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Motive

Marcelo had had a long night. With patrols and... other more pleasurable things cutting into his sleeping time, he felt like he was dragging. Though he tried to look as peppy as possible. His father was still in the building somewhere, checking over some of the programs Marcelo had started. This weekend the pair of them needed to go to the out of state facility to check on how the diamond production was going.

He had settled into his chair and was checking out his schedule. It looked mostly like it had the other day. Until he glanced at the top again and his eyes actually focused. There was an appointment there.

He hadn't remembered an appointment first thing when he had left yesterday. That would make it hard to slip out to an internet cafe like he had planned to send Hellkitten an email from an email account he had created the other day to get in touch with her.

Marcelo got back up from his desk and walked toward the office door. He could have called, but he wanted to see his secretary's reaction on why there was a mysterious appointment.

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Sage looked up once more when Marcelo stepped out of his office. She'd expected him to see her there at his secretary's desk as he walked in and demand to know who she was, but he hadn't seemed entirely conscious yet. A night owl, apparently, since he didn't seem to be suffering the effects of a night spent drinking. She was glad of that. It would make her job more pleasant, although discovering he was a drunk wouldn't have stopped her.

This time, he seemed to actually see her and she sat back in the purloined chair to give him a measuring look. "Good morning, Mister Alencar da Silva."

He had been aware of a body at his secretary's desk when he had walked into his office. He had just assumed it was Luiza. Marcelo was most certain the person at the desk was not his secretary.

"You are not Luiza." He glanced her over, hoping not to see a weapon. Another attack on him from an anti-mutant bigot was not something he wanted first thing in the morning. "Uh, can I help you, Ms. ...?"

"Well spotted," she agreed with a nod. She was not, in fact, Luiza. She was also not armed. Not visibly, at any rate.

"You can call me Sage. I'm your first appointment of the day." She stood and collected a briefcase from the floor beside the desk. "You emailed Luiza and had her take the morning off. She was very grateful."

"Incidentally, you also overpay her."

Marcelo scratched his head.

"How are you the first appointment of the day? I shouldn't have one." Or he had been doing too much outside of work again. Which was entirely possible.

"I pay her commensurate with her tenure and how much she-" He shook his head. "Why is her pay your concern?"

Sage waited with her briefcase in hand while he puzzled it out. Her expression was one of infinite patience. "I'm your first appointment because I slipped into your computer system and made it so. That is also how I emailed Luiza to take the morning off and how I know what her salary and benefits are."

A slight smile curved her lips. "It's less an appointment and more an interview, really. You need my services."

He opened his mouth and then closed it. He rubbed his eyebrows. When his hand dropped, he set his jaw.

"Go into my office." He was not going to have this embarrassing conversation in front of the employees passing by.

"As you wish." She turned on her heel and walked into his office. Then she made herself comfortable in the chair across from his desk, one leg crossed over the other at the ankles.

Edited 2013-07-22 04:46 (UTC)

He calmly closed the door behind them. He was impressed by that considering he was starting to get miffed. He walked over to sit behind his desk.

"So, to what do I owe the invasion and embarrassment in front of my employees?" He decided to not sit down. He leaned forward and placed his hands palms down on the desktop. That would keep them from clenching at his sides.

Sage quirked one eyebrow and tipped her head to the side a bit. "Please. If I'd wanted to embarrass you, I wouldn't have come here first thing in the morning before the building was full and I wouldn't have given the secretary the morning off to help ensure we aren't overheard or interrupted."

"It's curious that you're not more concerned with the security defects that allowed me to access your system..."

Marcelo sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was going to get a headache. A massive one. Particularly when his father got wind of this. And then it would be a careful dance to try to stay in America. "Who are you, Miss Sage? And what do you want here? Because if I wanted people rubbing my nose into things, I can find others more suited for it."

"As I've said. I have no intention of humiliating or otherwise damaging you or your company. What I've done today was merely a demonstration of my ability." This was certainly not going as planned.

"What I want from you is employment. I can help you repair the weak spots in your security."

Marcelo peeked around the hand in front of his face. He blinked and then squinted at her.

"So, not extortion?" Well, maybe this could work for him. Or not make him have to go back to Brazil. He dropped his hand away from his face. Though his thumb did fiddle with the ring on his ring finger.

