Page 37 of No Fear

“You just told me the fajitas are to die for. Why don't we share some and get a salad on the side?” he suggested.

“I shouldn’t.”

Donnie frowned, but he didn't want to push it and embarrass her. He smiled at their server.

“How about you bring us a large chicken fajita and a salad. If the lady only wants salad, I’m sure I can finish off the fajitas by myself.” He handed the server his menu.

“You got it.”

“Tell me about your job. Government?” he asked Charlie as the server left them.

“Yes. I primarily support FSOs around the world.” She paused. “You know who they are, right?”

He smiled. He’d rescued a few in his time. “Yes. Foreign Service Officers.”

“Right. Of course. FSOs, ambassadors, and US consuls, like here in Toronto.”

“They all do great work.”

“They do. When they get sent to wherever, they have a personal assistant that usually goes with them, and then there are other staff already at the embassy, too. I back up the personal assistants if they need to come home for any reason. I go and fill in until they return.”

“So you get to travel a lot.”

“Yes. I do. Never know where I’m going next.”

“Did you go to university for political science?”

“You remember.” She seemed surprised.

“I remember all our conversations.”

Another blush spread across her cheeks. He liked still having that effect on her.

“Yes, I got my political science degree. I love working in this field. In some countries, we really get to help people. Getting aid and food to them. Fighting to get schools built. It means something.”

Her face lit up talking about it. The sun went behind a cloud and she took off her sunglasses and Donnie almost gasped when those piercing blue eyes looked at him. He could drown in them and die a happy man.

“Of course, some of the places I’ve been to aren’t always as nice as this.” She grinned.

“Like where?” he asked, curious.

“I was in the Middle East for a bit. Qatar, Yemen, Daram. I’m sure you must know those places.”

He sure did. His stomach dropped at the thought of her being anywhere near them, but he kept those thoughts to himself.

“Yes. I’ve been to them all.”

“It’s never great going to some of those places, but it’s where we can make the most difference.”

Donnie listened as she described her work and some of the projects she’d been involved in, even if only for a couple of weeks. Getting aid to some of the hardest hit areas, not just from war, but floods and earthquakes. Efforts to build new schools and medical centers. Impressive.

“You really love what you do,” he said when she paused to take a drink. Her whole body had come alive as she spoke about her work.

“I do. I mean it’s not glamorous or anything. I’m just an assistant.”

“Nobody is just anything. Fancy titles and large paychecks might be right for some people. I think it’s more important to love what you do. To be happy. Sounds to me like you’re very good at what you do. You care. They’re lucky to have you.”

“I don’t know about that. But I’ll do my best for however long I have left.”