"The Art of Betrayal"
Oleta River Park six-thirty AM, just like the day before. Still unsure about how she would approach Cross, especially after the odd encounter, Sage just found herself running past seven. She didn't stop to look for him or anything - just ran.
Winging it didn't work in her favor. She needed a plan like she was used to.
Wrapping around the trail, Sage arrived at the bench where she tied her shoe the day before.
Wrinkles in her forehead appeared when she noticed Cross sitting on said bench. He was looking right at her; he'd been waiting.
Sage was so focused on running that she couldn't remember if he had been there the whole time.
This time he had on a tank top and no sweat to prove he worked out. It looked as if he hadn't even done a push-up, let alone jogged.
When Sage got closer, he stood. Unconsciously, she stopped, staring intensely into his eyes. He still looked sad.
"Man, you can run," he gave a glimpse of his white smile with a smirk.
"Have you been waiting for me?" Sage panted, surprised and still staring at him like he was some foreign object that she'd never seen before.
"Yeah, I have," he nodded, not at all embarrassed by his actions toward a woman he didn't know.
Cross held out his hand. "Mason."
Clearing her throat in an attempt to seem confident, she shook his hand, "Sage."
"Sage," he smiled with a slight look of awe in his eyes.
Cross was now staring at her and not like she was a foreign object. He eyed every inch of her face like he was taking in every detail of her pulchritude.
Sage cleared her throat, fighting the urge to look away. Being seen was uncomfortable for her.
"This might sound a little out of nowhere, but do you want to get some coffee or something?"
"Right now?" her eyes widened a bit.
"Yeah, unless you have something to do."
"No, no, no," Sage gulped. "My uh, schedule is open."
"Okay, good. Follow me. I know a great coffee spot not too far from here."
With an awkward nod, Sage forced a smile as she walked beside him.
..........
Cross wouldn't stop staring at Sage, and it pissed her off. The annoying part was, he noticed her discomfort and didn't seem to care. It was taking everything in her not to punch his handsome face.
Now that they were sitting across from each other, she could now examine his facial features. Those sad brown eyes were now full of intrigue about the strange woman who asked about his wellbeing not even a day ago.
Cross had a diamond-shaped face that looked more structured with his kept-up facial hair. His dark brown hair was neatly combed, unlike yesterday in its sweat-filled matted mess.
Cross had a silver nose ring and miniature black gages. He wore a silver chain around his neck with a cross as the pendant.
When he was ordering their coffee, Sage noticed that he was wearing jeans and a nice fresh pair of sneakers.
It was evident that he didn't plan on starting his day with a jog at all.
His swag was also apparent. For someone so rich, he wore just enough expensive clothing to not come off as filthy rich. He looked like any other guy walking down the streets of Miami.
Staring back at him with wrinkles in her forehead, Sage stirred her iced latte with her straw.
Oddly, she wasn't nervous anymore.
Just desperate to get him to say something rather than stare the entire time.
After all, he asked her for coffee. The least he could do was talk.
"Do you always stare at women that you ask out?" she asked him curiously.
"Only the ones who bump into me," he took a long sip of his cold brew. "Do you always ask strangers how they are?"
"Only those who bump into me," Sage shrugged. "Otherwise, I typically steer clear of any human interaction."
Cross chuckled at that; Sage didn't. She was serious and being herself; she couldn't act if she tried even after training.
Sage puts her coffee to the side, leaning on the table. "Have you lost someone?" she asked curiously.
Since they got to the coffee shop, Cross pulled his gaze away from her for the first time. He ran a finger down his perspiring cup. "How'd you know?"
"Once a mourner, always a mourner," Sage said with a distant look in her eyes. She'd gone somewhere else mentally, and Cross noticed.
"I just lost my mom," his words brought her back. "She was sick."
Sage took in this information quietly.
No one told her about any of his family connections that could hinder or help the mission.
"I'm sorry to hear that," she said sincerely. "Losing a parent its . . . traumatic."
"Does it get better?"
"As long as there are memories, no," she shook her head. "I'm afraid not. At least for me."
Suddenly feeling thirsty, Sage sipped her coffee. Sensing Cross's intense gaze on her again, she drank faster.
Anyone else would be horrified by her lack of consolation for someone experiencing loss. But Cross seemed to be even more intrigued by her and a bit smitten.
Sage didn't like it despite it being her mission to make it happen. The urge to ditch was suddenly too strong to fight against. She let out a small burp after sipping the rest of her caffeinated beverage.
"Well," she started getting up. "Thanks for the coffee."
"You're leaving?" Cross got up, unconsciously blocking her way.
Sage took a slight step back, just realizing how tall he was in comparison to her. The broad shoulders added an evident size difference between the two as well.
"I've got a thing," she said a bit curtly than intended.
She could never say anything without sounding like she had an attitude.
"Right, of course," Cross nodded. "Well, how about we run together tomorrow?"
Sage mentally face palmed herself as she actually thought about her answer. She didn't have a choice but to go.
Cross wasn't just some guy she had bumped into, he was a criminal she needed to catch, and she just remembered that.
Being out in the open felt so out of place that she forgot she was on duty.
"Yeah, sure," she nodded. "Seven AM."
"I'll be there," he smiled.
Sage gave an awkward one in return before leaving out. Again she felt him watching her the whole time, but she never looked back.
****
Hey guys! These are the first four chapters that I wrote for this story. I've been taking my time because I've never actually written a spy story and I want it to be really good. But I also wanted you guys to know that I didn't forget about it!
So let me know what you think so far! Does the plot still have your interest?
