“Okay.”
“And I wasn’t going to go with the brushed nickel because it’s expensive. But now I’m thinking, screw it, get the brushed nickel. Is that what life is going to be like from now on? Get the brushed nickel, go backpacking in South America…”
“Have the one-night stand?”
“Exactly! Like, is this just a momentary glitch or…?”
“You’re a little young for a midlife crisis.”
“You’re right. I’m overthinking, aren’t I?”
“I like the way you think. Alice, you know when I said that yesterday didn’t rate in my top fifty weirdest days? I’m now prepared to say that this last twenty-four hours has been a legit outlier.”
“Must say I’m relieved to know that being chased by the FBI and the Russians and shot at isn’t your regular day at the office.”
“I didn’t mean that,” Carter said, stepping closer, which forced her to angle her chin up to continue to look into his eyes. “I’ve been shot at plenty of times, I’ve had to lose tails and evade authorities—though usually not those of my own country—and I’ve had epic nights with random women.”
“Oh, thanks.”
“Let me finish. But there’s a thing that’s happened maybe a handful of times in my life, and that’s connecting with someone like I have with you, and I’m not just talking in bed, though that worked out pretty damn well. I can’t claim to feel like I know you, but it feels like yougetme in a way that very, very few people ever have, even after knowing me for a lot longer. Years.”
“Guess we didn’t have time for the getting-to-know-you pleasantries. We jumped right in, in a bunch of ways.”
“I’ve met people under plenty of dramatic circumstances. It’s not that. I just want you to know that I didn’t use you, or anything. Last night, it meant something. And I’d like to say that when all this is over, I’ll look you up but?—”
“But it wouldn’t be the same,” she finished, seeing where this was going. “You’re right, I can’t see you spending weekends in Montrose, walking around hardware stores with me, cooking dinner while I mark essays…”
“Right now that actually sounds kinda great. I was gonna say, I won’t bein a positionto look you up, if I can’t escape this. So, if this is to be bye-nice-knowing-you-good-luck…”
He reached for her hands where they rested by her sides, threaded his fingers through hers and pulled her in for a thorough kiss. And she kissed him back like a woman who knew this was where their story ended and wanted something vivid to remember it by. But for all that she desperately wanted to slap shut this enchanted novel she’d landed in and kick it away, she also wanted to peek at the next chapter and see what might happen if she chose differently. Hell, she was tempted to flick to the last page of the whole book, just to check if things would work out in the end, which was something she never, ever did.
Things wouldn’t work out, of course. This moment—thiswasthe poignant ending. Of course he wouldn’t look her up afterward. What could they possibly have to talk about if they went out for dinner, apart from dead people?
After they parted lips, he raised their linked hands and held them between their chests, his eyes hypnotically serious.
She swallowed. No. This wasn’t where she wanted their story to end.
Not just yet.
One more chapter.
“Maybe it wouldn’t hurt if I came with you for a bit longer, just until you’ve found out what Randolph knows,” she said, quickly. “In case I can help.”
“Can’t hurt.” The corner of his mouth twitched. “Probably won’t hurt.”
“I can’t help feeling that we’re not done here. I mean, I wonder if there’s more I can do for you. More I can tell you. All the long conversations I had with Nika… I wish I could replay them like we can with the tapes. There must have been other things she said that I’ve filtered out. Maybe meeting Randolph will trigger something useful.”
“Alice, this has to be one hundred percent your decision.”
“Then I’m one hundred percent deciding to come with you,” she said in a rush, before good sense could stop her. “After that you can drop me at the nearest police station.”
He smiled broadly. “Just say the word.”
By the time they reached Baltimore, Alice was already down to ninety percent confidence in her decision, mostly because her back and butt were aching after way too long on the bike, with just one stop for gas. Randolph, as Carter’s Mom had discovered, was at a fundraiser in some swanky hotel near the harbor. Carter navigated into an empty carport outside a townhouse a couple of blocks away.
“How did you know to park here?” Alice said, as they climbed off the bike. “Is it safe?”
“Mom found it. It’s a vacation rental but it’s not booked today and, as you can see, it’s out of sight of neighbors and the road.”
