At half past six in the afternoon, Kyson finished cleaning Sonnyâs three restrooms, a task he had never imagined himself doing.
His body ached from the unfamiliar labor.
Leaning against the wall in the exit passageway of the lab, Kyson lit a cigarette.
The smoke curled around him, his dominant stance clashing strikingly with the delicate skirt he wore.
Convinced he was alone, Kyson swept his long hair back and slouched, embracing a rebellious pose.
Footsteps echoed from downstairs.
Kyson paid them no mind, continuing to puff on his cigarette.
The building towered with seven floors.
Kyson doubted anyone would forgo the elevator to trudge up to the sixth floor.
Yet, the footsteps persisted, growing louder with each passing moment.
Just as Kyson was about to depart, the visitor rounded the corner, halting midway on the stairwell between the fifth and sixth floors, and looked up at Kyson.
Their gazes met, filled with mutual discomfort.
The newcomer was dressed in a lab coat, the typical attire of a research scientist, likely a young doctor.
His eyes widened at the sight of Kysonâs commanding pose in a miniskirt.
Snapping back to reality, Kyson quickly crossed his legs and cleared his throat, adopting a feminine tone.
âWhat are you looking at? Is the sight of a pretty lady enjoying a smoke so unusual?â
Having excelled in a disguise course at the Secret Investigation Departmentâs training facility, Kyson was adept at â such transformations.
Clad in an elegant womenâs outfit, his true identity was well- concealed.
The young man adjusted his glasses in a fluster and averted his gaze, mumbling an apology.
âYou ought to apologize.
Now, please leave.
Youâre ruining my smoke break.
â
To the young scientist, Kysonâs voice was high-pitched and distinctly feminine, his appearance convincingly that of a foreign lady, though his demeanor told another story.
âI truly didnât mean to intrude,â the man stammered, bowing awkwardly before ascending the stairs.
Kyson, who was ahead on the stairs, halted him abruptly.
âWhy are you headed upstairs? Go back, exit through the passage, and use the elevator.
â
The man, perplexed, dared not gaze into Kysonâs stunning yet daunting visage.
âOkay, okay,â he stammered, turning to leave.
Kyson exhaled a cloud of smoke and resettled into his imposing, icy posture.
Physically drained from the dayâs work, he resented any interruptions.
Brooding over the disturbance, Kysonâs thoughts were interrupted by footsteps.
The young doctor reappeared on the stairs, looking up at him.
Kyson adjusted his posture, suspecting his disguise had been exposed.
In a feigned light tone, he challenged, âWhatâs the matter? Looking for a fight?â
The man, visibly tense, hesitated for a moment before extracting his phone from his suit pocket.
Kyson watched intently, trying to discern his intentions.
Finally, mustering some bravery, the man stammered, âWell⦠Miss, Iâm twenty-eight, a chemistry grad student at Kimdom University in Slandom.
I have a PhD, Iâm straight, enjoy reading, and Iâm not much of a talkerâ¦â
Kyson was dumbfounded.
Why was this stranger sharing his life story?
The man continued, tapping on his phone, and then shyly offered it to Kyson.
âI⦠Iâd like to get to know you better.
Could I⦠maybe add you on MSN?â
Kysonâs brow furrowed in disbelief.
What the hell was going on?