Simone is gonna be a cowgirl

You look into the camera.

"I think it boils down to whether I want to be a party girl or do as I'm told. I'm a bit more comfortable with the Texas job. You actually knew something about the guy and he sounds safe but demanding. I can't say that about Washington. It's my first real job for FireBox and I think I should play it safe."

Walker nods, "Excellent reasoning, Simone. I guess the next question to figure out is when to fly? He wants you there at 1 pm tomorrow. So we can get you a flight this evening, you can relax in a hotel room and go to the meeting from there or you can fly in tomorrow morning and go straight there."

"And if I choose tonight?"

"I can have an 8, 10, or midnight flight for you. If you consider it's a four-hour trip, it'd give you time to settle in and get some sleep. It'd also eliminate some of the jet lag. Unless you extend things, you'll be out of there sometime Monday evening or Tuesday morning $5k richer unless you two make a few deals. Say the word and I'll book it to the company's account, Beckett will reimburse per the contract."

You smile and nod.

"Book it for 8 pm. I'd prefer to be in bed sometime close to midnight, I get grumpy otherwise. It'll give me plenty of time to thot myself up for Saturday afternoon. I figure I need to look like I'm worth that kind of money."

"Simone? Don't worry about packing too much. Just some undergarments, sleepwear, and a travel outfit for leaving. You'll have a package from the client with your outfits. He's a particular man when it comes to his dress code."

You give the camera a surprised look. This is the first time you've really felt uncomfortable with this assignment. Walker notices your expression and quickly continues.

"It's not too bad. When Nia did hers, they were showy and a bit slutty but could be worn in public without a citation. You've probably worn less to some of those college parties."

You shake your head and narrow your eyes in mock seriousness.

"Are you insinuating I'm the campus wench, Mr. Kuhn?"

"Nothing of the sort, Ms. Stewart. I am saying people your age tend to dress like strippers at those parties. Strippers and wenches are similar but not the same."

"Touché. I didn't think they let old guys like you into those," a smile creeps across your face.

"I'm going to get ready," you continue. "Text me the flight info and the Uber voucher when you've got them."

"Can do, girl. Just relax. Everything will be fine," Walker offers before he cuts the call.

You close the video window and go back to your bedroom to pack. A couple of sets of cute underwear, a few long nightshirts, and a pair of sweats get tossed in the gym bag along with the black spy case (as you've taken to thinking about it) from your desk. Then you hit the bathroom so you can add a makeup bag, your favorite body wash, and a bar of moisturizing organic soap to the collection. You toss it on the sofa and check your phone. Walker already has a text with the airline itinerary and your pick up confirmation waiting. You check the car app, confirm arrival is in about 30 minutes, and settle on the sofa to watch TV and wait.

Twenty-five minutes later you are waiting inside the door to your apartment complex watching for the car to pull up. You could have stayed upstairs but you are full of nervous energy to get this all started. For a moment, you wonder how you'll feel on the way home after you've done whatever needs to be done on the trip but push it from your mind. You're committed now.

Your phone vibrates and you pull it out. Another text from Kuhn informing you that a local agency intern named Todd will meet you at the Austin airport to take you to your hotel. As you go to put it away, a silver Civic pulls up and your phone beeps again. Glancing down you see it's the ride notification. The device gets slipped into your purse and you grab the gym bag. You push the door open and step toward the car. From behind, you hear Jim's creepy voice.

"Miss Stewart? We need to schedule your yearly apartment inspection."

You stop and turn.

"Bad time Jim, my car is here and I'm heading out of town for a few days. Hit my voicemail with the particulars and I'll get back to you."

He smirks, "These things need to be settled."

You **** the sweetest smile you can muster, "My year's anniversary is in three weeks. There is plenty of time for this later, my plane won't wait. Have a great weekend."

"Sure. . . I guess," he mutters sounding disappointed.

You rush to the car, happy to escape his presence. The driver opens the back door and you climb in. He closes it and gets in the driver's side. Then he looks back at you over his shoulder.

"The airport, please," you say relief evident in your voice.

"Yes, Ma'am," he replies as you pull away from the curb and onto the highway.

The ride is uneventful and you arrive at the airport. With nothing to check, you head straight to the security station so you can get to your flight. The men at the checkpoint ask a few questions, run your bag through the detector and give you a quick security wanding before you're released to head to your gate. You check-in, board the plane, and are sky-bound within twenty minutes. You enjoy your first taste of first-class watching a movie and sipping some wine.

