The Seduction of Suki

Suki tossed and turned that night. There was something about Agent Hughes that bothered her. And what about Ted? Should she really be all that worried about him? She did a little bit of reading to try to tire herself out. Just after midnight, she placed her Kindle on her nightstand and turned off the light. Her roommate was sound asleep across the hall. Instead of relaxing and falling asleep, however, Suki found herself still wide awake and alert as ever, listening to every sound around her. Finally, she got up and used the bathroom. The bathroom window was on the same exterior wall as her bedroom window. After she flushed the toilet and washed her hands, she turned off the light and casually strolled up to the window so she could see the street below better without being seen. She didn’t see a thing. Everything was still and quiet, save for the soft whooshing sound of an occasional vehicle passing by. Even the leaves on the trees barely stirred. Telling herself she was silly for feeling on edge, she quietly made her way back into her bedroom and closed the door. As she approached her bed, she swore she saw movement outside the window below. Keeping the light off, she quickly scurried over to the window, careful not to trip on anything as she made her way around the bed. She slowly approached it but didn’t want to get too close, knowing that even with the light off, she would be seen if she got close enough. But then, if someone was watching her, it might be a good thing if they knew she was on to them. So she pressed her face close to the glass just in time to see someone quickly walking down the sidewalk and out of view. This was a pretty decent neighborhood. Almost no one went out for a stroll at this hour. For a split second, she considered calling the police but knew she had no real reason to. It wasn’t illegal to be on the sidewalk at any hour of the day or night, and she couldn’t get a good description of the person anyway. The doors are locked, and it’s the middle of the night. People don’t go breaking into places at this hour when they know people are likely to be around and they could get shot. Go to bed and quit worrying over stupid stuff!she scolded herself. She got back into bed but still couldn’t relax enough to sleep. She tossed and turned, aware of every single sound she heard. It was all she could do to talk herself out of checking the window over and over again. It seemed her alarm went off just minutes after she finally managed to drift off. She was so tired in the morning that for a minute she wondered if she would even be able to make it into work. It was one of those rare moments when she wished she had a car. Instead, she had to magically summon up enough energy to pedal her way into work. She was relieved when she finally made it into the building where she worked, but she still felt exhausted. She hoped she could survive the day, and especially the ride back home. Maybe this will be one of those rare exceptions, or I’ll bum a ride off Agent Hughes and just deal with the weird feeling she gives me and the nosy questions she asks. The thing was, Suki wouldn’t have to worry about staying awake enough to function throughout the day and then getting herself home. Instead, she would be in for an unexpected surprise. She began work at 7:00 and took a 15-minute break at 9:00. Then she took a half-hour break at 11:30 for lunch, and another 15-minute break at 1:30. When she was on her 9:00 break, she was sitting alone in the break room. She didn’t usually take her breaks there anymore because she didn’t want to be more open to unwanted company. But her desk was a mess, and she found it easier to take her break at the uncluttered little table in the break room while she looked at her Facebook feed on her phone and checked her personal email. She went to check her internal messages on the dating site she had recently joined and was taken aback by one of the responses. A guy with a solid black avatar told her she was too good and too pretty for men and that she ought to consider dating women. He went on to explain all the reasons why women were better in and out of bed. No, thank you, she thought to herself. Nothing against lesbians, and while the experiment with her ex may have been interesting, she preferred men. She blocked the person and made her way back to her workstation, grateful that she got to enjoy her break alone. Despite the lack of sleep the previous night, Suki managed her job during the day and was able to get herself back home easily enough. Just like yesterday, she hadn’t been home long when that familiar rap came at the door. “My God, again? This is really getting old,” Suki muttered in exasperation. “Who is it?” “It’s Agent Hughes. Please open up. It’s very urgent.” Suki opened the door, this time not hiding her annoyance. “You need to hurry up and pack some essentials and come with me.” “What? What for?” “Let’s just get a move on it, and I’ll explain as soon as we hit the road. Come on, hurry! It’s that urgent.” Suki put down the box of macaroni and cheese she was about to make, both in frustration and concern, and said, “Let me leave Gia a quick note.” “No!” Agent Hughes said firmly. “No one can know where you’re going. Come on. I’ll explain everything once we get moving. I promise.” Suki hurried into her bedroom, the agent hot on her heels. “What do I need to take?” “Do you have a suitcase?” “Yeah, on the top shelf of my closet.” Agent Hughes opened the closet door and yanked it off the shelf. “It’s heavy. What the hell have you got in this thing, girl?” “It’s a set. There are smaller suitcases in it.” “Well, stuff the biggest one with as many clothes and toiletries as you can. Do you take any medication?” “No,” Suki said as she hurried to pack, totally confused. Once her suitcase was packed and zipped, Agent Hughes took hold of it and quickly said, “Okay, down we go.” She ushered Suki ahead of her and out of the building. “Hop in,” ordered Agent Hughes as she threw the suitcase in the truck. The agent then hopped in and pulled away from the curb quickly. “What the hell is going on, and where are you taking me?” demanded Suki. The agent turned to look at Suki for a second and smiled. “All in due time, Ms. Akamu. All in due time.”