Chapter 2

Ilana absentmindedly traced her finger around the rim of the glass, her mind someplace else entirely.

Around her, music thrummed loudly. She heard drunken giggles and the bartender repeating orders. She caught on snippets of flirty conversations and hushed whispers of gossips.

“Lana?” Alice's voice shook her out from within her head as she took seat beside her.

“Yes?”

“You okay?”

“Yes, yes, I'm fine. I think I’m going to leave now

“Social battery has reached it's limit?” she asked, grinning at her.

She laughed. “Yes. It goes out pretty quick.”

“You're not drunk, right?” She asked.

Ilana sighed dramatically. “If only I could get drunk so easily.”

“Be grateful for this metabolism. I would kill for it,” Alice said, eyeing her enviously.

Ilana snorted, drowning the rest of her drink.

“Can you get home safely, Lana?” she asked, eyeing Ilana warily

“Yes, of course,” she nodded, then turned to Alice with a teasing glint in her eyes. “Who is it?”

“Your 9 o'clock. The guy in blue,” she grinned.

Ilana finally turned around to face the crowd, staring shamelessly in the direction Alice had mentioned.

She spotted the guy, looking uncomfortable and out of place. He caught her eye and on noticing Alice next to her, gave her an awkward little wave.

“He looks jittery,” Ilana pointed.

“He's just shy.”

“Are you sure he's not some criminal?” 

Alice laughed. “He can't be worse than me.”

Ilana considered the answer, not satisfied. “Could be a serial killer. That would be worse than you.”

“I can handle a serial killer,” Alice said, rolling her eyes at Ilana's incessant pestering.

“Okay, then. Don't drink or eat anything he offers. Be on guard and don't get too cozy. Get home immediately after.”

“Okay mom,” she grinned at her.

“Same goes for you too,” she said, then turned to David, the bartender. “Don't serve her any more drinks.

“Alice!” Ilana hissed, trying to push her away.

“I'm serious. No more drinks. You need to get home alone. And if anything feels wrong, call me at once.”

“Anything else?” She asked dryly.

“Be careful,” she grinned, drifting off into the crowd.

“You too,” Ilana mumbled to herself.

She scanned the crowd, looking for a distraction. 

The crowd was unattractive at best today. She turned her back to them once again, wondering how this trip had been a complete waste of time and money.

And she hasn't even been able to get drunk properly.

“David, just one last drink, please. I’ll leave you alone after that,” she said, batting her eyelashes at him.

“No,” he replied gruffly, turning her back to her.

“I’m your old customer. Older than Al. I can’t believe you’re going to listen to her and not me,” she grumbled but it was mostly useless debating with David.

He was unbelievably strict when it came to their safety and boring things like right and wrong.

“I listened to Al because she’s right. Go home, Rose.”

Ilana rolled her eyes, snatching up her purse from the counter.

“Let the lady have another drink. On me.” A masculine voice said, settling down on her left.

She turned towards the man, taking a moment to appreciate her luck. 

She studied the flirty smile on his face, the wind swept brown hair, which - considering the dry weather of Knoxville - seemed a little too unrealistic. His brown eyes twinkled under the lights, an amused glint in them.

She kept her face impassive, allowing herself to scan himself from top to bottom. 

He was dressed in a simple brown button down, paired with cream white jeans. The fashion choice was so uniquely refreshing, it left her a little speechless.

He reeked of money. From the watch on his wrist to the confidence he held himself with. Even the drink in his hand indicated a lot about his background.

Definitely father’s money. Could be ancestral wealth as well. He looked too young, too carefree to be handling something of his own.

She gave him another once over. 

The attire hinted at something else entirely. Despite being dragged into whatever business his family did, the monotony of it all still hadn't dimmed his personality. Hadn't snatched the colors from his life.

There was something magnetic about him.

“Do you do that to everyone?” he asked, one eyebrow arched.

“Do what?” she asked innocently, finally meeting his eye, a smile playing on her lips.

“Scan them?”

“Nah, just the attractive ones,” she said softly, her voice meant only for him.

“Ah, I'm flattered,” he grinned, pushing her drink towards her. “So, what did you find?”

She took a slow, grateful sip of her margarita. She loved this rule. How David could stop serving her out of care but when she was in company of strangers, the drinks had to keep coming to keep people engaged.

Those people could be clients or targets or maybe even leads. 

None of the staff knew the details of what she did but they knew not to interfere.

She bit back a satisfied sigh as the liquid went down her throat, making her nerves tingle.

“Everything I needed to.”

“Please, do tell,” he said, leaning towards her as if she were going to whisper the secret to him.

She smiled, deciding to play along.

She brought her lips next to his ear, allowing herself a soft exhale. Thoroughly pleased with the way he stiffened, she whispered, “You might have to work a little harder to get the answer.”

“Oh, trust me, I’m willing to put in all the work,” he said, matching her sultry octave.

“Let's go somewhere private,” she said but before she could move, her phone rang.

She bit her lip, fumbling with her purse to pull out her phone.

“I’m sorry but I'll have to take this. It’s my boss,” she grimaced.

“At this time?”

“Yeah, she has no manners.”

The guy snorted, his grin blinding.

Ilana took a few steps back, her eyes still on him. She felt unable to look away from the honey brown of his eyes, the way his lips tilted ever so slightly, making him light up.

“At least tell me your name?” he yelled over the din of the music.

She laughed softly. 

“Maybe you’ll never find out,” she yelled out, allowing the crowd to swallow her.

She heard him say something about not believing in never but she was already drifting away.

“Yes, Helene?” She picked the phone after finding a quiet spot.

“He’s got the proof. I’ll send it all to you. Are you up for it now?”

“I’ll have to go through the stuff before I can tell you anything for sure. I’ll call you back in the morning.”

“Okay.”

“Helene?” 

“Yes?”

“Is it In and Out or undercover?”

“Undercover.”

Ilana groaned, cutting off the call. She hated undercover missions. Her secret identities had started clashing with her real personality to the point where she wasn’t sure which one of it truly belonged to her.

But if the pay was good and if the case stayed far far away from that depressing morally gray area, she could do it.