SCARLET

There's a knock on my door. God, I hope it's not this Matheo again; I could barely get him out a few hours ago.

I get up and open the door ever so slowly, hoping that if it is him, he'll disappear with his impatient ass. "I would appreciate it if you opened the door faster; I need my dose of caffeine." It's Grey, thank god.

"Sorry, I thought you were the insufferable tree trunk." I open the door fully, and Grey stands there leaning on the door. He gives me the hurry your ass up look.

I get my coat and shrug it on, grabbing my phone off my desk. I move the board away from the center of the room on my way out. "Did a tropical cyclone occur here?" he asks from where he's standing.

"No one even comes in here. Let me work in peace." He should know by now that I work on the floor; I like seeing everything in front of me, and a desk just doesn't fit.

"I do." he tries to step in but I put my foot in front of his, stopping him from trespassing. "No, you don't," I say, narrowing my eyes at him. He backs away.

We go down the elevator in silence, because that's just what Grey and I do. Sit in silence, walk in silence, and work in silence. There isn't much to talk about, and even if there is, there are so many people talking to us throughout the day that we'd rather just not speak, but we enjoy each other's company nevertheless.

We sit at our table; yes, it is our designated table; it has been for the last three years, and everyone knows that if they sit at it, there'll be hell to pay. From Grey, of course.

"How's working with the fantasy going?" He asks with a lopsided smirk. I can't smack him in the middle of the cafeteria, but god, I'd love to. "I'd ask you the same thing." He side-eyes me.

Adeline is quite... Adeline. There's no way to describe that woman; she's a milk-fueled detective who stops at nothing to get what she wants.

But Grey most definitely did her dirty in describing her; she's nothing short of breathtakingly beautiful. She's got long golden hair and eyes of prasiolite; she looks like a Roman painting. If I were Grey, I would be drooling at her sight, not calling her rainbow vomit.

Grey was about to respond when his eyes moved to something behind me. As I'm about to turn, that something pulls away the chair to my right and sits down. Matheo. He is everywhere, and if he doesn't start disappearing, I might commit some illegal acts.

"I don't remember buying a ticket for the Ninja-themed Ballerina Premier," I say, my voice dripping with sarcasm but delivering the point nonetheless.

"You are missing out on all the fun," he makes himself comfortable in the tiny chair. Grey frowns, then brushes it off like he figured out he doesn't want to know a second before his face does. "Debatable," I reply.

I hear the elevator door slide open, and I glance its way. Adeline comes out with heaps of papers and files in her hand. She's fumbling with what I've learned to be a scam thermos because it doesn't contain anything other than milk. Still manages to look stylish even when she's a mess.

"Scar. Don't, not again," Grey warns me, but I pay it no mind. This is the perfect payback, and I'll take it.

"Hey Adeline! Come sit with us." I call for her, leaning past Matheo and waving to her. Her eyes catch mine, and she smiles. I smile back, my payback making her way over to our table.

Adeline puts down her papers with a loud thud on the table and fixes her hair behind her ears. I catch Grey looking at her, then quickly diverting his eyes to anything but her, acting like he's watching a non-PG movie with his parents, and the kiss scene is coming up.

"Sorry, busy day," she says, eyeing the chairs. She looks at the one between me and Grey first, then the one beside Grey opposite Matheo. This is interesting.

She settles down in the chair opposite Matheo and leans in so she can't even see Grey in her peripheral vision.

"Seems like it; need any help?" I ask, trying to be polite even though I know she wouldn't ask for help from me. Matheo snatches a file before she has a chance to answer, and he starts flipping through it. I can't help but throw in a tiny glance. Not that I catch anything with how fast he's flipping through.

"Who are these?" he asks as Adeline snatches the file back. "Some people I plan to interview," she sips her milk.

"That many?" Matheo asks, curious as a cat, that one. Little does he know, Curiosity killed the cat. "Windsor was a popular man, right, Mr. Ledger?" She glances at Grey, then seems to regret it and looks at Matheo instead. What is going on here?

"You seem to know better," Grey says calmly. I'm glad he's not acting like last time. I definitely would've kicked him under the table.

"So I'm guessing work is... good?" I have no idea how her work is going, but it seems she's doing just fine. Hopefully not fine enough to solve this case.

"She isn't allowed anywhere; how can work be good?" Ninja Ballerina says but I'm not going to respond to him; he doesn't even deserve my acknowledgment.

"Fix your tone, agent," Grey orders him, and I can't help but smile. I probably owe him a coffee now.

