Best Served Cold

Waking up in a new room, a new place, a new life... It's a strange feeling, but not one I have the luxury of lingering on this morning. Even if this shower is so much better than the one at home...

I get ready for work and head to say goodbye to Elise in our Living/Dining/Kitchen area, but the sight nearly gives me a heart attack. Elise is happily singing to herself in the kitchen wearing only an apron... And I mean only an apron.

"If your plan is to make me not go to work today, I'm genuinely considering it..." I admit, announcing my entrance.

Elise turns back to me with a seductive smile. "But if you don't, who's going to eat these?" She asks, gesturing to the freshly made sandwiches on the counter.

"Sometimes I think I can't love you more, then you prove me wrong, how do you keep doing that?" I chuckle. It feels very white picket fence, my own place and a girl to make lunch for me...

"I'm actually sent from the future to make sure you're perpetually lusty." Elise winks, before putting the food in a bag. "Now, get going or you won't get paid, and I won't have a place to forget to wear clothes." She adds, handing me the bag and kissing my lips. Yeah... This is it... This is the dream.

*

The office is a storm of hustle and bustle, a complete change from the relaxed atmosphere of last week, there's an excited hubbub about the place, seems like we've had the first details for the new client... I'd almost forgotten that part.

I settle down at a nearby desk and set up, sure enough Moira's sent out a full brief on our preliminary preparations, all of which need to be sorted ASAP. As well as team rosters, who's working where, timeframes, it's incredibly detailed, but the bit that surprises me is my allocation. I'm assigned to directly assist Lauren...

I mean, I know we've gotten pretty close pretty quickly, but everyone else linked to her is managing a team, I'm only working with her, essentially making me her direct apprentice, that can't be right... Can it?

I stand up and walk towards Moira's office, she'll be able to make sense of this. Weirdly her door's open, I walk closer and knock on the open door to request entry.

"Aah, Scarlet, I'd wondered how long it'd take for you to visit." Moira greets me with a slight smile. "Come, sit, I take it you're here about your assignment?" She correctly guesses.

I follow her instructions and take a seat across from her. "Yeah... It's just... Did something happen? It seems like my role is way higher than I expected." I admit.

Moira snorts at my nervous statement. "Two things happened, in fact." She begins to explain, leaning back in her chair. "First off, Lauren personally requested to tutor you, she says you have potential." I can't help but blush at that explanation, even if it is a very Lauren thing to say. "Now, usually, I take her opinion with a pinch of salt, you know Lauren, but then the second thing happened. I checked your work from last week... It was pristine. Not a single error, all done to perfection. For someone so new that's unheard of."

Wait, seriously? I thought they were taking it easy on me... Is she saying I'm genuinely talented at this? I'm not certain how to process that thought. I've never really been good at anything...

"So, it's not a mistake? I'm actually reporting directly to Lauren?" I sputter, trying to get my head around what I'm being told.

"Not a mistake, you're her second, and more than that, I'm hoping you'll be a calming influence on her... Lauren has a tendency to get overexcited, I think you'll balance each other out." Moira admits. No pressure then, just expected to keep up with the director of the company and rein her in.

This news has barely settled in my head as I exit the office, when I return to reality with an almighty crash.

He's here.

Ashley attempts to walk past me to get to the office, but I sidestep to block his path and meet his gaze. "The bar downstairs, ten minutes." I order him, before walking around him to the lift before he can even respond... I hope Lauren's plan works.

*

The bar's empty this early in the morning, which makes it the perfect place to launch our operation. After what was probably more than 10 minutes, my father joins me.

"I've got to say, I'm surprised you wanted to talk to-" He starts before I cut him off.

"What are you doing with Moira?" I blurt out. Shit, could've played that cooler. "I don't buy your happy couple shtick, what is it?"

Ashley looks at me with an unimpressed expression. "I'm disappointed, all this cloak and dagger, just to ask me questions I've already answered. I love Moira, that's the truth." He reiterates.

"Bullshit." I spit at him. "You aren't capable of love, you only care if you can benefit from it."

My words don't seem to have the intended effect, as he chuckles smugly at my anger... Which only makes me more angry. "Oh, Scarlet, you truly are your mother's daughter, so emotional. You don't think things through." He decides, before lunging at my hand, grabbing the phone I had concealed there, and stopping the recording. "You gonna get me to admit my crimes? Record my confession? Then what? Blackmail me to leave? As cons go, it's pretty amateurish."

I'm in shock from the sudden movement, and from how quickly our plan fell apart. "I... But..." I stutter, trying to find an out.

"You know what's sad?" Ashley continues to gloat. "Your sister probably could've pulled it off. Just another way your inferior, isn't it?"

He's right.

I failed.

"D'aww, are you pouting?" He smirks. "Well, I'll let you in on a little secret, I'm not an amateur. Did you know Evolution is solely in Moira's name? You can't buy shares in it, the only way to gain ownership is if you're assigned it by her. Of course, once we're married, that means it then becomes half mine. I've got a buddy at the competition who'll pay a pretty penny for the ownership, in the meantime I get doted on like a king and bang that Scottish bitch like a cheap whore."

This man is vile. It makes me feel vile to know I'm related to him. I'm silent solely out of shame, and shaking purely out of rage.

"Want to hit me? I don't blame you, it's a hard lesson, but think about it, we're family, my gain is your gain. It took some balls to try and trap me, come on, work with me and you can take a cut too, who knows, maybe we can fix things?" He offers. I can't tell if he's genuine or taunting me. I also don't care.

"Hey Ashley." I answer sharply. "Go fuck yourself."

"I echo that sentiment." A voice chimes in from near the door. We both look to see Lauren leaning against the wall, I didn't even hear her come in. "Less coarse language though, never did enjoy swearing."

Ashley sighs in relief. "Oh it's just you, for a moment I was worried, but a drunken lunatic like you? Doesn't matter what you have to say, not like Moira will buy it."

Lauren tilts her head, considering his point. "Well, you're not wrong, Moira's a loyal sort, me and Scarlet could both tell her what you're up to and she'd assume the best in you... And I am definitely a drunken lunatic." She admits. Okay, this isn't the rescue I thought it was, so far she's just admitting failure. "Funny story, I'm actually such a drunk that I used to spend way too much time down here, did almost all my work here, annoyed Moira to no end... Enough that she decided to take action... Enough that she went out of her way to keep an eye on me... Enough that she made this the only room in the building with CCTV."

Lauren victoriously points to a small unsuspecting device in the corner of the roof, I'd thought it was a fire alarm or something. "Oh, it does sound too. Very high tech, she really wanted to make sure I stayed out of here." She adds.

Ashley's face is pale as it becomes clear what Lauren's real plan was. She already knew he'd see through my recording attempt, but she's always a step ahead... I'd bet she got Moira to watch the camera as soon as he came down here. He can't seem to get a word out before he rushes to the door. Part of me wants to believe he's going to Moira to beg her forgiveness... But I already know he's just running away like the coward he is.

"You could've told me the whole plan." I tell Lauren, trying to sound annoyed beneath my obvious grin.

"This way was more fun." She counters simply. "Besides... I was kinda hoping you'd hit him. Just for my own enjoyment."