The Morning After

Hayami awoke with a start, her eyes opening to the light of the midafternoon sun peeking into the room. Above her, a pair of fans slowly spun, stirring the air and drawing it up to the vaulted ceilings above.

Her world was, at present, soft. Remarkably and almost, uncomfortably so. In fact, as she stirred in the sheets, she wondered how a mattress could be so squishy and bedding so breathable. Even with the paycheque she made doing jobs for the gang, she never spent it on luxuries like soft beds and fine sheets.

Sitting up, she looked around the space. It was lavishly decorated in tans, blues and browns. The furniture was dark, raw wood, while the fabrics that lined chairs and chaise alike were unblemished linens. Ornate wall sconces flanked a pair of glass doors with flowy curtains drawn before them, and coastal-themed decor tastefully filled the rest of the room.

She took in the space as memories of how she had gotten there began to enter her mind once more. The meeting with the boss, rushing to the station, finding the mark, dealing with headhunters, the car chase…

I was shot. Hayami finally remembered.

Reaching a hand up, she touched her shoulder. What she found was a well-maintained patch that, upon removing the bandaging, revealed a finely sutured wound.

“That’s a good stitch.” She remarked, thinking of the hack jobs she had committed to when fixing herself in the past.

Next, she pulled the gauze from her neck and found a tender, but healing, graze. Counting her blessings, she acknowledged that another inch over and she would have been a goner. But the fact of the matter was that she was still alive and, by the looks of things, had successfully infiltrated the Hildebrand estate—though this was just the beginning of her job.

Her next mission was to find the flash drive that she had hidden on the mark when they were on the train. Thinking back to it, she remembered pressing herself against him and the feeling of their lips touching. He hadn’t been the first guy, or girl for that matter, she’d had to seduce on a mission to get the job done. But of all the others, he was the sloppiest.

She remembered the unappealing feeling of his wet lips against hers as she reached her hands into his coat and planted the flash drive. After all, she expected to be in regular combat and damaging the device would have been mission over immediately. Unfortunately, once she had finally secured the coat from him, the inner compartment that the device had been tucked away in was empty.

Even taking the opportunity during the car chase to fall over him and casually check his pockets turned up nothing helpful—except for that second time when she had brushed against something particularly rigid that she chose to ignore. Again, while she was not the type of girl to ever seal the deal with anything other than a bullet or blade, it wasn’t her first time seducing the other sex. She understood anatomy and hormones enough to put the pieces together.

“Did that idiot lose it without realizing?” She cursed her mark and herself with a single statement.

If she was going to confirm that the flash drive had made it, she would need to find the mark’s pants. And if the device wasn’t there, she’d need to return to the site of the disembarkation next.

“But first things first, learn the status of my current situation and map the floor plan.”

Information on the villa’s layout had been incomplete in the dossier, with the most recent floor plans being the original construction blueprints, nearly a hundred years old, and notes detailing at least three secretive remodels. In other words, she didn’t know what she was getting into.

Removing the sheets from her body and sliding her feet from the edge of the bed, Hayami suddenly realized something.

These aren’t my clothes…

She looked over her body and the pale skin that rarely saw the light of day. It stood out against the black of the silken kimono-style robe. Lifting her arms, she inspected the loose, flowing sleeves that were the extension of the same floral print as the body of the fabric.

What the hell?! Who undressed me!

Jumping to her feet, she stared down her body at the cherry blossoms and leaves adorning the mid-length robe, which stopped just below her knees. Pulling at the V-neck wrapped top, she stared down at her sports bra before tightening the fabric belt around her waist.

At least they didn’t remove—was it the idiot lecher? Did he do this? Oh, killing him is going to be fun.

Hayami began her inspection of the space, taking her first step towards one of the interior doors. Twisting the knob, she opened to a bathroom that was roughly the size of the apartment she called home. The lights slowly began to warm as sensors detected her presence, unveiling marble surfaces, polished faucets, a tub big enough for three and a shower just as large.

Holy—Wait, is that. She became immediately distracted by the twenty-foot mirror and her reflection. Okay, I’m definitely keeping this robe once this job is done. I’ll have to make sure not to get blood on it.

She gave a twirl, admiring the way the dress flowed and allowing her silver hair to drape over her shoulder before quickly braiding it. Taking a few minutes to preen herself in the mirror, she moved on to exploring the room. The inspection was thorough, opening dressers and drawers, peeking beneath the bed and under lamps, searching for cameras and bugs. Eventually, she drew the curtains open and stepped out onto the second-floor balcony of the villa.

With a gasp, she stared out over the unblemished beauty that was the open ocean. The villa, which was more mansion than home, stretched parallel to a rocky edge that fell off into the deep blue ocean. As far as she could see in either direction, there was nothing but cliff and sea. No homes or roads. No ships or planes. Just the beautiful waters, capped with white, and glimmering in the sun.

A gentle breeze flared the bottom of her robe, which she caught and kept in place as she stepped to the glass panel divider marking the edge of her balcony. Leaning over the railing, she inhaled the coastal air and took in the beauty.

“Wow,” She remarked, staring out at the view with a jealous admiration. “Must be nice. I thought the boss had money, but this is stupid.”

“Hayami!” A voice cried out from below. “Hayami, you’re awake!”

Shifting her gaze, she looked over the side of the railing towards the first-floor patio adjacent to her balcony. There, sitting at a table with a phone and coffee, was her mark.

Speaking of stupid. Hayami thought to herself, giving an unenthusiastic wave in reply. Remember to play the part.

“Come down and have breakfast with me!” He called out.

Breakfast? She continued to think, glancing up at the midafternoon sun. Rich people are so weird.

“Okay!” She yelled back as another gust of wind flared her robe when she was least expecting it.

The fabric parted, revealing her black cotton undergarments to the boy below. An immediate flush of warmth filled her cheeks as she grabbed at the robe, trying to wrest control of the fabric from the wind. She glanced down at the mark, who looked up at her with a bashful stare.

“Gyah! Look away, idiot!” She cried out.

“Yes! Sorry!”

Turning, with a scowl, Hayami couldn’t help but feel a sense of embarrassment at flashing her mark. Revealing flesh, let alone the intimate regions, was not part of her seduction routine. She would need to retrieve her old wardrobe quickly so she could feel more comfortable.

That was when she remembered she had tossed out the hoodie she had been wearing, and the jacket had been his.

Crap, what am I going to wear?

A gentle rap against the final, unexplored door alerted her to a visitor. Searching the room, she quickly noted a dozen objects she could use to defend herself before stepping towards the glass vase of roses as her first choice.

“What?” She instinctively called out before clearing her throat and attempting to be more formal. “I mean, come in.”

The door opened, and a man entered. Standing over six feet tall and wearing butler’s attire over his thick arms and barrel chest, he moved with quiet steps into the space. She inspected him thoroughly, from the top of his salt-and-peppered head with fixated brown eyes to the pristine uniform and polished shoes.

Daaaamn— She thought to herself, doing her best to hide her shaking hand and the anxious feeling that welled in her chest. The dossier said the butler was big, but this guy is beastly. He’s got to be ex-military.

“Good day, Miss.” He replied coolly. “Our seamstresses have finished the alterations of your afternoon attire.”

“The what have prepared my what?” She gasped, looking at the clothing the butler hung in a nearby, empty armoire.

“When you’re ready, please step out into the mezzanine and I will escort you to the terrace.”

Without another word, the man stepped from the room, shutting the door with a quiet click. This left Hayami alone, suddenly wondering what she had gotten herself into as she looked at the fine clothes that had been left for her.

When in Costa Bellissima, I guess…