The Man between my crosshairs (girl X assassin)

Chapter 15/The morning after

A/N another dangerous weekend. 

Zoe gently woke up next morning. As soon as she woke up she didn't need any technology to tell her that the daughter Cathy would come and pick her up about nine. She had plenty of time. Her hand reached out of the bed. She grabbed the neck of a bottle. Drawing a circle with bottle's neck she discover it was drained. Dropping the bottle back into the melted bucket, she rolled over to find Ryder had gone.

"That's odd that's normally my job. I always leave first. " she said, then she spoke louder "Jeeves where is Ryder?"

The robot came in. Zoe felt weird, like no poison she had before. She felt like something was missing from her now when before she was whole.

"Mr Ryder told me he had an appointment. His robot is moving things into the other room. He said last night was beyond compare and wished you well on the rest of your trip, Madam. I believe your relationship has passed it's sell by date."

"Nothing worse than finding an old relationship going moldy in the back of the fridge" said Zoe to Jeeves. She tried to live in the present and didn't much care for a future.

"Yes eight hours that's very much a record for you" said Jeeves.

Zoe sat up an accepted the coffee the machine offered. She drank the dark fluid."When did you get to be so sarcastic?"

"I think it was a few minutes after you programmed me to tell you the truth." the machine said.

Zoe sipped some coffee. "Yes good Truth. The hemlock to most relationships. Whats the time? I'm seeing Cathy at 9:00 for more coffee." Zoe said.

"Quarter too Nine," said Jeeves.

"WTF" Zoe nearly spat out her coffee "Fuck why didn't you wake me?"

Jeeves took the coffee cup from Zoe. Zoe got out of bed her naked flesh on show.

"Because Miss Cathey called to say she had arrived early. Then she phoned again to say something urgent had turned up and had to leave. She hoped you understood. She said the best cure for space lag was sleep and she would pass by later when you had recovered."

For that second time in as many minutes, Zoe felt something different.

"That's odd. I felt pleasure in her conversation." Zoe said "I was looking forward to seeing her again."

"It sounds like your describing a friend." the machine said picking up more of Zoe's clothes.

"Don't' be silly. I don't have friends. After all, what is a friend but an enemy you haven't made yet?" Zoe said getting back into the bed.  She as an assassin through and though. She took her coffee in both hands.

"This is good. There is a lot to do today including visiting the goat. If Mr Ryder phones back then tell me. If he wants to meet up then say yes I will and tell me. Mean while let's have breakfast and then I'm going shopping - assassin style."