Adeline looks at Grey like he threatened to dismember someone, then looks back at Matheo. She's either avoiding looking at Grey or she likes to look at Matheo, and I don't seem to like both.

"I don't need access to find the culprit, Matheo. In fact, I'm doing just fine." She looks at Grey again; there's definitely something fishy going on here.

"See? She's doing good. How's your arm?" I ask innocently, giving him a caring look that masks the murder fantasies in my head. "Better now that you ask," he answers, leaning in. He should stop doing that stuff, or the fantasies won't stop at fantasizing.

"That's great." I put my hand on his arm in what would look like a loving touch, but I am pressing my index finger into his semi-fresh wound. He returns my smile, never breaking eye contact. If I didn't have my hand on his arm, I'd say he wasn't in pain, but I can feel his muscles tighten under my grip.

I let go with the smile still on my face. Adeline eyes us as she orders her files in alphabetical order.

"Tell me, Matheo, how come you're an espionage agent but you're still new? Where were you before?" She seems quite interested in Matheo, but I can't say that question hasn't crossed my mind.

"Don't ask questions above your grade, detective. I won't want to repeat things twice," Grey warns her, leaning so he can look her directly in the eyes. She doesn't budge, and for someone who hasn't known Greyson for over a year, it's impressive.

"My grade has exceeded your knowledge, sir," she says, maintaining eye contact. Her grade is what? I don't think her grade is above anyone sitting here. In fact, her grade represents everyone's knowledge. "Has it, Adeline?" Grey questions her. Offended by her sudden bravery.

Adeline? No, something is most definitely going on between those two. I've never heard Grey call a woman by her first name in forever, and this is no special occasion. I'm kind of rooting for him, but I'm still wary about Adeline. She's pretty, yes, but not all pretty people are pretty inside out.

"Indeed," She turns to Matheo. "You didn't answer my question Agent," she says, acting like it's an insult, or rather something that should be outlined. I look at Matheo to find him already staring at me like a confused chicken. I raise my eyebrows at him. What the hell is he looking at?

"I have always worked for the DOD, just in different states," he answers, taking a double take at Grey. "You seem to somehow get kicked out of every single one," I comment.

"I am wanted everywhere, unlike you," he responds.

"That's because I can hold my ground," I smirk at him.

"Or you're too basic for anywhere else." He knows bloody well how basic I can be, and it involves a basic set of stairs.

"When you ask about me, do tell me who's basic here."

"Bold of you to assume you're a search topic," his tone is indifferent, but I can see a hint of a smirk on his face.

"Wouldn't be your first time," I smile sweetly in an attempt to look less like the killer I am when the detective is at the same table. I can hear her asking Grey if this is normal, but I'm not backing down from this staring competition we have going on.

Adeline clears her throat, and I force myself to look away from the thousand shades of forest green I was staring into. "How was your day, Scarlet?" she asks. I can't tell her that I've had Matheo be a huge pain in the ass. "Quite ordinary, work, coffee, sleepless–" I shrug.

"She asked about your day, not your life story." Matheo needs to zip it up and leave this table he wasn't invited to. "Is there a mute button?" I eye him up and down, searching for the possibility of it actually being there.

"Okayyy." Adeline clamps her hands together audibly to get our attention. "How was your day, Matheo?" She asks him.

"Officeless," he answers in an annoyed tone. Pfft, I'm the one who should be annoyed here, sir. You're staying in my office and being an insufferable pain in the ass. My ass to be exact.

"Must be so sad," I comment.

"Agreed. I'm very upset about it," he nods in agreement.

"Go whine about it somewhere else. There's a small space behind the coffee machine; you might fit in," I say, and he better stop being an ungrateful ass.

"I'm very happy whining here; thanks for your advice. I will consider it some time," he flashes me a smirk. This fucker! If I had laser eyes right now, he'd be ash.

Grey clears his throat. I look at him, and he gives me a look that basically says, Let the man live. But I refuse to let this ungrateful ass ruin my day with his smugness about...everything. I roll my eyes and get up.

"I'm going to get coffee. Move," I say to Matheo. His chair, or, to be specific, he is blocking the way. His legs are outstretched in front of him, and the back of the chair leaves a sliver that not even my thigh can pass through against the wall.

"Of course," he says, giving me a sweet smile and moves the chair. For a second, I was shocked that he was being nice. But no, he moved the chair all the way to the wall, closing the gap that was in between.

"You think you're going to stop me from getting coffee with your little childish acts?" I ask him. Because he really doesn't think I'm giving up that easily. "No, but I will disturb your inner peace," he smirks at me again.

