Ahhh.Thatmade more sense.Ihadn’t known she didn’t like to fly, but asIwas noticing lately,Ihad a lot more to learn about her.
I loved to fly, soIhad no idea how you eased someone who had a fear of such things.Ireached over and grabbed her hand, running my thumb over hers softly.Iwould love nothing more than to distract her with my mouth, butIfigured a moreG-rated distraction would work better in this situation.
“Tell me something,”Isaid while still rubbing softly over her thumb. “Ifyou have to act like a bimbo sometimes to get people to trust you, how does that work with your coworkers?TaliaandDanseem to know you well enough to know if you were putting on an act—at leastIthink they would.”
She sighed, looking over at me but still fidgeting with her free hand, likely out of nervousness.Iwas about to try another tactic when she finally spoke up.
“Dan almost caught on once.Sarahooked me up as a speaker for this charity event, but some of them were very shady, and we thought they might not take too kindly to a news anchor hosting, soIconvincedDanto co-host with me.Everybodyloves sports, andIintentionally gave him most of the lines to read so it looked like he was the main host andIwas just the pretty face next to him.”
I could see people thinking that if they didn’t know her.Acewas very intelligent, but she was also stunningly beautiful, and many people would focus on that and not look deeper.
“People love talking withDan,” she continued. “He’svery unassuming, very charismatic, andIwas just a bimbo he brought with him, so people thought nothing of it.”
“I hear that and totally believe it, butI’vemetDan, and he’s perceptive, soI’dlike to think he would catch on to your act,”Itold her.
“I spent the first twenty minutes we were at the event getting the information thatIneeded by chatting with various individuals,” she explained. “WhenIcame back to join him,Iwas carrying a glass of wine with me.Igave him the impression that it was my third glass of wine, so he just assumed my weird behavior was becauseIwas just drunk.”
“ButI’mguessing it was your first glass of wine, not your third?”Iguessed.
“Actually, it was just grape juice,” she said, andIsmiled at her creative flex. “It’salso why he never fights me anymore whenItell himIdon’t wanna drink, because he thinks he’s seen whatI’mlike whenI’mdrunk.”
I thought back to his comment at the restaurant after curling about some women not being able to hold their liquor, so it was a good idea thatAcehad that rule in place.
“Did you get what you needed to put whoever the bad guys were behind bars?”Iasked.
“I don’t know,” she said, turning to me, andInoticed she had stopped nervously fidgeting. “Theydon’t always give me all the details.Inthat particular instance withDan, it was a fundraising event for an evangelical charity.Theywere marketing holy water that could bring you luck and redemption—for a small fee of course.”
“Why, yes.Ofcourse.”
“The water was supposedly blessed water from theHolyLandbut was actually, in fact, tap water from this man’s cabin inIdaho.Thesame cabin where he was also cooking meth.”
“Wow,”Isaid, a bit shocked. “Didnot see that twist coming.”
“Same,” she agreed, her phone buzzing in her lap.
It buzzed several more times in quick repetition.
“Is that work?”Iasked, assuming that’s what the rapid-fire buzzing was from.
“No, it’s likely my sisters,” she said, swiping open her phone to a text thread markedTheChosenBunch.
“Clever group name,”Itold her.
“Oh, just wait.Galestarted it, so this oughta be good.”
She leaned into me, putting her phone between us where we could both read it as she scrolled and responded.
Gale:
I have a question.
Iris:
The answer is no.
Gale:
You don’t even know what the question is!
