After a moment, he whispered to Alice, "Why don't you pop up to bed for a bit and try to get a little sleep? Meanwhile, Morrie and I will rustle up something for us all to eat when you wake up."
Alice looked at him and smiled, "You and Morrie?"
"Me and Morrie."
"Rustle up something to eat?"
"That's right."
"For when I wake up?"
"For when you wake up."
She stretched herself up from his shoulder. "You know you have the nicest way of bribing someone to have a really long rest."
He stood up with her and clasped her to himself. "Geez, Alice. Morrie is our friend. Don't think that way. But still..... nice to have you back, Miss Simone."
"Nice to be back, Mr. Schmidt." She inclined her head to Joe then kissed him on the cheek.
She disentangled herself and with a last, slightly nervous glance, left for the house of Sally.
Joe shouted to her when she was already far. "Be careful on your way, okay? Road's slippery!"
"I know! Not a blind woman, mister!" She yelled back with a very bright response.
When she left, Joe touched his cheek which Alice kissed then widely smiled. It boosted his energy to search for Kinley more. Alice's kiss was indeed a vitamin for Joe. It kept him up, working on the case the whole day.
That time, he confirmed that he gained a score from Alice. He was proud about it.
Alice got home, kept all her worries away first then just slept to somehow catch up for tomorrow's work. She had to have enough strength to pull through everything tomorrow as a secretary. It's not easy being one and she knows that. She slept peacefully for 5 hours and as she woke up, she checked her inbox. There was a message from Joe. She reads it with her eyes half opened.
Alice, our special delivery was in front of your door, waiting. We tried ringing your doorbell but we got no response from you. I think you're still sleeping, that's why we just left it there. Wish no one else steals it. It's magnificently delicious!
I hope you had a good rest!
She beamed after reading and she walked her way to her door. She opened it and saw the Tupperware on the floor wrapped in a very elegant ribbon. She picked it then brought it inside to eat it.
She texted Joe after tasting the food they cooked. "It tasted good. Way to go, chef."
"Not even a culinary expert! So then does that make you a critic?", he replied in a jiffy.
Alice laughed. She keyed in, "I have to sleep now, Joe. Good night! Thanks for the food! Loved it!"
"Good night, Alice." He replied.
Alice put down her phone on the table of her living room then sat on the sofa. She turned on the TV and watched to make herself sleepy. But in the midst of her watching, she remembered what happened just lately, of how her mother told the story about her daughter's death. It looked and sounded fresh to her. Her eyes full of anger and melancholy at the same time. Her eyes seeking for justice to the death of her daughter. Alice kept on thinking how cruel life is for both Jack and Sally. Based from the letter she failed to send Jack, they were a perfect couple. But somehow between the perfection, comes the tragic experience. Jack is a good person, "was" to be exact, but he began to be different. He let jealousy ate him up, so to kill her in a very brutal manner. She didn't know why but she felt like her impression and image of Jack was a little misunderstood. Jack had so many sides that she is soon to know and currently knowing as of now. Jack was a very mysterious personality. That is to be known in their far encounter to the case. And hopefully soon, they will discover his character and his real identity will be revealed.
For now, they're too far to the cliff. They only just saw the tip of the iceberg. Because of that, she became more eager to know more about him to drop more and more clues to the case.
But on the other side, the case became more interesting for Alice to dig in. Still, her hate toward Jack had never lessened up. He was a mischievous child, a small demon, a man without a soul. She cannot erase that in her mind. Everything is still mistrustful. The letter wouldn't change the fact that Jack was the suspect and he murdered 10 people. It was not a minor crime. Never was. She still aimed for him to be immured for good. The only problem is, he was not well behaved when he got out of the prison. He certainly lacks conviction.
By thinking of what he did to his ex girlfriend, she wished he would just rot in jail when the police captured him. Instead of feeling fear, she felt revengeful to all he did to people. She was staring at the TV show and suddenly, it caught her attention. All the thinking she had done was immediately washed out. All of a sudden, she thought it was a very complicated discussion to think about late at night and what she's doing is far off her field. She already had FBI agents working on it so she must not worry anymore. It's just that, something about the discoveries made her feel more involved so she can't help herself but to dip a finer into the case. But above all the battle of thoughts in her mind, she realized that thinking more about it will make her life stressful and so she will be more stressed as well. She recalled that she has work tomorrow that's why she focused on just watching TV to be able to feel drowsiness so she could sleep early and quickly as possible.
It was a cold Thursday evening. The road was chilly and abandoned outside. Alice was starting to feel the tiredness and her eyes felt heavy too until she received a surprise call from Jack. She answered his call when she was slouching in her couch, almost falling asleep while watching.
