Edge of History (Billie Pierce x Orignal fem character)

Part 2

At first, the car ride is silent. We are still speeding away from the mansion, and I am coming down from an adrenaline high. I am breathing heavily, and my palms are sweaty. The blonde woman next to me seems unfazed. Once we get on the highway, she glances at me and smiles. "Come on, Rita, where is your sense of adventure?" her tone mocking. "Give me some credit. I was just running from security guards and got into a car with a stranger." I pause, "though I get the impression we know each other somehow." She grins, and my attention is pulled to her lips. She is wearing the perfect shade of lipstick that matches her dress and compliments her complexion. Her skin is slightly tan like she has just come from somewhere with a lot of sun. She smirks when she looks back at me, noticing that I am staring. I want to hear her speak again. Her voice is husky, almost sensual, and she has a British accent. "You would be correct, think back about five years, darling," she said. "Five years...?" I ponder aloud. I would have been 25 and three years into my doctorate. I was still living on campus and working as a TA for a professor. "Did you work for the university?" I asked. "No, but I spent quite a bit of time there," she replied. And then it hit me. "You are a friend of Professor Payton!" I realize aloud. Professor Payton was a colleague of the professor that I TA'd for. "Yes, well I was," she says. I frown at the 'was,' but I carry on. "How have you been? It's been a while." I ask, mostly trying to be polite as I have not stopped staring at her mouth. "Well, I have been spending a great deal of time tracking you down." she says nonchalantly. I frown again, "Why?" I question. I think for a moment and then ask another question, "Were you the one that sent me the invitation?" She grins mischievously and nods her head. "Why?" I ask again. "Well, you have been making quite a name for yourself the past few years. I first noticed you when you were a TA, but you were busy finishing your doctorate, so I thought you wouldn't be interested." she explains. "Interested in what?" I ask. She pauses for a minute and then says, "How do you feel about treasure?" I look back out of the windshield. "Treasure? What kind of treasure are we talking about, like pirate treasure?" I ask kind of as a joke. "No, like the Pan-American treasure." she clarifies. I hadn't heard about the Pan-American treasure since doing research for my dissertation, but I had written it off as a myth. My surprise and confusion make her laugh, and I feel slightly embarrassed. "What about the treasure?" I ask defensively. "I currently have part of the map, but I still need to find the two other parts." she explains. "I thought of you when I saw a news article about your team researching some of the Incan artifacts that were found." she adds. "Why me and not the others?" I ask. "Well, I remember you from the university, and you seemed so dedicated to your work and spreading awareness about the lost and overlooked history of Central and South America." she says. I think back to that time and wonder how she could have noticed all of that about me. The most we talked was when we went through the door at the same time or happened to go to the break room to get coffee. We never talked about our work, just comments on how bad the coffee there was or how annoying some of the students were. Come to think of it, I never knew what she did or why she was there. Anyone I talked to knew little to nothing about her, just that she was a friend of
Professor Payton, and there was an occasional rumor that they were dating. I never cared enough to find out anything more. "Why are you interested in the treasure?" I ask, wanting to know more about the attractive woman. She must be in her late 40s to early 50s. Her smile lines are fairly deep, and her skin is a little looser in some areas. I don't mind. I have always been attracted to older women. They have a maturity about them and a wisdom that younger women don't have. Plus, they have more experience in other areas. "Let's just say that I have a duty to find that treasure." she replies. "Okay," I reply, not wanting to sound like I'm prying. "Are you hungry?" she asks, moving away from the subject. "Sure, I didn't have much to eat at the party." I respond. She takes the next exit and heads to a cluster of fancy shops and restaurants. She pulls the carin front of a building, and a man comes to open our doors. She tosses him the keys and walks towards me. We enter the restaurant side by side. Another man comes up to her and asks, "The usual table, Ms. Pierce?" She nods once with a slight, polite smile. He turns and leads us to a quiet part of the restaurant tucked away in