Chapter 7

Mancini

Poor thing she's so out of her element; I'd read her file, knew all about her background her education, her friends so I knew this wasn't the type of place she frequented, from what little I'd gathered so far Ms. Stone was a little bit of a recluse, something we both had in common. I know about the one short-lived affair she'd had in college, the way that had ended but not necessarily the why; I probably knew more about her than the bureau had on me. I was tempted to approach her first but then I thought nah, let her work for it. She had no idea that I knew who she was and I couldn't wait to see how she handled her approach. I know the deal is for me not to know who she is like some sort of Mata Hari I guess but they knew I wouldn't be that easy so I wondered what angle they'd decided to use to draw me in.

I had to admit that for all my sordid dealings with the opposite sex she had something new, I'm not sure if it was her air of innocence that she tried so hard to hide or that natural sensuality that exuded from her. For all I know it could be just the mere fact that she was the first female the bureau had sent into the game the first agent they've tried to get this close. The fact that she was fucking stunning didn't hurt either. I'd originally planned to play with her, a little game of cat and mouse but now I'm not so sure; this one might take something out of me that I'm not sure I was ready to give, I wasn't exactly comfortable with the things she made me feel truth be known, I liked being in control at all times, somehow the lady made me feel less in control of my own feelings, something I've been able to master for a very long time; then again when have I ever backed down from a challenge?

Cierra

With drink in hand I tried to play the sophisticate looking around sparingly as though I was people watching; why wasn't he making a move yet? Am I such a dog that even a notorious skirt chaser like him wouldn't take the bait? That was a very unsettling thought I mean job or not I'm still a female with all the feminine wiles. I felt heat rise in my cheeks at my own thoughts, maybe in retrospect it had been a bit presumptuous to think that he'd take one look and fall all over himself trying to get to me. I guess I'll have to go with the fallback plan, if he doesn't approach me I'm supposed to manufacture a reason for approaching him. We'd already worked out a scenario and again I'm eternally grateful that seduction wasn't the first item on the menu though it was indeed on the list. When the waitress came back around I put my plan into action no sense in wasting time.

"So I'm new to the city and a friend recommended this place I'm very interested in possibly having some kind of promotional type thing here and I was wondering if the owner might be around?"

"Well maybe I can get you a manager…."

"No no no I prefer dealing with owners as opposed to management when talking these kind of numbers you understand!"

"Sure let me see what I can do ma'am." She took my order for another glass of wine before turning away; I watched her from the corner of my eye as she approached him and saw when the bastard shook his head and handed her his card to give to me.

Son of a …She returned with my drink and the proffered card.

" I spoke with Mr. Mancini who happens to be here tonight and he said I should pass on his business card since he prefers not to handle any business dealings this evening; but if you'd like you can call him between eight and five tomorrow." I think she smirked at me when she said that and I felt my ire rise; how dare he try to brush me off as if I were nothing? He hadn't even bothered to look at me when he did it the bastard. I swear I'm going to make him pay for that slight. And on that note you need to calm down girlie, what the hell happened to you? You're acting like a jilted lover and not at all like the special agent who has been assigned to bring down a master criminal. If just one look at the man in the flesh was going to cause this much turmoil this was going to be an uphill battle. You need to calm down and start thinking like the federal agent that landed in New York this morning and not some lovesick teenybopper. That little pep talk helped to smooth my ruffled feathers just barely and I sat back in my chair as I thought of my next move, what I really wanted to do was march over there and give him a piece of my mind, insufferable jerk.