Mission: Hot Red Dress

IVORY’s POV

I could barely taste the food, but at least one of us was having a good time.

The drive back home was silent, and weighing on me heavier than I expected.

As the day progressed, my breathe grew even narrower.

What if I got caught and I really didn't come back alive?

Would anyone mourn my death? Knowing the answer to that question made this mission even harder.

But I had to give it a try and I swear, I wouldn't look back when I finally gained my freedom out of this beautiful hellhole.

As the sun began to set, I became more and more determined to come out successful.

I stood in front of my mirror, scanning my reflection.

"There's nothing you can't do, Ivory. You can do it!"

On the other hand, scary man had a refined taste in clothes.

I wore a deep, striking red dress that clung to my curves.

The sides were bare, giving a seducing view of my boobs. It was meant to draw attention and turn heads when I arrived at the party.

I took a deep breath and adjusted the silver bracelet on my wrist.

Willis stopped when I stepped out of the room. His eyes filled with warmth as his gaze hovered on my body.

Together, we went over to where the squad was gathered.

As scary man addressed me with the dos and don’ts for the umpteenth time, Willis kept darting his eyes in my direction.

Unease crept into my mind as I stood there wondering why he had his eyes on me.

After scary man was done, Willis whispered in his ears, before approaching me.

"I don't think you'll come out alive," he said,

his voice low and smooth.

"That helps a lot, thank you," I replied, my tone

dripping with both sarcasm and apprehension.

Willis smiled wryly, and continued, "But at least, this wristwatch will let us know where to pick up your dead body."

I took the watch from him, trying to ignore the shiver that ran through me.

Slowly, I approached scary man and spoke.

"You promise, after this one time, I'm free of the said debts?"

He watched as I walked towards the car and I swear, as the door came shut, I saw concern in his eyes.

The party was held in a sprawling mansion in the outskirts of the city, a place that smelled wealth and power.

As I arrived, the valet held my door open and I stepped out, my high heels clicking against the marble floor.

Once I stepped in, I recognized all the faces Willis had made me memorize.

"Faces recognized," I muttered with gritted teeth,

"But how do I befriend a bunch of wealthy drunk old men?"

I exhaled softly and willed myself to be focused.

Swaying to the soft music playing in the background, I mingled through the crowd with the most charming smile I could muster.

It didn't take long before I was noticed.

A senior border officer approached me with a glass of salt rimmed cocktail, introducing himself as Sean.

"Hey you..." He gnarled in a way I suppose he

meant to flirt.

I tucked my disgust away and smiled along. He wasn't on my list but it was good to start from somewhere.

Our conversations went from mundane nonsense to disgusting flirty rubbish. Still, I maintained my smile.

"I like you, Yvette, let me introduce you to a few friends and then we can ditch this party. What do you say?"

"Yes, yes," I smiled, "Let's do that."

Fingers intertwined with the sweaty drunk man; we were standing before a man named Ambassador Albert, a man whose profile was stored in my brain, thanks to Willis.

"Have you met my friend, Ambassador? She's a big fan."

"A fan?" Ambassador Albert scoffed, "What am I, a musician?"

"No Sir,” I replied quickly. “But your family is one of the few families who fought for the retention of our borders in the early 70s, and not only that, you fought for women to be equally protected by this Nation's fundamental human rights.

In my opinion you're more than a musician, you are a hero, and a legend."

Ambassador Albert's hardened gaze gradually softened into a smile as he rose towards me.

I bowed politely to show my most humble respect and that did the work.

I was passed from Officer Sean to Ambassador Albert.

"Do you... this might be too bold," I smiled,

tucking my hair behind my ear, "Do you want to please talk to me about how one man could accomplish so much?"

"Oh yea, yes," he said, completely lost in my

eyes.

What I didn't expect was Ambassador Albert's request to follow him to his hotel room. But I was yet to receive the main detail so I crossed my fingers and took a gulp before answering, "Honored."

Minutes turned to hours, as we cozied up in his hotel room.

He spoke about his past glory at length and I could feel my faux mask crumbling

by the second.

Mindlessly, I blurted out. "It's too bad that you're missing in action now when our country needs intelligent people to make tough

decisions about the border security. None of the leaders now have as much

experience as you."

Ambassador Albert paused, and in that one second, my heart sank to my stomach. Is this the moment I'll die? Did I slip up? Have I been

caught?

"Young woman," he began, his voice low and

serious. "You're smarter than your age."

I exhaled in relief.

"You know recently," He began.

At that moment, I knew I had won. This was the moment I was looking for. I turned on the recorder attached to my hair clutch and Ambassador Albert whispered just the secret I needed for my freedom.

My heart raced with both excitement and relief as I made my way to the exit after a long night.

Unexpectedly, my phone rang, startling the shit out of me.

It was an unrecognized number but I could guess who it was.

"What's the status?" Scary Man's voice echoed through the phone.

"Successful, sir." I answered triumphantly.

"Your location shows Sheraton Hotels. Stay right there, I'm coming to get you."

I glanced at the time displayed on my screen, 1:13am had to be my happiest time of this week.