Devil’s in the Details (25 page)

I had also taken full notice of how Alex ran her fingers over that one spot on my back as she kissed me in the kitchen. Her fingers moving over the scarred skin like they were investigating where it came from and not looking for the quickest way to get my shirt off so she could see me topless.

I knew in time, the nurse in her would eventually ask questions, and then I would eventually have to tell her the truth, or come up with convoluted lies. Regardless that the truth could be easily accessed by a simple public news search. I made a quick mental note to call Dani later and ask her to monitor any further internet searches so I could at least be prepared.

Sticking the fork under the waffle, I reached across the table and grabbed her hand. Picking it up so her fingers could fall into the spaces of mine, "Alex, look at me." Alex hesitated before making eye contact, I smiled softly, "I’ll be honest with you, it took me seeing that limp fish of a man, have you in the ways I always wanted you, to help get me over the fear." I ran my thumb over the top of her knuckles, "I did want you to let me go. I wanted you to find someone else. When I saw him, holding you, my heart told me that it was the end and you had moved on. Then you told me you were still waiting for me."

I paused, squeezing Alex's hand as I looked up in her eyes to see them glass over, "My fear of losing you out of my own stupidity, and fear, that I couldn't be everything you wanted and deserved out of me, won. I walked out of the hospital set and determined to win you over." I smiled, "And steal you away from Doctor Dean."

Alex giggled, sniffling as she squeezed my hand back. "Victoria, you always had me. You didn't have to steal me." She then sighed, rolling her eyes, "I probably should call and tell him that I can't go to the Poconos next weekend."

"You can still go with him if you want." I gave her a playful smirk, "I know I didn't have to steal you, Alex, but I did have to do something to make sure you knew I am serious about this. About us." I laughed, reaching up to wipe away the single tear that began to escape out the corner of her eye. "But, I’ll still be honest in telling you, I am not easy to be with. I work too much, I travel too much and have been alone for a really long time. Things you already know." I rested my hand against her cheek, feeling her sigh. I looked deeply in her eyes, seeing the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. Alex was my lighthouse in the hell storm I had lived in for almost twelve years.

She pressed her palm against my hand on her cheek, "I do already know all of that. You also know that I also work too much, and easily become a cranky pants when I work back to back doubles." She pulled my hand down, kissing my palm before releasing it. "We can do this, Victoria."

I nodded, looking down at the plate of waffles, still holding on to Alex's other hand, "We can." It was a harsh whisper. On one hand, I believed we could do this, and I was starting to fully believe for once in my life. I had never felt like I did with Alex. Not with anyone else I have ever been with or close with. She made me want to hang up the black clothes and hide away all the killing tools. Embrace one life and not two. Embrace a singular life where I could be the simple history Professor looking forward, and not the killing machine that had to often look over her shoulder.

I motioned back to her plate, "Eat up before it gets cold, then think of what you want to do today." I smiled at Alex, watching her grin and let go of my hand so she could finish eating.

I managed one more bite before my cell phone rang in my pocket, I pulled it out to see Dani's name blinking at me. I clenched my jaw, as once again, reality made this moment convoluted. I smiled at Alex, "I'll be right back. I have to take this call, it's the Academy. I still haven’t turned in my final grades."

Alex nodded, waving me off, "Go. I’ll watch over your waffle." She waited until I stood up from the booth, before poking her fork into one very large chunk on my plate and popping it in her mouth.

Walking outside to lean against the silver side of the diner, I answered the phone firmly, "Yes."

"Well good morning to you, Professor." Dani seemed agitated, which was unusual since she was usually trying to agitate me.

I ran my hand through my hair, "Get to the point of why you are calling me, Dani. I want to enjoy my day off."

Dani blew out a breath, "Must be nice to be off for the summer while some of us have to keep working." I heard the familiar clicking of a keyboard, "Any shit, the old lady wanted me to reach out to you. She has a side job up in Northern Ireland that she needs a gentle hand to deal with it. Triple pay, in and out job. Leave Monday and back by Tuesday night."

