The Undergrounders - R

[nickey]

His eyebrows shot up in utter surprise when the waitress had informed the pair that the meal was compliments of the owner; Alex’s response was almost cocky, as though she had been expecting something like that to happen. When she let the name slip past her lips, Rick, he knew they had to be something more than just casual acquaintances.

Cliff focused his attention away for a moment, watching as the other waitress passed. Hey body swayed with every step, her arms were full of plates that had food piled high and her lips pressed into a permanent smile. She was…cute. She would do for a quick release. He glanced quickly at Alex, before he shook his head. Now was not the time or place to be looking for a casual hook-up…no matter how bad he needed that no-commitment type of feel-good moment.

Cliff stood from the booth, watching closely as Alex followed behind. The hem of her dress slid up her body, revealing more of her thigh than was intended. Her smooth, tan skin shone under the dim lighting in the restaurant. His mouth went dry and his heart started to beat faster as the blood started to rush to the wrong head.

Quickly Cliff averted his eyes, cleared his throat and walked ahead as to not make his uncomfortableness obvious. Silent prayers echoed in his mind, repeating over and over that he needed to keep his cool and keep himself together while staying at her place for the night. For crying out loud, he hadn’t even full decided on whether or not to keep her around.

Eyebrows arched upward again at the thought. If she became disposable, then it wouldn’t matter whether he took care of his urges tonight or not.

However, if he chose to keep her around and use her for her abilities he didn’t want sex to get in the way of her professionalism.

Maybe there was a way to talk her into a benefits type of situation?

Cliff growled under his breath, realizing that he was getting way too ahead of himself. He had to calm down, he had to find another way to release the stress. He dug around in the pockets of his jacket and breathed a sigh of relief when that familiar box fell into his hands. Without a second thought a cigarette found its way into Cliff’s mouth, filling his lungs with the bitter taste of nicotine smoke.

He let the cigarette linger for a moment longer than he usually dig, taking a deeper drag. His fingers raked through the mess on his head while his eyes met with Alex’s face. He couldn’t really tell what she was thinking or feeling in that moment, but that could have been because he was busy trying to distract himself from urges.

Only when the smoke took its toll and his muscles began to relax did Cliff fully comprehend that they were walking the streets of the Surface…at night time. Again his anxiety levels began to rise and another cigarette fled to his mouth like baby to a mother. “We need to get off the streets,” he began, snapping his head in all directions to ensure they were alone, “I can’t be out here at night.”

He wished they had access to a car, at the very least, to help them around the city faster than walking. He had no idea where her apartment was or if they were even headed there.

“How far until we get to your place?” The cigarette dropped from his hand and squashed under his foot, “Do you have cameras around your apartment, too?”

A deep chuckle surfaced from him, trying his hardest to relax and not show Alex just how irritable he was becoming. “More importantly, do you have a spare room? I’m not digging sleeping on the couch again.”

[athena]

“Relax,” Alex said softly as she watched Cliff take another drag on his cigarette. She was quickly coming to learn that those little cancer sticks were his safety blanket. He pulled one out whenever he was anxious, nervous, or even when he was lost in thought. Delicately she laced her arm through the crook of his elbow and offered a charming smile. “My apartment is only a few blocks away. And please. What is the likelihood you’ll be recognized? Anybody who wanted to find you would be looking for somebody who looked like they crawled out from the Underground. I’d like to point out you look like the furthest thing from that. You look like a wealthy Surfacer who’s on a stroll with his lovely companion.”

She tugged him in the right direction. “And yes there is an extra bed. And cameras.” Cliff stopped, shooting her an accusing glare. Alex detached herself from his elbow and crossed her arms over her chest. “Please. You can’t expect me to live somewhere without security. But don’t worry. I know the system. You’ll be fine.” Another cigarette found its way to his lips and a scowl settled over his brow. Alex shrugged and let out an exasperated sigh. “Look I know it’s scary but you’re going to have to trust me on this one. I’ll keep you safe.” She winked playfully, hoping it would diffuse some of the tension. Finally, Cliff offered a small nod, one that Alex took to mean they were in the clear.

