MATE AND HIS LOVER 9

#25 It is stress free

At their destination, Daisy stops by one of the shops in the airport. She picks up a cap and a face mask and thrusts them to Nate. "Put them on."

Nate looks at them. "No. Why should I hide my face?"

"Two reasons: First, for those who'll think you're my associate, I don't want them to see your face. Second, you don't want anyone to recognize you while you're babysitting a former Stanton member."

Reluctantly Nate wears the cap and mask. Outside the airport, they catch a cab to a hotel Daisy had booked on their way here.

It's a five star hotel.

They pick up their key and head to their room. Nate sees Daisy's hand and there's only one key. He wonders why she booked only one room for them and if it's okay to share, and yet, he doesn't want to ask for another.

So they get in.

Daisy, as soon as she enters, takes out and opens her laptop.

"Are we going anywhere soon? Or can I get refreshed first?" Nate says.

"We're not going anywhere."

"What about your job? Shouldn't you be somewhere?"

"I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be to do my job."

Nate looks around the room, before he quietly tells her, "You're robbing this hotel?"

"Goodness, Nate, what do you think I am? I'm doing nothing to the hotel, except use their online visitors inventory to access their server."

"Why?" he asks, taking off his shirt.

Daisy stops typing and stares at Nate's chiseled torso. Nate walks over to Daisy. "Want to touch?" he says, bending down to her.

"Yes," she says, reaching out her hand.

Startled, Nate quickly backs off.

Daisy smirks and goes back to typing.

Nate soon goes under the shower to cool his head and body. She's teasing him, he thinks. She's always teasing him.

When he comes back out, Daisy is putting on her shoes. "I'm going to meet with an old contact of mine. You order in your lunch, and I'll see you in the evening."

Nate blocks Daisy's way. His hair and shoulders are still wet. "I didn't come here for a vacation. Where you go, I go."

"You weren't this clingy back home," Daisy says, closing up on him.

Nate's cool and fresh skin starts to sweat. "Back home, I could have my men follow you."

Daisy moves even closer, staring back into his dark eyes. His heart beats louder by the second in her ears. She keeps the stare as long as possible, hoping he'll move. But when it starts to affect her, too, she drops her gaze. "Fuck, fine. Get dressed. I don't want to be late. And wear the cap and mask."

DAISY AND NATE catch a cab at the hotel front.

"What about your job?" Nate says.

"It's over."

Nate opens his mouth to ask what exactly she was up to, but Daisy beats him to it. "The company that owns the hotel also owns a construction business. They are competing for a high-value tender by the Mexican government for a four-lane bridge. One of their competitors hired me to find what their bid is so they could underbid them and get the tender."

"You work with corporates, too?"

"For the right price, I'll work with anyone."

"Must be a stress-free life — No morality to keep; No guilty towards the victims. Just living your life, one crime at a time."

Daisy smiles. "It is stress free."

"What else you do? Besides hacking?"

"What else I need to do? Hacking keeps me busy enough."

Nate wants to ask more of what she does. How far she goes to get the work done? But stops his questioning and looks outside the window. He's curious about her past, and he's not sure if it's smart to find out about it.

Daisy can tell he's holding himself back, and is thankful for it. Even though she's not ashamed of her past, or present, she wants to keep Nate out of it. Out of the kind of life that he's too good of a man to be in.

The cab drops them near a slum by the shore. Daisy pays the driver in cash, and she and Nate walk across rows of small run down houses made of metal sheets.

Daisy seeks for the orange house she remembers from a couple of years ago. She soon finds it and knocks twice on its door.

A bearded middle-aged man appears before them. As soon as he sees Daisy the man looks shocked.

Daisy guiltily smiles. "Sorry for coming here so suddenly, Pablo."

The man shakes his head, and gives her a hug. "No, no, you're welcome any time. I just... Never mind, get in."

Nate notices how the man nervously looks outside his house before closing the door behind them.

Pablo says, "It's just, I heard..."

"Everything you heard is true. And that's kind of why I'm here."

Pablo sighs, and then he notices Nate is still standing. Pablo slides a chair towards Nate. "Take a seat."

Nate sits down while watching Pablo scratching his head before he starts to talk to Daisy again. "I'm not sure how I can help. You kn—"

"I just need a meeting with Antonio."

"If it's asylum, y—"

"I'm not looking for an asylum, I need a place to get lost in," Daisy says.

Nate fists his palms. He realizes she's here to find herself a new hideout.

Daisy continues, "Antonio is not in good terms with Ian, he can help me out a little. And of course, I'll make it his worthwhile. Your name won't even come up in all this. I just need one meeting, Pablo."

Pablo's leg starts twitching, and he starts sweating and turning pale.

"Pablo," Daisy says.

Pablo stands up and starts to pace.

"You might wanna calm down there a bit, dude," Nate says.

Something doesn't feel right to Daisy. And then it strikes her. She gets up quickly. "Ian has someone watching this place?" 

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