Pseudo (4 page)

CHAPTER TEN

“I will have two fried eggs, bacon and orange juice,” said Dmitry to the waitress at the hotel restaurant. Dmitry scanned the room to see if anyone he didn’t like was there or if anyone was staring at him. Then he looked around for any women who were alone. Finding nothing but elderly people and families in view, he abandoned the search and concentrated on the newspaper the waitress had just placed on his table.

Just as the waitress brought his order Dmitry received a phone call: “Good morning is this Mr. Dmitry Sidorov?” inquired a man with a strong Mexican accent.

“Yes, it is. Who is this?”

“My name is Antonio Cortez, Director of the local branch of the Bank of Mexico. I am calling concerning your request for an appointment with me this morning. I believe you requested 11:30am, correct?” replied the man who sounded well educated and polished.

“Yes, Mr. Cortez, that is correct. Is there any problem with that time?”

“No, Mr. Sidorov, there is no problem at all. I was simply calling as a courtesy to confirm our appointment. You are a very important client to us and I want to make sure that you had no concern as to the confirmation of out meeting.”

“Well, thank you very much. I will see you at 11:30 and, Mr. Cortez, make sure it is just you - I do not like committees and especially don’t like bank committees,” said Dmitry in a cold manner.

“Of course, Mr. Sidorov. I will be the only representative of our bank dealing with your account.”

“Good. See you soon,” said Dmitry hanging up the phone without waiting for a reply.

Dmitry proceeded to eat his breakfast. He looked at the clock on the wall above the entrance, “Okay, it is 10:30, if I leave by 11am I will be there on time. I’m sure Juan and Max are doing their job - I better text them to ensure - these bastards are only occasionally reliable!” Dmitry thought as he grabbed his phone and started typing a message to them. Just as he hit “send” and put his phone down he looked up to see the most beautiful woman he had seen - she was tall, dark black hair, brown eyes, voluptuous build but soft features. She was alone…not wearing a ring. “Looks like my subject of entertainment for this trip just arrived,” Dmitry thought.

Elizabeth was wearing a beige knee-length sleeveless linen dress, brown peep-toe heels, and her hair down but semi-curly with light make up that accented her natural features. She was a sight that hardly any man could resist at least glancing at which she felt when she walked in the restaurant. SJ had obtained a visual of Dmitry by hacking into the hotel security cameras system so Elizabeth knew just who she was looking for.

Dmitry motioned the waitress to his table and asked her to have Elizabeth join him for breakfast.

“Excuse me señorita, the man there, in the blue suit is asking you to join him,” said the waitress.

“Oh, do you know his name?” replied Elizabeth to keep her cover on right from the start.

“No, he just ask for you señorita,” replied the waitress.

Elizabeth continued stalling so it did not seem that she was trying to get with him. Dmitry looked over at her and smiled. Elizabeth took this as her cue and walked over to his table.

Dmitry stood up, took the hand held out before him and kissed it. “What beautiful lady do I have the pleasure to meet?” said Dmitry with the usual charm he played on women.

“My name is Sophia Hayward,” replied Elizabeth in a soft British accent.

“Ms. Sophia Hayward, do I have the pleasure of your company for breakfast?”

“Well, you are a complete stranger, but something seems safe about you - I see you’ve already ordered and I wouldn’t want to hold you up,” said Elizabeth motioning towards his full table. Elizabeth had chosen words to fit her part as Sophia and yet when she met eyes with Dmitry she felt and instant connection. It was a feeling of security she could not fathom.

“Oh, well, yes, I have already ordered but don’t worry. I also do have to leave at eleven for a business meeting but why don’t you join me and then maybe I can see you again, say this afternoon?” said Dmitry looking intensely in Elizabeth’s brown eyes.

“Well, Mr.…what is your name?” exclaimed Elizabeth.

“Forgive me Ms. Hayward, my name is Dmitry Sidorov. I am here for a few days on business. I presume you are traveling alone?”

“I see, well, Mr. Sidorov, I am traveling alone and would not mind to see you again later today - or rather, why don’t we meet for an afternoon tea - after all, I am British!” replied Elizabeth with a laugh.