"Why?"
"You're still up? What have you been up to?"
She was awakened when she heard his deep voice. It was something sexy. "Really? Calling me this time and that's your first question? What a quickie."
"What are you doing?"
"Watching TV..."
"Me too."
"Great... Why'd you call?"
"Will you hang up if I tell you I miss you?"
"What is this? Are you flirting with me?"
She heard him chuckle. He answered with humor, "Flirting? I don't do flirting to a girl who I've already had sex with." He had a point.
She smiled and slightly felt herself blush to what he said. She remembered what they did a few days ago. "I didn't mean to do it in your office. You dragged me first to it!"
"Who cares to who initiates? Alice, we both enjoyed it. That's that!"
"Is that the reason why'd you call? You're here to make me remember the details like making a movie review or something?"
"No." He laughed. "Fine. I called to inform you that I'll have a meeting with the other companies' bosses tomorrow. That will be for the whole day but we'll be staying there for a night. Purpose is, we need to talk about the activities we must implement within the discussed and agreed collaboration."
"And?"
"And I want you to come with me... for assistance."
"Right. Secretaries' job. Where and when?"
"Meeting will be at Clinton. When? I'll pick you up in front of our building."
"Why can't you just tell me from the office that we need to go and then let's just go outside at the same time?"
"Because I'll have consecutive meetings at 9-2 PM with different executive officers, outside the office. Any more questions, ma'am?"
"Heard all information. Alright. I'll pack up my things." She put her phone in between her ear and her shoulder then walked to her room to pack her clothes while talking to him.
"That meeting is in a hotel, just saying. Bring your sleeping jammies."
"Who needs sleeping jammies? What am I? A 12 year old kid?"
"....... Then just bring your pink night dress. You seriously look good on that."
"Ugh! You're—! I'm not gonna bring it. I'll put on pajamas, then!"
"Make sure you'll look sexy on that."
"You're such a whoreman!"
"Wha—haha? Whoreman?" He laughed at the term she actually created.
"I'll wear pajamas, period."
"I'll let you. Okay. Just don't wear anything on top. Your top is the sexiest."
"Were you inspecting my body that time? Stop." She tittered a little.
"Fine. I'll call you tomorrow. That's a deal, 'kay? Good night." His voice suddenly became so manly and calm. It soothed her ears.
"Yeah. Good night." She hung up then had a big smile on her face.
She went to her room, packed her things and lied to her bed. She didn't know why she felt excited for tomorrow. She never wanted to ever see him again after what happened to them in his office. But tonight, all she's looking forward to was seeing him and being with him tomorrow.
Next day, she wore tight knee high skirt, a sleeveless shirt but she covered her top with a skin toned coat. Very fashionable. She curled the ends of her hair and let her hair glide only to the right side. The other side of her hair is neatly hair-pinned. She went to their office for work and she kept on checking her phone, waiting for his call. She made sure that she looks good when she meets him that's why she kept on fixing herself, unconsciously.
Until, Joe noticed. He came closer to her. "Hey, pretty, what's up?"
"Hi!" She immediately cheered up as she saw his face again.
"I said, what's up, meaning, I was asking what's up with your get-up."
"Oh, this. Isn't it pretty?"
"You already are. Where are you going? Any special occasion?"
"The president and I will be together for a meeting in Clinton. Will be away for a day..."
"You and him? Together?"
"Just... business stuff. I am just doing my job as a secretary."
"Right. Is that why you're so fixed today?"
"Yeah, but don't think that I'm doing this for the president. I'm doing this for the people I'll meet in the place. In order to look presentable... you know."
"Oh, yeah. I see. Though, I never really thought that way. But... thanks for suggesting me to think of it that way. Good idea!"
She hit his arm and said, "Oh, Joe! Please!" Then she laughed.
Joe smiled. "Take care and good luck to that so-called meeting. Although I'm not sure if you're attending a meeting or a ball."
"I'm not wearing a dress! This is not so formal."
"Yeah, but you did your hair."
"Why are you being so meticulous about my style, huh? You like this? You want to try?" She ridiculed.
"No... For God's sake, no."
"You gay or something?" She was widely smiling. She liked it when she teases Joe.
He laughed at her. "Ah-haha. No, woman. I'm not gay."
"Are you sure?"
He scoffed then said, "Try me."
Alice found him sexy but still, she surrendered to the battle. She knew she can't keep up to that point with Joe, though sometimes she's tempted to, but because Joe is her friend, she will never take a risk for that to happen. She ended it with, "Alright, Joe, go back to your station and let's do our works."
Joe winked at her and said, "OK. Bye, beautiful." Then he left.
