Part 10 (1/2)
Lightbody: ”Take no for an answer or I'll report you.”
Sophie paused, gazing into the bluish glow of the screen as she considered how her ”character” would respond and what bait might work.
ShastaM: ”Go ahead and report me. I want him (or her!) to know I'm dying, and I just want to thank him.”
Sophie waited minutes, her long fingers poised-and nothing happened. Lightbody had disappeared.
Sophie found herself irritated. Impatient. Annoyed. She rolled the ball away from the desk and did her push-ups and sit-ups. Checked the computer again. Still nothing.
She did stretches now: rolled backward off the ball into a bridge. Did hamstrings, splits. She was bent over, her face between her knees, pulling hard behind her calves to get herself completely jackknifed, when she heard a delicate throat-clearing behind her.
She straightened up immediately. Waxman was standing there, looking uncomfortable. ”That is nonregulation attire,” he said.
”Sorry, sir. Now that DAVID is disabled, I saw no point in going home. I worked out at the gym downstairs and ended up changing into my after-work clothes. No one's here, so I thought it would be okay. I'm phis.h.i.+ng for the site admin of DyingFriends, and he's ignoring me.”
”You can't live here, Sophie.” There was a chiding note in Waxman's voice. ”I came down to give you a sit rep on the DAVID software.”
Sophie waited, hands on her hips. She saw her boss's eyes on her well-developed biceps and triceps, and she crossed her arms self-consciously. He made a half turn and addressed a spot over her shoulder.
”The national tech department is very excited about DAVID's potential, but the legal and privacy ramifications are a real tar baby. So while the techies are looking at it, our defense counsel is getting involved. This is going to take a while.”
Even after many years in the United States, Sophie still came across phrases she wasn't familiar with. ”Tar baby?”
”It's from an old folk tale. Brer Rabbit. Google it when you get home. It'll give you something to do. Did the site admin respond?”
Sophie leaned in, looked at her in-box. ”No, sir.”
”Well, go home. It's Friday night. Find another interest besides computers and working out, Agent Ang. Life is short; you're young. Don't let it go by before you know it.”
Sophie c.o.c.ked her head. There was a harsh note in her boss's voice, but he'd spun on his heel and walked away before she could be sure.
”Go home, Sophie. That's an order!” he said over his shoulder.
”Yes, sir.”
The pneumatic door of the lab slid shut behind him. She frowned, checked the e-mail in-box again. Still empty. She sighed and shut down her most faithful friends. Amara, Janjai, and Ying whirred into silence, and as Sophie padded across the felted carpet, she wondered what the h.e.l.l she could do besides work out and her computers.
There was only one other place she wanted to be-Fight Club.
Sophie managed to ignore the flatness that Alika's absence had brought to sparring at Fight Club later that evening. She and Marcella finished their bout, b.u.mping fists in padded gloves. She'd trounced her friend fairly well, as usual. ”Want to get something to eat?” she asked.
”Let me check something first,” Marcella said, swiping escaped strands of chocolate-brown hair out of her eyes with her forearm. Sophie felt the simmering irritation she'd been battling all afternoon rise to the fore. She poked Marcella's shoulder, not lightly.
”Checking with the boyfriend?”
Marcella looked up, narrowed her eyes. ”Hey. We already sort of had plans.”
”Whatever.” Sophie turned away, ripped her gloves off, and stuffed them in her bag. ”Let me know when my friend Marcella gets back.”
”Geez,” Marcella said. ”Touchy, aren't we? Okay, I'll cancel.” She worked her phone with her thumbs. ”There. You happy?”
Sophie turned back. ”I don't need your pity date. Seriously. Go bang your boyfriend already.”
Marcella poked Sophie's shoulder back hard. ”That was b.i.t.c.hy. What's gotten into you?”
Sophie picked up her bag and walked away. She could hear Marcella following, and she blinked tears out of her eyes. She was jealous, and it hurt to know it. She kept walking across the parking lot, Marcella following. She heard the other woman's phone ring and a one-sided conversation. She was too intent on getting to her car, getting inside, and escaping to listen to it.
Sophie beeped the Lexus open, and Marcella jumped in, throwing her gym bag into the well between their bucket seats. ”G.o.d, you're so high maintenance.”
Sophie set her jaw, turned the key. ”You aren't going to get out of my car, are you?”
”No. I know I've been blowing you off since Marcus and I went public, and I feel bad about it. Let's go out and have girl time with pool cues and beer. I'll give Lei a call, see if she can join us.”
Sophie glanced over at Marcella's dimpled white grin and felt a tug of grat.i.tude-she'd canceled plans with her man to spend time with a friend.
”Since you insist,” Sophie said. She wasn't about to show how much it meant to her.
Chapter 16.
Lei ran home post-sunset-that time between day and night, which, in Honolulu, was warm, flower-scented, and filled with tourists on foot in the downtown areas and commuter traffic everywhere else. She had to concentrate on getting herself and the dogs home safely, distracted as she was from the meet with Kamuela. She played an endless feedback loop of the conversation between herself and the detective, wondering if she should have tried to lie, should have asked for legal counsel-anything but what she'd done.
Told all and trusted him.
Turning into her own quiet side street at the edge of town was a relief until she saw the black Ford Explorer parked outside her gate. Her heart lurched-another detective here to interview her? Had Kamuela turned her in already?
She drew abreast of the car and the door opened. ”Lei.”
A familiar voice. The one voice that could bring joy surging through her body.
Lei threw herself into Stevens's arms as he got out, squas.h.i.+ng Angel in the baby carrier between them. Those long arms embraced her, hard and gentle. Her head fit into the s.p.a.ce measured for it, just beneath his jawbone. She breathed in the smell and heat of his body, and her world tipped to where it wanted to stay.
Now and forever.
”I can't believe you're here!” She burst into tears, letting go of the stress of the day.
”Wow.” He hugged her again, set her away from him so the wriggling Chihuahua could get some air. ”I guess you're glad to see me?”
”Yes.” Lei sniffled, letting Angel out as Stevens greeted Keiki, giving the big dog ear rubs. Angel, freed from her carrier, bounced around yipping. ”Let's get out of the street.”
In the yard, the rapturous greetings between Stevens and the dogs continued as Lei took the little dog's carrier off, hung it on a hook, and unlocked the front door. She grinned, watching them, brus.h.i.+ng the tears off her cheeks with her hands, combing hair out of her face, self-conscious about her sweaty workout wear.
Finally, he advanced toward her. ”A proper greeting,” he whispered, looking down into her eyes.
Her lashes fluttered shut as his mouth descended to touch hers, gentle as a night moth. She reached up to encircle his head with her arms, stroking his hair as they deepened the kiss, exchanging all the promises that could be shared between lovers sworn and long-parted.
She remembered their first kiss in that moment. Her fear a cloud around her, so easily triggered by the past. That kiss so tender, so careful-yet full of hope and possibility even then.