“Well, I did have something planned for this afternoon but let me see what I can do to rearrange things,” replied Dmitry thinking of the fact that his operation was supposed to go into effect that afternoon but if there was one weakness he had it was a beautiful woman.

“Splendid! Then shall I meet you here, say 2:30pm?” replied Elizabeth acting elated at the prospect of further time spent with this stranger.

“Very well, I shall meet you here and if I am not here, forgive me - I will send a messenger to inform you,” replied Dmitry.

Elizabeth sat down at Dmitry’s table and ordered scrambled egg whites on whole-wheat bread and cranberry juice.

“You eat very health,” commented Dmitry.

“Well, forgive my being blunt but a woman doesn’t keep a figure like mine without a good and healthy diet!” replied Elizabeth, laughing.

“Right. So tell me, Sophia, where in England are you from and what brings you to Mexico City?”

“Well, I was born in Manchester, raised in London, attended Oxford University majoring in the Arts which is what brought me here. I had a week free so I decided to come and visit all the art museums in Mexico City, primarily the National Art Museum which is a piece of art itself. Mexican art has a spirit of its own which has intrigued me since I was a child. People have always intrigued me and people express themselves best through art. So, if you want to understand the people of a country or civilization, you must first understand their art,” replied Elizabeth.

“You’ll have to excuse me, Sophia, you captivate me but I must go to my meeting now,” said Dmitry as he grabbed Elizabeth’s hand and proceeded to leave the table. Dmitry kissed her hand and said: “I will see you this afternoon,” and then walked away.

“That woman does something to me. I hardly know her but she has me wrapped around her finger. Maybe she is the one who will be of caliber enough to join me - maybe she will see my vision and stand by my side. Maybe she will be more than just some entertainment. Oh, Dmitry, don’t get carried away with yourself!” Dmitry thought as he was being driven to the bank.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Dmitry’s car pulled up to the bank. Before getting out of the car, Dmitry placed a call to Juan and Max. “Alright guys, are we set?”

“We are nearly there. You go in and do your thing with the bank director. Get the figures of what they have in the bank and then I can do the rest of the programming this afternoon and tonight we can roll. If you want to,” replied Max knowing that Dmitry wanted information, not to be told what to do.

“Okay, I will get the information and get them busy with a distraction. I may not want to move this afternoon. I have some other business I will need to attend to,” replied Dmitry thinking of Sophia.

“Dmitry, don’t tell me you’ve already got onto a woman here? And worse, don’t tell me you are going to delay our plan because of her!” exclaimed Juan.

“Juan, you remember what I told you? About the only woman I would possibly marry? I might have found one. Her name is Sophia. She is from England - in the arts of some sort. She does something no other woman has done to me,” said Dmitry.

“Dmitry, you are the boss and call the shots but know that I don’t agree with stalling,” said Juan.

“I have to agree with Juan on this one,” Max added in.

“Look, as you said, I am the boss and we will do what I say if that means we are here another week! Clear?” exclaimed Dmitry.

Juan and Max replied with agreement.

“Now, I’m going to go in and get the data I need and get these guys busy. Then you guys do what you need to do, keep an eye on things. I will attend to my own affairs this afternoon and you keep me informed of what happens, okay?” said Dmitry, now a bit calmer.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Elizabeth returned to her room and called SJ and Forrester there - Tommy of course was already following her the whole time. “Okay, I’ve got him. We are meeting again this afternoon. He was alone and somehow I really got him hooked to me. I think I am going to get to him mentally and really get him hooked to me. Let’s see what he tells me or where he takes me,” Elizabeth said with confidence.

“Well, I
gotta admit, you are all over your shit girl!” exclaimed Forrester.

“Yes, everything goes according to your plan as usual,” said SJ.

“Great, then I will proceed with meeting up with him this afternoon and just keep doing my thing. You do have him being tracked, right?”

“Yes, we have Blum and one of the other agents out at the bank tracking him,” said SJ pleased that he was a step ahead.

“Great. Then let’s just keep going - you guys get back to it. I’m going to speak with Mr. Madison myself and update him on things,” Elizabeth said as she motioned for them to leave her suite.

Elizabeth grabbed her phone and sent a message to Mr. Madison to make sure he was available for her call, which he was.

