Convergence

Chapter 5

Allafair sat in his office, combing through the "Woman in the Red Dress" case file. It had barely left his sight. Ever since Anya had gone to figure out the arrangements for the gala, Allafair began to study ever word within the yellow folder. He looked at the images, committing her form, stances, and appearance to memory. He wasn't going to allow her to get away this time.

First you have to find her, Allafair thought to himself.

"All the arrangements are set," Anya said, practically skipping into his office. She set some papers down in front of him, and Allafair set the case file down.

"What are these?" he asked, studying the sheets of paper before him.

"This," Anya pointed to a small, light yellow paper, "is the invitation. I made some calls and you're good to go. All you have to do is hand this invitation to security and you're in."

"Brilliant," Allafair smiled, examining the invitation. "And this?" He pointed to a blue piece of paper.

"That is a parking pass. You'll be allowed to park where the higher-class guests will be," she replied. "With these two slips of paper, you'll get in and out with ease."

"You're amazing Anya, I don't know who I'd trust more,"Allafair replied, sliding both of the papers into his coat pocket. He was already dressed for the gala in a black suit with a white button-down beneath that. A black bow-tie finished the ensemble, per Anya's request.

"You know, you should wear the bow-tie to work," Anya said, looking him over thoughtfully.

"If I am to start wearing this as normal attire, I expect you to do field work in a gown," Allafair shot back. He refused to wear the full suit to work, even thought it was supposed to be the dress code. He found the suit coat to be constricting, and it was bad enough that they had insisted upon the slacks.

"That is simply ridiculous of you to say. Many of the agents wear the complete dress code, why can't you?" Anya asked pointedly.

"For one thing, it's not right to get a suit dirty. You saw what a mess I was after the warehouse, didn't you?" Allafair argued.

Anya nodded, but still seemed unconvinced. "I guess that's true..." she agreed reluctantly.

"And another thing! I do my best work in as casual of dress as possible," he added.

"Well that won't apply to this case," Anya said. "You're not showing up to the gala in shorts and a tank top!"

"And I hadn't planned on that!" Allafair told her. "Can you just drop the subject? If everyone starts critiquing my clothes, I'll end up in Victorian era prince-wear."

Anya chuckled. "I would pay to see that," she told him.

Sebastian slid into the office at that moment, and Allafair smiled. "Look, even Sebastian isn't wearing the suit coat," he said, holding his hand out to show Sebastian's appearance to Anya.

She turned on Sebastian and set her hands on her hips. "You both set terrible examples for the rest of the BRIT," she scolded. With that she exited the office, slipping through the crack Sebastian had left between the door jam and the door itself.

Sebastian stood there, dumbfounded. "This time I didn't even say anything and she's mad at me," he said in bewilderment. "Is there nothing that I can do to make that woman like me?"