Jenkins' Office

The room was large and cool. Jenkins' office wasn't designed for work; it was the embodiment of his significance. He wore eglasses that immediately displayed personal information about his visitors when someone entered the room.

He didn't smile.

“Miss Lehnert, what brings you to me?” His tone suggested that he had been expecting her. “Please, have a seat.”

She did. The visitor's chair was lower than his executive chair.

Jenkins took his time, navigating invisible menus with his eyes and fingers. Files appeared and disappeared. Marie could vaguely see the reflections in his pupils. What did he know about her? How extensive were the files that the American intelligence service had compiled on her? Presumably, they also contained things she had never told anyone, or things she didn't want to admit to herself.

“Did you have an interesting night?” he asked casually at some point.

Marie jerked upright. She sat stiff as a board in her chair. The only thing that surpassed her nervousness was her alertness.

“That’s why I’m here,” she finally replied.

Jenkins leaned back. He looked at her over his folded fingertips. His gaze rested on her. For a long time. He let time work in his favor.

Marie felt herself becoming more and more uneasy with every passing minute, but there was nothing she could do about it. To break the uncomfortable silence, she asked a question, even though she already knew the answer.

“How do you know what happened last night?”

A slight upward twitch of the corner of his mouth was all that betrayed his emotion.

"In this country, nights are rarely private. And the safety of our guests is of paramount importance. That's why we always make sure that nothing bad happens to them. For this reason, Steve will remain in close contact with you. Unless you want to waive your status as a guest."

He left the last sentence hanging in the air without explaining what he meant by it. The silence stretched out and began to work in Jenkins' favor. Marie grew visibly more nervous as she pondered what he was getting at.

With a gesture of his little finger, Jenkins conjured a document into the air between them. Marie recognized her name on it.

“What is this?” she asked suspiciously.

“Just an internal memorandum that governs the terms of your presence in our country. It is not intended for public consumption. It is a matter between you personally and my agency. For it to be effective, you must not disclose it to the other members of your delegation.”

Marie blinked. She skimmed through the text. It was cold, legalese, but with megatons of explosive power.

“This is...” she began, but swallowed the word “unacceptable” she had actually wanted to say.

“Just a gesture of goodwill,” Jenkins finished her sentence. “No permanent obligation. We are merely resolving the outstanding issues raised by you staying in the US."

He leaned forward across the desk. It didn't seem aggressive, more as if he wanted to establish confidentiality.

“If you sign, Miss Lehnert, you will remain a member of your delegation.”

He deliberately left open what would happen if she refused to sign.

She considered it. Would she be betraying Étienne if she made a private agreement with the Americans so she could stay here? Or would that actually be in his best interests? He had demanded that she subordinate her personal inclinations to political necessities. Although he was her superior, she couldn't ask him for help. His maxim was to do everything possible to ensure the success of the negotiations. If it served that goal, he would sacrifice her without batting an eyelid.

It was quite a predicament she found herself in.

She moistened her lips, which suddenly felt dry. “Do I have time to think about it?”

“Yes, of course.” Jenkins leaned back again. He looked content. “Until after today's round of negotiations. Then I need your answer.”

Marie nodded, stood up, and walked toward the exit. Halfway there, she stopped and turned around.

“On the other hand...” She put a finger to her lower lip as a sign of thought. “Perhaps we can still negotiate the specific terms? Let me show you what I have to offer.”

She sat down on the edge of the table and leaned back. She leaned back very far. Her skirt rode up. Since she wasn't wearing any panties, she was sure she would achieve the desired effect.

Jenkins' gaze slid downward. A broad grin spread across his face.

“That's quite an interesting bargaining point, indeed,” he confirmed.