Under My Skin

Under My Skin - Part 51

9:26 A.M. Luvor Ballroom.

"You know we don't really need to clean this stuff," said Louis, tossing the wood cleaner to Will on the ladder. The ballroom with all the wood paneling and gilded marble columns was massive; one bottle of Murphy's Oil wasn't going to take care of it all.

To get the Luvor properly wired up with Surveillance, Cetz had a team consisting of Beni, Reese, Will, Louis, and Franklin go in as part of the maintenance crew. Fake IDs proclaiming them help hired especially for the fundraiser were made and the polo uniforms handed out. According to Louis they were a neckerchief away from being the slave outfits of Martha Stewart. They managed to blend in with the maintenance without a fuss. Until the main decorator, Sharon, told Louis to take his shades off inside. A quick story about weak eyesight made the decorator fall back, but she glared at Louis every chance he could. In a way she reminded Will of Rachel in a bad mood.

Franklin hooked them up with the cleaning supplies. Olivia coordinated the placing of the bugs via the van. Their objective was to have eyes and ears in the hotel, ballroom, and convention center. It had taken a day to bug the hot spots in the hotel, another for the convention center hallways. Only on the day of the fundraiser did they have the opening and the time to take on the massive ballroom.

"It helps make the part believable," said Will, dousing his washcloth and bringing out the golden wood-grain in a cherub while placing the camera in the shadow of its curved wing. He lowered his voice and clicked his earbud, talking to the team connected communicator. "View on camera three?"

"A little to the left," said Oliva over the com. "There, perfect view of the high table. Say hi to the camera, Beni."

Beni gave a quick one finger salute before laying out the next centerpiece of white roses and ribbons in white vases, each one being slipped a microphone.

"Where's Reese?" muttered Louis, snapping the dust out of his cloth and glaring at the bright, glittering chandelier that hung in the middle of the room. "Damn Rusthead taking another break."

"Actually, I think he's still helping Franklin with the champagne lounge." Will descended from the ladder and they both moved over to the next marble pillar. "Why don't you like Reese?"

"I need a reason?"

"There's a reason for everything. Like Martin Zachs; there is a reason he's such a pretentious, nit-picking..."

"Nosey, perfectionist, anal, soap-sucking dick," finished Louis. "People like him grow up that way no matter what."

"No, hear me out," said Will. "Zachs told me he took the job in Security because he had seen too many people hurt over lack of attention to detail. After Meg showed me how to use the Watch Database I looked up his history. His mother flipped houses for a living; renovating houses from the roof to the tile, old houses and new. She fell through a patch of rotten lumber in a new house and was paralyzed from the waist down. His father died a few years later in a construction accident. His sister still helps renovate houses, but is in the hospital now for mesothelioma. That's why Zachs' is so intent on security and regulations. It was the lack of such that hurt his family."

"So you think if everyone followed the rule to a T then he wouldn't have turned out like the dick he is?"

"I'm just saying there are reasons for people being the way they are," said Will. And maybe there is a reason you keep putting up a wall whenever I try to reach out. "And you still haven't told me why you hate Reese so much."

"I don't need a reason to hate the guy that stole my wallet while shaking my hand," said Louis.

Will chuckled and ascended to take on the next cherub with his washcloth and camera. "He stole mine too when I first met him. It's his way of initiating rookies. He even taught me how he did it after I asked him to give it back."

"I was two years into the Watch when he stole mine!"

"You don't like that someone got one over on you."

"Duh."

Will snickered and then went silent for a beat. "If you want I can teach you a trick to get back at him."

"What could you possibly teach me?" said Louis.

Will climbed down the ladder, switching off his com, and leaned close, taking advantage of whispering in the blonde's ear and steadying himself with a hand on his partner's shoulder. It was one thing to have Louis inside him, but it was a different kind of thrill to be so close to his warm body. As he whispered his idea, his free hand danced lighter than a breath of air about the waist of Louis's khakis.

Once Will was done talking, Louis tilted his head and stared at his partner, an eyebrow raised. "Really, you can do that?"

"Really," assured Will.

"How?"

Will lifted his hand, bringing the belt he had slipped from Louis' pants. The blonde slapped a hand to his waist and snatched the belt back.

"I didn't need an immersive demonstration, Fanboy," he snarled, slipping the belt back through the loops. "Damn you're as bad as Rusthead."

"But it got my point across. What do you think?"

Louis stepped away from the ladder, leaving Will to move it on his own. "I'll think about it."

Will grinned as he moved the ladder. Taking the belt had been too easy. If only it was coming off for a different circumstance.

One of the Luvor's actual workers, Sharon's right hand if the clipboard and pinched mouth was any indicator, snapped his fingers in Will's direction. "You! You with the ladder. Go out to the van and help Yani bring the banners in."

Will nodded and hopped to the task.

"Eager little goody-two-shoes Fanboy," muttered Louis. When he saw the decorator glaring at his shades again he wished he had that stupid neckerchief to wring the woman's neck.