Project Shady

Recognize

''What's the deal,'' Curtis asked, he had joined Marshall in the studio moments after Clara and Rose had left to go dress shopping. The little flirty comments between Clara and Marshall had clearly not gone unnoticed by him.

''Deal with what?'' Marshall questioned, raising an eyebrow at his friend. The snicker from Denaun in the corner in the room didn't help the confusion Marshall felt.

''Oh come on man, that chick your assistant,'' Fifty explained a wide grin stretched across his face as he watched Marshall clamp his jaw shut,'' I wanna know what's going on because I see something.''

''Nothing, there ain't no deal. I've only known her like two days. Tell him, man,'' Marshall spoke towards Denaun who he'd hoped would back him up, unfortunately, he had no such luck.

''I dunno, you were pretty upset when you told me she was going to be moving out of your place. I remember you telling me you wished she'd stay,'' Marshall glared at his friend, who just shrugged, ''I ain't lying,'' he added raising his hands up in defence.

''Whatever, there isn't anything going on ya hear me,'' Marshall bit out, moving over to the mini fridge in the room and pulling out a Redbull.

''You always say that but I bet you'll be fucking her on that desk of hers in a matter of no time,'' Fifty laughed as Marshall spat out the contents of the Redbull he'd just drunk.

''Fuck you,'' his comment left both of his friends cackling with laughter.

''Wait didn't you go round her's to help her unpack the other day. Bet you didn't get much done,'' Denaun added, the room filling up with even more laughter as both of them laughed harder at Marshall.

''Fuck you too,'' Marshall huffed slumping down in his seat, spilling a little of his drink, not that he cared there were bigger things on his mind, like finding a way to shut his friends up about Clara.

Although as they continued to crack jokes and tease him, he gave up trying to get them to stop after half an hour. He just stayed sat opposite them, taking everything they said in jest. However, he felt his insides turn a little when Curtis mentioned that she seemed familiar as if he'd seen her before somewhere, but could put his finger on it. 

°°°

''Do you think Fifty might recognise me?'' Clara asked squeezing into the dress in the fitting room. Clara took it off the moment she'd zipped it up, the midsection was far too tight and she felt as if she was being suffocated. Dress shopping evidently had not been at the top of her list for that day, but wherever Marshall had to go, it was her job to follow.

''I don't know really. Just don't try and look the same as you did that night you know. Maybe stay away from anything gold,'' Rose offered her advice, her voice slightly muffled by the dressing room walls that separated the two women from each other.

Clara agreed with the advice given by her friend. She came to the conclusion that if she didn't wear gold or wear her hair the same way she had that night, then Curtis would hopefully not recognise her. Although, she did hope that when it came to remembering faces, he wouldn't be very good.

''Ok what do you think of this one?'' Rose had finished trying on dresses and had actually found her one at least half an hour ago. The question was asked by Clara who was yet to find a dress she liked or even one that actually fitted her properly.

Clara stepped out of the changing room, a rose gold coloured dress with a silver jewelled bust, hugged her body. There was a split in the side allowing the skirt to flow around her legs and down to the floor gracefully. As Rose took in her friend's appearance she saw the weary expression she held, her lip trapped between her teeth as she patiently waited for the verdict on the dress.

''I think you look great. Marshall won't be able to keep his eyes off of you that's for sure,'' Clara's face went a distinctive darker shade of pink. Before Rose could start to tease her anymore Clara rushed back behind the curtain to take the dress off and pay for it.

°°°

There was still a few hours until the gala actually started, which left Clara and Rose time to find blueprints of the building it was held in and compile a list of people that were either threats or under threat.Clara's laptop was still at Marshall's house, something she'd have to go back for as well as a week's worth of clothes too. Luckily Rose had brought hers and with a little trouble connecting to the wifi to start with, the girls were very much underway in their work. It may not have been work they'd been set by their bosses, but it still concerned them.

''Travis Clayton, not a billionaire, not a plus one to anyone, but the sectary of Eric Swartz. Now that's certainly someone we need to watch out for,'' Rose stated as she scrolled through the guest list she'd managed to retrieve from one of her contacts in MI5, who'd quite happily agreed to help them no questions asked.

''Hey wait, stop,'' a name had flashed across the screen, one that caught Clara's attention straight away, ''scroll back up again,'' Rose did as she was told and scrolled slowly back up the list until Clara told her to stop once more.

''Graham Torez. Whose that?'' Rose asked staring at the name of which Clara's finger had landed on. The name hadn't rung any bells in her head, but the last namr one sure had caught the attention of Clara.

''Type it into google with Detroit at the end,'' without asking any more questions Rose did as she was told. At the same time, Clara pulled out her phone and clicked through her gallery until she came across the picture of a man that the day before had been sitting in an interrogation room.

''Who is he?'' Rose asked again once she'd seen the stark similarities between the google search picture of the man and the one of Clara's phone.

''He was with the people that had tried to Kidnap me,'' Clara explained, taking the mouse from Rose and going back to the document that contained the guest list, ''and I'm willing to bet his wife Samatha will still turn up,'' she added pointing at the woman with the same last name just below him on the list. So with another google search for her and Travis Clayton, Clara and Rose had some people they needed to keep an eye on and make sure they don't come into contact with their bosses.

''I better be getting back to my hotel to get ready,'' Rose announced shutting her laptop, the images of the people they'd looked up disappearing before Clara's eyes, ''I'll see you later,'' with that quick goodbye, Rose left, leaving Clara alone in her flat.

Even though they had successfully looked up three leads, it still didn't help in sloving the bigger question of what exactly was the list? why it had been made? Who'd made it? And finally where was it now? Those questions for Clara and Rose were still very much unanswered. She just hoped that maybe the next time she spoke to Joe he had some answers, although at the stage they were at she highly doubted it.

Sighing she made her way into her bedroom to prepare for the long night she was sure to endure. Marshall had said he would pick her up, so she had to make sure items like the file on him and the magazines for her handgun were out of sight. That would be an awkward conversation especially if he found the twenty-five-page file containing all sorts of information about him, his family and friends. Then there was the matter of her owning a handgun, something she felt he might disapprove of ever so slightly.

Glancing down at the watch strapped to her right wrist she realised that Marshall said he'd be picking her up in about an hour from what the time read. So letting out an exasperated sigh Clara started to get ready, making sure that if Curtis did remember faces, that he surely wouldn't remember hers.