The woman that Suzanne had seen was none other than Simone Miller, the company director who used to be very close to Christine – or Brianna – in the past. Simone had been the one who had advised Suzanne – or Patrick – to go to Ms. Larsen's clinic in order to get disguised.
Suzanne was now absolutely sure that Simone was also involved in Mr. Hill's scheme. She had probably even worked out the whole plan, since she was the one who already knew that clinic. If that wasn’t the case, why would the woman have abandoned Christine, her friend, even knowing that she was undergoing an extreme transformation, just like Patrick?
Now Suzanne needed to decide what to do next. Simone looked completely calm and relaxed as she smiled cynically at the other woman. She was probably convinced that Suzanne had been completely brainwashed, so she wouldn’t remember anything about her past.
Considering her plan for that night, Suzanne concluded it would be a wise move to let Simone keep believing so. Thus, when Simone approached her, Suzanne smiled politely and looked slightly puzzled, as if it truly was the first time she was seeing that woman.
"Hi" Simone said. "I don't think we've been introduced yet. My name is Simone Miller."
"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Miller. I'm Suzanne Mason."
"Please, my dear, you can call me Simone. I have to say that I really, really love your dress. Where did you get it? It suits you so well..."
And so the conversation went on. Not long after, Simone asked if Suzanne wanted another drink, and the two women headed to the bar. Suzanne thought she already had figured out what was going on there. Simone apparently was trying to determine if any remnants of the old Patrick still existed, which would mean that his conversion into a middle-aged woman hadn't been perfect.
Suzanne was playing that game wonderfully well, though, saying exactly what Simone would expect to hear from an older lady. She even talked about Brianna, her daughter, like any other proud mother.
"What about Mr. Hill, my darling?" Simone asked, at some point, sipping her third drink. "Are you absolutely sure he's just your boss?"
"I don't know what you're trying to imply, Simone" Suzanne stated, defensively.
"Oh, I'm so sorry if I offended you. That wasn't my intention, I swear! I know we just met each other, but…" she made a pause to drink a little more. "I don't know... I feel like we've known each other for a long time. You are a very nice company, Suzanne. And I have noticed the way Mr. Hill looks at you. He definitely doesn't think of you just as an assistant, if you know what I mean…"
Suzanne didn’t know how to respond to that. Where did Simone want to get? Then, suddenly, she realized it probably was just another test. She knew she was supposed to be crazy in love with Mr. Hill, after all, as part of her mental conditioning. Aware of this fact, she had an idea of how to approach that situation…
"Thank you, Simone. I’m enjoying your company very much, as well. But the thing is... Well, it's hard to me to address this subject..." she said, pretending reluctance.
"I totally understand, my darling. If you don't feel comfortable..."
"Do you really think he likes me?" Suzanne asked abruptly, with a false sense of urgency in her voice.
"Of course, Suzanne!" Simone exclaimed, smiling again. "Anyone can see it... And by your reaction, I think it’s safe to say that you have feelings for him, too... don't you?"
"Oh my god... I really shouldn't talk about it" Suzanne covered her face. "You have to promise me you're going to keep this a secret, Simone!"
"My lips are sealed, my dear. You can trust me."
"I guess I just can't hide the truth from you, can I? You're right. I have some interest in Mr. Hill, so to speak... And..." Suzanne looked around, and then moved even closer to Simone. "Our relationship hasn't been strictly professional. I mean..."
"Oh, Suzanne, you don't need to say anything else. I got it, my dear! Then you two are a thing already?"
"Well, not exactly. I like him... Maybe I could even say that I love him... But at the same time, I'm in a tough spot. He's my boss, and also... I’m not sure how he feels about us… I'd hate to find out that Gregory sees me just as a kind of plaything."
"I don't think so, Suzanne. I really don’t. As I said, I saw the way he looks at you. Who knows… maybe you will have a pleasant surprise very soon…
-----
About forty minutes later, Suzanne was finally sitting at a table, with Mr. Hill at her side. The man was discreetly stroking her legs under the table, and Suzanne pretended she was enjoying the attention. In truth, her mind was far from there, and she was feeling more anxious than ever. Every minute of that night seemed to take forever. But now it was almost time to put her plan into action. She just needed a little more patience…
Suzanne had already been in an event like that – as Patrick – the year before, so she had a general idea of how things would happen. Near to the end of the party, Mr. McFarland would make a short speech, and then the stage would be free for the employees who also wanted to say a few words.
It was at this moment that Suzanne intended to act. She would go up there and announce who she really was, and then reveal all the crimes committed by Mr. Hill and his partners. As proof of her accusations, she had brought in her purse a pen drive with copies of all the documents she had found at Mr. Simmons' office, and she would show it to everyone through the stage projector.
That would definitely be a very dramatic ending to her mission, and she liked the sound of it – this was exactly the kind of thing that the old Patrick would do…
Anna Komnena
2019-03-18 11:53:45 +0000 UTCMelissa N.
2019-03-18 09:43:40 +0000 UTCAnna Komnena
2019-03-18 08:34:47 +0000 UTCMelissa N.
2019-03-18 08:03:06 +0000 UTCAnna Komnena
2019-03-16 06:53:09 +0000 UTC