Page 47 of Trust Me

210-900-0000:Open up.

“Welcome,” I say as I pull the suite door open.

Kyle’s expression remains unimpressed, but there’s a spark in his eyes.

“Not bad, considering I got in for free, huh?” Grinning, I hold my arms out wide. “That’s one hell of a view.” It looks down onto the park where we just were.

“The suite two floors up is even better,” he comments.

“I assume you’ve stayed in the Grande Suite then,” I say with a roll of my eyes.

“Once or twice.” He’s so casual about it. One night in one of these suites is more than most people make in an entire month.

“You’ve made it into the suite. Congratulations. What were you trying to prove?” He follows me as I move around the suite, being nosy.

“It proves that social engineering works. This hotel probably spends millions on security, but in less than ten minutes, I was able to get into one of their most exclusive rooms.”

“The hotel employee that let you up here should be fired.”

My sharp intake of air pierces the quiet of the room. “No, she shouldn’t,” I say, guilt peppering my words. “She looked young. If I were to guess, I might even say she’s new to the job. She was doing what she thought was the right thing. Do you know how many clients probably come in here making outrageous demands?

“I wanted to show you that social engineering can work anywhere. This is why the new COO needs to make more of an effort to get to know his employees. Not just the VPs and executives.”

“How will getting to know them better prevent someone from social engineering their way into my company?”

“It might not,” I admit. “But it could help decrease fallout. Employees who fear management or don’t have a relationship with them also keep secrets. Imagine if someone makes a mistake like that Renaissance employee downstairs? What do you think will happen if management were to find out?”

“They’d be fired,” he says without hesitation. “We don’t deal with incompetence.”

“Exactly. This incentivizes them to cover it up instead of being honest from the beginning. The worst damage is often done in the cover up, not from initial error.”

He eyes me suspiciously. Kyle goes to say something, but out of nowhere, there are voices outside of the door.

I gasp and then take Kyle’s hand. He doesn’t budge.

“What are you doing? We have to hide,” I whisper.

“I don’t hide. They can’t do shit to me.”

I suck my teeth and pull on his arm harder. “Let’s go.”

He drags his feet.

“If they find us here, the employee who let me in here will be fired.”

“So?”

“Kyle, please,” I plead.

“Fine,” he grumbles while the alarm disengaging on the door sounds.

He pulls me into the bedroom and then into the spacious walk-in closet. Kyle presses my back against the closet wall and stands against me. We’re face to face. Our bodies flush against one another’s.

A giggle from the bedroom startles me, and Kyle places a palm over my mouth.

“Shshsh.” A slight smirk plays on his lips, and a glint in his eyes. It’s not a humorous look, however. There’s deviance behind it.

He moves forward, pressing his body even farther into mine.