“Is that what surprises you? That he asked you out while you’re working?”
“Yes. Doesn’t this reek of unprofessional behavior? I haven’t even known him twenty-four hours. Which tells me exactly what he sees in me. It’s not like he wants to get together to discuss protection tactics or investigative strategies.”
Zane’s hands were fisted on his thighs. “No. I’m sure that is not what he’s interested in.”
“I’m not opposed to workplace romance. Where else are we going to meet people? Especially with the kind of hours we work. Luke met Faith through work. And even Gil and Ivy reconnected because of work.”
“Rodriguez is nothing like Luke or Gil. He’s a player. He goes through women the way Faith goes through Cherry Coke.” Given the level of Faith’s Cherry Coke obsession, Zane’s words painted a disturbing image. “And he’s used to women saying yes. To hear him tell it, it’s rare for him to get shot down.”
She would bet he got shot down a lot more than anyone knew. “There’s one good thing about Rodriguez.”
“What’s that?”
“He’s given me new appreciation for our team. I’ve never felt anything but respected and accepted here. And no one has ever made me uncomfortable.”
“Liar.” Zane took a bite of his muffin and mumbled, “You weren’t my biggest fan for a while.”
Tessa couldn’t believe he’d brought that up. This was a season of their relationship they never discussed. “That was different.”
“Not by much. I wasn’t trying to go out with you, but I was all up in your personal business.”
“You were trying to help. And you weren’t creepy about it. I knew where you were coming from. And while I didn’t appreciate it then, I do now.”
He swallowed and turned to her. “I wasn’t angling for gratitude.”
“I know. But that’s the difference between what he’s doing and what you did. What you did was for my benefit. Not yours.”
“That’s not entirely true.”
What did he mean by that? Before she could ask, he changed the subject. “We’re three minutes from the office. It’s time to get your game face on.”
“I never should have told you that.” It had slipped out one morning while they were chatting on the way to work, him in DC, her in Raleigh. She called it her game face, a tiny ritual she went through before walking into the office. She reminded herself that she was an agent, that her mission was to defend and protect, and that it wasn’t about her, it was about those impacted by crime, deceit, and evil. Then she prayed for strength and creativity for the day. It helped her shake off whatever personal problems she carried and made it easier to focus on the work at hand.
She pulled into a parking spot and cut the ignition. Zane unbuckled but made no move to climb from the car. “Can I pray for us today?”
“Yes, please.”
He used to do this a lot, and she missed it. Zane bowed his head, and she followed his example. Before he began, she heard him take a deep breath. As he blew it out, his hand cradled hers. “Holy Father, we come to you as your children. Your servants. Your hands and feet in the world. We know you’ve gone before us, and you already know what today holds. Please give us grace and strength specific for whatever is coming. And help us trust you to be enough, no matter what happens. We know you’ve promisedto give wisdom to those who ask, so would you give us eyes to see what we cannot see without the power of the Spirit at work in us and give us wisdom in our dealings with others, as well as in our efforts to prevent violence and evil from touching those we’ve sworn to protect? Thank you for being bigger than anything we will face. We love you. We trust you. Thank you for giving us this day to serve you. In Jesus’s name, amen.”
“Amen.”
ZANE HELPED CARRYin the coffees and pastries. The second they walked in, Rodriguez wolf-whistled at Tessa. And if Zane hadn’t had his hands full, he would have found it difficult not to cram his fist into the other man’s throat. Clearly God was already at work in their day, protecting him from doing something stupid.
He wasn’t generally a violent man. He was calm. Contained. Thoughtful. Everyone said so.
But not when it came to Tessa.
Rodriguez walked up to Tessa. “Come to me, you beautiful angel.”
Luke stepped forward to take the coffee from Tessa and gave Rodriguez a death glare. “I don’t know how y’all do things in DC, but that won’t fly in Raleigh.”
Rodriguez was pure innocence. “Man, I was talking about the coffee.”
No one bought it. But Rodriguez did shut up.
After everyone had settled in the conference room with their coffees, Tessa divvied up the threat assessments the PID had sent out and confirmed Rodriguez’s and Carver’s plans for the day, which included liaising with local officials, traveling to the airport, and developing multiple routes for the motorcade. She made sureeveryone knew to avoid Hank Littlefield at all costs but didn’t bring up the threat that was directed at her.
Zane didn’t mind her keeping Rodriguez and Carver out of the loop at this point, but if she didn’t bring it up with the rest of the team, he was going to have to insist they discuss it.
