Sweet Deception

Chapter 1: Three Weeks Before

Diadem Hotel, NYC

I rearrange the nametag pinned on my right chest pocket saying: Suzanne, Receptionist while Demi rattled off in my earpiece.

"Othry, the serum's chemical distinction is getting fainter by the second so you gotta step it out there," she says in a hurry.

I navigate through the hotel's lobby paying no attention to it's posh interior decorations as the sensor hidden beneath my tag starts to pulsate faster.

"Easy for you to say, you're all tucked in our covertible," I speak through the side of my salmon colored lips. I smile at a fellow hotel staff as if I've seen her all in my life.

The act of looking like I'm singing but really muttering to the microphone aka navigator pinned on the mint blue uniform we nicked from the ladies lockers  earlier.

And yeah, if you haven't notice, I said, "covert" not "convert" and if things go well for us today, maybe I'll tell you why. Not now. I'm kinda busy doing my job. And given all those facts earlier, I think you already know what precisely is my job.

"That floor's clear already. Quit dawdling around, Othry."

"I'm not--," I end in a sigh and search the nearest elevator. There is no point in arguing when she's apparently correct.

"Has Leven got any better luck than me?" I say under my breath as a cheerful looking couple pass by me.

"Hmm. Wait, lemme see," I could practically hear Demi clicking on her keyboard, tapping on her screens in our special car, zooming on Teagan.

"She hasn't got any luck and neither does agent bliss?" Straightening my shoulders, I step into a vacant elevator and press 11.

"Tsk. Speaking of which, where's Veronica currently?"

"She's covering the third floor, said she has some gut feeling 'bout it," I already visualize Demi rolling her bluish grey eyes and making air quotes at the end.

"And Leven?" I look at my reflection on the smooth metal surface of the elevator to adjust my sable updo.

"She's been trolling floors seven and eight," Trolling = Patrolling. Yeah we're unique that way. ^^

And as if on cue, the elevator door slid open with a ding.

Then Leven, wearing a similar outfit to mine, rushed in accompanied with 3 teenage girls giggling and gossiping about the fact the "hot" receptionist at the ground floor.

The two blondes were laughing uncontrollably about something the brunette said.

I stare at them covertly (aka Spy), wondering what would have happened if I were brought up by normal parents in a normal neighborhood.

 But if I was born normal (not that I have an abnormality of some sort,) I wouldn’t have met these three extraordinary girls that kept me surviving up to this day. 

Teagan’s stormy green eyes boring into mine jarred me awake from my imaginative nostalgic trip down memory and what could have happen lane.

“Earth to Suz-aaanne, didn’t you hear my question?” her dirty blonde brows furrowing in question. Oh right, we are in a mission and Teagan’s not the kind of spy who would take any mission lightly. She is focused. I am too, for your information. Especially in THIS mission.

Glancing at her own nametag, I answer, “Sorry Tam! I was just thinking about, you know, yesterday,” I crinkle my eyes in a wistful smile as I speak.

“Still can’t get over with your night out with Ian?” She gives me an exaggerated conspiratory wink. Adlibbing. One of Teagan’s strongest suits. Going with the flow  and stuff. I knew I shouldn’t have let her watch Vampire Diaries reruns while on the plane ride over.