Part 15 (1/2)
”What do you think about going wine tasting?”
Phoebe couldn't help but hold her breath as her brain scrambled to make sense of his question. Was that in the literal sense? Or was he subtly suggesting that they go and visit his parents? Which would also mean meeting his brother and sister. She thought of ways to reply and just gave up, not having enough sleep to play the game.
”Are you talking about the Three Rivers Wine Trail in Cannon Falls or are you proposing flying to California?”
”California.”
Phoebe rolled her eyes at Lach's answer, resorting to the behavior that her sister would typically display. Her unusual reaction didn't prevent her from emitting a nervous laugh and pulling the covers back up a little higher. The men she'd dated in the past had never gotten to such an intimate level or she'd already known his parents within their social setting. It shouldn't be this alarming.
”I'd like that.” Lach's rich laughter journeyed over the lines of the phone and into Phoebe's fingers, causing her angst to rise a little higher. This was so unlike her. ”I hope they don't mind having a Secret Service agent in their home.”
”My parents are adaptable, trust me. As for your first response, you made it sound like I was forcing you to walk the plank.” Lach must be making coffee for Phoebe could hear the whirl of his machine. ”Be yourself and not the public persona Phoebe that comes out when you're nervous, that's all I ask.”
Phoebe didn't take offense to what Lach just said because she knew it to be the truth. Her palms were already perspiring due to the upcoming trip and she grabbed the blankets to cool them down. She was entering into unknown territory and didn't like the unfamiliar feeling.
”What time would our flight be? I do need to stop by Crescent and meet with Timothy. They're struggling a little due to my absence.” Phoebe wasn't using that as an excuse to delay meeting Lach's parents. Quite to the contrary. She didn't want unfinished business to be on her mind when meeting his mom and dad for the first time. ”It shouldn't take long.”
”There's a six o'clock flight, direct.”
Phoebe knew that wouldn't give her enough time. Thinking through her options, there was only one solution, but it would technically take care of everything she needed taken care of.
”I'll head straight to my apartment instead of the office. I can have Stewart and Timothy meet me there, talk to Kimmie while I'm packing, and have you pick me up from there.”
”Is there something I can do for you now that I'm back in town?”
”I appreciate the offer,” Phoebe replied, knowing he had just as busy a schedule as she. ”I need to meet with Stewart regarding the new cold call list along with giving him Hannah's recommendation letter. He's proven himself time and again on the undecided voters and I have a specific list that I'd like him to target. As for Timothy, Nancy quit and left him with too much on his plate. I need him to start looking for a replacement, but I need to speak with him at length in regards to the type of person who can fill that role until I step back in. As for Kimmie, she's staying at my apartment while she studies for finals.”
”You need a personal a.s.sistant.”
Phoebe laughed softly but didn't let on that just talking about her busy itinerary instantly calmed the nerves she was feeling in regards to meeting his parents. They only had eight more weeks of this madness and come the end of primaries, she would resume her role at Crescent. Her travel would be held to a minimum until she could get the foundation back up and running like it was before. Her father would still need her to help out during the presidential election, but the campaign would take a turn and more employees would be added, including several political campaign professionals that would more than fill many of the roles she had taken upon herself. Paul was doing a great job and she had no doubt that he would continue to do so, regardless that she didn't like him personally.
”What I need is to spend time with you,” Phoebe replied, throwing the covers off of her and sitting up in bed. She wouldn't be able to go back to sleep now. ”And I'm not talking about a few hours here or there in between our busy schedules.”
”I'm here, waiting on you. So get your a.s.s in gear and finish out this week so that we can monopolize the weekend. And if I pick you up at sixteen hundred and find your apartment filled with people, I'll have to throw them out regardless of how much work still needs to be done.”
”Yes, Sir.”
”Say my t.i.tle again while you're this far away and the next time you find yourself leaving to catch a plane, your a.s.s will be too sore to sit in your first cla.s.s seat, miss socialite.”
