket. Someone was approaching. And not from the direction Elandra was located. Where Philip should have come from. Sofie's heart rate quickened. She wasn't waiting for her sweetheart, was she? She was waiting for a man she barely knew. And by the looks of it, he had even sent someone else. A henchman to abduct her. Or worse, finish her off right here. It surely was the place for it. Had she been reckless?

I'm not planning on sticking around if it goes pear-shaped. That's what she said to the old man, but it wasn't quite as clear cut now. The display showed a single person approaching, likely a man, walking leisurely towards the meadow. He wasn't running or sneaking, he wasn't trying to catch her by surprise. It could very well be Philip walking to his date, simply having taken a detour to savour his night of freedom. With a quick check on the taser, Sofie decided to wait for the man to arrive.

She breathed a sigh of relief, when it was indeed Philip who stepped out from the tree line into the moon-bathed meadow. The silver light twinkled over his easy smile and made Sofie's heart skip a beat. He was even more gorgeous than usual, wearing a black shirt and beige shorts. With a fire kindling in her heart, she watched him approach. Then she remembered her plan.

"Stop right there," she issued. "And take off your clothes."

Philip's eyebrow lifted in surprise and his smile faded. He'd expected a greeting and gotten a command instead that sounded unexpected and harsh even to her. This wasn't how he thought their night would begin.

"After what you've said on the phone," she tried to clarify, "you can't blame me for being cautious. I just want to make sure you're not armed..." She cleared her throat adding, "you can keep your underpants on."

"As you wish."

It sounded neutral. He was used to blunt commands like this... from being an escort? Or a criminal?

"Now, turn. Let me see your back. Show you're not hiding anything."

"Satisfied?"

He raised his arms to the side, biceps flexing and pecks tough, turning for her.

"Almost," she replied milder, trying to make up for the rocky start, "just leave your clothes there please and come over?"

With every step Philip managed to restore his smile, though the easiness that was there earlier never returned.