Pearce Hudson: #1 My Italian Devil

18.The red dress and blue blazer

Paul left with Peter. He wouldn't look at me as he got out of the warehouse. When Peter went up to him, Paul shoved him aside and got into the car. He thinks we betrayed him. He needs to get over himself.

Ross and Greens adventure to the strip club didn't provide any information about the case but detailed descriptions of some of the girls there. No one was willing to talk.

"Vivian got you and Ross in," Jessica said getting off the phone. "You'll be going to present Terry Price Investigations. These conferences are full of power hungry men. You'll be selling our 'security' service. Ross is going to be your plus one."
"Power hungry men. Mmm. My favourite," I joked.
"Let's get lunch," Jessica said looking at her watch. "I'm driving."

"I'm confused. Do you eat clothes?" I asked as we pulled up to Wish, a clothes boutique.
"Shopping helps me think."
"I'm starving."
"Well I don't care."

I followed her into the boutique. Colourful clothes flanked the shop on mannequins. Techno music played on the speakers. A few middle aged women were around, shopping. Jessica went around picking clothes and flinging them at me. I caught them and followed her.

Finally she stopped at the change room and took all the clothes from. "Can I ask you a question?" I asked sitting outside the change room curtains.
"Talk," Jessica's hands lifted above the curtains as she took off her blouse.
"If Javier Gomez asked you to escape with him that day at the Villa. Would you have gone?"
She didn't reply. I heard material shifting, a zipper unzipping and heels against the marble floor. "No."
"Because you were a CIA-"
"Because it wasn't real," Jessica moved the curtains to the side and came out wearing a purple midi dress. "Not completely real. I was a CIA agent and he was a drug lord. He was a mission for me. Even though I loved him. It wouldn't have worked out."
"I would've said no to Dante," I whispered.
"No you wouldn't. Dante is a sex trafficker, drug lord and arms trafficker but he never did anything to you. You yourself said so, he treated you like any wife would've wanted to be. He still loves you and I know you do too."
"Jessica I don't. He took Alessandra-"
"Look I'm not on his side but what proof do you have that Dante took her? What would've Dante gained by throwing her into sex trafficking?"
"Profit. Money."
"Pearce 5 years later he came back for you! He could've gone anywhere else but he came back for...you."
"He came back to Boston because this is where all his criminal contacts are. He's 'businesses'."
Jessica turned from the mirror, "Listen I didn't tell you this: when the FBI got the flight manifest for Dante's private jet. He had a plus one. Your name was on it."
"They didn't tell me."
"They couldn't. You were the only intel source they had. They needed you to hate Dante."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because I'm jealous. I'm 41, unmarried and no children! As agents get older we get paranoid. We sleep with guns under our pillows! Any people who take an interest in us we put them under surveillance!"
"It comes with the job."
"Ending up alone wasn't part of the job description. There are two ways you leave the job in a body bag or with numerous accommodations or accomplishments and a broken marriage. When you put your life on the line you expect something back from the agency. Nothing."
I stared down at the red dress in my hands.
"You should get the dress for tonight," Jessica said pointing to the dress in my hands.

"Once more I almost got it!" Vivian said.
"Viv stop lying the chain isn't half way up my back!" I called her out.
"Okay I give up," she said letting go off the chain.
Jessica bought the red dress for me. The was beautiful in its own way. It went up to a few inches above my knees. Red straps wrapped around my shoulder and collarbone. The neck of the dress was a square and my tatas were having a hard time staying in. The dress was tight as fuck and the zipper wouldn't go up.
"Viv!"
"Ask Jessica."
"Jessica will peel the skin of my back to fit me in the dress."
Green and Jones were loading the van and Jessica was testing our listening devices. We hadn't talked since her outburst at the boutique. I didn't really know what to say to her. I scurried to the bathroom and attempted to zip up myself, which resulted in the zipper pinching my skin.
"Ow!"
"Do you need some help?" Jake asked, standing out the bathroom door.
"Huh?"
"Your dress."
"Oh...yeah."
Jake's leather look was...okay but I missed his geeky side. Leather wearing guys were all the rave now, it's nice to see someone with a different personality. His hands brushed against the back of my neck as he moved my hair. His finger trailed my naked back as he zipped up the dress. I spied him from the mirror. There was no denying he was good looking, smart and kind, just a kinda guy any woman looks for. Even what I look for. Under different circumstances I wouldn't mind dating him.
"There you go," he gave my back a light pat.
"My boobs are about to jump from this dress Jess," I complained.
"Don't call me Jess. And your boobs aren't large enough to pop out of the dress," Jessica replied.
"Don't listen to the shrew you look great," Ross grinned giving me a kiss on the side of my head.
"Alright people," Jones clapped his hands. "Let's go over the plan."
"Keep Dante at the conference as long as possible for Ross to get into his suite," I said.
"Dante's suite takes more than just a keycard, there's also a 4 digit code," Jake explained. "You need both to get in."
"I'll see what I can do," I told him.