Chapter 35 #2
Peeking inside, her face lit with wonder. “Athena! Summit Zone. Really? Are you sure? I’ve been wanting to go check it out. Two tickets?” Flash threw her arms around Athena, squeezing her tight and showering her with kisses.
“They have a beginner wall.” Athena’s voice was tight with embarrassment. She rolled her eyes at herself.
“I am so proud of you!” Flash gushed. “You do love me! This is a giant leap out of your comfort zone. Don’t worry. If anyone makes fun of you, I’ll deck ‘em.”
Athena let out a laugh, shaking her head. “Please don’t. I’ll be fine as long as you don’t laugh.”
Flash grabbed Athena’s shoulders and locked gazes with her. In all seriousness, she vowed, “I would never laugh at you for trying something new. I’m your biggest cheerleader, and there’s no challenge you can’t rise to. With a little practice and patience, you can master anything, Athena Bouvier.”
Athena’s gaze grew misty. “You really mean that.”
“I do.” Flash sealed the promise with a kiss.
A sense of awe settled over Athena at Flash’s declaration.
She’d been relieved by Flash’s honest reaction to how much she liked the gift.
But it was her unwavering faith in Athena that took her breath away.
Flash Cash, the woman who really could do anything, believed Athena could too.
After twenty-plus years of measuring people’s words and body language, of separating truth from lies, it was obvious Flash meant what she said.
“My turn.” Flash straightened in her seat.
She pressed her lips together, hands clasped in her lap, and drew a steadying breath.
“You are a detective, among possessing other skills. So, I thought a little game might be fun. I couldn’t go shopping, and if you think it’s lame, well, I’ll do better for St. Patrick’s Day. ”
Athena cocked her head with an inquisitive expression.
Distracted by Flash’s “mystery,” she absently pulled the clip from her hair, letting it spill around her shoulders.
Flash left the table and came back with a scuffed brown leather binder that looked like it had seen plenty of use.
She laid it on the table in front of Athena.
Letters glued to the cover read, “Primary Case File.”
Curious, Athena opened to the first page and read aloud.
“Subject: Athena Bouvier.” Her official data appeared in a typed box beneath a headshot of Athena that consumed most of the page.
She recognized it as the one posted on the Houston FBI website.
“OK,” she mused. “So I’m the subject of this investigation. What exactly am I accused of?”
“You’ll see. Keep going.”
Athena could feel Flash’s nervous energy flow off her in waves as she hovered. She turned the page.
“Exhibit One: First kiss.” Athena twisted over her shoulder.
“Sit down, please. I can’t concentrate. I might have to frame a defense on the fly.
” To her relief, Flash plopped back into her chair at the table.
Athena returned her attention to the carefully curated scrapbook, where she spied a photo of Firehouse Eight’s common room.
“The subject initiated the first kiss with the victim on a July Sunday afternoon in Station Eight’s common room. Other people occupied the space, constituting a risky move on the subject’s part. The victim recalls this vividly, as it occurred on the worst day of her life.”
Athena swallowed, choking back tears, moved by the memory of that day. She continued to read. “The unsolicited act snapped the victim out of a downward spiral, allowing her to regain a measure of self-control.”
The comforting warmth of Flash’s fingers brushing across Athena’s back grounded her, and she moved to the next page.
“Exhibit Two: First Night at the Mansion.” Prominently displayed was a picture of her Piney Point Village house. A smile tugged at Athena’s lips, and she glanced at Flash. “It’s not a mansion.”
“Is so,” Flash declared, jutting her chin up.
Athena shook her head and returned her attention to the page, battling to hold in her swelling emotions.
“The subject whisked the victim off to a secret, secure location: her secondary residence. There she tenderly cared for the victim and her dog. Furthermore, she stole into the guest bedroom and held her through the night, ensuring every aspect of her remained safe.”
Running a knuckle under her eye, Athena turned the page. “Exhibit Three.” She smirked at Flash with fake bravado. “How many of these exhibits do you have?”
Flash’s eyes danced at her while her palm circled the small of Athena’s back. “Keep going.”
Athena sighed as feelings too deep for words welled inside her.
She swallowed. “Exhibit Three: Expressing Vulnerability. The subject not only comforted the victim, but allowed the victim to comfort her. She opened up about the tragedies of facing death: her husband’s, Agent Cruz’s, and her childhood dog, Milly.
” Three small photographs accompanied the text.
That did it. There was no holding back the stream of tears that streaked down her face unbidden. She flipped the page.
“Exhibit Four: Irresistible Beauty.” Staring back at her was a candid photo of Athena in sexy lingerie she had no idea Flash had taken, another of her in mid-stride wearing one of her FBI power suits, and one of her laughing in a swimsuit, taken at Galveston Beach last summer.
This one drew a laugh from her. “Irresistible beauty?” She pointed to the business pic.
“I look like I’m about to send someone to the gallows in that one. ”
“Yeah, hot,” Flash agreed. “You’re so powerful and in command. Don’t you know what a turn-on that is?”
Athena shook her head, sniffed, and fished a tissue from her purse.
“Exhibit Five: Makes One Firefighter Dangerously Distracted.” A two-page spread burst with pictures of Flash and Athena together, more of Athena wearing next to nothing, and one of her cuddling Snuffles, who delightedly licked her.
Athena stared at it, unable to recall ever seeing such unabashed joy on her own face.
Without realizing it, she lifted a hand to her heart.
“Flash, when did you take all these pictures?”
“Oh, I have more.” She grinned like a wolf about to enjoy its dinner.
Athena turned to the last page. “Verdict: Guilty of stealing my heart.” A big red paper heart filled the page with a selfie of Flash and Athena, smiling at the camera in the middle of the West Texas desert a few days before Christmas. Beneath it were Flash’s handwritten words: I love you!
If it were possible for a human to melt into a puddle, Athena would have done so right then and there. “I love you too.” She reached for Flash, embracing her tightly as more tears flowed.
“I know it’s just a little homemade—”
“Don’t!” Athena ordered. Then, in a softer tone, added, “Don’t diminish this. It’s perfect, and I love it.” Closing her eyes, she kissed Flash, her lips and tongue lingering, her fingers digging into Flash’s shirt, then roaming to catch her cheeks.
Flash rose and reached for her hand. “Come with me.”
Flustered by the case file and the toe-curling kiss, Athena followed but stopped just outside the bedroom door. If she hadn’t been sure before, she was now, and needed to get this out before letting fear rule her heart. “There’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”
Flash turned to face her with guarded curiosity. “What?”
“Well, this weather, the power out, staying over here got me thinking.” She stopped herself. Despite practicing her speech, her thoughts fell into a jumble. “That’s not right. I’ve been thinking about it for a while and just haven’t brought it up.”
“What, sweetie?” Flash stared at her with a vulnerable look, as if she were bracing herself for bad news.