“It’s crazy they thought you were Nammota,” our colleague continues. “You’re like, rich. It would be like attacking your own people.”
“It was all an odd conjunction of circumstances. But I think we can all appreciate the fact that I’m not Nammota.”
“Right… You’d have to be a magician to pull off that new heist from a cell.”
Lex’s hold on my hip tightens, imperceptibly to them, but enough for me to notice. “Especially since I wasn’t allowed internet access.”
The guys talk with him a little longer—Brian does most of the talking for them, really—and then they return to their computers one by one. Once it’s just Lex and me, I take his hand and lead him right outside the Troll’s Lair, where we’ll have more privacy. Then, I look up at him with a pout.
“You shaved.”
“Yes. I thought it was time to turn over that page of my life.”
“I liked the beard.”
“Felt good, didn’t it?” he whispers.
“Feltamazing.” He shakes his head with amusement and gives me another discreet peck.
“I wouldn’t have shaved if you’d stayed home with me.”
“I already told you, I can’t take more days off.”
“Of course you can.”
“Some of us don’t have the luxury of staying at home all day, Alexander.”
“You do. I have enough money to take care of you for a hundred lifetimes.”
I huff in reprobation. Depending on him for the rest of my life sounds preposterous. “So, what, I’m to become a trophy wife?”
“You’d have to be my wife for that.”
“And I would be, had you not refused my proposal back in Sheridan.”
“It wasn’t a proposal. It was a terrible attempt at claiming spousal privilege, which would have made everyone more suspicious.”
“I panicked, okay? It seemed like a good idea at the time. Now, let go of me, you ungrateful man. I need to go back to work.”
“I still maintain you could have taken the whole week off as a birthday gift to yourself.”
“Wh—”
I take my phone out, frowning, check the date, and count. Jesus fuck, my birthday is this Saturday…
“You forgot?” Lex asks, amused.
“Yeah, I had a lot on my mind lately… How did you—Why do you know?”
“It’s one of the great dates of US history. The Declaration of Independence, winning World War II, the moon landing, your birth…”
I snort at his cheesiness. “You’re such a simp.”
“I don’t see why that’s a problem.”
“I didn’t say it was.”
We pause, looking into each other’s eyes for a few beats. “Why didn’t you tell me you’d come by?”
