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Taryn
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I’m sitting in my office, finishing up for the day, but freeze when all the lights turn off. “What the hell?”
I get up and look around, seeing I’m alone here. Doesn’t whoever locks up for the night check the floor before they leave? Geez. I was just about done with my work anyway, but I guess that’s my cue to wrap it up.
After shutting down my computer, I grab my purse from my drawer and head toward the elevators. I pass by Carter’s office and stop in my tracks. I’ve previously checked, but I look around again and see no security cameras. I know there are none hidden because I checked all the computer programs to see if we had a security system and we don’t. It’s possible the building itself has one, but as IT, we should know about it. I’d even mentioned it causally to Jeff one day and he’d looked at me like I had two heads, asking what we’d need security cameras for.
Okay, then...
I casually stroll through the entire floor to see I’m alone in here. Then, I glance at Carter’s office door.
I better not.
Confusion floats through me when I hit the elevator call button and it doesn’t light up. I don’t hear the car moving and heading toward my floor. What the hell?
Fuck. The emergency override. Lisa told me about it when I first started. They lock the elevator from accessing this floor after hours.
I bite my lip and look around. Well, if they want to lock me in here all night, I’ll just take a quick peek at Carter’s computer. Maybe there’s some kind of access code to the elevator so I can get out of here.
That’s what I tell myself, anyway.
The temptation is too great. I try the knob to his office and it’s unlocked. Leaving the lights off, I quietly sit down at his computer and boot it up. I log in as administrator and take a look around. It takes some digging but I locate the secret app development program, and because I’m getting paranoid I’ll get caught in here, I pull an encrypted thumb drive out of my purse and copy the program onto it. I click out of it and then go into the system, deleting my digital footprint, and log out. I even wipe the keyboard off so my fingerprints aren’t there.
Paranoid much, Taryn?
After replacing the thumb drive in my purse, I leave his office and close the door.
Now, how am I going to get out of here? I look around and see a door at the back of the office. I’ve never had the desire or need to open it, but I do tonight.
It’s locked with a deadbolt and after turning it, I sag in relief to see it’s the stairwell. Why isn’t it marked? I look around to see a small sign above my head with a photo of steps on it. Guess I should pay more attention.
I close the door behind me and realize I’m going to have to text Carter and let him know I was forced to leave it unlocked so I could leave. I also want to know who locked me in here and was not smart enough to do a sweep of the floor before they shut down for the day.
Ten flights of stairs, this should be fun. At least it’s down and not up.
I’m only slightly out of breath when I reach the bottom. I pull out my phone, open the text app, and send a message to the boss.
Me: Someone locked me in the office. I couldn’t access the elevator so I took the stairs. Had to leave the door unlocked. Sorry.
Feeling like I did my due diligence for the security of the floor, I put my phone back into my purse and make my way to the parking garage to get in my car. I’m exhausted but also excited to see if I can access the super-secret app.
I’m halfway home when my car’s screen lights up, reading: Text from Carter Lockwood.
I push the read button and roll my eyes at his simple message: Thanks, I’ll take care of it.
“Yes, you will, it’s your problem, not mine,” I grumble.
I hit exit to put the screen back to the audiobook I’m listening to.
***
“Argh!” I cry, pushing the laptop away from me before I throw it out of the window.
I’ve been at it for close to two hours, trying to get into this program.
I pick up my wine and take a big gulp. “What are you missing, Taryn? Think!”
God, I really need to get a life. It’s Thursday and I should be relaxing with takeout or at happy hour with friends. Instead, I’m glued to my laptop, my eyes hurting since I’ve already stared at a screen all day.
I begrudgingly download a sketchy hacking app and put it to work on the stubborn program. Walking away from the laptop before it dies an untimely death at my hands, I go into my room and pop on the TV. After changing into pajamas, I head to the kitchen for another glass of wine. I glance at the laptop to see the program furiously running through code, trying to breach its security.
Shaking my head, I go back into my room and watch a show I’ve been half interested in while I occasionally scroll on my phone.
You need to learn how to relax, Taryn!
I toss the phone down and shut the lights off, leaving the television playing at a low volume. The wine is finally taking effect, and I feel my eyes drift closed.
I feel like I’ve slept for five minutes when I’m woken up by a loud beeping. I blink a few times to get my bearings and rub my eyes as I get up and wander out to the living room. The laptop is still lit up and I check the microwave for the time: 2:19 a.m.
