>>Clio
This was the most unexpected thing of the decade for me.
I was not expecting this.
When my coworkers suddenly surrounded me and enthusiastically dragged me towards a shady-looking street, confusion washed over me like a tidal wave. I couldn't comprehend the abruptness of the situation, nor could I fathom the reason for such a thing. As we walked down the street, I couldn't help but notice that it led to a small restaurant nestled in a rather shady part of town, adding to my bewilderment.
The atmosphere was strange and surreal as we entered the dimly lit restaurant that had low tables and cushions on the floor instead of chairs.
The flickering neon lights outside cast an eerie glow on the surroundings, and the unfamiliarity of the place only intensified my confusion.
"Surprise!" They exclaimed, "We're giving you a welcome dinner!" I couldn't help but wonder why they chose this particular location for a welcome party. I looked at them in bewilderment as they let me go and settled into their seats, I tried to make sense of the situation.
"Sit down," Imani gestured,
"He looks dumbstruck." Jacob laughed, "Come here." He patted at the cushion beside him. Despite my confusion, my coworkers seemed genuinely excited and delighted about the dinner, their laughter and chatter created a stark contrast to my inner turmoil. I didn't want to dampen their spirits, so I put on a hesitant smile and joined, even though I felt like an outsider.
"Why a welcome dinner all of the sudden?" It didn't make sense, "I'm just a temporary intern."
"Don't think too much about it," Chris said, "Everyone just wanted an excuse to eat out on the company card."
"Ah~" That made sense.
As the evening progressed, I settled in and ended up enjoying the small gathering. The workers were a lively bunch
"I have to leave now." Chris got up to leave but nobody stopped her. It was like it was normal, "See you all tomorrow." She waved and left.
"Does she always leave first?" I asked.
"She's got family to take care of," Imani answered and we all continued drinking. Not much time passed after that when I felt something strange loom around me.
"Who's this?" A whisper of a girl right next to my ear startled me and I shot my head around in panic. The others laughed while I looked at a blonde-haired girl staring at me curiously while I stared back at her in horror with my hand on my ear.
"This is the new intern," Lizzo said, "We're giving him a welcome party."
"Ah~" She nodded and then pushed Jacob aside to make space and come sit right beside me.
"Hey!" Jacob protested but she didn't give him any attention. I was confused, but when I looked at the rest of the workers my confusion only intensified because none of them found this weird.
A random girl just joined us at my welcome party and everyone's fine with it?
I looked back at the girl, "And you are?"
"Rameen," She kept staring at me, "Since you look confused let me clarify, I'm your co-worker, Chris's daughter,"
"OH!" I let out an exclamation of understanding, "Oh, I see, I'm Clio," I relaxed a little but then I had a thought. Chris doesn't look that old though. I didn't think she'd have a teenage daughter... Unless she had a teenage pregnancy...
Oh shit... Did I discover something I'm not supposed to? But everyone here seems to know...
"Everyone here knows Rameen," Jacob adjusted himself on another cushion, "Even the bosses." Now that I think about it, I think I saw her yesterday with Chris. At that time I thought she was her sister.
"Oh," I nodded but I still felt like I was being stared at so I looked back at Rameen only to confirm my suspicion, "Is there something on my face?" She still had her eyes on me. She kept looking at me as if I was some sort of interesting alien.
"You're really pretty Clio," My heart skipped a beat at her words, "Wanna be my boyfriend?"
!!!
Her words caught me off-guard. I wasn't expecting that.
"Ah-um," I averted my gaze and looked at the others who just enjoyed my dilemma in return, "I-" I frowned, "I'm already in a relationship." I looked back at her, "Sorry,"
Her gaze finally dropped as her head dropped towards the floor, "Aw man!!" She clicked her tongue, "Tch! All the good men are taken!"
"You're in a relationship?" Imani looked at me and I nodded, "Wow, I wasn't expecting that."
"Oh well!" Rameed straightened up, "It doesn't matter, I already have my darling." She folded her arms.
Her darling? Who's her darling? Why ask me out if she had her darling??
"Your 'darling' is your mother's age." Dave, a coworker who rarely speaks, spoke up. His tone was a little harsh.
"Shut up Dave," Rameen rolled her eyes, "My 'darling' loves me." She was confident.
"Keep dreaming," Dave picked up his glass of beer and started sipping from it as he turned his head away and I looked at Lizzo who sat right across me and lip-synced to him.
'Darling?'
