Not as it seems

Part 7

Arriving at the country club, where the Rhodes’ were holding their gala, I immediately felt completely out of place. From the limos pulling up to the red carpet at the entrance, to everyone’s fancy attire, it seemed like for the first time in my life, I was standing out- and not in a good way.

Earlier this afternoon when I arrived back from going to tutor Jocelynn, my mom gave me a dress she bought for me to wear to the gala. It was navy blue, shimmering and floor length. It had a slit in the side going up a little past my knees and strapless. I also decided it was best to put my hair up, in case I had to do some punching and kicking tonight, so my mom did my hair in some sort of fancy-twisty thing at the nape of my neck. Finally, to top it off, my mom also made me wear these 5 inch, strappy black stilettos that she wore to a banquet with the Prime Minister of Bangladesh. She practically cried when I was finished getting ready, since it was the first time I had ever worn a dress. And let me just tell you, so far, I wasn’t exactly loving it.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped up the the archway that was the entrance of the building. There was big man at the door, in a suit, holding a clipboard.

“Name?” He asked me when I approached, without even looking up from his clipboard.

“Avery Tanner.” I responded and he just nodded, signaling that I was allowed in.

Orchestra music echoed throughout the room. The high concave ceiling were ornately decorated and had multiple sparkling chandeliers hanging, similar to the ones in Jocelynn’s house. People were dispersed all around the main floor, and some even on the balconies that lined the second floor. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, talking, laughing, and drinking champagne. I heard many women complimenting each other about how good they looked in their dresses. It seemed to be all at ease, but I knew better.

I scanned the room looking for familiar faces, particularly Mr. Rhodes, as I wasn’t going to be distracted from my mission. It was difficult to see through the crowds of people, so I decided to go atop one of the balconies to get a better look.

As a spy, the position of the balcony was ideal for me because it was on the side enough so that no one would notice me, yet I could still see everything. Almost immediately, I was able to spot Jocelynn in the crowd, holding on to Luke’s arm. I got to admit, Luke looked pretty handsome in his tux, with his dark brown hair neatly combed back. I mean that’s just my professional opinion. Jocelynn also looked pretty as always, wearing a floor length dress similar to mine, but her’s was an off-white color and had a single strap over one shoulder. Her blonde hair was also down in long, loose curls. It probably was because I just discovered earlier that day, but for the first time, I noticed how skinny Jocelynn actually was. It looked unhealthy. Her pale skin was also lacking a little color. But, she still was down below, smiling and chatting with people that her parents are probably friends with, but she barely knows. Luke stayed by her side, but it seemed something was off between the two. They just seemed... awkward?

I had to brush off the feeling because soon I saw Mr. Rhodes in the back corner of the hall, chatting with an elderly couple. He too was wearing a tux and had that fake smile plastered on his face, as always. I saw him excuse himself from the people he was talking to and go out a door that said “employees only.” Looking at the clock, I saw it said 9:56. It was almost time.

Oddly, I began to feel slightly nervous for this deal. I wasn’t handling this alone, though. I had a tracking device and microphone under my dress. Mr. Brinson and some backup were not far from the gala, just waiting for the right time to come in and make the arrests. But either way, I did have to work on my own for a few minutes, at least until my backup came. And a lot can happen in a few minutes.

Carefully, I followed Mr. Rhodes out the “employees only” door, making sure he didn’t notice I was trailing him. My objective was to either stall, get recordings of the deal, or get down some names.