11. Operation Panda and Seahorse
CHAPTER 11
OPERATION: PANDA AND SEAHORSE
OLLIE
I t feels like it has taken ages, but the carousel is finally in view. I keep looking all around for anyone who might come over and, I don’t know what, exactly. At the very least, grab the case from us and run off with it. Even if it does look a lot more like a woman’s purse right now instead of the cheap promotional briefcase-shaped tote it is. Especially since Daisy is wearing it like a purse.
Daisy and I are still holding hands, which somehow already feels like the most natural thing ever. Even though it is still causing nerves and excitement to flow through me.
Of course, that could be leftover from our kiss. Which was unexpected and also the most glorious thing I’ve ever experienced. I know that Daisy was doing it as a way to “hide” from the guy in the suit, but it was mind-blowing and like no other kiss I’ve ever had. Which makes sense, because Daisy is like no other woman I’ve ever known.
It was clear from the kiss that Daisy rather enjoyed it, too. I would’ve thought that kissing her and having it be a great experience would make it even easier to ask her out. And I desperately want to ask her out. But that kiss being so perfect just adds to her perfectness, which makes it feel like she’s even more out of my league. I take a deep breath. But I will ask her out. I will find the courage to take that risk.
“ Are we supposed to get on the carousel?” Daisy asks.
I have no idea. I try to think back to every snippet of any spy movie or TV show I’ve ever seen. People passing information to an operative usually do it in a unique location. Or an airport, for some reason. But a place where other things are happening so it isn’t as obvious.
“ I don’t know. He would’ve said ‘by the fence surrounding the carousel’ or ‘in the line for the carousel’ if it was one of those, right? And I guess if we got on and then he got on, it’d be easy for him to grab the case from us as he was walking past to his spot. He wouldn’t want us hanging out at the fence around it like we’ve got a child on the ride that we’re watching.”
Daisy nods. “ That sounds reasonable.”
So we get in line and I glance at my watch. Judging by how many seats are on the carousel and how many people are in line, I think we’ll make it on the ride with the next group. Which is good, since we are supposed to meet Jace in just under two minutes.
When the ride stops and everyone gets off, the worker at the gate lets us through as almost the very last people. There are only two seats left that are by each other, so I take the one on the outside and Daisy takes the one on the inside. I haven’t even noticed what animals we are sitting on until Daisy says, “ Ooh ! I got a seahorse!” Then I look down and see that I’m sitting atop a panda eating bamboo.
The music begins, the ride starts going around in a circle, and our animals start moving up and down about as slowly as the ride is turning. I’m looking around— I kind of expected Jace to be by our side already. Or for us to at least have spotted him.
Daisy must be thinking the same thing, because she shrugs and says, “ He’s an intelligence operative. He’ll probably suddenly appear. After he grabs the bag, he’ll disappear just as quickly.”
I nod and keep looking for him as my panda goes up and down. Then I happen to turn my focus outside of the carousel and see Jace standing at the short fence surrounding the ride, looking at us like he’s confused as to why we are on the ride.
“ There he is!” Daisy says and works to pull the bag off her shoulder. The handle isn’t big, so it’s on her arm pretty tight. She manages to get it off and holds it out toward me, and I’ve got a hand out toward her, keeping my eye on where Jace is, because we’re almost around to him again.
Then she jerks it back. “ Wait ! I like this jacket.” She hurries to remove the bobby pins and take the jacket off of the case. Jace is motioning to me, trying to tell me something, but I can’t tell what before the ride goes around and away from him too much.
Daisy holds it out to me again, and I’m holding it and trying to find something to hook my inside leg on so I can lean out far enough to pass the case to Jace as my panda goes up and down to the music. When we come back around again, Jace is shaking his head and holding up both hands like stop signs. Then he holds up one finger.
“ I think he wants us to wait until we get off,” Daisy says as she puts her jacket back on.
Yeah , that would probably be way less conspicuous than what I’m currently attempting. So , we finish out our ride, smiling awkwardly every time we come back around to Jace , with me praying that the ride will end soon.
Eventually , it does, and we hurry off and go directly to Jace . “ It’s all in there,” I say as I hand the case to him. Never has something so light felt like such a weight on my shoulders.
“ You’re the best, Ollie ,” Jace says. “ Thank you. And thank you, Daisy , for completing the mission with him. I owe you both a big debt of gratitude. The information in here could help us to save a lot of lives.”
I am grinning, and my chest feels so light. I helped to save lives today. I look over at Daisy , and she is grinning, too. We did this. Together .
A woman’s voice somewhere behind me calls out, “ Jace , you made it!” and I turn to look for its source. A woman with wavy brunette hair that goes a little past her shoulders is walking toward us, and she has others with her.
She gives Jace a quick kiss on the lips, and he says, “ I’m not here officially yet.” He holds up the garish case a bit, which doesn’t match his, well, everything . Clothes , personality, you name it. “ I have to get this back to the agency so they can start analyzing some things.” Then Jace turns to us. “ Mackenzie , I’d like to introduce you to Ollie and Daisy . Ollie and I went to school together—he’s the reason I made it through AP Calculus . Ollie and Daisy , this is my fiancée, Mackenzie .”