I groaned, looking back through the window of the diner, catching a glimpse of Alex looking happier than she had been in months, making it harder for me to deal with this phone call. I didn't want to do the job, but I knew if I started refusing jobs it would bring attention to me. I had a perfect attendance record and deviating from it would alert Voltaire.

I also knew Alex had a double on Monday followed by her regular Tuesday shift. She would hardly notice I was gone, and it would still give me the rest of the day with her and part of Sunday before she went back to work. I sighed at the balancing act that had already begun. Balancing starting something with the woman I was in love with, and the job I felt nothing for.

"Are you listening to me, Professor?" Dani had a bite in her voice.

I snapped back, "What is it with you today? You're uncharacteristically assy."

Dani sighed, "This job just wears on me." She cleared her throat, "So are you in or are you out? If you're out, I have a job from the old man waiting for you. A three day trip to Brooklyn, eliminate a shifty mole in homeland security who has been selling secrets to anyone and everyone. A real piece of shit."

"Dani," I cut her off, rubbing at my temple, "If I take the side job, I want at least three weeks off. Use up some of my vacation time." Dani started laughing, "What's so funny?" I was beginning to get angry that she was truly wasting my time.

"Nothing, just the fact that Voltaire offers benefits and vacation time, still gets my skirt in a knot. We are in the killing business and yet we get out yearly physicals covered and a chunk of time to relax. It's a morbid society we live in, Victoria. Don't you agree?" She paused, "Wait, you never take vacation time. What's up?"

I clenched my jaw tighter, "Tell the old lady I will take the side job. Then dump the Brooklyn job on Dante, she loves moles." I waved lightly at Alex, catching her eating the rest of my waffle. "Look, I have to go."

I heard the keyboard clicks, "Fine. Old lady has approved it. Check your email later for the details and the other usual shit."

I went to hang up when I stopped, "Dani, can you do me a favor?"

"Oh! Now she wants a favor! These favors just keep piling up Professor." She laughed when she heard me grumble, "Go ahead."

"Can you monitor any internet searches tied to my service in the war, particularly the news reports and public records from that day?"

Dani let out a slow breath, her tone turning very serious, "Is that meddling detective back on the prowl for answers about the metro murders?" Dani knew what had happened to me during the war. When it was brought up, it was the only time she was not a sarcastic asshole, especially when I spoke of that day.

Dani had been there at the end of that day. She had been the key Naval intel officer that was able to find me and because of that she was eventually brought into Voltaire to act as my handler. Dani was the only person I could trust, and as much as I hated her at times, she had truly saved my life. Due to that tiny piece of history between us, she also knew the truth and had to hide it with me.

I shook my head to no one, "No. I just need you to monitor searches." I went to head back into the diner, "I will contact you as usual when it’s done. Goodbye Dani." I hit the red end button and jammed the phone back into my pocket.

Reaching the diner door, I pulled it open and sucked in a deep breath, letting it out slowly as I walked back to the table. Allowing a slow smile to cover my face before I gave Alex a playful dirty look at how much of my waffle was missing.

She bit her bottom lip, "I ordered you another one, sorry."

I shook my head sitting down, pushing the rest of my food towards the eager brunette, "It doesn't matter. As long you're full." I picked up my coffee cup, "But you’re now buying brunch." I cocked an eyebrow at Alex.

She sighed smiling, leaning forward on the table, "Anything for you." She winked at me, before slowly finishing the rest of my half devoured waffles.

I set the cup down, wrapping both of my hands around it, "I was thinking. That weekend you took off to go to the Pocono's?"

Alex looked up at me with curious eyes, "Yes, what about that weekend? I was going to call my boss and see if I can pick up the shifts now that I think Doctor Dean and I are better off just being co-workers."

