Joint gatherings werenât really Katâs thing. The over abundance of people, the excessive decorations and party favors, all coming together under false pretenses and hidden agendas. The gleaming white smiles were about as fake as the faux wrapped around their slim little bodies. She had eyed the tables filled with cateringâs that went untouched and a sense of hatred flowed through her body. The girl remembered all too well what it was like to starve, it even showed in her mechanisms today and how she rationed in proportional ways that werenât necessary for someone in her current position. It was something thatâd forever haunt her.
This gala was something sheâd never be caught dead at, yet here she was. It was the only place she felt safe in order to meet with him. Sending the encrypted message over ICHORâs private line was hard to enough to do while in Olympus, so meeting in some place as basic as Starbucks didnât feel right to her. She didnât want to get caught for one, and she knew if it was worst case scenario, a gala would be the last place theyâd look for her.
As the days crept forward to the meet up date, her nerves became more rattling and noticeable. It was so bad when she woke up this morning, Kat just escaped to the place she had in London so she could be by herself. So she wouldnât be suspicious. Concealing her emotions had become an art by nowâŚbut the way she went about things were different when it came to him. Adonis. Even how she went about this whole day was different. Sure, the location she chose was a little ostentatious, and she did her best to try to convince herself that it was ultimately the best idea at the time. But standing there, overlooking the crowd and dressed for the occasion, she couldnât help but feel like maybe it was something more. Just maybe.
Hours. Thatâs how long she spent getting ready. The hair that was usually held up by two chopsticks, flowed down her back in waves. The dress she borrowed, fit like a glove. The painful hell traps, aka heels, made her feel powerful in her element. She had to do this to fit in. Thatâs what she kept telling herself. The absurd other reasonâŚwas just that, absurd. Every feminist bone in her body told her that dressing up only for a man was completely ridiculous and against everything she believed.
But sighing, while twiddling her thumbs, she had to admit that when things came to Shakir, morals became blurred. Like today for example. After years of training, it wasnât hard for Kat to become well equipped in following her instincts. And yet today, every fiber in her being told her she was being w a t c h e d. As she walked the streets, stopped for food, even in her apartment while she was showering in a disclosed location. Part of her felt like if she were smart, she would face this unknown watcher, but she knew better. Only one person could evade yet still seem so present. And she was meeting with him now.
Leaning against a pillar, she waited. And waited. And waited. Overlooking the obnoxious party going on just a level bellow her became even duller with time. She never even thought that as possible. As time ticked by, Kat began to worry. Did he get the message? Although he was a trained spy, indulging in technology wasnât really his area of expertise. Maybe it slipped by him, she thought. A singe of disappointment stung her heart as she took a sip of the overly priced champagne and mused about the fact that maybe, just maybe, he wasnât coming. Would he stand her up, she wouldnât know. Cruelty wasnât really his thing, now manipulation on the other hand screamed Shakir. But still, the faith she had held strongâŚright? Just as she was about to step away, she felt it. That chill on the back of her neck that felt all to familiar. And then it was there, a presence, right behind her. Only an agent couldâve snuck up on her like that. WaitâŚscratch that, only one agent could sneak up on her like that.. âAdonis,â she breathed quietly. There was a pregnant pause, a sense of silent recognition as her eyes kept trained to floor. Looking him in the eyes was too nerve racking, too scary for someone like her. âYâknow, we never got to finish our game. You never got to ask meâŚtruth or dare.â
