Chapter 3. What's the plan?

A man behind the bar greeted Clarice with a big smile. "Bad day?" he guessed as Clarice sat down on one of the high stools.

"Not really," Clarice replied calmly, lying slightly. She took a quick look at the dozens of alcoholic beverages that lined the shelves behind the man's back. "Give me a Charro Atõmico. I'll go inside." One smooth movement and the woman was out of the chair.

"Just one?" the man asked, preventing Clarice from moving. Clarice asked with a look, which the man returned with a glance toward the entrance.

Clarice let out a weak breath. Without even turning around, she knew what the bartender was trying to show her. "Come in, Hunter."

The sound of footsteps began, then stopped when Clarice turned her head. The man had added a brown coat to the suit he had been wearing since morning. "Excuse me, Señorita."

Clarice turned to the bartender. "Two." Then to Hunter again. "Come on. I could use your opinion."

The woman walked further inside, opened the polished wooden door and selected a table with three single white sofas. Hunter took off his coat and hung it up, then followed his boss to sit on one of the empty couches.

"What would you like to hear me talk about?" Hunter began. He leaned in slightly, looking at Clarice intently.

"I'm going to get revenge on Shawn Sullivan."

Hunter waited for the rest of Clarice's sentence, but apparently the woman had no such intention, so he nodded. "You've already said it, then?"

"I'm going to be his mistress."

"Pardon?" Hunter thought he'd heard wrong. The frown on his forehead could in no way be hidden from Clarice's gaze in this poorly lit place.

"I plan to destroy Shawn Sullivan's relationship with... what's her name?"

Hunter thought for a second. "Summer McAuley."

"That's it."

"What's the plan?" Hunter asked, wanting to know the details. He had to know how far he'd have to go in order to help his boss.

Clarice looked straight ahead and spoke, slowly and clearly. "I am going to seduce him. I'm going to make him fall for me, then I'm going to destroy his relationship."

Hunter felt a shudder go down his spine. "You will also dig up information secretly?"

"Yes."

"For how long?"

A bartender came over, interrupting their conversation. Their order had arrived. Clarice and Hunter looked at each other briefly before both raised their glasses. "For as long as it takes to make Sullivan suffer, but The highlight of the stage will be their wedding," Clarice said with determination in her voice. She drained the drink, then looked at Hunter, waiting for him to speak.

"We're not going to break up their relationship in some other way?" Hunter asked, hoping that wasn't the case.

"It's best if we don't. That's not the goal," Clarice clarified.

"I see." Hunter leaned back against the couch, feeling slightly uncomfortable. He wasn't sure why.

"We're going to start by creating news of his affair with another woman, in this case me. The objective is to show McAuley that Sullivan is a bastard and is cheating on her," Clarice said calmly.

"And then?"

"Then we'll let it slip to McAuley," Clarice replied, giving the man a satisfied smile.

"I see. When people feel betrayed, they will try to betray back."

"Exactly."

"And you will be the bait, of course," Hunter concluded, realizing the trap that Sullivan had fallen into.

Clarice nodded. "Yes. I will be the bait."

Hunter remained silent for a long moment. "Señorita, do you have any idea how dangerous that is?"

"I have already gone through every possible danger." Choosing to find her own way in life instead of accepting all the places her parents had prepared for her, Clarice clearly knew many dangerous and risky things.

"If you succeed, you'll have revenge," he said, trying to understand. However, there was still something stuck in his heart. He knew that the woman in front of him could do whatever she wanted, but he still needed to know all the worst possibilities so he could anticipate them early. "What do you think Sullivan will do after he finds out you've been playing him?"

Clarice had already gone over it, but she was silent for a moment. "I don't know, but I can take care of myself," she concluded confidently.

"The fact that you can't tell me your plans will only make things worse, you know that, right?"

"What do you want to know?" Clarice asked with a touch of impatience.

"I want to know if you really think you can win."

"I will win," Clarice said with certainty.

Hunter looked down at his hands twirling the glass in agitation. "So, you've already decided," he observed.

"I have decided," she concluded, not yet realizing what the situation was.

"That means you don't need my thoughts in the first place," he said, for some reason there was a throbbing pain in his heart.

"Hunter ...."

Hunter then realized his place. He hurriedly diverted the conversation. "We can't start anything without making sure Sullivan falls in love with you. We need to know more about him."

Clarice thought for a second. "Yep. That's a good point."

Hunter drank from his glass, then looked at his boss. "Well, that's the part I'll be working on," he said with a slight smile. As much as Hunter didn't like the plan, he was certain of one thing: It was perfect.

***

Hunter planned to take Clarice home. Unlike before, Clarice's mood had improved.

"Your clothes aren't warm enough, Señorita." He put his coat on Clarice. Although the blazer was wrapped around Clarice's camisole top, the early spring night wind would still be a foe to Clarice's less cold-resistant body.

"Thank you," Clarice said, getting into the car. She put her seat belt on, then glanced at Hunter. "You look well."

Hunter smiled slightly. "Thanks."

Clarice closed her eyes and listened to the sounds coming from outside. It was quiet; the streets were almost empty. Hunter, on the other hand, was thinking. He was thinking about his boss, about her plan, about what to do next, about how to set everything up... And he was wondering about one thing in particular: Would Sullivan fall in love with Clarice?

They arrived at the basement of the Clarice's unit building. As the car stopped, Hunter took off his seat belt. Clarice also unbuckled hers.

"Hunter..."

"I am, Señorita?"

"I would like you to know that if something happens to me, it's okay," Clarice said slowly, choosing her words carefully.

Hunter thought for a moment, then said, "Señorita, I can assure you that I will take care of everything you want. I'll make sure nothing bad happens to you."

"I know you're reliable," Clarice said, feeling slightly reassured by Hunter's words. She turned and looked at her assistant for a long moment, then smiled. "Then I will see you tomorrow," she concluded before opening the door and leaving the car.

"Señorita, wait."

"Yeah?" Clarice stopped, turning her head back to the man in the driver's seat.

"Sonia's taking time off?" Hunter asked after getting out of the car. Clarice thought for a few seconds even though her head had nodded twice. Hunter then looked at her pleadingly. "Let me prepare you some food. You haven't had dinner yet."

***

030424, Anne Joyce