Chapter 8
“Okay. Heads or tails?” At her silence, he changed course, not wanting to push or to hear the seemingly endless list of challenges being thrown in their way.
“You go ahead and pick. You’ve been a good DJ all night.” Her voice sounded small and far away, but he saw her adjust her earbud, which was the other half of the one he wore.
“Alright, fellow travelers, we’re going to slow it down with the next song to ease you off to dreamland.
” He did his best imitation of a classic disc jockey with his hand to his ear before pressing play on a ‘chill’ playlist. He had hoped for a giggle or a smile, but Bri remained quiet and curled in on herself with her eyes closed.
He could tell she wasn’t asleep yet, even though he knew she needed it. As much as he wanted to draw her out, giving her space to think things through seemed to work best for her. He watched the shadows move across the ceiling like clouds in the sky, until he felt a tug on his sleeve.
“You doing okay?” he asked, turning on his side and grasping her long, delicate fingers reaching for him. After hours of continuous contact, the separation felt strained. How would it be when it wasn’t even a possibility?
“Yeah. You’re just… unexpected.”
“Bri, I need to tell you something.”
“Is it about the coffee shop?”
“You know?”
"I think I do. At least part of it, but I'd like to hear it from you." She waited, her breath steady despite the way her pulse quickened.
"I work for a private investigation firm that was hired to look into charges against the agency you work for. Everyone and all communications were reviewed."
"What kind of charges?"
"It's an ongoing investigation."
"Is that why you're here with me?"
"Not at all. I couldn't interact with you until you were cleared of any suspicion."
"When was that?"
"Before Thanksgiving."
"But if I was cleared, why did I keep seeing you around?"
"I told my boss that I was gathering intel on your boss in case you met with some of her accomplices."
"Dang, I would have been happy to share all the dirt on her. Not that she let me near anything of importance. I wonder if this is the reason she demoted me?" She turned the pieces over in her mind, connections forming and reforming like a puzzle she'd been solving without knowing the final image.
"I honestly don't know. But involving you in the investigation could have been risky to you when it was deemed unnecessary."
"Considering she didn't let me interact with anyone, I think we can assume that wasn't the real reason."
"Would you believe that I missed you? I got used to you being a part of my day. I felt lost without seeing you, even though talking to you might have been viewed as a conflict of interest." His voice dropped lower, the confession landing between them like something fragile.
"Why is it different today?"
"The transfer to DC. I'm off the case and in a different department."
"It wasn't because of me, was it?"
"In a way. They appreciated my dedication in addition to my skills and felt that I would be a good fit on this new project. You said you knew part of this. How?"
"I did a little background research on you. Obviously, I don't have access to all the depth of info that you do, but I was at least able to determine that you weren't there to harm me." She watched his reaction carefully, gauging whether her admission would shift the delicate balance between them.
"You should come work for us. I'm glad that you took measures to make sure you were safe, but you really shouldn't have been working so late and going home by yourself."
"I wasn't. You were always there. I don't know what I'm going to do when you aren't." The words came out softer than she intended, exposing a vulnerability she hadn't meant to reveal.
"Bri, our timing may be bad at the moment, but that doesn't mean we can't talk like we have tonight. It doesn't have to be all or nothing, does it?" He reached across the small space separating them, his fingers finding the curve of her jaw with a tenderness that made her throat tighten.