Page 58 of Caught By the Chief of Staff

“Hi.” I wave nervously when the semi-famous FBI agent turns his attention to me.

“Hi.” He smiles gently at me, and it transforms his whole face. Then he turns to Rick and says, “I see what you mean.”

“Yeah.” Rick smiles a funny smile that makes my belly go all wobbly.

“She’s pretty,” Wes says. “Seriously pretty. But it’s the whole awkward and uncomfortable but she’ll make the best out of it vibe that knocks it out of the park.”

“Yeah,” Rick agrees while they continue talking about me like I’m not even here. “And she’s got a great ass.”

“Hey!” I shout. “I’m right here.”

“I know,” Rick says, wrapping his arms around me.

“Ugh. What do you want?” I roll my eyes. They are both ridiculous, and my nerves are too frayed to deal with them right now. At another time, I would love to hear all about how Wes went back and got the girl after all, and how they became semi-famous back in Jersey. How funny that we’re from the same state, but I grew up not far from the shore, and they grew up in North Jersey. It’s a small world after all.

“You,” Rick says without missing a beat.

“I hate to interrupt…” Wes leads in.

“No, you don’t,” Rick replies to his friend with a smile on his face.

“That’s true,” Wes admits as he starts hunting for the kitchen. “Got any beer or a decent pizza place around here?”

“Yes on the beer,” Rick calls out.

“Don’t hold your breath on the pizza,” I answer. “But it’s passable.”

“Ugh,” Wes groans. “I miss home.”

“I just miss the pizza.” And my daughter, but I didn’t want to be a Debbie Downer when these two hadn’t seen each other in a while. Plus, we need to find out what everyone knows, so we can piece it all together.

“I’ll order some,” Rick says, pulling his phone from his pocket.

I make my way into the kitchen, find a glass, and fill it with tap water. I gulp the contents of the glass down before filling it up again.

“Thirsty?” Wes asks from behind me. I feel my spine stiffen and a startled gasp catch in my throat. Truthfully, I had forgotten he was there for a minute, so he had surprised me. I wasn’t cut out for this cloak-and-dagger life.

“I’m… uhh… fine,” I answer. My voice sounds gruff to my own ears, but hopefully Wes doesn’t notice.

He looks toward the living room where we can hear Rick on the phone with the pizza place. Wes is clearly weighing his words and deciding how much time he has to threaten me if I break his buddy’s heart again. I literally don’t have time for such trivial conversations. I can’t stand all this waiting around. I need to do something.

I’m about to make some flippant comment to Wes when he turns his attention back to me. His hazel eyes burn bright at me, and for a second, it feels like he sees all my secrets. I wonder what kind of voodoo magic they train them in at the FBI.

“He’s not a bad guy, you know,” Wes says quietly, my guess so that Rick won’t hear.

“I never said he was.”

“But you still won’t give him a chance?” he asks me, and the look he gives me could be described as no less than disappointed.

“We never had a chance.” I sigh.

“No offense, but that’s bullshit,” Wes clips.

“In my experience, when someone starts off with ‘no offense,’ it means that’s exactly what they are about to do, so why don’t you save your bullshit judgement for someone else,” I bite out.

“No,” he says, folding his arms across his chest. The move is infuriating. How dare he judge me and my life, when he’s met me a grand total of three times in my entire life. Fuck him.

“No?” He did not just say no to me when I told him to let it the fuck go. I’ve been feeling like I’m chaffing against the world all day. Like I can’t get comfortable, because I’m the puzzle piece that doesn’t fit, and it has rubbed me raw all day. I’m spoiling for a fight, and if Wes really wants one, I’ll be happy to oblige him.