In the spider's web

Chapter 13

The rest of Monday went by painfully slow. Jim spent most of the time with his eyes closed listening to loud classical music while thinking. He was subconsciously moving his head in a theatrical manner to the music, and it was captivating to observe.
Lost in my thoughts, I nearly jumped out of my chair, when he suddenly opened his eyes and barked out names and places for me to hack.
Luke entered the room briefly, accepting a list from Jim, entailing other names, organizations etc. he needed information from, in order to formulate his final plan. Luke would divide and distribute these tasks out to the other hackers, he had working for him.

...

Spending my time hacking away Tuesday in Jim's office, gave me further insight, as to what Jim spent his spare time doing, since he had to wait for me and the other hackers to finish, before he could move on.

He listened to music, played computer games, read books...almost seeming...normal. How weird was that.
But the biggest surprise of the day, came as I made my way towards to front doors late that afternoon. I found Jim sitting in the living room beside the foyer with a bowl of popcorn, watching some episode of the real housewives of Beverly Hills? Baffled, I walked into the room.

"You've got to be kidding me" I mumbled, realizing my eyes hadn't deceived me.

"Oh, there you are Clara" He greeted, "have you watched this show before? the drama is absolutely intoxicating. You're welcome to join me" He said with a lifted eyebrow, as he patted the spot next to him.

"But be careful Clara, you might actually enjoy my company"

He wriggled his eyebrows.

This is not happening I thought to myself, as I turned around and walked out of the room.

"I'll pick you up around 8!" He yelled, just as I closed the front doors after me.

At home I spent my time wondering, if a part of Jim could actually be normal. It seemed unreal. But the way he had been acting today, left me baffled and scared.
I was terrified, because I could feel myself beginning to humanize him.

I forced myself to think about all the destruction, chaos and death he had caused, which made me feel better.

Realizing the time, I took a quick shower, blow-dried and straightened my hair and put on a bit of mascara.

I opened my closet and pondered what to wear. I definitely didn't want Jim to think, I had dressed up because of him...but it was a party after all.

Searching through my closet, I finally decided on a pair of black slacks and a red silk blouse. Thinking I looked presentable, I checked the time, almost eight.

...

As I entered the black car Jim had arrived in, I couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of his crisp, white suit.

"What's with the outfit Gabriel?" I mocked, as I made myself comfortable in the soft, leather seat.

"I think, I got a halo leftover from last Halloween, if you're interested?" I continued with a light chuckle.

He only smirked in response.

The drive was mostly silent, and as we came closer and closer to our destination, I became more and more uncertain of my decision to come to this party.

"Nervous?" Jim asked with a mocking undertone, eyeing my hands.

I didn't realize I had been fidgeting. Trapping them under my thighs, I looked at him with a confident smile.

"No, not at all" I lied, "It'll be my pleasure, to humiliate you in front of all your friends."

"I don't have friends" he scoffed.