“Hi Mr. Madison. I know you’ve been getting operation reports from SJ. He’s really good about that and details. I just wanted to get in touch with you directly,” Elizabeth said wondering what he was going to have to say about her approach on the operation.

“Well, Duarte, you seem to be off to a good start. I knew you were the agent for the job. Just do your routine. I am sure you are going to get to this Dmitry and take him down,” replied Mr. Madison.

“Right sir, we have our routine and we will get it done.”

“Good.  Now, Duarte, you’ll have to excuse me but I have a conference call with the Director. Good luck!” said Mr. Madison as he hung up the phone.

Elizabeth looked at the time - it was already 1pm. “Should I change? Maybe something a bit more provocative this time - I know! My beige skirt with the V-neck sleeveless silk shirt with these shoes!” thought Elizabeth. She proceeded to change her clothes meanwhile running through her head what she was going to do next. “The thing that got him captivated was my conversation but first it was my looks. It was the fact of my looks and intellectual level that followed. He’s probably a man that gets all kinds of ditzy women following him and in bed with him but the ladies of intellectual content either don’t attract to him or aren’t physically attractive to him. I have both - well, I’m not attracted to him in that sense. I am attracted as I want his ass in a federal prison or Guantanamo or someplace he will be forgotten about!” Elizabeth thought.

It was 2:20pm; Elizabeth was gorgeous in the skirt and V-neck sleeveless shirt with her voluptuous hair and figure in full show. She left her room and went to the hotel restaurant where they were still serving random hotel guests though the lunch hour had ended. She went to the waitress. “Miss, could you please get a proper tea set up, you know, tea pot, tea cups, biscuits and so on?” asked Elizabeth with her British accent.

“Si, señorita, no problem,” replied the waitress, already heading off to comply with her request.

Elizabeth sat down at a table overlooking the hotel’s large indoor pool and courtyard. Precisely on time, 2:30pm by the clock, Dmitry showed up.

When he arrived at the table he grabbed her hand and kissed it saying “My dear Sophia, I am happy to have been able to make it on time to see you again.”

“I as well, Dmitry. There’s something special about you, I really would like to get to know you. You seem like a man of great power and intrigue,” said Elizabeth knowing that she was already building his ego.

“Well, I am a modest man but I have to say I have never seen a more gorgeous woman - both in terms of mentality and certainly physique,” Dmitry said as he glanced over Elizabeth again stopping at momentarily at the V-neck on her shirt before meeting up with her eyes again.

Elizabeth looked him over as well, thinking to herself: “Well, if I must go to bed with this man, at least he is good looking!” Dmitry was a good-looking man, blue eyes, dark brown hair, well built, not too skinny and quite buff.

Just then the waitress arrived with the afternoon tea. “I ordered a proper English afternoon tea with Earl Grey and all. I hope you like it, it makes me feel at home,” said Elizabeth as she started to pour them both cups of tea.

“As you can probably tell, Sophia, I may be whatever I am today but I was not raised with social refineries. I grew up in Communist Russia and ‘not having been raised with all that’ is definitely an understatement.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to offend you,” replied Elizabeth softly.

“Oh, no don’t worry. I am proud of my past. I am a self-made man with a lot of power and many connections - more so than most men who are even wealthier than me,” replied Dmitry.

“What exactly is the business you’re in, Dmitry?” asked Elizabeth as she sipped her tea. “I have several. My primary business is private banking.”

“You mean you work at a private bank?” asked Elizabeth.

“No, Sophia, I own a private bank. A relatively small bank in Russia. Not something you would recognize probably. I then have several other small business ventures that I fund with my income from the bank. It allows me to live the life I want,” replied Dmitry as he stirred his tea.

“What kind of life is it that you want to live?”

“Dear Sophia, you are very inquisitive,” replied Dmitry now a bit flustered - thinking to himself that he was for the first time feeling emotions for this woman other than wanting to get in bed with her, of course he wanted that but wanted a lot more.

“I’m sorry Dmitry, my father always told me the same thing. Too inquisitive. Well, go ahead and ask me anything you want to. I don’t mind,” replied Elizabeth with a light laugh reaching her hand out to Dmitry to grab, which he of course did.