Free The Trade by JT Kalnay Page A

shit,” the one said.
    "Holy shit indeed!" the other said.
    "And what a babe,” the first said. They each
thought dirty thoughts for a minute.
    “ That was not in his
profile,” the one said.
    “ Guess it answers the ‘is
he hetero’ question,” the other said.
    “ Definitely not in the
profile,” the one said.
    “ Definitely not,” the other
aped.
    "The boss ain't gonna like this,” the one
said.
    "Might have to get the blonde back on him
sooner than they wanted,” said the other.
    "Think she'll do that?" he asked, pointing to
the wall.
    "She better. The kid'll be mooning all over
Manhattan for this piece of ass if she don't.”
    "Yeah. We better call the boss on this
one."

    Jay awoke to an empty bed. His mouth tasted
of beer. His back was sore, his dick felt raw. A large smile slowly
spread across his face as he heard water running in the shower and
his mind drifted back to the incredible night he'd spent with
Maria.
    He pulled his naked body out of bed and
shuffled into the bathroom. He could see her small tight body
limned through the steamy shower door.
    "I have to go the bathroom. Don't look okay?"
he called over the shower door.
    "Okay stud,” she answered. "But be quick
about it and get your ass in here.”
    The morning began the way the night had
ended. They screwed long and hard in the shower, in the bed, on the
couch in the living room, on the floor. By noon they were
exhausted, chaffed and so hungry that for the first time they
thought about something other than sex. Nothing in Jay’s few
hurried experiences in college had prepared him for this.
    "What do you want to do for breakfast?" he
asked.
    "Order Chinese. Lots of it. I don’t care
what. A big variety. And wake me up when it gets here," she
answered. Jay watched Maria's naked butt disappear into the
bedroom. By Sunday night Jay had known Maria in every way there was
to know a woman, more than one of which ways he’d not even imagined
just the day before.

    "I've gotta go to work tomorrow,” Jay
Calloway said. Maria looked up him from the bed.
    "So what are you saying?" she asked, suddenly
suspicious and defensive.
    "I'm saying that I've gotta get up at seven
and go to work.”
    "So you want me to go home?" Maria asked too
quickly.
    "No no no. That's not what I'm saying. I've
gotta get to bed and get my clothes ready and everything. You're
welcome to stay. Don't you have to work tomorrow too?"
    "Yeah. But I thought I might call in sick if
you did.”
    "I can't.”
    "Why not?" she teased hopefully.
    "I can't,” he managed to blurt out. "It's my
first day at this new job. I can't call in sick.”
    "Okay, okay,” she pouted. "One more time,
then give me a ride home and then you can meet me for dinner and
dessert after your first day.” Jay knew what she meant by
dessert.
    Later, after they'd finished, and he'd driven
her to where she'd parked her car on Friday night, Jay got ready
for his first day on the job. He had no idea that he'd never see
Maria alive again.

    "You sure about the address?" the serious
looking woman asked.
    "Yes.”
    "Alright then, you know what to do. Make it
look like a robbery.”
    "Yes ma'am.”
    “ And maybe leave a shirt or
something of his over there. Something with some DNA on it. Just in
case we ever need to help NYPD out with a cold case…”
    “ Yes ma’am.”

Chapter
     
    The newest employee of MacKenzie Lazarus
walked into the twelfth floor reception area.
    "Good morning,” Bill Beck beamed at Jay
Calloway. "Ready to get to work?" Bill asked.
    "You know it,” Jay answered. The two men
shook hands and then Bill walked Jay to his office.
    "I'm sure people will be dropping by to say
hello and all that but I'd really like you to get focused right
away on a big problem we've got,” Bill said.
    "Point me towards danger,” Jay said. The
'problem' was already on Jay's desk.
    Bill explained, "this system doesn't work as
well as it should. We've got 40,000 person hours on this project
and 10 million invested