Colin

The apartment building loomed before me. I hadn't even turned off the car. The windshield wipers quickly bounced back and forth as I planned my next move. Because now that I was here, I realized I didn't know which apartment was Alicia's. Well...I've come this far, I might as well go all the way.

Ducking out, I splashed through puddles as I ran to the front entrance. Stepping into a sort of foyer, I scanned the names listed on the intercom and hoped Alicia would let me in. Seeing Hannigan and Reese I pressed the button and waited for the call to go through.

"Yes?"

"Alicia? It's Colin."

Silence ensued and I wondered if she heard me. Was I supposed to hit another button to respond?

"What are you doing here?" The voice cracked through the speaker.

"I could ask you the same question."

Silence again.

I huffed. "Listen Alicia, can you just let me in? I know I've been a jerk, again, but I'm wet and tired and don't really want to have this conversation through a speaker."

When Alicia didn't respond right away, I wondered if I had taken it a tad too far. Then I heard a buzz of the door unlocking.

"Eighth floor, number eight-nineteen."

I hurried through before she could change her mind.

Slicking back my wet hair, I made my way through the building, trying to figure out what I was going to say. There was only so many times a man could apologize before it lost its meaning.

Reaching her door, I rapped lightly with my knuckle. I pushed back my hair again as I waited.

Hearing soft steps on the other side, my body involuntarily stiffened in expectation of seeing Alicia. The door creaked as a sliver of light poked through and I could just make out her face peering out at me. I didn't know if she contemplated closing the door in my face but she opened it the rest of the way to allow me entrance.

She sported pink sweatpants and a gray baggy sweater that said Ontario Tech. Her hair was in a messy bun and I didn't think she had an ounce of make up on her. And she still looked gorgeous.

Alicia must have caught my perusal for she gave me a dark look before swaggering back into the apartment. "I'm afraid you caught me a little underdressed."

I followed her in. "It's my fault for the unexpected visit." I stop dead in my tracks. "Woah, you have a lot of plants." A lot was an understatement. They covered every surface from tables to the floor.

"Cameron." Alicia went into a small but clean kitchen. "Coffee?"

"Please." I found a seat on a barstool, pushing away a spiky cactus with a pink flower on top. A steaming cup of coffee was set in front me, colored with just a touch of cream. Just how I liked it.

Alicia leaned on the island across from me, mug wrapped in both hands. There was a chill in the air even though it must have been 30 degrees or hotter outside. It was like Alicia had lost some of her spark and I was sure I was to blame.

"I'm sorry about yesterday. Work has been getting to me lately." The part I left out was that she was also getting to me. Half the time I didn't know if I wanted to kiss her or shake her.

Alicia stood up and went to the counter behind her. I could already feel the walls going up. "When are you going to learn to trust me Colin? What happened now to make you doubt me?"

There was a burning inside me that so badly wanted to tear down the walls and completely let her in. "I'm not sure I know how to trust." It was like the admission broke a dam inside of me and I could feel the tears threatening to spill over. It was a truth I never recognised before but I knew it was the reason for not letting anyone get close.

Alicia's posture began to soften. "You've been hurt many times. I think now you just expect people to fail you."

I thought about the reason why I was here. To see if Alicia took the bait to Rowan's trap. Was I expecting her to fail? Have I already judged her?

A voice whispered across my subconscious. Two words. Trust her. I had only heard those same words once before, a long time ago with the same girl before me now. "Alicia, there is something I need to tell you."

Her eyes widen for a second, then become guarded.

I clutched my coffee cup tighter. "Someone has been trying to break into my office, to steal what I can only guess is sensitive information to my malware program."

"What? But how is that possible? The program is impenetrable."

"Exactly. Yet there have been multiple attempts. The fire alarm for example."

Alicia's eyes went wide. "Do you have any idea who is behind it?"

My gaze was unwavering. Trust her. "I stayed inside during the alarm because I could feel something wasn't right. Someone in a black hoodie and sunglasses came onto the floor but when they saw me, they ran. The only characteristic I could see was that they were female." Alicia's body stiffened. "Only two people were absent during the false alarm Alicia. Casey and you."

We both went so still you could hear the traffic on the street below.

"And what do you think?" Her eyes were almost pleading.

"Amir said you were at a lunch meeting. Is that true?"

"Yes, with Lincoln Faust from Gadget Guys."

Both my eyebrows shot up. "That's quite impressive. How did he hear about Hope Digital?"

"We met briefly at the gala. To be honest, it was the fact that you had hired me that impressed him. Called you a 'stickler of a businessman'."

I chuckled. "What can I say? My reputation precedes me." I knew I needed to get a straight answer from Alicia. So I got off my barstool and walked around till I was standing toe to toe with her. "I need you to tell me, Alicia. Once and for all. Can I trust you?"

Alicia took my hand and squeezed it. "I betrayed you once Colin. And it was the biggest regret of my life. I will not make the same mistake again."

Her words washed over me. For once I believed her with every fiber of my being. Taking the smallest of steps, I closed the distance between us. The energy was so palpable that I was sure she felt it too.

