Remade

Chapter 6

"So how was your day?" Alison asks as we munch on granola bars and apples and gulp down water (gotta stay healthy right?)

"It was alright..." I say thoughtfully and ungraciously through a huge bite of fruit.

"God, swallow would ya?" Alison scrunches her nose in disgust.

I oblige. "Yeah it was okay. I'm working with Mason-"

"Hey that's good!" Alison blurts out.

"Let me finish. I'm working with Mason on watching the homeless around the area-"

"That stupid asshat Dave stuck you in another one of those positions?" Alison knows Dave and agrees wholeheartedly with my firm opinion on him seeing since he used to work in her department. "Why I oughta-"

"Calm down and let me finish would you? I am working with Mason on monitoring them and we have the new transfer, Stephan, with us."

"Ohhhh... So that's why you had a good day," Alison smirks.

I stare at her in complete confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Well let's just say I ran into Mr. European in the cafeteria and can I just be the first to say: hot damn. I'm just about ready to move to Italy."

"Are you crazy?" I practically yell but it doesn't have much of an effect through a granola bar. "That's why you think I had a good day? Because of the fact that I saw Stephan and will continue to see him on a regular basis?"

"Well after that spiel I do," Alison grins. Typical. You'd think that as one of the top interrogators at the I, she'd have more to do but Ali seems to fit everything into her schedule. Eat, run, question a suspect, flirt with a boy, sleep, and repeat. The poor boys she chooses don't have a choice due to her uncanny ability to sweet talk just about anybody she meets, with her careful, smooth way of speaking and her dangerously bright green eyes and sweeping, wavy short hair. At least that's how she behaves on a mission; personal and work related.

"Hmph. That's not why."

"Denial. Live a little, B." She gets up from our community bean bag chair and plunks herself next to me on my bed. She places her hand on my shoulder and looks out dramatically, making hand motions with her other hand. "Bridget Walls is the hardest worker here at the Institute. Freakishly smart and can probably take on a mama bear."

I start laughing and rolling my eyes. She always over exaggerates my abilities, especially when it comes to fighting. If only she could see what I could do with a weapon. I always liked working with small knives. Simple and elegant and quick to the point.

"Enter a mysterious, gorgeous stranger. Eyes so deep and pale that you could fall into them and hair that would get knotted with your fingers were you to touch it. They talk for a while, him with his lilting voice, her with her witty, sarcastic one."

I elbow her.

"Bam!" She jumps up, throwing her arms up like she's a human firework (which she is). "Spark are a-flying, they live happily ever after and Bridget hooks her best friend up with one of Stephan's hot older brothers."

I laugh and shake my head. "You, my friend are clearly delusional. Things don't happen like that in reality, only in Disney movies and young adult novels. And besides, he's an only child."

"Already know about his family, I see." She wags her eyebrows.

I mercilessly pelt her with my pillow as she rolls over laughing. Although I am getting my revenge for Ali's ridiculous fantasy, I can't help but let my mind wonder. What else is there to know about him? I think back to our handshake before Diel's talk and blush mentally at the image of that same gesture prolonged and of his arms around me and being enveloped by the scent of mint and cut wood. Can someone hypnotize another so easily? Or is it all in my head? I shake my head rapidly. Regardless, I need to be careful around him. Sure, he seems like a charming guy but Alison's description of him as a 'mysterious, gorgeous stranger' is a dangerous and accurate one.