His eyes traveled to behind me and he smiled, then gestured to the person behind me who was entering the shop.
"Darling!" Rameen stood up in excitement and I turned my head around to see the most unexpected 'darling' enter the place. Rameen went ahead and jumped at Matthew who had barely entered the restaurant and wrapped her arms around him, "I missed you."
????
I had never been more confused in my life.
"What?" The question just came out of my mouth itself.
Imani laughed, "Relax," She slapped my arm, "Keep watching."
"What darling?" Matthew grabbed Rameen's head and pushed her off, "I told you to stop doing this. I was questioned by the police because of you."
"To hell with the police," Rameen didn't buzz off, "Love has no restrictions." She kept on hugging him.
Matthew just shook his head in return but didn't shake her off again, "Your mother already left," He looked at her, "You should go home too. She left for you, so why are you here?"
"No!" Rameen pouted, "I'm not going home to that strange old hag."
"Go home," Dave said, "All kids hate their parents at this age."
"That's right," Bizy said, "You shouldn't speak ill of your mother."
Rameen just stuck out her tongue at all of them, "You say that because you don't know her." And right then I got a call. I took out my phone and saw that it was from Nolan, so I stood up to go out and answer it because there was a commotion inside the restaurant.
"Oh~" Imani called out to me, "Is it your girlfriend, pretty boy?"
!!!
There was a sudden silence that followed her words and all eyes were on me, "Ah, that," I felt an incredibly intense gaze at that moment that seemed to sear into my back, which made me turn and look at Matthew. His dark eyes stared at me with a frown.
I froze when I looked at him. There was something in that gaze, something weird, something that sent shivers down my spine.
"Hey!" Lizzo spoke, "You're all making him uncomfortable." His words made me tear away my gaze, "You can take the call outside Clio," And I didn't waste any time leaving.
I answered the call, "Clio," Nolan's voice seemed frantic, "I need to tell you something important."
"Yes?"
"Matthew Merikh is attending a party this weekend. You have to go there and get some information."
"What?" I was confused, "Nolan I just started working here. Get what information? I need to settle in to get my hands on things."
"You'll get more info at a late-night party rather than that office."
"How am I supposed to go there?" I felt uneasy, "I'll be caught in a second!"
"Go undercover then," He was insistent.
"Nolan!"
"Have you gotten anything worthwhile to report back so far?"
"Well," I paused, "No..." I said softer, "But I've been here two days..."
"Then go," He ordered, "And make sure to get something nice out. Parties like these always have something going on underground."
"Nolan,"
"I'm a little busy," I heard someone's voice from behind but it was barely audible, "I'll talk to you later. Be sure to go! I'll send you the location and an invite. But get your disguise ready yourself." And with that, he immediately hung up
What the... What's the hurry? He already sent me here, he should wait it out!
I brought the phone away from my ear and stared at the phone screen. What now? I turned around and looked inside the restaurant through the window.
I'll have to go since he told me to...
My eyes landed on Matthew. Nolan seems awfully convinced he's the bad guy... I wonder though, is he? I really can't tell...
He was pretty scary a moment ago too. The way he looked at me with those pitch-hollow eyes scared me shitless. Why would he do that? Why did he look at me so intensely, as if I had committed a sin?
I watched as the workers all started getting up and I decided it was a good time to leave too. I guess I have a few days to prepare. I can think of something...
I feel like this would end up badly but I have to do this. If Nolan said I'd get something out of that party, then I might, so I should go.
***
Unlike what I had in mind, Saturday night came a bit too fast.
I took a deep breath as I stared at myself in the hotel's bathroom unable to recognize the woman in front of me.
That's right, the disguise I went with was a gender swap.
Since it's a party. I wore a black cocktail dress with a brown wig, the hair of which reached my waist. And just to be on the safe side, I even wore brown contact lenses. For a few seconds, I couldn't take my eyes off of myself because I kept wondering if this is how I would look if I didn't go about my life dressed as a guy.
Then I took another deep breath and reapplied the red lipstick on my lips so that it wouldn't smudge off of me, then went out.
Alright, there are a bunch of important people here at the party. I have my pen necklace around my neck, I should be able to get some scoop.
Unfortunately for me though, as I stepped into the party area and barely even started my work, the first person I saw was Matthew. He was far from me, on the other side of the inner balcony but he saw me immediately, making my heart jump out of my chest.
His gaze lingered on me even though he was standing with a group of men, his expressions hardened as if he had gotten angry and then he started to move to come after me.