“Good. Off we go then.” Alex walked slowly, letting Cliff catch up. They walked, slowly picking up their pace. She led him a few blocks north before turning left into an apartment community called The Glen. The high rises loomed over them, the pearly white of the building gleaming against the streetlights. It was by no means an upper class neighborhood, but it was still fairly well to do. Upper middle class perhaps. “Here we are,” Alex offered. “We’ll go around the back.” She led him down a side alley to the back entrance. “Camera there,” Alex said pointing it out by the door. “It’s a fake. See the steady red light? Normal cameras of this type have a blinking light. If it’s a steady one, it’s either a fake or the memory is full and it’s no longer recording.” She took a moment to dig around in her bag for the key card. Eventually she found it and slid it across the pad.

“There’s another one in the hallway. It’s broken. No light on.” She led him through the warmly lit hallway to the gold plated elevators. Alex pushed the up button. “There’s another one in the elevator. This one works. Stand with your back against the button panel and you’ll be right under it. It won’t catch you. Just don’t push anything.” The doors slid open and Alex stepped in, making sure Cliff slid against the wall to the panel. She pushed the button for floor 18. “There’s another camera in my hall. This one’s tricky. It works, and you can’t stand under it.” The elevator smoothly lifted as it began it’s trek to the 18th floor. “Take a right out of the elevator, and you’re back will be to the camera. You’ll be on camera, but your face won’t. You’ll just look like a guest. It’s the best I can do.”

They remained silent for the rest of the ride up, the only sound the gentle tinkling of the elevator music. The machine glided to a stop, and the doors slid open. Cliff followed her directions to a tee and took the right out of the elevator. Alex stepped out behind him. Again, she looped her arm through the crook of his elbow and led him down the hall. She paused at 1820 to unlock the door. She pushed it inward into the darkness that was her home. Cliff stepped in as Alex fumbled for the light switch. As the door clicked shut behind her, her fingers found the switch. Warm light illuminated the apartment, revealing the dark wood floors and soft blue walls. Alex slid around Cliff to turn on more lights.

He followed her, taking in the apartment as it opened up into the living room and kitchen. The selling point of the apartment had been the open floor plan and the wall that as nothing but window. And the building was owned by organization. No rent was always a perk. The lights of the city skyline dimly illuminated the living room before Alex clicked on another light. She kicked of her heels. “My bedroom’s over there, office over there, guest bath and bed there,” she said as she pointed out each room. Cliff, however, didn’t seem to be paying attention. His focus was on the apartment. Alex watched as his eyes roamed, taking in the building before settling on the wall of pictures. They had all been staged of course. Everybody in those pictures belonged to the organization, except for Matthew who had been her target. They made her look like she had a vibrant life. Beach trips with friends, hiking, galas. The activities were endless.

Alex sighed. “No smoking in here. If you have to light up go out on the balcony. And shut the door. I don’t want any of that in here. Other than that help yourself to whatever I have. I may have some of Matt’s old clothes lying around...” She disappeared into her bedroom and dug around in one of the drawers. She grabbed the first few things that she came across. Alex padded back into the living room and tossed them across the leather couch. “Here. I doubt they’ll fit but it’s better then sleeping in that suit. I’m going to crawl in bed now, so....yea.” Alex left Cliff to finish exploring. It’s not like he’d find anything incriminating. Still, she left the door open as she slid out of her dress and undergarments and into an oversized t-shirt and shorts. With a bit of excitement, Alex turned down the blankets, crawled into the sheets, and clicked off the lights. She pulled her hair down and reached for the TV remote. The TV hummed to life as the soft sounds of talking filled her room. “Oh Cliff?” She called. “Be sure to turn of the lights and lock the doors before you go to bed. Thanks.” With that, she buried into her pillows and blankets to watch the old movie that was on TV.