Destiny watched the monitor screen as the robots inside the super-clean room assembled the tiny parts. Jonlee stood behind her, impatient with her presence. As Technology Director of this super-secure electronics factory, he didn't like prying visitors, even ones admittedly as good-looking as Destiny. He had protested vigorously against the visit, citing the risks of revealing trade secrets but he had been over-ruled.
Destiny's soft voiced questions were probing and insightful. "How do you perform regular maintenance on the robots in the clean-room conditions? What are the security protocols for adjusting the controlling software? Who has access to the computer mainframe's physical location?"
The clandestine airwaves had been buzzing with rumors of an imminent sale of ultramodern missile guidance technology to agents of the Axis of Evil. Total Woman Security was helping the manufacturing corporation tighten up its security. All of the physical protocols had been reviewed and re-reviewed and no fault was apparent. They concluded that a mole must be active within the factory and ready to abscond with the crucial technology.
Jonlee patiently answered Destiny's queries and escorted her as requested through controlled corridors and passageways to locked rooms and equipment only he and a few others were privy to. Destiny took no notes and recorded no information. She acted like a technology tourist, gawking and gaping at the pretty flashing monitoring lights.
Destiny didn't need to take notes. She held advanced degrees in electrical and electronic engineering and understood the concepts. She had been thoroughly briefed on the facility and its equipment by others before her visit. The specific technology advances that made this facility that small fraction better than all the others came from the genius of Jonlee. He was a prodigy in his professional field.
Destiny liked Jonlee, despite his obvious challenges in gender relations. His personnel file and surreptitious TWS background check had shown him to be frugal, un-married, few close friends and totally devoted to his career. The study had concluded that Jonlee himself was not the mole. But he could be an unwitting accomplice of an associate.
Destiny let Jonlee stew all day with her disruptive presence. His annoyance was palatable. As the afternoon waned, she sensed an easing in his angst as the end of his perceived ordeal approached. In the lobby on Destiny's way out, she shook Jonlee's hand.
"So, Jonlee, any idea where a girl can find a good time in this town? Are you doing anything later?"
Jonlee had the sorrowful look of the mouse who, having suddenly escaped the cat's paws, found himself hauled back in.
"It's science trivia night at the Big Texan. I'm meeting some friends there. We play every Wednesday night."
"Sounds like fun. How's the food?"
"The dining room serves legendary steaks but the trivia room has typical bar fare."
"Well, then, maybe I'll see you there."
Destiny took her leave. Jonlee made a final round of inspections to satisfy himself that his cherished machinery was running smoothly before packing up to leave as well.
-----------------------------
"And the answer is 'ionized radical molecules'! Ten points for the Geek Squad!" The sparse crowd around the room echoed a drawn out groan.
Jonlee and his three friends exchanged high-fives. Two questions left and they would take the prize tonight... again. Damn, this was fun.
Kaleb, Lamar and Matt pushed the napkins and empty bowls aside getting ready to dig into the ninth question of this evening's nerdy fun fest. A clatter drew Kaleb and Lamar's attention. Matt ignored the bowl he had just dropped as he stared at the front door. Kaleb and Lamar followed his gaze.
Was she lost?
A short black sequined cocktail dress hovered at the entrance among the myriad of blue jeans and flannel shirts. Inside the dress was a strikingly beautiful Chinese female complete with long legs, long push-up cleavage and long fluid hair. Her face was set-off by red lips and made-up black eyes peeking beneath eyebrows swathed by black bangs.
Jonlee followed their gaze and discovered Destiny had just walked into the bar. She peered around until she found him in the crowd and waved. Kaleb, Lamar and Matt now stared at Jonlee.
"You KNOW her?" asked Matt.
"I think that's Destiny, my Security Auditor at work."
"You THINK? You don't remember? If it were ME, I would REMEMBER!" cackled the guys.
Jonlee protested. "Yeah, well, she looked different today wearing a lab coat, safety glasses and her hair in a librarian's bun under the hardhat. Anyway, she's kind of a pain in the ass."
Kaleb harrumphed. "She can pain my ass anytime... all night long..."
The guys did a quick preen, smoothing hair, adjusting glasses and shirts, standing at anxious attention as Destiny floated to their table. Every other male eye in the room followed her short journey with wonder and interest.
"Hello, Jonlee, so glad to see you here. I was hoping to find you. I wanted to get out of the hotel but a girl can get really lost in this town. I'm glad to see a familiar face. "
"Hi, Destiny. So... you found us?"
"Sure did! Aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?"
Jonlee looked at three stiff geeky smiles on three stiff geeky faces not used to finding such knockout grandeur in their usual haunts and hideouts... or rather her finding them.
"This is Kaleb... Lamar... and Matt. They are my only regular buds in town."
Destiny extended her delicate hand and pressed lightly with each man in turn. Without invitation, she drew up a stool and sat at the high-top. Nobody objected.
Destiny displayed her best social ice-breaker skills, asking the men lots of small talk questions about the city, their jobs and interests. Kaleb was a biologist at the local agricultural station, studying animal diseases. Lamar managed a computer software design firm. Matt travelled a lot and was vague about his work, something involving radar, airports and jet engines.
