Beginner Spy

Chapter 8

chapter 8 | tied to the bed

"what a plot twist you were"

-unknown

Aria POV

When I wake up for the 3rd time in a strange bed I just stop trying to understand. I stop trying to see my surroundings. I guess being kidnapped and dragged around the world does that to a person. I know it's wrong and I shouldn't be doing that but I am SO tired, even though I am pretty sure I slept in the last 24 hours more than the last 2 years of college.

I try to lift my head to look at my surroundings and I notice it doesn't hurt that much anymore. My neck doesn't hurt either. I am also extremely happy that my hands are free, no sip ties, no handcuffs.

This time I am sitting in a fancy room on a fancy bed. I am still dressed in my pyjamas, I swear after everything is over I am going to burn them so I never have to see them again. In contradiction with the other two places I woke up this is by far the best. The room, I think it's a bedroom and has a high ceiling. The lack of accessories and decor in general makes me think that it's a hotel room.

Who said that the movies wouldn't help.

But the movies don't explain why I am in a hotel room and not in the hospital. Right then I hear the doors open. I can't see who it is but I bet all my money that it's Blake so I prepare a sarcastic remark

"If you start laughing again, I assure you that this time I am not restrained and I won't-"

A woman comes into view.

Shit.

Good thing I am broke because I just lost all my money.

"If you prefer the times when you wake up restrained, just say the words and we can arrange that."

"Oh" I stutter, I'm speechless. "Are you Blake's boss?" The words came out before I could stop them. I don't think it's the best way to address the lady in front of me. She is middle aged. But with the make-up, the styled hair, the clothes and the confidence it was impossible for me to say the exact age but then again I was never good at guessing people's ages.
The power is radiating off her in waves. Everything from the way she is dressed, a simple yet expensive looking white suit, but I am pretty sure the suit isn't just expensive looking, that thing looks like it costs more than my one month rent, that I share with Charlotte, to the way she walks this woman is the definition of power. If I wouldn't still be disoriented from the sedative or from the time I blacked out I think I would actually cower in fear. It took me a fraction of a second to think all of this out so I quickly add,

"Ma'am, uh... miss- sor-sorry... excuse me" I let it all out in a breath.

Shit.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

After a pause of a few seconds but what seemed hours for me. In which I watch her face. A full poker face by the way, I can't see any emotion on it.

Until the corner of her mouth moves up a little bit. Amusement.

"It's madam to you and to answer your question: Yes I am Blake's boss"

"Oh" I stopped myself before saying anything else. So now we were kind of staying in silence, I tried to not be bothered to not feel the awkwardness that was engulfing the room. In just a few moments everything was screaming for me to say something, anything, the walls were all begging me to just at least move the sheets so it would break the silence, the lady's gaze didn't help. She was looking at me, analyzing me, waiting for a response, for a reaction. Well I wasn't about to give it to her.

I read somewhere that silence is power, if you are in a room with a person that intimidates you and you know that she holds all the power like this lady, it's best to keep quiet, don't be the first to speak. She is trying to intimidate me. And consider me intimidated, but one I am not going to not give her the satisfaction of showing her that I'm scared, really scared.

So I do the craziest thing ever and make eye contact.

EYE CONTACT.

Do you know what that is? And what it does to me? I am scared to look anyone in the eyes, I just feel like they are looking into my soul and seeing all my secrets. But here I am looking this definition of power in the eyes.

And I am holding eye contact.

I'm not backing down.

Nope.

Not today.

I can be very stubborn sometimes. But it isn't one of the words my friends would use to describe me. But the last few days have apparently given me some confidence, or maybe it is just from the painkillers and the sleeping drugs.

So here we are staring at each other, in a room where you could hear the blood rushing through my veins.

Suddenly there is a knock on the door, it scares the shit out of me and I inhale really fast, my heart rate increases significantly and I move my hand to my chest to try and convince myself that my heart is still there, still beating and to slow down my breathing, by doing so I break the eye contact.

When I looked up again the lady moved to the door to open it. A butler comes inside.

Do these people have a ton of butlers? I personally have only seen them before in movies and this is the second one I see in just a few days. He silently goes to my nightstand, places a tray down and leaves.

The lady just looks at me and motions towards the tray that has a glass of water and some pills on it. "In case your head still hurts"

She turns towards the door ready to leave.

When I found my voice and retorted back "If you think I am going to take some random pills you just gave me on a napkin you think too low of me."

"Did I force you to take them?"

I wasn't ready for a question and before I could think of something she left but not before demanding

"Try and get some rest we have a lot to do tomorrow"