Time passed by, and it was 2:30 PM when Alice received a call from Jack.
"Alice, let's go. I'm outside our building. Hurry."
"Yes, sir." She replied.
He hung up. Impolite, it was for Alice, but he's normally like that. She can't do anything but to just be used to it. She hurried her way out of the office to meet him.
When she reached the ground floor, she checked herself a bit if she looked good. Without knowing, her action told that she wanted to impress him.
For not so long, she went out of the building and he's the first person she saw. He simply stood out among the people outside. Count in his white, shiny, luxurious Bentley car as one of the reasons. But the main attraction was him, standing on the side of his car. He was leaning his back to it and he looked so perfectly fine. He was wearing a pink bonnet, too informal for a CEO like him, his hair was combed up to fit inside his bonnet which exposed his forehead, was sporting sunglasses, which actually made him appear cooler, wearing a black coat with a very low neckline that you can freely have a sight of his slightly bared chest, beneath might be a tank top, then a pair of slacks that actually looked like a skinny jeans for it's too fit but he made it look sexy by pairing it with a leather shoes. Not too formal, but his pose and gestures contradicted the ease so it's well combined. Girls really love criticizing a person's fashion taste. Alice just did it.
Because of what she saw, she became more attracted to him.
Jack spoke, "You didn't tell me you'll wear such a beautiful outfit. I should've worn my tuxedo to fit your team." He joked again.
Alice smiled. "Do I really look like I'll be attending a ball?"
"Didn't think that way... What I said was a joke. Don't worry about it. You're gorgeous. Now, get in my car." He climbed into his car, not even escorting Alice to get in first. Well, he's a generous person in fact, but only to himself.
She got in by herself. Inside his car, she could see his face closer. She can't resist but to stare at his face again while he's starting the engine through his keys. She saw few stubbles of hair coming out from his chin. He's growing a mustache too.
"Must be so busy at night, eh?" she talked.
Jack looked at her and questioned what she meant. "What?"
"Your stubbles... I can see them. No time for shaving huh?"
"Thank you for reminding. I'll shave them later." He drove.
She remained silent and stared at the view from the window instead.
Jack said, "Wanna help me?"
"Help you what?"
"Shave this later?" He made a smug of himself. He grinned. He's seducing her again.
"Really?" She gave a mocking look. It actually just turned out to be iconic for Jack. Alice always does that look and he loves it when she shows it.
He just laughed. "Yeah, I just love teasing you. It brings out your sex appeal."
"Shut up and just drive."
He bit his lower lip while smiling. He's all giggly. He can't stand Alice's company. He's just so damned attracted to girls with great humor and strong personality. The tougher, the better.
Later on, they arrived at the hotel. Jack and Alice got out of the car. Jack mumbled to Alice, "Should I change the way I look right now?"
"Why?"
"Just tell me."
"You're insecure? Really? That's new!"
"I'm not. I am actually nervous that they might get intimidated that's why I'm asking you if I should change to fit in."
Now she had a chance to stare at his whole body for a little bit longer, it was a perfect excuse. After looking at him from top to toe, she said, "I think you look... perfect, boss."
"Is that it?"
"What? You're not convinced with perfect?"
"'Cause I'm beyond that." He walked away after. Then he talked without looking back, "I see what you did there Alice. By the way, that's a good stare."
Alice had gone red when he said that. How did he know? Jack really was an exceptionally intelligent person. Or might as well be called as a man with a strong extrasensory perception.
She warily followed Jack to check in.
They checked in to separate rooms, left their things there and proceeded to the meeting right away. People gathered in the lobby. It was a very formal event and that made Jack's existence very outstanding. A lot were looking at him but he cared less to whatever they think. He was confident. Obviously, he's the youngest CEO around the place, everyone can see that, not only by the way he looks but by the way he dressed too. But once challenged by the way he thinks, you'll have to think twice. He was not a pretty good option to be anyone's competitor. He may be the youngest, but he had the widest range of intellect. Youngest and the hottest, in the eyes of Alice.
She can't take her eyes off him even as the program started.
The president of each company was seated altogether in one area and the speaker was speaking on the stage. The mood was very solemn. Everybody's acting so mysterious. Can't even smile a little. But Alice had to belong to them, which is why she stayed serious the whole meeting and did her job well. She jotted down notes about the discussions and remembered some of what the speakers said. Jack, was a different person when it comes to a business, as if he transformed to a workaholic android who doesn't know a piece of emotion. He was a genuinely handsome, hardworking, strong willed man when he works at the office. He had that image in him that makes him look so official, a well respected man. Sometimes attractive, but most of the time, threatening. Jack was not the ideal person to mess with when it comes to work because he holds his firm very boding evil that he wouldn't pull over or put on the brakes when it's already far way running. The type of man who would also hold down anything that gets in the way. He's purely unstoppable. Business is a very serious matter and he values it more than anything. It might seem unimaginable, but normally in America, people don't always like to use their vacation days. In today's shaky job market, many of them were afraid that using paid days off will look like they're shirking responsibilities or not being a team player.
