Hot Target

Chapter 11 - Visitors

Agatha was glad to see acquaintances that afternoon.

Eliza, the PDEA senior agent had greeted her formally with a curt nod. On the contrary, Ashley came to her with open arms, hugging her as if the young operative had missed her very much. The two women wore civilian clothes – ordinary T-shirts and jeans. A girl with pigtails about four or five years old, clung to Eliza almost cautiously, but grinned at her with Ashley squeezing her like some big teddy bear... or much like a sister.

"Hello," she said, beaming at the group. "Off duty?"

The word 'undercover' occurred to her mind but with the little girl looking like the younger version of Eliza, she was convinced that the three were on a shopping errand.

"Day off," Ashley confirmed, showing her a green eco-bag, filled with different purchases. "But we didn't came in together. I just happened to bump into Ma'am Eliza here and her daughter at the grocery. So, you work here? As a pharmacist?"

"A pharmacist..?" Agatha found herself reluctant with her own answer. "I mean, of course!"

She recalled, she was usually outside the Rx section since her employment last week, re-stocking and arranging vitamins, cosmetics and other non-prescription products near the store's entrance. Not her idea of a simple job for someone like her, but with Greta Velasco, another pharmacist who was already residing at the drugstore, her services behind the prescription counter seemed not necessary.

"I like her uniform," the little girl commented, her big eyes surveying Agatha's cream-colored slacks to the blouse's puffed Filipiniana sleeves.

"It's Filipino-Hispanic inspired like the drugstore's name," she explained. "Thank you, Miss?"

"Mary Elizabeth." The girl appeared to have lost shyness and rather someone really talkative. She had the attentive eyes of Eliza and the aristocrat, snobby nose but her curving lips was something different - dazzling and sunny unlike her mom's tight lip mouth.

"I'm Agatha." She glanced at the senior officer. "Beautiful girl you have here, Ma'am. I didn't know you are married."

"She's not," Mary Elizabeth said. "I have no father."

"Mary Elizabeth!" Ashley was horrified.

Feeling awkward with Eliza's silence, Agatha groped for words. "Can... can I help you with anything?"

She was lining deodorants at a gondola near the entrance of the store; she ushered them inside. "Lotions, colognes or vitamins, perhaps?"

"Actually, we thought of recruiting you," Ashley said, timidly, running a hand over her short brown crew cut. "Ma'am Eliza and I were talking for a perfect candidate; I happen to saw you. I mean, not only you'll be great in the lab, we need someone like you with special skills."

Like removing bullets and stitching people? Agatha wanted to ask; she was disheartened with the thought, she only got lucky with L.J. and the other guy. And her working as a PDEA agent? With guns and criminals?

She wowed at the latter ideas.

"The registration will be next month." The senior officer stated despite of her apparent hesitation. "You can send your documents online or contact us."

With Eliza's 'I won't say no as an answer look', Agatha got her smart phone from her side pocket and handed it to the senior PDEA officer. She watched her tap the numbers and then with a faint smile, she returned her phone. "Our job may not be as exciting as yours, but you'll find it fulfilling."

Eliza may had been sarcastic. Scanning around the store with aisles of merchandises – mostly bottles of vitamins, cosmetics, galenicals etc. there were at least twenty people inside including them, Agatha's four co-employees at the Rx counter and the security guard by the entrance. It was a quiet afternoon, almost sleepy.

"I'll think about it," she said. "Anyway, I'm still new here. Leon hired me last week and -"

"Leon as in Sir L.J.?" Ashley gaped at her, unbelievingly.

Shifting her gaze to Eliza, Agatha realized the senior officer had been surprised as well. Then she remembered, L.J. being an heir or a billionaire as a secret.

"I mean his grandmother," she added quickly. "I was hired by his wealthy grandmother."

"Oookay..." Ashley nodded. "Wow, Sir L.J. can be very private about his life. Secretive. We've heard he's a bastard son of the Cervantes. There are also rumors in the office that the director general is Sir L.J.'s godfather -"

"Bastard son...?" Eliza had to cut her off. "Watch your mouth, Ash."

"Oh yeah, that was something nasty to say," Ashley said, covering her mouth, recalling there was young girl with them, listening. "Sorry."

"We'll be going now." Fixing her loose dark bun, the senior agent whirled for the exit, tugging her daughter along.

"Bye!" Agatha returned a friendly wave to Mary Elizabeth who grinning a wide one, swayed both hands frantically at her.

"Think about it, Agatha." Ashley gave her a quick hug before walking away. "And sorry for disturbing you. But I guess, they don't mind do they?"

Ashley was talking about her co-workers specially the security guard who didn't bother to glance their way while they were talking.

"Probably you're the boss here." Agatha almost laughed with Ashley's last comment before leaving.

Nope, not a boss, she thought miserably. Her co-employees were simply ignoring her!

The Buen Farmacia human resource had informed Agatha for a relocation, as soon as they need a new pharmacist for another drugstore and she was more than grateful. She even offered assistance to Greta, the manager and also the acting pharmacist of the branch but to her disappointment, she was disregarded. There had been no orientation or any guidelines, she was simply unnoticed, as if she was not part of the staff.

Agatha suspected jealousy because of L.J.'s personal recommendation of her to the CEO. And probably, his regular visits to the store every afternoon to give her a ride home.

"So... you don't want to have a free ride with me anymore, angel?"

She made her move after her shift that same afternoon. For her to have a chance to fit in with her co-employees, she should stop being near with the agent billionaire. Walking beside him, towards the mall's exit to the parking lot, L.J. gave her an amused look.

"You're guilty not spending money for your transpo home." He winked at her, joking. "How about I charge you, starting today?"

"No really? How about, I don't want you coming to see me -"

"Why? Worried that you'll fall for me?"

"Of course not!" She sounded defiant, he smirked at her.

Agatha, not knowing what to say next, walked hastily leaving him behind. She'd planned of running for the jeepney stop; he caught up with her by the main door of the Galleria Mall. Grasping her elbow to escort her for the parking lot, opposite the jeepney stop, a woman cleared her throat from behind them.

"What's all the ruckus?" Ivanna queried, casually. One of the COO's fine lined eyebrows, arched as her dark, keen eyes surveyed L.J.'s hand on Agatha's elbow.