checking the room for other people.
Had she ever thought to do the same when she’d stayed in hotels in the past? No. Should she?
“It’s been hours since you last ate, and a quick to-go sandwich at the airport on the way to pick up a rental car is not a real meal.” He edged around the doorjamb and took a good look in the bathroom. “You might want to take advantage of the shower too. Hot shower to wake you up before we head to the embassy.”
“I want to ask them about An-mei as soon...”
He pinned her with a glare. “You take the time to get food in your belly and your head on straight. Polish yourself so their impression of you is at your best. You’ll get a better response.”
She swallowed angry words and absorbed what he’d said.
An embassy was full of people who made appearances and perception an art form. If she rushed in there bedraggled and halfway to fainting, they’d dismiss her. He was right. And if she’d been thinking with the professionally savvy part of her brain, she’d have anticipated it too.
“Thank you.” And she meant it.
“Don’t thank me yet. We’re only getting started.” He set his small duffel on the couch and opened it up.
She hovered in the doorway. “I must be very silly to you.”
He stopped, straightened, then turned to face her. “No. You’re incredibly driven. And focused. Too focused. Your thought process hasn’t strayed from your sister for longer than sixty seconds since I met you.”
“She’s important.” Anger and frustration welled up inside her, boiling up from her belly.
He nodded once. “Yes, and you’re too close to see your way clearly. In this kind of situation you need to learn to step away and look at other things. Let your mind go off on side trails. That’s when we’ll find the things no one expects.”
As she stepped into the bedroom, she chewed on his advice. Mulled it over as she unpacked her hastily balled-up dress suit and put it on hangers.
“Did you have anything you needed ironed?” she called out into the living room, not sure where he was. The man made almost no sound moving around.
“I’ve got a dress shirt.” After a moment, he was at the doorway with shirt in hand.
She took it from him. “I’ll take it into the shower with me.”
His eyebrows rose.
“What?” She might be grumbling, but really, it’d been a long...day? Night? Not days yet, but things were going by in a blur. “The steam will help the worst of the wrinkles fall out and make ironing easier.”
Silence.
Already halfway into the bathroom with the hangers of clothes and her toiletries bag, she halted and leaned back to see him still standing in the doorway. “Something wrong?”
“Not particularly. You’re going to leave them in there with the water running?”
“No!” She huffed. A lock of hair fell in her face but she didn’t have the free hands to tuck it back where it belonged. Irritated, she continued, “It’d be a waste of water. I hang them up during my shower. If you’re taking a shower right after, I’ll leave them in here. Otherwise, I’ll take them out and start up the iron to take the rest of the wrinkles out.”
One corner of his mouth turned up in a lopsided grin. “Waste not. Good practice.”
She hesitated. “I guess you don’t need to steam or press your uniforms much overseas.”
He leaned against the door frame, somehow closer than he’d been when he’d handed over his shirt but without having taken a step inside the bedroom. “Well, there’s a balance we tend to find between not looking like a piece of sh—crap and not being too much of a princess either.”
“Okay.” And she should spit out her real question instead of waffling and keeping them both lingering in doorways. “You’re going to be out there, then?”
“I might go get ice down the hall.”
“Oh.” Perfectly reasonable. Why was her stomach twisting in knots thinking about it?
Gabe’s gaze grew sharper, the weight of it
Had she ever thought to do the same when she’d stayed in hotels in the past? No. Should she?
“It’s been hours since you last ate, and a quick to-go sandwich at the airport on the way to pick up a rental car is not a real meal.” He edged around the doorjamb and took a good look in the bathroom. “You might want to take advantage of the shower too. Hot shower to wake you up before we head to the embassy.”
“I want to ask them about An-mei as soon...”
He pinned her with a glare. “You take the time to get food in your belly and your head on straight. Polish yourself so their impression of you is at your best. You’ll get a better response.”
She swallowed angry words and absorbed what he’d said.
An embassy was full of people who made appearances and perception an art form. If she rushed in there bedraggled and halfway to fainting, they’d dismiss her. He was right. And if she’d been thinking with the professionally savvy part of her brain, she’d have anticipated it too.
“Thank you.” And she meant it.
“Don’t thank me yet. We’re only getting started.” He set his small duffel on the couch and opened it up.
She hovered in the doorway. “I must be very silly to you.”
He stopped, straightened, then turned to face her. “No. You’re incredibly driven. And focused. Too focused. Your thought process hasn’t strayed from your sister for longer than sixty seconds since I met you.”
“She’s important.” Anger and frustration welled up inside her, boiling up from her belly.
He nodded once. “Yes, and you’re too close to see your way clearly. In this kind of situation you need to learn to step away and look at other things. Let your mind go off on side trails. That’s when we’ll find the things no one expects.”
As she stepped into the bedroom, she chewed on his advice. Mulled it over as she unpacked her hastily balled-up dress suit and put it on hangers.
“Did you have anything you needed ironed?” she called out into the living room, not sure where he was. The man made almost no sound moving around.
“I’ve got a dress shirt.” After a moment, he was at the doorway with shirt in hand.
She took it from him. “I’ll take it into the shower with me.”
His eyebrows rose.
“What?” She might be grumbling, but really, it’d been a long...day? Night? Not days yet, but things were going by in a blur. “The steam will help the worst of the wrinkles fall out and make ironing easier.”
Silence.
Already halfway into the bathroom with the hangers of clothes and her toiletries bag, she halted and leaned back to see him still standing in the doorway. “Something wrong?”
“Not particularly. You’re going to leave them in there with the water running?”
“No!” She huffed. A lock of hair fell in her face but she didn’t have the free hands to tuck it back where it belonged. Irritated, she continued, “It’d be a waste of water. I hang them up during my shower. If you’re taking a shower right after, I’ll leave them in here. Otherwise, I’ll take them out and start up the iron to take the rest of the wrinkles out.”
One corner of his mouth turned up in a lopsided grin. “Waste not. Good practice.”
She hesitated. “I guess you don’t need to steam or press your uniforms much overseas.”
He leaned against the door frame, somehow closer than he’d been when he’d handed over his shirt but without having taken a step inside the bedroom. “Well, there’s a balance we tend to find between not looking like a piece of sh—crap and not being too much of a princess either.”
“Okay.” And she should spit out her real question instead of waffling and keeping them both lingering in doorways. “You’re going to be out there, then?”
“I might go get ice down the hall.”
“Oh.” Perfectly reasonable. Why was her stomach twisting in knots thinking about it?
Gabe’s gaze grew sharper, the weight of it
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