I laughed, "Not even going to remain friends?"

"Nope, he barely remembers my middle name after I have told him a thousand times. Needless to say, it's better off if I downgrade him from possible suitor to co-worker status." Alex reached for her orange juice, "Anyway, what about that weekend I took off?"

I twirled the brown ceramic coffee cup. "I have some vacation time coming up after this last trip on Monday." I saw Alex's smile fade, "I’ll only be gone a day at most. I have to head up to Rhode Island to the Officer Candidate School and meet with one of the instructors. It's all administrative nonsense. They want me to look over the next batch of candidates." I paused, hating the fact that the lie fell so easily from my mouth, "I'll be back Tuesday afternoon, and I was thinking that we could spend some time together. Go on that road trip to Richmond you always talked about or do other boring things."

I shifted in my seat nervously. This was all new territory for me, wanting to spend time with someone, being the one to initiate spending time together. I had always let the other person dictate and guide me through the nuances of being in a relationship, but here I was, wanting to be with Alex. Taking vacation time to be with Alex and becoming someone else for her. Someone a little more human.

I was letting down walls and opening up the steel doors I kept my heart, and life, behind for so long. All because of the woman sitting across from me.

Alex grinned, tilting her head and looking out the window to hide the blush forming around the curves of her cheeks, "I think I could probably fit you in somewhere, only if we do boring things." She glanced at me, her grin turning into a smirk, "Only if we go to the air and space museum for astronaut ice cream. I vaguely remember you promising me that a long time ago and it never happened. Your flight was delayed coming back from San Diego and I got stuck eating cold pizza with Stacy in my apartment."

I laughed, nodding. "I do remember that."

I did remember that day. I was late coming back from New Zealand, not San Diego. A tropical storm had flown over the island and I was stuck at a backwoods airport with my equipment and the cleaning crew.

We all had missed the exit window when the maniacal evangelist I was sent to kill and dismember, ran from me. I had to chase him for almost a mile before I shot him in the calves. I then had to cut him up in the heat of the sun, lugging the heavy body parts to the shore. Tossing arms and legs into the ocean to make it look like a shark had gotten to him during his morning swim.

I was stuck for a day with barely any phone signal and people who were paid not to acknowledge my existence. I had to break routine and destroy my clothes in a burning barrel of shit from the outhouse at the bar two doors down from the airstrip. It was one of the only times that it really bothered me that I couldn't call Alex for a day or more. Having to wait until we landed in Berlin to switch planes. Hearing the underlying fear in her voice had a very profound effect on me. It was the first time in a long time that I started to really hate my second job, my second life.

Looking up at the waitress as she set down my fresh plate of waffles, I smiled thanking her before turning back to Alex. "I need to pay up on the many rain checks I owe you, and I think next weekend would be perfect time to get a start on that."

"All you have to do is be here, be with me and tell me things. Things like where you grew up, what you were like in high school, your secret celebrity crush, what you did in the Navy and a thousand other things I can't think of right now." Alex paused, "Mainly, why no one has scooped you up and put a ring on it." Alex looked hard in my eyes, "There are so many things I don't know about you, Victoria." Her voice was kind, even, but it felt like a ton of bricks traveling across the table to my ears.

I clenched my jaw, opting to look away and down at the plate, "I guess I’m a bit too private sometimes." Cutting up the waffle, I kept my eyes down as I spoke, "But first, let's enjoy this breakfast and go from there. "

Alex sighed softly, her tight smile that told me she was mildly irritated that I was being vague. "Ok." She sat back in the booth, looking out the window, "I was thinking maybe we can go grocery shopping and I’ll make lunch. We can stay inside today, watch movies, or that one new show on Netflix Stacy and the other nurses keep rambling about. The one with dragons and wolves." Alex rolled her eyes, "The orderlies can't stop shouting the one catchphrase as they clean gurneys."

I raised my eyebrows, "Let me guess, winter is near?"