LAURA

'Are you stalking me?'

This part was easy. Sin had mentioned to me about going invisible and I had agreed to it to make myself disappear out of sight. Only to sneak up behind Paul and make him jump.

It was worth it. My stalker's reaction was both surprised and impressed. 'What the - you were there and - '

'I'm a reporter,' I rolled my eyes. 'It's my job.'

'Pretty darn good at it.' He mused, swiping a hand across his pale forehead. A short laugh burst out of him. 'Ah shit, I'm caught in the act. Never been there before.'

Eddie was hellbent on foiling this plan but it was our only choice. If we had to earn more intel on who the hell Keith Malik was and what he was a part of all along, the Paul was our only way in.

'Why did you do it?' I said, shaking my head. 'I told you I have somebody.'

'I've never seen you around. Suddenly you come in as a trainee who works for Brock and runs away without telling your name - who wouldn't be curious?'

I chuckled, pocketing my fists. 'Yeah, I'll give you that.'

'So, who are you?' He asked, mirroring my smile. 

'Laura. No last names, stranger. Not until after the first date.'

He looked taken aback, his grey eyes lightening with wonder. 'You had somebody - ?'

'I lied. Never really been out on the dating field so I panicked,' I shrugged indifferently, the lies simply rolling out of me. Screw him, I was impressed with myself.

'I didn't even sleep on it, yet.'

We would never let him.

That actually made me crack up. He announced that he'd freshen up and be down with me in five minutes, tossing a look behind me one last time. To check if Eddie were still there.

But he wasn't. His bike was missing too, indicating his departure. I saw a text message sprawled across the screen of my phone which said: sorry I left. couldn't stand seeing you with another man. call me after.

'Oh, Eddie.'

- ♣ -

I hated the coffeehouse Paul had taken me too. The dumb waitress behind the counter was nasty, the tables were unclean and I swear I thought I felt newly chewed gum brush across my thighs. 

Before I could mentally beat myself up for not wearing pants, Paul spoke up. 'So. What gives, Laura?'

Paul was average in appearance, you could say. He looked seemingly in his late thirties with the straight line of wrinkles along his gray eyes and the slightest dust of white hair along his forehead line. His brunette hair looked over-gelled though, which started to irk me as the sun rays were making his hair glint and causing me to blink rapidly.

'I've been out and about,' I said, taking a short sip of coffee from my symbolic cup. 'So thrilled when I got to work under Ed - Mr. Brock and actually, today was my first day.'

He hummed in appreciation when he heard the news. 'Brock's a total d-bag when it comes to his articles. He keeps rubbing it in when his article makes the front columns. But honestly, he's a great boss or so I've heard.'

I nodded. 'He is and I've been managing with him on the Life Foundation's CEO missing case. Gosh, it was so enriching to pull with him.'

Hungry. Haven't had anything and your lungs are looking so fresh . . .

All this gushing was making my throat run dry and Sin's comment made me straighten. I excused myself for a bit and bought myself a good three bars of chocolate from Waitress Dumb and Dumber. Laying it in front of me, I sheepishly smiled at him.

Please make up a good reason.

'I hope you don't mind, I have low sugar and - '

Thanks.

'Not at all, go ahead,' he said with a wave of his palms. 'And yeah. Keith was so surprising, right? I mean, right on opening day.'

'Luck wasn't on his cards,' I mused and took a large chunk of my chocolate, happy that I was pushing through smoothly. 'You worked on it, too. What do you have to say?'

'Me?' He scoffed. 'Well, I think he's coward.'

'Really. Why?'

'First of all, you just don't go vanishing on your first day as CEO. Nextly, the guy is a mystery. No one knows about his family or how his empire came into existence so all these evidence is leading up to the goddamned start. However, the fact that he was ready to take up his long-lost friend's unfinished project about some otherworldly species is a huge turning point. Because we all know aliens and black holes are SHIELD's problems.'

'SHIELD,' I repeated. 'You think the Avengers have something to do with this?'

He beckoned me closer with a come-hither motion. I leaned closer into his mouth and whispered into my ear. 'Rumors say Tony Stark himself funded for this project. The reopening and the whole hoo-ha was for a hostile takeover. For the Avengers initiative.'

'Bite back in the ass? The Tony Stark? That sounds odd.'

'But, but,' he mumbled. 'Keith Malik missing makes so much more sense, doesn't it? SHIELD's done it again. Eliminate anyone who comes within a meters radius of anything alien-ish. Keith messes around with ET? Kapow, gone for good.'

'So you think all this is,' I said in a hard-to-believe voice, 'done by a counter-terrorism crew? Even taking into account his unbelievable, non-existent background?'

Paul's forehead crinkled and he made a so-so face. 'Sounds about fair. His only resort could be his own headquarters but we ran a full check around the building. Zilch.'

All this information was hard to absorb. Who knew so much was going behind the scenes with Keith's disappearance? Eddie was so going to get his symbiote back, especially with all this SHIELD and Avengers coming into play.

'Anyway,' he reflected and sent me a hearty smile. 'All your enthusiasm in this has simply put, made got me interested in you.'

'Heh,' I chuckled and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. Nibbling on the edge of my chocolate bar, I rolled my eyes. 'You couldn't possibly.'

'Oh, Laura, Laura. You're smart, forward and to be honest, sexy. Surprised no one has snatched you up, yet.'

Someone has. We should tell him.

'Thankew but I've got to run,' I showed him my switched-off phone and clicked the home button to let it light up. 'Mr. Brock needs me again.'

'Wait, can I get your number?'

No, he can't.

I laughed as alluring as possible, jamming the two other bars of chocolate into my peacoat. 'I'm not going anywhere, Paul. I'll catch you during office hours.'

'You're just going to leave me here?'

Leaning forward, I pressed my lips unwantedly over his cheek. A huge smile bloomed over his mouth when I pulled back and sent him the flirtiest grin I could muster. 

'I just did,' I winked. 'See you around, Mr. Barnum.'

I am proud of us. 

Couldn't agree less. 'Yeah, me too.'