Laura’s limo picked Tim up. It was his luck that it was raining. He was still thinking about this afternoon with Laura. Her reaction had added to his confusion. Tim never believed that treating a woman like that could get her attention, but that seemed to be the case with Laura. He needed to find an explanation for her behavior. Still, the sheer beauty of the scenery did not allow him to do so. As the long vehicle climbed one uphill road after another, he couldn’t help but look around him, at the snow-covered trees and the sparse lights from other homes in the distance. Indeed, for a moment, Tim believed that he was on one gigantic birthday cake and that the lights around him served as birthday candles.

A black, steel, power gate opened inward as they arrived. Getting out of the car, he rolled his gaze up and saw Laura standing at her living room window, waving at him with a broad smile on her face and a glass in her hand.

“Sir, please follow me.” Her elderly driver politely requested. The two men climbed the small staircase in a hurry, getting drenched by the pouring rain. A young maid answered the door and showed him in. Rain drops were dripping down his face, as he joined Laura in her extravagant living room. A massive fireplace in the upper right corner caught his eye immediately.

“Hey!” She sang. “God, you’re soaked!”

“I’ll live. That’s a great view you got from up here,” He ssaid, looking out the window. “So, why extend the invitation, Laura? Don’t tell me you liked my manners.”

“You get straight to the point. I like that,” she remarked, as her eyes glinted with amusement. “What can I get you?”

“A Scotch: neat.” he answered, as the rain became stronger. Tim had caught himself watching the rain many times in the past, but never in such a lavish house, accompanied by a beautiful woman. It felt different. Better. The prospect of spending some time with her was enough to intrigue him, but also trouble him. He had no idea of her motives.

“It’s more than just an invitation,” She corrected him, handing him over a glass of whiskey. “It’s a business meeting. Cheers.”

“Care to elaborate on that?” He inquired, as their glasses clanked.

“I want you to be my eyes and ears in that facility.” Upon hearing Laura’s request, Tim coughed and whiskey came out of his nose.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” he protested, wiping the whiskey from his mouth.

“Oh, by the way, I do like your manners,” she teased him. “I’m a businesswoman, Tim. I want to protect my investment.”

“I’m not a rat,” he stated. “You’ll have to find someone else to do your dirty work.”

“Let me finish.” Once again, Laura assumed her businesslike tone. “I’m going to pay you twenty thousand dollars at the end of the two-week period.” Finishing her sentence, Laura pulled a small, folded piece of paper out of her pocket and gave it to him. It was a check for $10,000.

“You’ll get the rest in a couple of weeks. You’ll monitor everything she does, write down everything that seems out of the ordinary and report back to me at the end of your shift. You’ll only be working mornings from now on.” She added.

“Why do you want to get rid of her so badly?” He squinted at her.

“That woman is crazy, Tim,” Laura said with a sigh. “It’s either that or she’s a dreamer. Either way, I’m not going to fund her research anymore. Jitter’s death brought bad publicity. The stock price of ‘Maddox Pharmaceuticals’ plummeted today.”

“What if she does what she says? What if she does find a cure for Alzheimer’s?” His question put her in a difficult position. She dropped her eyes from his intense stare.

“She doesn’t have much time,” Laura’s sigh was even deeper and heavier than the previous one. “But I don’t think she could pull this off, even if I gave her another two years.”

“She’s been running that research for two years?” Tim’s voice became high-pitched and tense.

“More or less,” she stated lowly, giving him a sad nod. “So, what’s it going to be? Are you going to help me out or not?”

“The answer’s still ‘no’, Laura.” Tim’s voice was bass-deep and firm. “Have you talked to anyone else?”

“Are you sure?” She inquired, her voice low and husky, as she took two steps closer to him. “I think we can find a way to…” she paused, “sweeten the deal.”

Tim remained silent. He let his empty glass slip from his hand onto the carpet and put his hands on her wrists. Pulling her closer, he wrapped his arms around her back. Laura tilted her head up to meet his lips. Their mouths joined in a long, fiery kiss. Her feminine scent filled his nostrils, as he explored her mouth with his tongue. Laura tossed her equally empty glass across the floor. She entwined her arms around his neck, pressing herself into him. Passionate sighs began to escape her, as he ran his hands up and down her back. Tim had exactly what he wanted, what he had been thinking about since her proposal that morning. He meant to flirt with her first, but he would not say “no” to an opportunity like that. No matter the circumstances, Tim would seduce her.

“I was wrong.” She whispered in his mouth. “It’s not sweet. It’s so hot!” He felt his manhood twitch, as she stroked the back of his neck. Sliding his hands down her back, he slipped them under her shirt. However, just when he was about to caress her, her low, sexy voice forced him to stop.

“My maid could walk in on us.” Another whisper left her lips.

“I don’t care.” He breathed.

“No, but I do.” She smiled, mischievously. Nevertheless, their moment was not meant to last; his cell phone rang.

“Damn it.” She complained.

“Yeah.” He agreed.

“Tim, it’s me, Dr. Taylor!” Her voice was shaking and riddled with panic. “One of our test chimpanzees has escaped! We need you here; now!”