Hiring Miss Linton

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Mr Maxfeild set the glasses in front of them and sat across his visitors.

"Cheers!" Mr Maxfeild raised his glass. Mr Ambrose and Lily followed in pursuit.

After the sound of clinking glasses, Lily placed the drink on her table without taking a sip. She clearly understood her employer's instructions earlier. But to actually do it? It was easier said than done.

"Why don't you take a drink, Ms Linton?" Mr Mafeild raised an eyebrow. "It is one of the best wines I have."

Sweat broke out in her forehead and her breathing sped up. She was getting nervous.

Should I do it?, she asks herself. My job and life are both in the line.

Lily felt something nudge her right foot. She looked down to see Mr Ambrose's feet near hers. He was telling her to do it. She looked up and met the mischievous gaze of Mr Maxfeild.

With shaky hands, she lifted the rim of her glass to her lips. The two men watched her every move, discreetly.

It tasted like normal wine. It looked like normal wine. It smelled like normal wine. There was nothing to worry about.

In fact, it tasted so heavenly that she actually wanted another glass of it.

Mr Ambrose watched curiously as his secretary turned to him and smiled. She set down her glass and in a move so fast, her tongue sweeps across her lips.

He looked away from her and took a swig of wine from his own glass.

"Where did you get this wine, Mr Maxfeild?" Lily asked the man in front of her.

"From France." He answered back with an oily smile. "Did you like it?"

"Very much." Lily looked intently at the bottle of wine. "Can I have one more glass?"

Mr Ambrose's eyebrows almost shot up. Earlier, she was afraid of taking a sip from it. Now, she actually wanted the whole bottle.

What was wrong with her? She was overdoing her act.

"Not too much, Ms Linton." Mr Ambrose said monotonously. "We still have work to do."

Lily laughed lightly at his statement as Mr Maxfeild had started pouring wine in her glass. "This will be my last glass, sir. I promise."

But Mr Ambrose knew better. Lillian Linton was too stubborn for her own good.

Before he could reprimand her for her actions, someone was calling Mr Maxfeild.

"Excuse me, Mr Ambrose. Ms Linton. I have to take this call." And he walked out with hurried steps.

Mr Ambrose took this chance to fully turn to Lily and shake her by her shoulders. "What are you doing?"

"Enjoying this wine, sir." She smiled at him again. What's with her and smiling?

"I thought you knew it might be spiked?"

Lily put on a thoughtful face. "Well... it tasted normal. And I don't feel dizzy or sleepy."

"Indeed?"

Without meaning to, Lily slapped her boss' arm and laughed. The alcohol must be getting into her system already. "Yes indeed, sir."

"You have to stop. You're a lightweight." Mr Ambrose made a move to take the glass from Lily but she beat him to it and downed its contents in one gulp.

Lily sighed in content. She had never drank two glasses of wine before. One was enough to make her tipsy. And the feeling of lightness was heavenly.

She turned to her boss and grinned, nudging the bottle of wine towards him. "You should try another one, sir."

Mr Ambrose was about to reply to her when a feeling of vertigo suddenly hit him. His stomach churned and his eyelids started to get heavy.

It was his drink that got spiked, he realized with a dark expression.

Mr Maxfeild was a smart man and outwitted him in this situation. Why would he drug Lily if another man, who is sober and could kill, was with her?

Without wasting a second, Mr Ambrose stood up and dragged Lily with him as he walked towards the office door.

"Sir? Where are we going?" Lily asked. "Mr Maxfeild hasn't come back yet."

In his befuddled state, it took a while for him to respond. "He spiked my drink instead of yours. We have to get out of here."

"What?"

"I do not like to repeat myself, Ms Linton."

Mr Ambrose grasped the door knob and opened the door revealing the adequately lit hallway ahead of them.

"Karim." He said to the small microphone in his collar. "Bring the reinforcements in."

"Yes, Sahib"

"I can't see Karim anywhere. Who were you talking to?" Lily asked as they trudged on, barely walking on her two feet and catching up with her drugged employer.

How come he still walks faster than her?

She got no reply from her boss - which she was getting used to.

Before they could get any further, someone pushed Mr Ambrose down and grabbed Lily from behind, locking her arms at her back.

"Let go, you bugger!" she growled and thrashed in her captor's arms.

"Can someone get a gag for this woman?" A voice said from behind her.

"On it."

Lily looked down and saw two men holding down her boss. She suddenly felt angry. She never saw her boss weak and helpless. And because of some stupid drug he became just that.

When her captor's grip loosened, she abruptly turned herself around and brought up her knee to the man's groin. It made a satisfying sound and in no time, the man fell on his knees in front of her.

"Take that!"

Clutching her bag tighter, she gave it a swing and whacked one man, who was holding down Mr Ambrose, perfectly. Stumbling towards a small table, she carried it and used it to knock out the last man holding her boss down.

"Yas! Go Queen Lily!" she sang as she saw a trickle of blood drip from the head of her latest prey. After her victory dance, she quickly knelt beside her drugged employer.

"Mr Ambrose?" she shook him. "Are you awake?"

He grumbled something incomprehensible, but Lily took it as a sign that he was still kicking the bucket. She stood up and started dragging him out of the hallway before more men spring out of nowhere.

"Damn!" she panted as she dropped her boss' arms. She never knew that he would be this heavy. Mr Ambrose certainly had a lot of muscle hidden underneath his sleek, black suit.

As she collapsed beside him, she heard heavy footsteps coming towards them. She felt herself being thrown over someone's shoulder. From her peripheral vision, she saw the same being done to her employer.

She didn't need to worry about their safety anymore. She recognized the men around them before she blacked out. It was Karim and his reinforcements.