Spying
By Michelle Pichette
"The great man is he who does not lose
his childlike heart."
Mencius
Lee looked at all the boxes, frowning. This was
delicate work. He had to find out what was in the boxes without leaving
behind any evidence that he’d been here. There were booby traps
everywhere, all sorts of little triggers that would raise alarms and give him
away. He rubbed his chin, considering the puzzle before him trying to
note every detail so that he could put things back exactly how they were when
he was done. That would not be easy. It was a very complex
arrangement. There were lights in the room, but they were dim and
intermittent. A brighter, steadier light would surely attract unwanted
attention. Not doubt about it, he would have to be very careful about
this.
Easing toward the boxes, Lee gingerly lifted the
first. There was no external indication as to what might be inside.
It was heavy, but not too heavy, indicating something solid within. He
gave it a gentle shake, but the soft thump that resulted gave him no clues as
to what might be inside. He frowned, about to give box a firmer shake
when lights flared on in the room. He looked up from his work,
dismayed. He’d been found up.
“What are you doing?” came a
sleepy, disapproving voice from behind him. Lee glanced up the stairs behind
him to see Rowena Simmons standing up the top, pushing hair back from her face
with one hand. “I thought we were waiting for presents until tomorrow
when Chip and his girlfriend came over for brunch,” she said, pulling her
flimsy robe back up over a bare shoulder.
“Uh... yeah... yes...” Lee stammered, putting the package he
was holding back under the Christmas tree, then quickly stood up.
“I... um... thought I heard something.” Lee glanced at the box. He
still had no clue what Ro had gotten him and it was driving him insane.
She had purchased whatever was in there weeks ago and hadn’t given him the
smallest inkling as to what it might be, no matter how he’d tried to worm hints
from her.
Ro smirked. “Coming from your Christmas present?
Why do I doubt that.” Her robe slipped down off
her shoulder. “How about you come back to bed and I let you unwrap
something there?” she asked him, giving him a look that left no doubt as to
what he’d be unwrapping. He gave the box one final glance, then started up stairs, thinking he could wait a few more
hours for whatever was in the box. He was greeted with a very nice kiss,
despite the lack of mistletoe over head.
“Just a little hint,” he whispered to Ro when their lips
parted.
She swatted his chest playfully as she stepped away from
him. “Wait until morning,” she said, turning to her bedroom. She
let her robe fall lower down her shoulder as she glanced back at him with
another one of those come hither looks, then she padded barefoot back into the
room.
Lee flicked the light switch by him off again, then glanced once more down at the taunting lights of the
Christmas tree. Maybe he would do better with his covert operations next
year, he thought as he went to collect on the early present he’d been offered.
The End