Alicia's breath hitched and a flash of fear lit up in her eyes. As badly as I wanted to bend down and kiss her, I could see that she was not ready. So instead I placed the softest of kisses on the top of her head.

+++

Alicia

After Colin left, I was in a bit of a daze. Seeing him arrive unannounced at my apartment was the last thing I expected. When I woke up that morning, I found I couldn't go to work. I was afraid that when I saw Colin, my new-found resolve would break and I wouldn't be able to distance myself from him.

Well, I guess it didn't matter in the end since he came and found me. But boy, I was not expecting what he came to say. I saw the apology coming. For acting like a "jerk" as he put it. But I had never seen Colin become so vulnerable. And I think God was using it to reveal the root of his hurt.

Going to the office the next morning was not easy. I kept telling myself that I only had to survive three more days. Then I'd be back in my own space. Away from Colin and his sweet, gentle kisses.

I basically kept my eyes glued to the floor as I walked to my cubicle. I couldn't take the risk of seeing Colin and turning into a puddle.

Once I actually got my head into the work before me, time seemed to fly by. Our social media sites were gaining a lot of traction and I had confidence that Amir and Casey would be able to carry the torch once I was gone.

Casey...Was she trying to steal from CyberSecure? She may not have the sunniest personality but that hardly meant she was a criminal.

Not knowing what to think, I headed to the kitchenette for my third cup of coffee. As I waited for my mug to fill, Sandy joined me.

"Good to see you back Alicia."

"Thanks Sandy. How are things with you?"

She shrugged. "Can't complain. Same old, same old." Her mouth opened again as if to say more but then she must have changed her mind for she closed it and went over to the refrigerator.

"Is there something wrong, Sandy?"

Pulling out a bottle of water, Sandy twisted the lid back and forth. "It's probably nothing."

"Well, it's obviously bothering you, so it can't be totally nothing."

"I guess. Just between you and me, it has to do with Amir."

"Amir?" I was taken aback. "What's going on with him? He always seems so...laid back."

"He's been really concerned about Casey lately and keeps asking me questions about her. Like where she is when she's not at her desk or if I've seen her after hours."

It was a little strange I had to admit. "Do you think he's just trying to make sure that she's doing her job?"

"Possibly. He just seemed a little intense about it."

Did Amir know something going on with Casey? Working right beside her, he would be the perfect person to know her comings and goings. "Would you be okay if I asked Amir about it?"

Sandy looked relieved. "Please do. Then maybe he'll get off my back about it."

Giving a reassuring smile, I grabbed my coffee and went back to my desk. I sent off an email to Amir asking if he could stop by my office. Two minutes later, Amir was standing in front of me.

"What can I do for you boss?"

"I'm afraid this isn't a work meeting Amir."

His smile faltered.

"Sandy approached me about you asking a lot of questions concerning Casey. Is everything alright?"

Amir let out a sigh. "I'm worried about her. She's been more antsy lately, which is very unlike her. She's also started working till late into the evening. I asked Sandy since she seems to know everything that goes on around here. But I didn't want anything getting back to Mr. Evans until I had some idea of what was going on."

I nodded. "I understand your concern. Have you tried simply asking Casey about it?"

Amir laughed. "In case you haven't noticed, Casey does not relinquish personal information easily."

"I guess not." I tapped my pen on the desk as I tried to think what Casey could be up to. With her being the only other suspect, it wasn't looking good. "Thanks Amir. I'll be sure to keep an eye out as well."

Back on my own again, it was hard to refocus when something was clearly up with Casey. Should I approach Colin about it? I immediately scratched the idea. I had nothing but hearsay, hardly incriminating evidence. But maybe I could find some.

I'm sure Cameron would laugh at my attempt to sleuth. How hard could it be? Amir had told Sandy that Casey had been working late. I just had to stay later and see where she went. Piece of cake.

Well by the time five o'clock rolled around, I constantly went to refill my water bottle or head to the washroom. Each time, peeking around the corner to see if Casey was still at her desk.

By six, Casey was packing up and ready to head home. I dashed back to my office to grab my things and followed her down. When I arrived back, I just caught a flash of blue hair as the stairwell door closed. Should I follow her? What if she was trying to make it look like she was going home so she could sneak back up later to nose around?

I made sure all the lights were off to make it appear everyone had left for the night. I found a corner that gave me a few of the elevator and the door and I simply waited.

Five minutes go by. Ten minutes. Fifteen minutes. I shuffled my feet, my legs beginning to cramp. It appeared she wasn't coming back. Maybe she did leave for the day.

I hated to leave without knowing where Casey had gone but there was hardly anything I could do about it now. Taking the elevator down, I pondered my next steps. Other than the odd behavior, I hadn't witnessed anything incriminating. Then again, I never actually saw Casey leave the building. Tomorrow I was going to be sure that I left at the exact same time so I could see where she was going. If anything, I should be able to put Amir's fears aside that she wasn't doing anything...nefarious.

But if not Casey then who? Colin said the intruder looked like a woman. The weight of the situation suddenly felt very heavy. I was way in over my head, but Colin had just started to trust me. I needed to show that I was on his side. And catching this thief was a sure way of doing just that.