21:00 p.m. The Taylor-Müller Estate.
7 minutes.
What can a person achieve in 7 minutes?
Scrub the bathroom sink clean, trim and buff your fingernails, boil the perfect egg with set white and dreamy golden yolk.
The latter churns your hungry stomach, though you're not in the mood for eggs. You definitely won't be later tonight, given that it's almost – you glance at your watch – 9 o'clock now.
Maybe there will be canapés left to indulge in when you return. Maybe you'll order food when you make it home.
Maybe you'll devour that in 7 minutes too. It does seem to be the theme tonight.
7 minutes for the intermission cocktails to be served. 7 minutes for Jonno to make his blubbering speech. 7 minutes for the dance floor to completely fill as the band started some up-beat swing number, Aiden dragging KJ into the bopping bodies.
Months ago you might've joined in. A small niggle tells you to do so but tonight is too important.
It's all falling into place as planned. Still though, you're nervous.There are ghosts in this city.
In the bustling rat-race, they easily slip by. The pulsing allure of success in skyscrapers, flashy sports cars, and the finest clothing of woven thread, makes it far too easy to miss those who work in the shadows.
Tonight is the same. With the party in full swing, it allowed you to slip away, navigate the dark never-ending halls, and bypass the security personnel looming around the garage.
Tonight's guests will be too far gone to notice any absences, dancing, drinking and freely mingling between the tables. Firm handshakes and lipstick-staining kisses on cheeks, plucking fresh stems from the flowing champagne towers before gabbling about what share prices shocked them the most this week.
You'd be doing the same, blending into the sea of none-the-wiser, talking the same tripe like you belong there.
The next 7 minutes are important, standing between you and fortunes. The type to set you up for life and plant your behind on a sunny Bahamas beach for the foreseeable future.
All you need to do is pull this off as quickly and cleanly as possible.
No pressure, right?
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