Alice had never seen him do so well in business. It was practically her first time seeing him performing his role so brilliantly. Just seeing him stand with those people from an upper social class and being valued by each made her so proud and determined to work harder. Who wouldn't be when your boss is hot like that?
The meeting took so long. The chatting in front was just truly inevitable. Jack never talked to Alice about something else only but his orders and guidelines. Alice thought that it's going to be that way until tomorrow. Stressful and intense. There was a point that because it's taking her so long doing the same thing all over again, her mind stopped working. She just can't think straight anymore.
When the 6 hour presentation was done, everyone had gone to their own rooms to rest, that included Alice and Jack. Most of the air of relief went to Alice that time. She went straight to her room and changed her clothes then wore her pajamas, all ready to sleep. Finally, some good night rest.
She was about to go to bed when someone knocked on her door.
She walked towards it to open the door. It was Jack. He abruptly entered her room and she was very shocked. She clearly didn't see that type of his action coming. He was undeniably a two faced man. Very unpredictable.
"What the hell are you doing here?" she asked.
He walked around the corner of her bed while unbuttoning his long blazer. "Feels hot here," he said. He looked serious. He wore his tank top off as well then dropped it on the floor.
Alice thought that he was on for it this night so he went to her to do it. She felt a little bit scared because Jack looked like he's going to attack her anytime by now. She was not in the mood but as she saw his bare chest, it made her think twice. He was walking near her without saying anything, just looking into her eyes. Seducing her intensely.
What surprised her was that, he suddenly lied on her bed. He looked like he just ran a mile, very exhausted.
"OK? What is this all about?", she asked with an eyebrow raised.
He surprisingly spoke, "Let's do it."
"What are we going to do?"
"Lie here!" He tapped the bed with his both hands. "Come on! Lie with me."
"What the hell is wrong with your mind? Are you nuts?! We're in the hotel for a corporate meeting! We're not going to do it here! It's a formal event. Act like you belong! Put on your shirt!"
"This is a bed room! We're not in the conference room, not in a hallway, or anywhere around the hotel. This is a private room. What do they care about us? If they knew, then it's their fault. They must consider our privacy."
"You don't know control, do you?"
"Alice, they are corporate men, 98% of them mind their own lives, care only about growing their money and in point of fact, don't give a fuck to other people. That's how business minded people think. Trust me, I know. And the 2% of them are the people who secretly curse their jobs and don't know what the hell is going on... don't know what they're doing as well."
"How rude can you be?", she squinted her eyes and gave him a glare. She didn't like what he said.
"Oh, I could be rude anytime, rude-est if you want. So make out with me and let's work this out together."
"No. I'm not going to do it with you again."
"Jesus! Why are you so serious?! Play!"
"Get up there and leave."
And yet, despite everything, she did not lose her conviction that good always eventually overcame evil. It was this naivety which had initially attracted Jack; that, and her innocence. On first meeting Alice, he had known that here was an innocent, totally different from all the others, who had no conception of his true nature and who was making the terrible mistake of believing everything he said.
He'd tried again and again to made Alice to open her eyes and her heart to the truth, but to no avail. Proudly, Alice had refuted all the allegations.
"Come on, I'll give you what you want...", he said.
His presence meant that he will give her all the things of which until now life had so unfairly deprived her. She'd be able to send enough money back to her family to make their lives easy; she'd have fine clothes and beautiful jewelries...
A woman of any experience would have laughed in his face at such a dirty approach, but she'd been so naïve that she'd believe every word. So Jack thought that when he pleaded with her to prove that her affection for him was as great as his for hers, she'd surrender her body in a mood of exalted pleasure which owed little to plain passion.
But she made no reaction, far from what he expected, then said "Won't do it. Please, go."
He looked at her face and she didn't seem well and naughty tonight.
Even the sight of her suddenly being so serious did little to divert his happy mood to a sexy night mood for it just reminded him of how out of that he was, physically, and he needed that. But that evening, it wasn't exactly the life and soul of any party, though he smiled not to drag Alice down to his sack. He had decided.
He showed a weak smile. "Alright. I'm just messing with you. I won't do it..."
