“And how will they respond?”
“We have a special device just for this. Kind of like a phone—a little smaller than an iPhone—which allows us to send messages to one another that even fellow IPB techs can’t decode. We’ve been using these for years as a way to communicate. The signal automatically loops through different VPNs to prevent anyone from tracing the device. And my team has a code specific to them that no one else in the bureau would know.”
“Sounds very sophisticated. You guys think of everything, don’t you?”
“We wouldn’t be in this mess if we thought ofeverything.”
He had a point there, for sure.
I grabbed the pan of taco shells and stuffed it into the oven, then set the meat on simmer. “We’re about ready.” I glanced out the window at the trees, noticing a few birds dancing around the branches. “So strange being in the woods. I’m used to being in the city, being able to walk maybe a block to get to the grocery store, to call my friends and just hang out. But maybe I’ve been long overdue for a camping trip.”
“Eric mentioned a few camping trips, maybe one or two that you went on with him.”
“Yeah, it’s nice to get away from the clutter and busyness of everything. I can’t say that’s the case under the current circumstances, but typically it’s nice.”
“I get that. Considering what I’ve been doing most of my life, I am kind of left constantly on edge in crowds, looking around for some villain, real or imaginary.”
I took another sip of my drink. “So…has your work been more like James Bond type shit or likeThe X-Files?”
“James Bond, for sure. But not nearly as romantic, Ty. I wish I could say that I was running around having a ton of incredible adventures, but it’s a little grungier, less glamorous than you might think. Although, admittedly, you could argue that I’ve had plenty of Bond guys.”
I laughed. “Oh really? Any Bond girls?”
“I’ve had to do what I’ve had to do to get intel.”
“Are you kidding?”
“No, I’m not kidding.”
“So you kind of swing both ways.”
“No. For me, it’s more about will and discipline than about bisexuality. I respect your preferences, but I’ve known for a very long time that I was attracted to men. I’ve trained to do what it takes to get the job done.”
“In more ways than one,” I quipped, and he chuckled.
“Yes, in more ways than one, and in terms of a list of complicated things in my line of work, that is the least of them.”
“Well, you never seem to have a problem getting it up around me, so…”
“Be good, Ty.” He angled his head toward me, his eyes narrowed, looking like some kind of predator. “These tight quarters don’t make it easy on me.”
“Tight quarters? Maybe you should get bigger shorts.”
Liam enjoyed another laugh. I felt as though we were easing back into our good spirits, which was nice.
“Okay, we’re all ready here,” I told him.
He fetched plates from the cabinet, and we got them ready, then headed to the table for another meal together.
“It’s kind of like our first official date,” Liam teased.
“Well, no, I think the aquarium technically is our first official date.”
“That wasn’t a date. And neither is this.”
“I think you kind of set yourself up for that one,” I told him.
“I did, didn’t I?” He smiled at me as he sprinkled shredded cheese over the meat in his taco shell.
But jokes aside, I did consider it a sort of first date…with the real Liam.
