Page 13 of Seductive Architect
Hudson: No problem. It’s my job!
“It’s like you’re a natural,” she said.
“Stop reading my text messages,” I shot back. I had integrated Connie with every piece of tech at my disposal. I sacrificed privacy for efficiency.
“Do you want me to send a follow-up text?”
“I can do it.”
“Can you?”
“You’re not allowed to hang out with Janet anymore.” Perhaps it had less to do with our bringer of chaos and more to do with her new man? I’d be sure to bring this up when we had a moment. “I can handle a simple text.” Before she could respond, I jumped in. “Don’t even think about sassing me.”
Orion: Would you be interested in getting lunch?
Hudson: Really?
Orion: We both need to eat, right?
Unless he was, in fact, a robot. So far, I didn’t have evidence to suggest it. Though his lack of identity raised a number of questions. He could be part of Witness Protection and living under a new name. Witness Protection had doubled down on its security after it caught a mysterious hacker decimating its firewalls.
Hudson: It’s a date.
“See, I can handle myself.”
“That is until you realize it’s anactualdate.”
I scoffed. Wait… had I just… “That’s just something people say.” I stared at the text message, as if I glared hard enough, I’d squeeze out the underlying meaning. Was it an obvious statement, or was he flirting? Part of me wanted to gather intel about our mystery man. The other part… I didn’t hate the idea of going on a date with him. What could it hurt? One date.
“Connie,” I whispered. “Did I just ask a person of interest on a date?”
“They grow up so quickly.” Heart emojis appeared in the center of the room before popping. “Who knows, if youhit it off, we can go on a double date.” It was the first time Connie had admitted to having a significant other. I wasn’t sure if I felt jealous or proud. Though I’m not sure sitting on the couch with Virtual Reality goggles constituted a date.
“He’s a mark,” I said, imagining his face plastered in the middle of the board. “What if he’s the missing link between Synergy and Senator McAfee? What if he’s Illuminati?”
Connie gave the digital equivalent of a snort. “I’m sure he’s not.”
I raised an eyebrow. She might be the only person who understood my well-earned paranoia. Connie had been my partner in crime since I first booted up her machine. Over the years, she gladly jumped in and assisted, pulling information from less-than-legal servers. Never had she blatantly dismissed a theory. That in of itself left me curious.
“We’ll see about that.”
If his sudden appearance couldn’t be explained, at least I’d have a belly full of tacos. Then he could go back to being a person of interest. It wouldn’t hurt to watch a handsome man as he devoured street food. The idea of a date left me nervous… and if I was being honest with myself, a little excited.
“Please, don’t be Illuminati,” I mumbled.
5
Wyatt:Friend, why are you not in the breaking room with us?
Drew: Break room. Is it something we said? It’s Janet’s fault, right?
Arthur: Why does the microwave still hate me?
Janet: Calm down. Our colleague has a lunch appointment.
Wyatt: Is he having relations in the janitor’s closet like Arthur and Ricardo?
Janet: I hope so!