Perking up a little, I see the app is open and asking for a password. “Yes!” I say with a yawn, sit down, and put in Carter’s username and password he uses for all the regular systems at work. Yes, I’d looked it up. No, I’m not proud of it.
And... I’m in.
“Whoa... what the hell is this?”
After fifteen minutes of looking around, I can see it’s some sort of app that can send mass text messages. I click into the history and view one text per month to 1,090 users. Then I click on the sent messages. The most recent one has my brow furrowed. “Moorland Drive, Denver? A password?”
I grab a pen and my notepad and jot down the date, address, and password. My curiosity is at an all-time high and I can’t wait to find out what this is. Some secret Masons meeting? What location could hold a thousand people? I do some more digging and my eyes bulge out of my head.
“Fifteen hundred bucks to access? Holy crap.” Some quick math tells me that’s a lot of money. What kind of secret squirrel shit is this?
I yawn again and shut down the laptop, hoping I can get some more sleep since I have to be up in four hours.
***
Saturday night, I sit with Christa and Lauryn at Silver Park Brewery. I really enjoyed the food, drinks, and atmosphere after Carter took me here, so I made the suggestion for tonight. I was in no mood for clubs or straight-up bars.
“So, he didn’t even say anything to you at all?” Christa asks, sipping her cosmopolitan.
“Nope, didn’t say two words on Friday. I wasn’t about to ask him, though, if he’d had to come back there and lock up or if he had someone else do it. He shouldn’t have locked me on the floor like that, so it’s his problem.” I shrug like I don’t care, but I really do. I want to know if he’s pissed at me for leaving the stairwell door unlocked or if it’s just a common occurrence. Maybe he should give us keys.
Christa snorts. “Well, if he wants to give you the cold shoulder, you can give him your whole-ass cold backside.”
We all laugh at her joke.
“So you have the hots for your boss, huh?” Lauryn asks, picking up a mozzarella stick.
I shrug. “I mean, I’ve known him since we were kids... well, teens. He and my brother were a lot older but I always ‘had the hots’ for him.” I snort.
“And now you’re working for him?” she pushes. “And it’s awkward?”
I dip my head in acknowledgment. “Yeah, and I get that he wants to keep it professional at work, and that’s fine. I’d be down for some office hanky-panky but he’s the damn owner so I know he won’t risk it.” I giggle. “But there’s keeping it professional and then just being a grouchy jerk. I’d love to see him outside of work, but so far, that’s been a no-go.”
“Why don’t you ask him out?” Christa suggests.
I set my vodka soda down after taking a sip. “I’ve thought about it.”
“The worst he can say is no.” Christa shrugs.
“Or fire me for hitting on him,” I say dryly.
“Well, don’t do it at work. Text him after work. Heck, text him right now.” Christa reaches for my phone that’s set face down on the table.
I snatch it before she can grab it. “No way!”
“Come on. Make it light and fun. Maybe he’ll meet you here. Lauryn and I will find a corner table and just watch.” She waggles her eyebrows.
“That’s kinda weird,” I say.
She laughs. “No, it’s not. Just do it.”
The thought of seeing him outside of that stuffy office sort of excites me. That, combined with the alcohol, is making me brave. “Fine.” I pull up the text app and hover my thumbs over the phone. “Tell me what to say.”
“Say, ‘Hi, whatcha doin?’,” Lauryn suggests.
I nod and type it out. I take a deep breath and hit send.
I’m shocked when he responds.
Carter: Relaxing.
“Ooh, at least he replied,” Christa says. “Ok say this: ‘I’m hanging out at Silver Park. Wanna get a drink with me?’”
I type it out and send it.
His response takes a full two minutes of torture.
Ding!
Carter: I don’t think that’s a good idea.
I show them the text.
“Damn,” Christa says.
“What do I say now?” I ask, feeling a little hurt by the rejection but knowing he is still on the keep it professional bullshit.
“Say, ‘That’s too bad,’” Lauryn suggests.
“No! I got it. Say, ‘Do you want me to come over and help you relax?’,” Christa suggests.
I slap her arm. “I am not saying that!”
“I say go with my suggestion,” Lauryn says.
“Nah, leave him on read,” Christa says.
I don’t know what to do so I decide to just not respond. I suck at this flirting thing. My mind drifts back to the computer program I found and the secret app. I’m dying to tell my friends—at least Christa—about what I’d found on that program but I don’t dare. The date from the mass text is a week away and I’m definitely showing up at the address, even if I just stay in my car and watch what’s going on.