a private room. He offers each of us a wine list and gives his recommendations. Billie orders some fancy French sounding red, and I order the same. My years as a broke graduate student and now researcher have not given me the opportunities to refine my wine taste. As he pours our wine, we sit in silence. She looks at something on her phone while I look at her. The last five years look good on her. She has matured and grown in her beauty. I remember checking her out when a student bumped her in the hall, causing her to drop some papers. I never put any consideration into pursuing anything with her. Maybe now could be the time, especially if I do join her in her work to find the treasure. The waiter lists the specials that would pair with the wine that we chose, and Billie picks one. I chose the same, though I don't know what it is. We are left alone after the waiter writes our orders down. "You know I always wondered what you were like in bed." she comments as if it were nothing. I laugh, not knowing what else to do. "Have you ever thought about me?" she asks she grazing my leg playfully with her foot. "Not really." I reply. "Though I do find you attractive in a way." I say. "And what way is that?" she asks, arching an eyebrow. "I don't know, in an older woman kind of way." I say, feeling my palms get sweaty. "Old?!" she says, putting her hand on her chest. "I'm not that old." she says, feigning offense. "I like older. You've already made mistakes and learned from them." I explain. "I can't wait to be done with making mistakes and living with all of the consequences." I say, reflecting on the past few years. "You can't have done anything that bad." she assures. "I guess not, still living through moments aren't always fun." I say. "True." she agrees, her eyes looking distant, like she's caught in a memory. She is snapped out of it when a waiter sets her plate in front of her. I pick up my fork as soon as the food is set in front of me. It looks like some kind of meat with a yellowish sauce and a side of potatoes and broccoli. I take a bite of the meat, and it tastes good. The sauce is rich and buttery with a hint of spice. The vegetables have a spice blend on them that pairs nicely with the sauce. I didn't realize how hungry I was until I started eating. I hadn't eaten much since this morning when I had an apple and a piece of toast for breakfast. Billie begins eating her food, though she still seems like she hasn't completely come back from her memory. "How's your food?" I ask, trying to bring her all the way back. "It's good, do you like yours?" she asks. "Yes, you have good taste." I reply. She smiles, "I like to think so." she says. We eat in a comfortable silence for a while. She occasionally rubs her foot on my calf, and I get butterflies. When we finish our meal, the waiter comes in to clear the plates and give Billie the check. After everything has been paid for, we head back outside where the vallet has the car waiting for us. Billie grabs the keys, and we get in the car. As we pull out of the lot, she looks at me and asks if I'm ready to go home. Though I am slightly disappointed, I say yes, and we are off. At a red light, she puts her hand on my thigh, and I feel the butterflies coming back. It isn't until we are on my street that I realize I never gave her my address. "How do you know where I live?" I ask, confused and a little creeper out. "Honey, I pay a lot of money for people to tell me everything there is to know about a person I am interested in." She says, turning to me. "You're interested in me?" I ask. "I am interested in recruiting you to work on my team to find the rest of the treasure map." She replies. "I also may have an interest in some of your other qualities." She says as she moves her hand further up my thigh, the slit in my dress offering her access. I sharply inhale at her words and her touch. She chuckes and moves her hand away. When we are in front of my building, she pulls over and puts the car in park. Before I can open my door, she is getting out to open it for me. I smile, not having expected her to do that. "Thank you," I say with a smile. "Of course, a beautiful woman like you should be treated like with the utmost respect." She says. We walk up to my door hand in hand. I wonder what will happen when I go inside. Will she come in with me, or will I go in alone. "I will have one of my employees get your car for you." She says, holding her other hand out. I nod, putting my keys in her outstretched hand. "Thank you." I say as my fingers linger in her hand. "Not a problem." She says, leaning closer. I met her in the middle, and our lips touched for a second. She put her forehead on mine and grinned. "I have been wanting to do that all night." She says. I smile, "Me too."