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Excerpt
“Stop glancing at your watch,”
Stephanie said. “It isn’t doing to make this graduation move
any faster.”
Mia jerked her arm behind her and gave
her boss a forced smile. “You know how much I hate these
things.”
Stephanie patted her on the back. She
found attending the graduations of her “students” had
started to bore her too, but she did this for the client.
“Let them have their night, Mia. It’s only a few hours.”
“So who do you think will be the first
one to leave?” Mia snagged a glass of champagne from a
waiter’s tray.
“I’d bet money on Bill and his wife.
They’re normally the first to arrive and to leave.”
Stephanie Powers, CEO of Power Imaging, gave her assistant a
smile. “Then you can be second.”
“Boss, if it weren’t for your
presence, I bet most would have hightailed it out of here a
while ago.”
Stephanie elbowed Mia as one of their
clients approached them. Time to focus. The man coming
toward her made her skin crawl, but she smiled and showed
her best business face.
“Miss Powers, thank you so much for
inviting us here tonight.”
“Mr. Tryst. I’m glad you were able to
make it.” He looked the part she created for him, wearing
the classic design suit she had recommended. His hair, cut
short and feathered back, looked much better than the greasy
ponytail he sported when he approached her to make him over.
Yet he still looked, well, slimy.
“I would like you to meet my
associate, Mr. Jolly. He’s also interested in hiring you.”
Stephanie wanted to scream and run the
other way. She didn’t want to go through the process again
with another creepy man. Especially if he was friends with
the first.
“Call the office in the morning, and
we’ll see what we can do.” She kept her smile pasted on and
excused herself.
Mia was hot on her heels. “Are you
crazy?” she whispered. “Mr. Tryst nearly cost us the entire
staff.”
“I couldn’t be rude.” Stephanie gave
her assistant a sidelong glance. “But you could make sure
we’re booked for months.”
“You hoping he will get tired of
waiting and go somewhere else?”
“Yes.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
“We’ll deal with that tomorrow.
Tonight, we smile, tell our graduates they look great and
enjoy the party as best we can.” Stephanie excused herself
from Mia. She needed a little time alone.
One of the secluded love seats caught
her eye. Far enough away from the rest of her clients, it
would give her time to regain the composure she came close
to losing a few moments ago.
“Are you sure this will work?”
Stephanie barely heard the voices. Her
mind focused on the calming techniques she used, but the
voices continued to intrude. She hoped they moved out of
earshot quickly so she could try to relax.
“Yes. Miss Powers recreated me, didn’t
she?”
She frowned. Drat it, they weren’t
leaving, and they were talking about her.
“You do look like a proper
businessman.”
Stephanie felt a cold finger of dread
snake its way up her spine as she recognized the voices.
“Yet you and I know the truth, eh?”
The other man laughed.
She started to get up, knowing she
shouldn’t eavesdrop on someone’s private conversation.
Before she could move, the two men moved closer, making it
impossible for her to leave without being seen.
“Once we create the illusion of the
men we are replacing no one will be wiser. We will
infiltrate the right companies and gain what we need.”
“There is a danger.”
“My brother, there is always a danger
when dealing with weapons of mass destruction.”
“He will pay us well if we can
complete our mission.”
“And we will gain the respect we
deserve.”
What had she stumbled onto? Weapons of
mass destruction? Who were these guys?
“Mr. Tryst?”
Oh dear. Mia had to be looking for
her.
“Yes.”
“Have you seen Miss Powers? I saw her
heading this way a few moments ago.”
Damn Mia for being so observant. If they knew she had
overheard their conversation, she might be in trouble.
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