1 Manic Monday Read Online Free PDF Page B

Jake found that this was his favorite way to
experience New York.  Whether out here or looking at the city from the
south up the Lower Bay, the city looked so clean, pristine, and orderly. 
He pulled the collar of his overcoat up to cover his neck.  The winter
wind was brisk out here on the deck of the yacht.
    Everyone else was inside.  Drinks were being poured and
Jake was uncomfortable with the level of sexual tension in the cabin.  Six
couples and several single people mingled in the confines of the multi-million
dollar yacht.  Lawyers, commercial real estate brokers, ad executives, and
surgeons mingled with actresses, technology specialists, models, and
professional assassins.  He cringed, thinking of the prospects of the
evening.
    Why are you here, then? Jake asked himself.
     He was startled to attention as a figure came slinking
up to him in the semi-darkness.  Jake had hoped this part of the deck
would remain private.  He needed some space to think.  He was
disappointed to see someone had found him.
    "I love the lights out here.  It makes the city
look like a huge Christmas ornament," Giselle said, her breath catching in
the frigid wind.
    Jake smiled.
    Gary would want to take credit for this “date.”  Jake
knew that Gary secretly coveted Ms. Chaput’s company
for himself.  He never should have told Gary that he needed a break. 
The yacht was owned by one of Gary's friends at Galbraith, Paul Weston III, an
executive in recruiting who had rich parents and even richer in-laws. 
Paul was asleep below deck, his wife still partying loudly with the revelers in
the cabin.
    Giselle Chaput was a remarkable
specimen, Jake had to admit.  Her porcelain skin was delicate, her arms
well-defined, and her hair like a long, flowing, golden silk scarf.  Jake
had guessed that she was a model.
    Man, was I ever wrong, Jake thought.
    "Are you staying in New York long?"
    At this Giselle smiled wryly and arched an eyebrow.
    "I suppose I could be persuaded to stay a little
longer.  Perhaps I could stay to watch the ball drop in the Big Apple this
year."
    Jake had been avoiding her advances all evening.  ,
Since she was technically his date, he should have expected some interest in
further contact.  Her pursuit was mostly subtle.  However alluring
her charms, Jake found himself increasingly uncomfortable. 
    You are just crazy, he chastised himself.
    "The holidays in New York are amazing," he
admitted as he turned back to the lights.
    He felt her get closer to him and take his arm in hers.
    "It is so cold out here," she said.
    "I like the cold."
    She put her head on his shoulder, facing the lights. 
He resisted the temptation to turn to look at her face.  He knew he would
not be able to resist the enchantment of her illumined by the lights reflecting
off the water.  He closed his eyes, concentrating.  He tried to avoid
the image of her blue eyes sparkling, looking up at him.
    "Gary says you are very private. Very
shy."
    "Gary talks too much,"   he said, allowing a smile to touch his lips.
    She chuckled at this.
    "That is what my friend Melissan says, too."
    "So you aren't a model, after all.  Are you
sure?"
    "Oh, I am positive."
    "So, how long have you been working for Sinegem?"
    "It might be hard to believe, but I was recruited in
2009 when Sinegem first became publicly traded."
    "Who owned it before that?"
    "China, of course."
    "I see.  So were you always a corporate spy?"
    He could feel her smile against his shoulder.
    "No.  I was a model."
    "Ah.  So I wasn't too far off."
    "Sinegem saw that I could be quite persuasive and began
training me to infiltrate other companies to obtain corporate secrets, recruit
key personnel, or act as a liaison in matters regarding mergers or
take-overs."
    Jake was impressed.  He wanted to be ambivalent. 
    "I have to admit that you seem to have quite a
resume."
    She looked up at him, a mischievous grin lighting up her face.  Her hand snaked its way inside his coat and
caressed