”Promises, promises,” Phoebe gently teased, loving the reverberating tone he used when their conversation became intimate. She'd always wondered how far she could push him and found herself goading him to test the waters. A little spanking sounded like fun. ”Have a good day, Sir.”
Chapter Twenty-Six.
Lach waited until Friday's morning briefing was completed before pus.h.i.+ng himself away from the wall and following Crest into his office. Jax and Connor had paid a visit to Neonni last night, wanting to catch him off guard. The man wouldn't profess his reasoning for being in town and the meeting just went south from there. Connor had made an enemy of the man long ago and now it seemed that the entire group of CSA was now included. From their report given a few moments ago, Neonni wasn't to be underestimated. Without proof of a crime, they had to let the sc.u.mbag go. Connor made it clear to Neonni that if he turned up near the team or their families for any reason, the authorities wouldn't ever have trouble with him again. The question still remained. Was Neonni working with Ryland? Was there a connection that had been missed? Lach closed Crest's office door before speaking.
”I'm taking two days to visit my parents, but I'll be available should you need me.”
”I take it Phoebe will be going with you?” Crest asked, removing his suit jacket and then hanging it on the coatrack in the far corner of his office. He immediately undid his cufflinks and started to roll up his sleeves, the action ill.u.s.trating that Crest would be in the office the remainder of the day. ”I don't need to tell you to keep your head on a swivel.”
”I'll inform the agents that will be traveling with us,” Lach replied, clenching his jaw as another wave of unease shot through him. Something wasn't right, yet he couldn't put a finger on it. The day had started like any other but something in the air felt off. ”If I see or hear anything amiss, I'll cancel the flights.”
”Something you're not telling me?” Crest asked, walking behind his desk and setting his cufflinks inside his top drawer.
”No.” Lach s.h.i.+fted the weight on his legs. Something was telling him that he needed to speak with Phoebe. He looked at his watch, seeing that she was just about to land at the airport. He'd head to his apartment first, pack a carry-on, and then head over to her apartment to make sure she stayed on schedule. Too many meetings happening in one place for his liking, but his unease probably had more to do with Neonni. ”Gut feeling. I don't like leaving when we haven't gotten anything out of Neonni. Is Taryn still heading to Texas?”
”She's stalling for a few days to see if Neonni offers up anything. If we stay on him, we're bound to figure out who he's here to either meet or eliminate.”
”If Neonni doesn't have anything to do with Ryland, we're wasting time in getting to the bottom of who Yvette Capre really was.”
”Which is why I sent Ethan to Texas on last night's redeye.” Crest sat in his chair and nodded to the door behind Lach. ”Go try and enjoy yourself this weekend. If anything comes up, trust me, I'll let you know.”
Lach nodded in acknowledgment and exited the office. He hadn't seen Phoebe for almost a week now, which was longer than their usual time apart. He didn't like being separated from her at this length and chalked up his restlessness to that. She had a small punishment coming her way for taunting him when he wasn't there in person to react. If he could clear her apartment for a brief time before they headed for the airport, he could give them both a short scene to carry them through. It would certainly relieve this agitation he'd felt all morning.
Phoebe had gotten used to the Secret Service protocol and she knew that her primary agent, Steve Johanson, wouldn't leave her apartment while she had multiple meetings scheduled over the next hour. Kimmie's primary was somewhere in the building, although both of their s.h.i.+ft agents were outside Phoebe's front door. She'd made good time coming home from the airport and had even had a few moments to have a cup of coffee with Kimmie. Phoebe wasn't too happy that Austin was there and she had to wonder if he'd actually been here the entire length of Kimmie's stay.
”You two seem to have really hit it off,” Phoebe said after Austin had excused himself to use the restroom. He was exactly as Ethan and Lach had described him. He seemed to be an all American boy who appeared fascinated with political life. That was the problem as far as Phoebe was concerned. She wasn't so sure about his feelings for Kimmie. ”Did he stop by to help you study?”