The mood suddenly calmed down. Alice saw the look in his face. She thought that he did that just to have fun, because he's sick of doing tiring jobs. That's what she concluded after seeing his extremely tired face. She wanted to comfort him. He was originally the man who she wanted to get close with because he's always been the mysterious type. She wanted to lend a helping hand, just not too fast.
He spoke, "I'm tired............ I just..."
"Don't be so down. You did your best," she suddenly said.
He thought that Alice was too sexy to have her innocent mind with her. How can she not see that through his eyes and think of a different thing instead?
He smiled by the thought. "I did well. I don't worry about any of what happened."
"You got some large amount of air stuck in your head, don't you?"
He laughed. "You know what? I love your innocence... Take that as a compliment. Without it, I won't have anything to teach you. You've brought thrill to me."
"What the hell are you talking about?" She looked confused.
"Nothing. You'll figure it out once I've taught you all about it."
"Get out of my bed. Geez. Please!"
A minute later, he stood up.
"Thank you," she said, and she stared at him hard. "Hey... I'm not risking you to be with me and get into my troubles, okay? I'm not forcing you to be this close."
"I won't leave you." He shook his head. "I've got to go and see that guy, anyway."
She pointed to his bruised chest (from what happened to them days ago). "You still got plenty," she cut in.
"Back to the case, I would have to say that you don't need to worry about it. I live in a world where saving a woman is more virtuous than myself."
"Wow... Thank you." She creased her eyebrows. She didn't expect that coming out from his mouth. "And you know, if he did kill Christine, he's quite capable of killing you too. Maybe that was only a warning."
"Why doesn't he give it a try?" He shrugged confidently.
Alice was touched knowing that someone is willing to die for her. She changed the topic before she even confesses what she truly felt for him.
"I'm going to take a bath now," she announced. "Want to take one with me?" She teased jokingly. She saw his expression. "We don't need to do anything."
"I might not be able to stop myself," he smiled. "Last time I took a bath with a lady and I didn't do anything, I was 2."
"Late developer, eh?" she grinned. "Suit yourself. I make a mean wave and if you've got any toy boats, I'm great with torpedoes."
He blew her a kiss. "You're great, you know that?"
"I know that," she said, exiting for the bathroom. "But does the world?"
They were very good. They slept in separate rooms that night and they had no real wish to lay their ghosts, so to speak. And curiously, they thought that they were starting to enjoy each other's company more this way, frustrating, though the experience was.
Surprisingly, Jack slept like a log, although a damaged and chopped about log. As a result, he didn't wake until he felt a housekeeper almost sitting in his face—his subtle way of announcing that some breakfast wouldn't come amiss. He washed and dressed quietly, then went downstairs and actually prepared a cooked breakfast—well, if you can call boiled eggs and a toasted bread, a cooked breakfast. He then got his spraunciest tray, a silver-plated job that he had inherited with his room from a loving maid, and daintily arranged two eggs and the toasted bread on his best crockery, and peg-legged upstairs with the trayful for the sleeping beauty.
But the tragedy was, she wasn't sleeping. When he had knocked and opened the door, he found a beautifully made bed, but no beautifully made occupant. Just a note lying on the pillow. He put down the tray and read it. The message made him blanch.
Jorge,
Have decided to go home early. I couldn't go on being a sleeping partner, now could I? We proved that last night. So I'm out for the daytime. Don't worry, I should be back for dinner in my apartment.
I'll try and pick up some more news about Jack Kinley, to lessen your job to what we've been up to, so take this magnificent chance to relax, put your feet up, chin up, spirits up and ketchup.
Bye for now, Bathtime Pooper,
Alice.
He chuckled after reading the letter. He liked Alice's humor ever since.
He thought, "Hell, I suppose I should have seen it coming." Now that Alice was out of the worst of her life blues, her nature was far too bouncy and ebullient to allow him to take a back seat while she does all the work. He kicked himself all the way to the kitchen area and then sat at the kitchen table of his hotel room, trying to work out where she might have gone and what he could do about it, anyway.
The four boiled eggs seemed to stare at him blankly in the face, so he ate two, but it didn't really help. There was really only one place she could have gone unless she had dreamt upon some new fancy ideas of her own. Might be trying to search for Jack's address and go there alone. He worried a lot.
He looked at his watch. It was almost 10:30. He decided he could not hang around any longer or he'd go spare with worry. He'd just have to try to transport himself without a clutch. Didn't even bid a formal farewell to other presidents. Just left without a word.
Somehow, with that letter next to his heart, he felt warm and a little refreshed, and didn't notice the bitter chill of the wind as he hobbled out to his Bentley on the parking lot to go back home.
But, he was still not relieved that Alice is out by herself.