It's close to midnight when the flight finally lands. You jump up, happy to stretch and reach up to grab your bag out of the overhead compartment. The plane surprisingly only had a couple of dozen passengers but you do catch two young men in the back craning their necks a bit to stare at your ass as you pull the bag down. You flash them a quick smile and disembark. No harm you figure, boys will be boys. Besides, it's why you wear tight yoga pants in public anyway. A little attention never hurts.

You walk out of the gate and head towards the security station. You don't need to hit the baggage claim so it's time to get out of the boarding area so you can find your ride. The flight left you a bit tired, so the hotel sounds like a dream at this point. Your cell beeps and you pop a pod in your ear to check it.

"Siri, play the latest message."

You hear a young, masculine voice through your earpiece.

"Ma'am? My name is Todd and I'm here to pick you up. I'll be outside in the main concourse. I'm the guy in the loud, Hawaiian shirt. You can't miss me."

He was true to his word. You made it through security and hit the escalator toward the front of the airport. The moment you could see the large open area at the bottom, you spy a tall, lanky Asian guy in a multicolor button-up shirt and jeans waving in your direction. He meets you halfway and offers his hand.

"Miss Stewart? I'm Todd and I'll take you to your room."

"Call me Simone," you offer as he grabs your bag and walks you toward the doors leading out front.

"It'll be a five-minute walk for me to get the car, Simone. You can wait right out front here though. It's safe, lots of cops in the airport."

He leaves you at the curb and walks off with your bag. A few minutes later he pulls up in a yellow subcompact and opens the passenger's side door from the inside. You see your gym bag in the back with a blue suitcase and three outfits hanging in bags off hooks above the windows. As the car drives off, Todd speaks again.

"Five, ten minutes tops to your hotel. As you saw, the client sent along your outfits for the next couple of days. I hope all the measurements on your file were right."

"He shops fast. I wouldn't worry about the clothes, I gave Kuhn all that information earlier."

"I'm sure he had someone do it for him. Folks like Beckett don't do a lot for themselves."

"Anything I need to know," you ask.

"I don't think so. We'll get you tucked in here soon and he'll send a car for you tomorrow. They call it the initial meeting. You and Beckett will discuss the assignment and make sure you both agree on the specifics. If you do, it'll all go down as you agreed. If you don't, you'll hop the next flight out and no harm is done. I'd guess everything will be fine, Beckett hasn't had a problem closing a deal yet."

He pulls the car over in front of a multistory building. It's clean-looking, probably about five or six floors. The front is mostly red brick with a large glass front that allows you to see into the hotel lobby. The floor inside is white tile with lots of red throw rugs strategically placed in high traffic areas. You can see a blonde woman manning the check-in desk on the inside wearing a smart-looking blue button-up shirt and red vest.

Todd climbs out of the car and opens the door for you. When you are out, he opens the back and hands you the gym bag. Then he grabs the rest and asks you to follow him. The lady at the desk greets you and waves but Todd just offers a smile and leads you to the elevator. He asks you to hit the fourth-floor button, watches the door close, and waits quietly until opens again.

He leads you down the clean hallway to the far door. The floor is covered in a low pile red carpet, the walls are painted in a cream white, with mirrors down its length and a popcorn style ceiling. He hands you one of the hangers, pulls the magnetic keycard out of his pocket and the door pops open when he swipes it. Todd hands you the card and carries everything into the small room, laying it all out on the sofa.

"Ok. Jennifer will give you a wake-up call at about 10 am. She'll answer any questions that pop up then. The car will be here sometime before one in the afternoon. Both the agency and client have your number. Anything I can help with?"

You shake your head.

"I think I'm fine Todd. Thanks for the hospitality!"

He leaves and you take a quick shower, letting the warm water help you relax for bed. You change into your long, pink nightshirt and go to the living room. You grab the three outfits and hang them in a closet still in their wrapping. There will be time enough tomorrow to worry about all that. Then you pad off and slip straight into bed. The morning comes early after all.

Right before you drift off you hear your phone beep. You grab it off the end table and check. There's one message waiting for you. You open the app to read it, it's from a Mr. Charles Beckett.

"Welcome to Texas, gorgeous. Can't wait to meet you later! :smiling_imp emoji:"

You put the phone on the table and lay back. Well, this will be an adventure, you think as you curl up under the sheets and slip off to sleep.