Go to Room 8

Dev completed any induction training on his computer as best he could by 10:45 and searched for the meeting room on the ground floor of the maze-like office.

Conference Room 8 was unique as it was one of the only rooms without glass walls. Room 8 was used for board meetings to keep internal matters as secretive and confidential as possible. Dev opened the door at the strike of 11 to a long, brown table that could seat 8 but currently seated 1. Rose got up to greet Dev from across the room.

Wow, she’s gorgeous! Dev immediately thought, hoping she couldn’t read it on his face.

Rose was a tall and athletic brunette, maybe a couple years older than you. Her busty chest looked like it entered a room well before the rest of her did. Her dark hair framed her slightly tanned skin, which led Dev’s eyes down to the enticing crease revealed by her low cut green, velvet top. Dev’s gaze traced the subtle curves of her figure with each step she took to come over to you, her checkered trousers clinging to her curves in all the right places, leaving little to the imagination. Dev quickly reverted back to professionalism.

"Hey Dev, thanks for coming," Rose shook his hand with a welcoming smile, her eyes sparkled with a hint of mystery. “Let’s begin with the handover, shall we? How are you getting on so far?”

Dev and Rose greeted each other before Rose went through each active case that Dev would now be taking on. He recognised Specter from his conversation with Shannon but there were 30 others he needed to memorise everything about. It seemed daunting but Dev was excited for the challenge.

“Have you met the rest of your team yet?” Rose asked, with her big, brown eyes locked on to yours.

Trying not to seem flustered by her beauty, Dev responds: “not yet, though I have met Shannon. She seems nice, she likes to tell a lot of jokes.”

“If only they landed sometimes,” Rose joked, grazing your arm and placing her hand on your leg. Is she flirting with me? Dev couldn’t tell if this was suggestive but he knew Aisha would be mad if she saw that.

Then again, Dev didn’t really care about that at that moment. He was having fun chatting to Rose. “Yeah, I’ll have to see what the rest of the team is like. Now, didn’t you say there was something else important to discuss? It sounded very mysterious in your email.” Dev said with a flirty smile, his dimple showing above his stubble.

Rose leant in closer, giving Dev a better view of her tanned cleavage but Dev maintained eye contact with composure. Rose’s voice dropped to a seductive whisper. "I possess a unique power, Dev, one that has been passed down in the firm. Leanne passed this on to me when I joined, and now it is your turn. But this is a power that can only be transferred through a kiss."

Dev's eyes widened in astonishment and disbelief. Rose leant back again. "A power transferred through a kiss? That's... unexpected." Dev said, waiting for her to explain herself and trying not to focus on the ‘kiss’ part.

Rose nodded solemnly, her eyes locked onto Dev's. "But before I share this power with you, you must understand its significance. Once you receive it, you will gain abilities that will be innately tied to your essence."

Dev listened intently. "What are these powers, Rose? And how will they affect me?"

Rose's lips curved into a mysterious smile. "For a lawyer, some of the most important abilities you can imagine. The first power is Leverage - the ability to uncover hidden truths about others, secrets that you can use to your advantage. It's a tool of manipulation, but one that can be wielded with discretion and integrity. Know a person’s secret or weakness.

“The second power is Manipulate - the ability to subtly coerce someone into doing something, so long as a fraction of them already wants to do this. It's a skill that requires finesse and empathy.

“When you get good at it, you can also Gaslight - meaning you can make someone think a certain way. You can have them believe something is very normal when a moment ago, they may have thought it was wrong or ridiculous."

Dev's mind raced with the possibilities of such powers, the implications of wielding it and kissing Rose’s soft, beautiful lips both seemed exhilarating. Why did he immediately believe her without a second thought? He just knew she wasn’t lying for some reason…