"Why do you wish to work for Veridian Dynamics? Or are you meaning me specifically? With your skills, I'm sure some of the bigger American companies would want you."

"To be frank, the bigger American companies are boring." She shrugged and sat back in her seat. Now that he looked less like a man about to be executed, it was easier to talk to him.

"Veridian Dynamics is poised to be the next big thing and I need a challenge."

He pulled out his chair and settled into it. He might have to get up in a bit to make some coffee, but sitting seemed like a key idea to him at the moment.

"Astute observations and hacking skills are a start." Even if his fiancee worked for one of those big, boring American companies. "So, all this for a cyber security job? Or what position were you looking for?"

"Cyber security is a fair place to start, but I'd be wasted if that's all you gave me. There isn't a human-designed computer system on the planet I can't get into, improve, and maintain. I also multi-task better than anyone else you're ever likely to meet." From someone else, that could be considered bragging. She stated it all as simple fact.

He leaned back in his chair. The leather creaked softly at the change in position. Marcelo considered the woman in front of him.

"So, cyber security, system administration, and mult-tasking. Do you have a resume on you? Or is that somehow already on my computer somewhere?"

"It isn't, but it can be rather quickly." She tipped her cybernetic shades down and glanced at his computer. A moment later, the machine chimed with a new email.

"You'd learn more from actually seeing me work, however. I'll give you a week, free of charge. Throw everything you'd like at me and I'll prove my claims are true."

He glanced sidelong at his computer. It would probably like this Sage better than his secretary would. Maybe.

"Okay. It couldn't hurt." He leaned forward and opened the email on his computer. He perused the resume. His eyebrow quirked up at the last place of employment. "Xavier's? Huh."

"Mmm-hmm. Formerly, I attended to the majority of the administration duties at Xavier's." She shrugged and sat back comfortably. "The new headmistress is less in need of technical assistance than her predecessor and I am in need of a new challenge. I still live on the campus, however, should they need me for some reason."

"Then you might know my fiancée, Stephanie Shaw." A mutant. Not that it would sway him one way or the other, but it explained some things.

A new headmistress? He hoped it wasn't that hot redhead or all the boys there would be in trouble.

"A small commute, I see. When do you want to start?" A free week was a free week.

"I do. I was unaware she was engaged, however." Dating, yes. Engaged? How interesting. Perhaps there was more to Stephanie's millionaire boyfriend than sage initially thought.

"Will Monday be sufficient?" That would give her the weekend to make sure everything was settled at Xavier's and to do a bit more research on her soon-to-be employer.

"Happened just recently. We're just waiting for the opportune time to announce it." He couldn't keep the lopsided grin from making a quick appearance. It was a bright spot in a sea of difficulties.

"I should be back in town by Monday. That should be fine." He had to show his father the diamond operation and took Stephanie out of town for much needed stress relief. Even if it looked like they were going to end up in the middle of a desert. Damn Sin City city.

Well, he seemed happy with the development. Sage supposed that was a good sign. Maybe he'd be a balancing influence for Stephanie. One could hope, anyway.

"Monday it is, then." She nodded. "Do you have any further questions for me, or shall I leave you to the rest of your day?"

Marcelo wasn't sure what kind of influence he had on Stephanie outside of the bedroom. Though that speculation showed up in gossip rags. Which only Luiza payed attention to for him.

"I think that's all I have currently. I'll have more as we work through your trial week."

He stood up. "It was... an interesting experience meeting you. See you Monday."

"Very well." She stood also and extended her hand to him. "I'll see you Monday morning."

She'd probably be there before him, if today was anything like his natural schedule. As she turned to go, she paused and looked back. "Feel free to contact me if you decide you have any additional questions or requirements prior to Monday. My contact information is on the resume."

He shook the offered hand. Even if he wasn't completely sure what all just transpired. He really needed to talk to Stephanie about this.

"If I think of anything while I'm in Vegas, it will probably wait until Monday." Stephanie needed a break, and he was going to give her one. With pampering and shopping and whatever the awful arid climate in that part of the States afforded them.

"Of course." She nodded again. "Enjoy your weekend."

With that, she left the office. She had things to do before her new career began Monday morning.

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Motive

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