“ Impressive ,” Mackenzie says as she shakes my hand. “ It’s nice to meet you.” Then she shakes Daisy’s hand. “ And you, too. Oh , I love that necklace! It looks so cute on you!”
Jace says, “ And this is my sister, Charlie , who I’m sure you remember from school, her roommate Reese , Mackenzie’s best friend, Livi , and Zoe , who is my brother, Ledger’s , well, not fiancée, officially. But we like to pretend she is.”
Each of them nods or waves, but I don’t catch most of their names because I’m currently pretty blown away by the fact that Jace has a fiancée and that his family is here. I mean, it makes sense that Jace is engaged. The man is oozing with confidence. I just hadn’t exactly pictured an intelligence operative being surrounded by loved ones while attending a town festival.
Everyone starts chatting, and I hear Zoe say, “ I don’t understand this ride. What is it supposed to do ?” at about the same time I hear Reese say, “ I didn’t see a single booth selling honey. I think I should rectify that for the next fall festival.”
I haven’t even found my bearings when Ledger joins the group, along with someone wearing a surly expression that I don’t know but who has to be an older brother. He’s holding the hand of a toddler who is trying to eat ice cream, but it’s dripping all over the cone and onto her hand. Ledger’s carrying so many food items, and he looks marginally less intimidating when his arms are laden with food. It does show off arm muscles, though, that are even more impressive than they were in high school.
He starts calling out food items that he got for different people and handing each one to them. Then he says, “ And guess what? I found a booth that was selling cheese! ”
Zoe perks up. “ Cheese ?” She slides on over to him and gives him a kiss before taking the cheese like it is precious and should be revered.
Daisy crouches down to the toddler’s height, takes the napkin that is tucked into the collar of her shirt like a bib, and helps the little girl clean up her hands and the cone. Then Daisy turns the cone around so the toddler is licking off the side that is melting the quickest.
As I watch Daisy help the little girl, I start picturing Daisy helping our kids, and I’m already falling in love with that mental image. Then I tell myself to back the truck up. I can’t start picturing her with our kids until I at least manage to ask her on a first date.
Then Ledger notices me. “ Oh , hey, it’s the Ollie -nator!” He comes near me to shake my hand, now that he has one free, and he seems to get taller as he nears. He’s towering over me by what feels like a foot when he shakes my hand and says, “ It’s been a while. You are looking better than ever. How are you doing?”
Yeah . He’s still intimidating. “ I’m good,” I say. “ This is Daisy Maxfield .”
He shakes her hand, too.
Jace puts his hand in Mackenzie’s and gives it a squeeze. “ You all enjoy the festival. I’ll be back before long.” Then he comes over to us, and we wave at everyone before we turn and start walking with him, away from the carousel.
“ You two did some great work. Thank you.” Then he turns to me and says, “ And you took some good risks today.” He pauses for a moment, then adds, “ Don’t stop.”
I nod. I want to take his advice. When we first handed him the case, I was feeling pretty great. But then I don’t know. Something about all the people and everything going on has made me crawl back into myself and I’m nervous all over again.
Jace veers off toward wherever he parked, and Daisy and I start meandering toward the edge of the park, heading to nowhere in particular, all while a flock of hummingbirds on caffeine have congregated in my gut.
Now is the perfect time to ask out Daisy . Right at the end of a successful mission where we worked together pretty fantastically and seemed to have a lot of fun. I could ask if she wants to stay at the festival with me and grab something to eat, then actually wander around and look at the booths that we missed when we were only watching for suits.
But what if she was only in it for the excitement of a secret mission? Yesterday , after we planted the bug, she said we should do it again sometime. As in, go on a spy mission sometime, not go on a regular date. What if going on a regular date with me doesn’t sound fun to her at all? Can I handle her saying that she’s not interested? I’m not so sure that I can, and I don’t happen to have any secret spy missions up my sleeve to offer .
Daisy stops walking and seems to be waiting in anticipation.
Ask her out! Ask her to stay at the festival with you!
I could. I could simply say the words, “ Do you want to stay longer and check out more of the festival?” That wouldn’t be too hard. Or I could say what’s on my mind, which is more along the lines of “ Do you want to date, get engaged, get married, start a family, and grow old with me?” Ha . Like that would ever be wise to say.
I waffle back and forth, deciding what exactly to do for too long, though. Daisy says, “ Congrats on a successful mission today. I think we did good work together.”
“ We did,” I say.
Then she hikes a thumb over her shoulder. “ My apartment is only about a block in that direction, so it’d be quicker for me to walk home from here than to walk back to your car on the other side of the park.”
Like an idiot, I nod and say, “ That makes sense.”
So she turns and starts walking. After a few steps, I call out, “ Thanks for your help today!”
She looks at me over her shoulder, smiles, and then waves. I just stand there, hands in my pockets, and watch her walk away.