Page 15 of Seductive Architect
Her eyes narrowed. “The flag waves without wind.
“The flower blooms without rain.”
She nodded, accepting the secret phrase. “Two El Diablo Burritos, coming up.”
Each week it changed, and I found myself on their website piecing together hidden clues. At first, I thought it was a clever marketing tactic. While searching for an online forum about Vanguard's best-known villains, I spotted the username El Diablo Bur. After a little investigating, I discovered it belonged to one of the sisters. They, too, were truth seekers with their own agenda. I respected their approach. Connie had them in my contacts as “Possible Allies.”
She handed me a bag. “May he have mercy on your soul.”
When I turned, Hudson’s eyes were wide and his mouth agape. “What just happened? Are you buying drugs?” The disbelief on his face only made him cuter. What would he say if I introduced him to the secret world hiding in plain sight?
“Only if you’re into sniffing hot sauce.”
“I mean, maybe? I haven’t tried that either. But let’s start with burritos.” His nose scrunched up as he thought about it. “I take it back. That just sounds painful.”
Something about Hudson struck me as naïve. Who in Vanguard hadn’t tried Taco! Taco! Taco!, let alone Mexican cuisine. This man must have had a sheltered upbringing.We walked to a picnic table where I laid out the burritos. He took a seat opposite me, his foot bumping into mine. I hid the smile as I thought about playing footsie like a smitten teenager.
We unraveled the tinfoil in unison. I held my burrito up in a toast. The first bite came with an explosion of flavor, the heat clearing my sinuses. Hudson’s eyes lit up, and he let out little moans while he chewed. Before I could ask him if he liked it, he went in for another bite, and then another. I liked a man with a solid appetite. It led to a belly, and who could say no to those?
He covered his mouth while he enthusiastically chewed. “This is the best date ever.”
No air quotes. My investigation had been bogarted, and now I was one-half of a genuine bona fide date. I didn’t hate it. Connie had been right. Seeing the enthusiasm as he stuffed more in his mouth was almost enough to wipe away the stain left by Jared.
I didn’t want him to get the wrong impression… but that smile. It stretched from ear to ear, pure, unadulterated glee. I couldn’t ruin his day. It had been so long since I went on a date, a genuine ‘let’s get to know each other’ situation, that I stumbled over my words. Asking him if he had seen suspicious packages coming into the building didn’t meet the standards of small talk. I tried to think of the files and what little intel I had on the man.
“Do you like working here?” His question came across as innocent, and his smile didn’t fade. Did he want intelligence on the company? Was he a secret operative…
Deep breath.
Kiki would suggest I take it at face value. No conspiracy, no double meanings, just a simple request with the potential of friendship. My next therapy session was going to be loaded with questions, and for once, I wouldn’t be asking if she worked for MI6.
“I do.” Good start. Now add a personal detail. “I got hired to help Arthur with the code for the HeroApp™. He’s a fine coder, but—” I chuckled, recalling the first time I dove into the backend of the app. “—he needed help.”
“I have thirteen so far.” Did he speak in code? He reached into his pocket and produced his cell phone. Sliding it across the table, I recognized the Rogue Gallery of superheroes in our app. “I’m trying to find Prime. But he doesn’t stay long after he saves the day.”
Thirteen? I rarely used the feature, and I was already in the high double digits. Vanguard had become a hotbed of super activity, both good and bad. Only having thirteen made sense for a tween with a new phone. Perhaps he came from a small town in Maine with no Wi-Fi?
“I see you have Mr. Supreme.” Wyatt would blush when I told him. “Wait.” I zoomed in on the photo. He didn’t just have a photo of Wyatt in his costume; he had posed with the big guy. With both of their hands on theirhips, they looked like they could be the next superhero team-up.
“I can’t believe you made this. Was it hard?”
Not for a technopath. “More time-consuming than hard. I love it, though. It’s like a giant puzzle, and I get to figure out where the pieces go.” Good job. Now turn the conversation around on him. “How about yourself? Do you like Synergy?” Kiki made it sound like socializing required skill.
He shrugged. “It’s okay, I guess. It’s my first job… sort of.” Filing that away for further investigation. “I like the office staff, but the researchers are not the friendliest people. They’re not rude, but they really like to hide in their labs and do their secret experiments.”
He stared at the building, and I swore I could hear the hum of code radiating from him. With a quick glance, I couldn’t find where it came from. He didn’t have any obvious implants, nor mechanical limbs. I eyed his cell phone, brushing a finger against the screen. I could hear the machine, a run-of-the-mill generic cellphone. Curious. Hudson might be a straight shooter, but he also had a mystery I wanted to unravel.
“I’ve freelanced at Synergy a few times. They’re kind of?—”
“Boring. Lackluster. Incapable of having fun.”
“I know that feeling,” I said. Work consumed my life, both of them.
Hudson swallowed the last of his burrito. “I don’t know. We’re at work and I’m having fun.”
There was no hiding the heat intensifying on my face. I hid in my burrito, taking the last few bites. When I looked up from the table, he had that grin again. The dab of sour cream on his beard only made him more adorable. I handed him a napkin, pointing to his face. Instead of wiping it away, he tried reaching for it with his tongue.
“Did I get it?”
