Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 75640 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75640 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Especially when you hadn’t slept in thirty-six hours.
After quickly crossing the hall to the only other occupant on the top floor, I deliver a polite knock to her front door.
It doesn’t take Aviva Huang long to answer nor did I think it would. Like me, she sticks to a fairly predictable morning routine, even when Blu is staying over. Which I know he is. It was part of the contract agreement. While sharing a sleeping arrangement is SOP – standard operating procedure – for typical assignments, this is far from typical.
And the very thought of him seeing my woman in her panties has me counting the number of ways I know I can surgically remove his eyes while making a minimal mess.
“Morning, Wahl!” She cheerfully greets, warm ivory hands planting themselves on her yoga shorts covered hips. “Is it time for Khar’s shift already? Fair warning, he’s still knocked out.” The back of her hand wipes sweat off her forehead. “Did you call? You probably called. But I don’t remember hearing the phone ring.”
My mouth isn’t given the opportunity to move.
“And I know I would hear it ring because Khar made sure his volume was up just in case you did call. Not that we figured you would. I think we both just assumed you’d wanna be the one to watch over your girlfriend for the full first twenty-four, which is why he’s sleeping in.”
Yet again she doesn’t pause for me to speak.
“But we both know we can change that. It’s not like it’s hard to change that. Or is it? Does he sleep that lightly when you’re out on a case?”
“Assignment.”
“Right!” She grins and giggles. “Of course. You think your sleeping patterns will bother your girlfriend? Do you think those things bother most girlfriends?”
Her word choice has me instantaneously exchanging my original planned line of questioning regarding lady products for another. “My…” the title struggles to leave my tongue, “my…my what now?”
“Girlfriend.” Aviva leans against her doorframe at the same time she sighs. “And while I’m a little bummed things didn’t work out with Lila – she said she was totally into you but understood the situation when I texted her this morning – I could not be happier that you and Arley are finally together!” Joy jumps into her expression and off her tongue before I get the chance to comment. “You two remind me of sexton beetles – or burying beetles as they’re more commonly called. You have something so…rare and unusual to your relationship that it’s impossible not to be enraptured by it.”
I don’t have any fucking clue what that means.
I think it’s a good thing.
It…almost…sounds like a good thing.
I’mma take it to be a good thing even if it is a wrong thing.
Last I checked, I had accepted my lifelong enlistment in the Best Friend Zone.
“Did Lila tell you about Arley and me being a…um…” my finger whirls around to indicate the word I can’t seem to say, “or was it someone else?”
“Khar.”
“Blu?” New bursts of consternation cloud my demeanor. “Blu told you that we were together?”
“Yup.”
“What uh…” stuffing the emotions down is done in tandem with me folding my arms defensively over my chest, “what exactly did he say?”
“That Arley had a lifechanging brush with death and that that’s what caused you two to finally confess your feelings for each other.”
That didn’t happen.
That…could’ve happened.
Fuck, that probably should’ve happened but instead we somehow ended up arguing more than ever.
“And because you two lovebugs are going to be stuck together and mating like crazy, you’re going to need your space versus having a third person invading it around the clock just waiting for their turn to do their job, which is why Blu is going to be stationed at my place until he’s needed.”
Being equally impressed and outraged by the explanation is what leads to me slowly nodding.
Pressing my lips tightly together.
Drumming my fingers and toes to the same unhappy speed while internally cringing.
I fucking hate how much sense that explanation makes.
And what I hate more?
The fact that he was simply following basic operating procedures I should’ve.
That he knew he’d need a viable excuse for not sharing a space with us.
More often than not, we need a cover for private security ops. One that allows us to blend into an environment, especially when we aren’t sure who is to be trusted or how secure an area is. The cover should be so natural that it doesn’t raise the suspicions of the innocent bystanders we’re surrounded with or those that we’re there to evade while protecting our client.
It’s another reason I don’t fucking care for PS.
I hate pretending.
It always increases the chance of a mission going sideways.
However, as much as I may despise playing adult dress up, Blu acted accordingly. He protected the heart of the mission and didn’t compromise its essence by doing something stupid like coming up with a Tom and Jerry approved plot for us to have to keep up with.