Chapter 7

Eileen's lies begin to catch up with her....

I called Aaron the next morning, and as soon as he had some free time, he teleported from Washington to his New Orleans office. When he came, he called me, and I muttered an excuse to Cadeyrn and left.
��������A few floors above my office, Aaron was waiting. He wasn't alone, and I wasn't sure if the other guest was present as Dr. Kenton or Astaire.
��������"Eileen," Aaron said, greeting me with a handshake and smile. "You wanted to speak to me?"
��������"Yes. I want to make a small change in our arrangements."��������
��������"I'm all ears."
��������"I appreciate the stipends the Brotherhood provides for me, but I'd like to try to make my own living."
��������I hesitated, and Aaron nudged gently, "Continue."
��������"I think my business would be more successful if I were allowed to advertise."
��������Aaron nodded, as if my motive had just become clear. "You know where I stand on that, 'Leen."
��������"Yes. I promise to be careful."
��������"What inspired this very sudden decision?"
��������I was careful not to mention Cadeyrn. "My recent decline in patronage."
��������"I'm afraid I can't agree to that, 'Leen."
��������Every now and then- frequently- Aaron glanced over my shoulder. Dr. Kenton was leaning against the wall behind me. "It's still too dangerous. Someone could figure out what you are."
�������� "Even if I don't use my face in the logo?"
��������"You'd still have to use your name."
��������"Not my full name."
��������"The government requires that you do."
��������I sighed. "I'll be safe, Aaron."
��������"The interior design business was never meant to be real, 'Leen. It's just a front to protect you."
��������"I know, and I appreciate it, but-"
��������"If she uses only her first and last names, she'll be fine," Astaire said. Aaron and I both looked up at him- it was the first time he'd actually spoken during the meeting. "I'll have my attorney look over the law just to be sure."
��������"Dr. Kenton, I'm quite sure that the law states-"
��������"The law doesn't mention advertisements," Astaire assured him. "I'm very familiar with the legislature, as you well know."
��������Aaron nodded. "Eileen, as soon as Dr. Kenton clears it with his lawyer, you may begin to advertise."
��������"Will I get to handle my money myself?"
��������"Not yet. One step at a time."
��������"I need an increase in my salary allowance."
��������"Why? Did you hire someone else?"
��������I thought fast. "I'd like a bonus for Mai."
��������"I'll raise your allowance for this month only."
��������It was the best I could do. "Thank you."
��������"Be careful, 'Leen." Aaron hugged me.
��������
��������I hadn't had the chance to sort out how I would explain hiring Cadeyrn, or how to keep Cadeyrn out of my financial records. And later, it became clear that while I'd fooled Aaron well enough, I'd only made things all too clear to Astaire.
��������He entered my office just as lunch was ending the next day. His timing caught us all off guard, as Mai was still gone, but Cadeyrn was there.
��������"Just thought I'd let you know what my attorney found," he said to me, then glanced to his left. "New help?"
��������I was trying desperately to hide how alarmed I was. "Um-"
��������"Astaire Kenton," he said, shaking Cadeyrn's hand. "I work upstairs."
��������Cadeyrn shook his hand, but didn't offer any identifying information, which didn't seem to bother or surprise Astaire.
��������"Would you like to discuss it in my office?" Astaire asked me.
��������I got up and left without a word. We went upstairs and into his office.
��������Astaire was not one to get angry. In fact, he rarely showed any emotion at all. But beneath his calm demeanor, I knew that he was furious.
��������"Let me guess," he began, not looking me in my face, but messing with some papers on his desk. "You hired a 5th- generation, which is why you need a salary increase, but you couldn't say that to Aaron because it's illegal."
��������I asked, "How much of that deduction was your precognition and how much was intuition?"
��������Now he looked directly at me, leveled me with his glare. "Some of it was intuition, but most of it was your stupidity."
��������I sighed.
��������"Eileen, what the hell are you thinking? Did you really think you were gonna get away with this- when you work for the Brotherhood?"
��������I noticed the change in tense. "He needed my help."
��������"You're going to regret this, Eileen."
��������There was something about having a Precog tell me that I was going to regret this that sent a chill or two down my spine.
��������"Now, how did you plan to go about this?"
��������"I was making it up as I went along."
��������Astaire laughed drily. "Do you know why I'm going to help you?"
��������"No, but I'm grateful."
��������"Within the next two hours, I will bring you a second identity he can use for work purposes only."
��������" Thank you-"
��������"In return, I'm going to need his name. You'll have to trust me."
��������"Thank you so much, Astaire." I hugged him, and I could almost feel his anger dissipating.
��������"Eileen, please do not mess this up. If this gets uncovered, I'm screwed."
��������"I won't."

��������Mai had still not returned from lunch when I returned. The minute I closed the door behind me, Cadeyrn asked, "Who was that guy?"
��������"That was a friend of mine," I said, sitting at my desk. "A concerned friend."
��������"What did you tell him about me?"
��������"You?" I scoffed. "We were talking business."
��������"Do you think I'm stupid?" He was getting hostile. "You think I think he just happened to walk in while no one was up front to stop him?"
��������I shrugged, not wanting to feed his fury.
��������My nonchalance was enough. "What did you tell him?!"
��������"He offered to help you."
��������"Then you told him something. Let's hear it."
��������I felt a strange presence in my brain- and remembered that one of Cadeyrn's abilities was mind control. I blocked it. "He guessed it all."
��������"How?"
��������"He's going to pull some strings and make you look like a legal employee. I had to give him your name."
��������His dark eyes lit into mine, and I wondered how I had managed to anger two very sexy and scary men in one day.
��������Cadeyrn asked, "Is that all you told him?"
��������"Yes. That's all."
��������He seemed to calm down a little. "Fine."
��������"Good."
��������The office was quiet for a while.
��������I said, "From now on, you will watch the tone you take with me. I am your boss, and you will treat me as such- or be out of a job. Am I being clear?"
��������"Yes, ma'am."
��������
��������About an hour later, Mai buzzed the office phone. "An intern from upstairs has something for you."
��������"Bring it to me," I instructed.
��������Mai entered, dropped a manila envelope on to my desk, gave Cadeyrn a bright smile, and left.
��������The envelope contained a Brotherhood ID, a Gifted ID, and a driver's license, all with Cadeyrn's original Gifted photo and the name Jordan Eastwood (Phasing/ Biological Manipulation/ Mind Control/ Rapid Healing). It also contained two copies of Cadeyrn- Jordan's work papers, filled out and signed by Dr. Astaire Kenton.
��������I handed the envelope to Cadeyrn. "Sign the papers."
��������He looked over the envelope's contents, signed the papers (using the name Jordan), and handed the papers back to me. I called upstairs, and after a few minutes, the papers were on their way back to Astaire.

��������As we were closing for the night, I got a call from Aaron. "Dr. Kenton told me you hired someone," he said. "Why didn't you tell me before?"
��������"It didn't occur to me," I said.
��������"Well, good luck in your endeavors. Your salary allowance has been increased."
��������"Thank you," I said. "Goodbye."
��������"Eileen."
��������"Yes?"
��������"I have to remind you... that you owe us a favor or two."
��������"Yes."
��������"Be ready- we may need you soon."
��������"Yes, sir."
��������"Good. Take care."
��������"You too."