They strolled for the next hour, munching on snacks from a vending machine as they moved in ever-narrowing rings toward the Botanical Building. The huge wooden-slat structure stood at the end of a reflecting pool in a grove of palm and eucalyptus trees that tinged the air with an earthy fragrance. Two half-pipe shaped wings jutted out from a central dome with a stucco base and arched doorways leading inside.
The air inside was moist and slightly warmer, the breeze buffered by yard upon yard of ferns, palms, orchids, flowering vines, and so much soothing green. Delicate floral scents mingled with that of damp earth and the nearby sea in an intoxicating perfume that made her breathe deep.
“It’s heaven,” she whispered, out of awe more than any need for privacy, overcome by the urge to never leave this spot.
“Yeah, but kind of a nightmare for our meeting,” Scott said, shattering her moment. “Plenty of concealment for us, but also for everyone else.”
They took a quick circuit of the interior before stationing themselves part of the way down a side path with a view of the entrance. Sunlight streamed in through the narrow boards, painting bright stripes across the cement floor, cutting across Scott’s face and turning the golden streaks in his hair to flame.
“Will you recognize this guy?” he asked.
A little breathless, she said, “Probably, but it’s been about ten years since I last saw him at my high school graduation.”
“What’s he look like?”
“He’s thirty-four, maybe six-two, trim build, black hair—it used to be long, about shoulder length—blue eyes, fair skin.”
“He’s that young?” he asked. “I thought he was a friend of your dad’s.”
She shrugged. “They met online. Age is meaningless. It’s only skill and tenacity that matter. And discretion.”
Several minutes later, his eyes narrowed and he frowned. “Is that him?”
A man dressed in jeans and a slim-cut green sweater strode through the archway and stopped beneath the shade of a paddle-shaped palm to remove his dark sunglasses. He wore his black hair short and lightly mussed like a movie star, and several days’ worth of stubble darkened his jawline.
“I don’t think so. Too muscular.”
But then he fully faced them and Valerie gasped. “Alan?”
The man couldn’t have heard her, but he stepped forward anyway with a wide grin that sent a little thrill through her. As a teenager, she’d had a bit of a crush on him, even though he’d seemed far more than six years her senior. Time had been exceedingly kind. He was every bit as good-looking as she remembered and then some.
Scott’s grip on her hand tightened, and his body stiffened as Alan approached, the epitome of casual, but still alert.
“Valerie,” Alan said as he pulled her into a hug, tugging her free of Scott’s hold. “Are you okay?”
She nodded against his chest. His scent was as familiar as his appearance was foreign. After her papá went to prison, Alan had been the only person from her past who had stayed in touch. When he cut ties after she graduated from high school, he had sliced out a piece of her heart.
Behind her, Scott cleared his throat.
Valerie stepped out of her old friend’s embrace and looked up into his dark blue eyes. “You weren’t followed, right?”
He smirked and brushed her shoulder as he reached for a piece of her long ponytail, twisting the strands lightly between his fingertips before dropping it. “You’re rockin’ the new color, Sweet Stuff.” Glancing at Scott, his smile dropped as he said, “And no, I wasn’t followed.”
“Why don’t we find somewhere a little less crowded to talk,” Scott suggested, his expression impassive even as something—disapproval?—radiated off him.
He ignored her questioning look and gestured toward the back of the building. They moved down a deserted path and stopped under a vine-filled trellis at the end.
“Alan,” the hacker said, sticking out his hand when they were all facing each other. “Scott, right?”
Scott scowled and glanced around, but returned the handshake.
Alan focused on Valerie. “So, how can I help?”
Scott desperately needed sleep, but even as he slouched in the backseat of Alan’s Acura thirty minutes later, he couldn’t let himself relax enough to doze off.
Up front, Alan and Valerie were catching up on old times, filling in the last decade, and generally having a grand old time while Scott fought against feeling like ammo without a gun.
And, if he were honest…jealous.