I am not going to let this insufferable huge tree trunk-smelling pain in the ass stop me from getting my coffee and ruining my day. A smug smirk makes its way to my lips. I'm going to teach this humongous shit a lesson in picking his fights.

"We'll see whose peace this disturbs," I pass over his legs, his very very long and huge legs. What does this guy do at the gym? I make sure not to trip; that is going to be extremely embarrassing. But I do make sure to put my hands on his shoulder as I pass. Adds that extra spice.

His eyes widen, and his always-schooled expression falters into shock. His cheeks turn a cute shade of pink, which makes me think he could actually be a cutie at heart. Thank God, I know better. I make it without tripping and walk to the coffee machine, resisting the urge to flip my hair.

"Get me a coffee with you!" Grey calls out, and I give him a thumbs up.

I get the coffee and make my way back to the table. The elevator dings open to my right, and the chairman walks out looking somehow disheveled.

"Ah, Scarlet. Get that detective somewhere, and keep her there. Some congress members are coming, and she's done enough trouble," he says, taking Grey's black coffee and getting back into the elevator.

Wait, what? I blink a few times and look at the elevator to make sure I didn't just imagine that encounter. I walk to the table, and Grey eyes my hands.

"The old man took your coffee. Some Congress members are coming to the Pentagon." I maintain eye contact with Grey, so he knows what I'm talking about. He gets it and gives me an unnoticeable nod.

I sit down, Matheo's chair not being stuck to the wall anymore. I guess he learned his lesson. "Why are Congress members coming?" Adeline asks, frowning.

"They do this sometimes; they just suddenly pop in. No one knows what they do here, so we just roll with it," I explain, which isn't entirely untrue. They do pop in whenever and wherever, but some people know what they're doing here,

Matheo clears his throat and pushes off his chair. "I have to get going; excuse me," he nods to us and leaves. I don't look to see where he went; I'm grateful he's gone with his sarcastic, entitled comments.

"I'll get going too. My office is a huge mess, and I have to put these somewhere. See you later," Adeline says with a sweet smile. I return the smile, but this time I watch her get into the elevator and wait till the elevator stops at the floor her office is on.

"Back where we started. And don't think I didn't notice your little flirting with Adeline." I say her name with a little smirk. "And your little stunt with Matheo? Did you notice that too?"

"That was payback; I was just putting him in his place," I shrug. Grey narrows his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, just that," he says, nodding. I roll my eyes and get up; I have work to do anyway, and I can't stay in the cafeteria for longer.

Greyson gets up too, his giraffe legs catching up to mine as I walk to the elevator. I press the fifth floor and lean back on the elevator walls, ignoring how many disgusting germs are on them.

Just as the elevator door was about to close, a hand stopped it. A guard walks in, followed by two more, then someone in a suit. I can't see him for a few seconds until the guards step to each corner of the elevator, leaving him standing in plain sight. Anderson.

Out of all the members of Congress, all of them. He's the one who comes. My teeth grit against each other, and my nails dig into my palm. I can hear my heart pounding in my ears. After all this time, he has the fucking nerve to come here and stand this close to me. He's the reason I am what I am, and he doesn't even know me. Not yet.

I school my expression as his head of perfectly gelled brown hair turns around to face us, or to face Greyson. A friendly smile tugs on his lips when he recognizes Grey.

"Greyson! Good to see you, son," he says, shaking Grey's hand and giving him a fatherly pat on the shoulder. "You too, sir." Grey returns the smile and shakes his hand.

His eyes turn to me as if just now realizing I am standing here. "Agent Azura," he acknowledges me with a nod. I return it; it's the least I can do.

"Congratulations on the mission; that was very precise work; it requires lots of skill to nail a mission that well." He praises my work, and I almost see red, my nails digging deeper into my palms. But I won't let my expression slip; I am not one of the best agents in the Pentagon for nothing.

"Thank you, sir," I manage to say with a smile. I am a woman after all; all we do is smile. It hides our bloody rage. The elevator stops on the fifth floor, and he gets out with his guards first, going in the opposite direction of my office.

I feel Grey's hand on my shoulder. I take a deep breath and start walking out before the elevator returns to the first floor. "Scar," Grey calls. I won't stop; I don't want his pity, and I don't want anyone's pity. They can keep it to themselves.

"I'm fine," my tone comes out harsher than expected

"I'm sorry," I apologize. It's not his fault; I shouldn't be angry at him. "It's okay, I'm just checking," he says, and I give him a grateful smile. I really have no idea where I'd be without his help. He pats my shoulder, and we walk to our offices.