Page 333 of The Romance Adventure

For now, I’ll go with the flow. More often than not, bad operators reveal themselves.

When we return to Coco Key, I regret to report to my brothers that the only thing I came back with was sand between my toes and a story about getting barreled by a killer tube before getting crushed by the washing machine on the inside. It was the wave of the day before it walloped me.

Then the sea went flat as if telling me I’d had enough surf time.

On the upside, Jolie doesn’t immediately turn around and leave. Instead, she unpacks.

I lounge on the bed, hands hammocked behind my head, and stare at the ceiling. I simply enjoy being in the same room as this woman. When we’re together, everything seems right in the world.

Except if she wants to break up. And there’s that little matter of her multiple passports. Time to scratch the itch of my curiosity.

“Of all the countries you’ve been to, which has been your favorite?”

Sliding a silk blouse onto a hanger, she pauses. “Hmm. I suppose it’s less about the country itself and more about the location in the country.”

“In that case, if you were to settle down anywhere, what location would you pick? Anywhere in the world. Money is no object.”

“Ah, I love the Silver Coast of Portugal. Italy has its draws. Marrakesh is an adventure. Then there’s Malaga.” The way her accent curls around the place we met draws me toward her and reminds me of what we had, even if it was fleeting.

Torn between whether to discuss us or what I discovered in her suitcase, I arrive at a crossroads. I’m not a double agent, but I lead a double life as a laid-back surfer and diver, and a man who has removed the worst sorts of criminals from circulation. I’m also nothing if not unconventional.

I’ll play both cards.

“Malaga will always be ours, if you want it to be,” I say, bringing our relationship into the conversation while curious about Jolie’s origins and which passport is the real one. “But what about your hometown?”

Her weight shifts ever so slightly. “It wasn’t much. Small, easy to forget. Not like Coco Key.”

Ah, she saw where I was going with the line of questioning before she slammed on the brakes and hit the red light.

“Plenty of people forget about this place. It’s often called the Forgotten Key. My brothers left for years, rarely returning.”

“But you stayed on. You remained loyal.”

I consider this a cookie crumb. I gobble it up.

Pressing to sit, I say, “Jolie, I will always be faithful to you.”

“But will you be honest?” She’s clever.

I walked right into that one. It’s my turn to shift uncomfortably. “Yes, of course.” Lies, all lies. “And you? Are you entirely truthful with me?”

Her gaze softens. “Yes, of course,” she echoes.

Turns out that covertly interrogating the woman you love is a lot different from questioning a potential felon. I don’t want what we have to be built on lies. Then again, I just told one.

I remind myself to slide into my role as CJ, the chill baby bro who isn’t an officer of an international intelligence agency.

“Let’s play a game. Two truths and one lie. My record diving depth is one hundred ninety-nine meters, my bank account contains the same amount but in dollars, and you looked gorgeous in that gown. Which one is the lie?”

She slides a satin-black dress on a hanger. “None of them.”

I have several offshore accounts with significantly higher balances, but I digress. “Your turn.”

“I was born in Spain to a French-Moroccan mother and a Spanish father. I grew up in Concordia and went to school there and then in the US, but never quite felt like I belonged anywhere. More like I’m a citizen of the world. My weakness is dark chocolate. I wasn’t overly interested in romance until I met you.”

She is quick-witted and definitely professionally trained. She explained my concern about her multiple passports without me having to ask. Technically, it’s possible to have triple citizenship, but it’s rare. I suppose she might still hold all three passports because it’s easier to travel to certain countries or obtain visas with certain passports.

“I had to think about this for a moment. They’re all true. You couldn’t have made up the first one about your origins because it’s too detailed. But I don’t agree. You do belong somewhere, Jolie. You belong with me.”