”Phoebe, I don't ask you about your s.e.x life,” Kimmie said, shooting a smile over at Steve who was drinking one of Kimmie's carbonated waters. He was good at feigning that he wasn't hearing their conversation. She still lowered her voice slightly. ”Austin is really nice. It's not like the Secret Service hasn't investigated him thoroughly. Please just give him a chance.”
Phoebe inwardly groaned in frustration. Didn't Kimmie realize that no one would be good enough? She was the baby of the family. There wasn't a man on the planet who would ever live up to Phoebe's expectations. Before she could explain that in detail, a knock sounded throughout the apartment.
Steve took the two-step distance that he had been away from the entrance and looked through her peephole. Before he opened the door, he placed his hand inside his suit jacket where she knew his weapon was holstered. He always followed protocol and today was no different. He hadn't been happy that she was having several meetings inside of her home, but it couldn't be helped. Not if she were to be ready for Lach in a couple of hours.
Austin came back from the restroom and took a stool by where Kimmie had planted herself. He looked down at his watch and then leaned back in his chair. His black hair had a swirl in the front that reminded Phoebe of a past president, but she couldn't put the name to the face. Couldn't Kimmie see that if she didn't want her life in the public eye, hanging out with this young man wasn't the way to go?
”Ms. Dunaway, Timothy Mickel is here to see you.” Phoebe looked back towards her front door to see Timothy standing beside her s.h.i.+ft agent, Jim, who had obviously been the one to knock. Timothy was shoving his gla.s.ses up his nose and looking perturbed. There was no doubt it was about having been announced as if he were some client, but it was something he'd have to get used to. It wasn't like this would happen in the office of Crescent, but due to the unusual circ.u.mstances, he'd have to get over his feeling of being slighted. ”Come in.”
”Hi, Timothy.” Phoebe motioned for him to go into the living room and he stepped over the threshold, ignoring Steve while holding up some files for her to see. She nodded and then looked at Kimmie and Austin. ”Are you guys heading out or are you staying for a while?”
”It's Friday,” Kimmie announced, as if that meant something. Phoebe tucked her hair behind her ears and waited for her sister to continue. ”I have one week before finals start and I was hoping to stay here over the weekend. My building is one big party palace.”
”She's right,” Austin agreed, leaning over and rubbing Kimmie's shoulder. ”The renters range from pre-graduates to post-graduates. We could stay at my place, but my roommate can be a little loud and downright filthy.”
”It's no trouble,” Phoebe replied, seeing Timothy start spreading his files out on her coffee table. She'd better get this over with. ”Why don't you guys order a pizza? I think we're going to need some food.”
Phoebe walked away while Kimmie and Austin argued over which pizza place they were going to order from and took a seat on the couch, opposite of Timothy who'd chosen the chair. He was stressed and she felt guilty for having left her post at Crescent for so long.
”How bad is it?” Phoebe asked, glad that she'd changed into a pair of jeans when she'd arrived home. She had on her favorite cream sweater with the cowl neck and the longer sleeves that almost covered the back of her hands, which she now stretched with her fingers to brace herself for what Timothy was about to say. It was obvious he knew something that she didn't. ”Nancy has sent me reports every Monday and there didn't seem to be anything out of place. I spoke with our accountant and he said that things looked good from the perspective of where we thought we'd be at this point in our quarter. Yet you suggested we didn't have the funds for our next mission and now Nancy has quit, which really frustrates me because she didn't even have the decency to call me or give any kind of notice. What's going on?”
”The reason the accountant thinks that we're good on funds is because Nancy didn't disclose a check she had you sign a few weeks ago, which hasn't been cashed...yet.” Timothy tapped a pen on one of the folders. ”It was for the medical supplies that we provided to a team in Somalia.”