hadn’t given you
a bad first impression.”
He
grinned. “You mean with the ‘who the hell are you’ question?”
She
stiffened, although it was in good humor. “You deserved it, ripping that
envelope out of my hand like you did.”
He laughed
softly. “I know, I’m sorry. It won’t happen again. “
“It had
better not.”
“So will
you go out with me?”
Her violet
eyes were glimmering at him. After a moment, she nodded. “I will,” she said
softly. “But we should probably keep it just between us. Not that I’m ashamed
of it, but office romances are really frowned upon.”
He nodded.
“I agree completely. Not a word to anyone. Whatever happens between us is our
business only. And along those lines, if we date a couple of times and decide
we just want to be friends, then I promise that I’ll be completely
professionally with you at the office. No weirdness. I’ll just consider you a
friend made.”
“Me, too.”
“But I
have to say at this point, if that happened, I’d be really disappointed.”
She
smiled. “So would I,” she said softly. Then she looked thoughtful. “Let’s say
we go the other direction - let’s say you and I go out a few times and get
serious. We’re crazy about each other, madly in love and all that. Just for
hypothetical purposes, of course.”
His face
fell. “You don’t think you could fall in love with me?”
She
giggled. “Get serious,” she scolded softly. “I’m trying to make a point. Let’s
say the entire Terrorist Nation launches an attack against Russ and I’m caught
in the crossfire. You can only save one of us. Who do you save? The love of
your life or the guy you’re paid to take a bullet for?”
He lost
his humor. He just sat there and stared at her, sitting back in his chair.
When he spoke, he lowered his gaze.
“You’re
not going to like my answer.”
Her humor
faded. “It’s okay,” she said softly. “You have to save him, Colt. That’s
your job. I understand that.”
He looked
at her, almost sharply. “That wasn’t going to be my answer.”
Her smile
left her completely. “Then that’s why no one can know if you and I have a date
or two,” she whispered. “That very question could come up and if anyone thought
your loyalty was more to me than to Russ, you’d suffer. The Secret Service
would reassign you so fast that it would make your head spin, and you know it.
They’d move you back to Chicago to be with Obama or somewhere else, and I’d
never see you again.”
“You
wouldn’t quit your job and move with me?”
Her smile
was back. She couldn’t tell if he was serious or not but just to be safe, she
decided to treat the question as if he was teasing her. The alternative was
much too scary and serious, at least at this early stage.
“That
depends,” she looked at her watch, noting the time. “If I had a big fat rock on
my finger, I’d have to, but like I said, my boys’ lives are here and I don’t
think I’d want to uproot them for a fling.”
“Trust me,
you’d have a big fat rock on your finger.”
She
laughed softly. “What makes you think I’d accept it? Besides, I’m not sure my
dad would let me marry a Sheridan.”
He
grinned, glancing at his watch also. Then he stood up. “We can talk about that
tonight,” he said, moving to pull her chair out. “What time do you get off
work?”
She picked
up her purse and began to move out of the sandwich shop. “That depends,” she
said. “If Russ doesn’t need me, then I’ll be off about four-thirty.”
“I’m not
off until six,” he opened the door to the shop for her, stepping out behind her
into the cool sunshine. “Give me your address and I’ll come get you.”
“How about
if I just meet you somewhere? I live out in Falls Church.”
He
shrugged. “That’s barely ten miles away,” he said as they began to walk down
the street. “But if you don’t want me to pick you up, that’s fine. Where do
you want
a bad first impression.”
He
grinned. “You mean with the ‘who the hell are you’ question?”
She
stiffened, although it was in good humor. “You deserved it, ripping that
envelope out of my hand like you did.”
He laughed
softly. “I know, I’m sorry. It won’t happen again. “
“It had
better not.”
“So will
you go out with me?”
Her violet
eyes were glimmering at him. After a moment, she nodded. “I will,” she said
softly. “But we should probably keep it just between us. Not that I’m ashamed
of it, but office romances are really frowned upon.”
He nodded.
“I agree completely. Not a word to anyone. Whatever happens between us is our
business only. And along those lines, if we date a couple of times and decide
we just want to be friends, then I promise that I’ll be completely
professionally with you at the office. No weirdness. I’ll just consider you a
friend made.”
“Me, too.”
“But I
have to say at this point, if that happened, I’d be really disappointed.”
She
smiled. “So would I,” she said softly. Then she looked thoughtful. “Let’s say
we go the other direction - let’s say you and I go out a few times and get
serious. We’re crazy about each other, madly in love and all that. Just for
hypothetical purposes, of course.”
His face
fell. “You don’t think you could fall in love with me?”
She
giggled. “Get serious,” she scolded softly. “I’m trying to make a point. Let’s
say the entire Terrorist Nation launches an attack against Russ and I’m caught
in the crossfire. You can only save one of us. Who do you save? The love of
your life or the guy you’re paid to take a bullet for?”
He lost
his humor. He just sat there and stared at her, sitting back in his chair.
When he spoke, he lowered his gaze.
“You’re
not going to like my answer.”
Her humor
faded. “It’s okay,” she said softly. “You have to save him, Colt. That’s
your job. I understand that.”
He looked
at her, almost sharply. “That wasn’t going to be my answer.”
Her smile
left her completely. “Then that’s why no one can know if you and I have a date
or two,” she whispered. “That very question could come up and if anyone thought
your loyalty was more to me than to Russ, you’d suffer. The Secret Service
would reassign you so fast that it would make your head spin, and you know it.
They’d move you back to Chicago to be with Obama or somewhere else, and I’d
never see you again.”
“You
wouldn’t quit your job and move with me?”
Her smile
was back. She couldn’t tell if he was serious or not but just to be safe, she
decided to treat the question as if he was teasing her. The alternative was
much too scary and serious, at least at this early stage.
“That
depends,” she looked at her watch, noting the time. “If I had a big fat rock on
my finger, I’d have to, but like I said, my boys’ lives are here and I don’t
think I’d want to uproot them for a fling.”
“Trust me,
you’d have a big fat rock on your finger.”
She
laughed softly. “What makes you think I’d accept it? Besides, I’m not sure my
dad would let me marry a Sheridan.”
He
grinned, glancing at his watch also. Then he stood up. “We can talk about that
tonight,” he said, moving to pull her chair out. “What time do you get off
work?”
She picked
up her purse and began to move out of the sandwich shop. “That depends,” she
said. “If Russ doesn’t need me, then I’ll be off about four-thirty.”
“I’m not
off until six,” he opened the door to the shop for her, stepping out behind her
into the cool sunshine. “Give me your address and I’ll come get you.”
“How about
if I just meet you somewhere? I live out in Falls Church.”
He
shrugged. “That’s barely ten miles away,” he said as they began to walk down
the street. “But if you don’t want me to pick you up, that’s fine. Where do
you want
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