Page 42 of Rescued By the Operative

“Sorry.”

“Don’t worry, honey, I didn’t think you were here to interview for a position as his new administrative assistant.”

The young woman sits up straight. “You can put your claws away now. I’m not interested in your boyfriend. I’m just here because he said he needed help.” Seems I’ve kicked a hornet’s nest with that comment.

She thinks Joaquin and I are an item. “Ma’am, you are mistaken,” I tell her.

Her laugh indicates she doesn’t believe me. “I am?”

“Me and Joaquin! Are you fucking nuts?”

She replies, “I just met both of you. You walk in here looking like that, acting like you own the place. It’s not nuts to jump to that conclusion.”

“Looking like what?” I say, a little too loudly. I glance down at my top, and I don’t see any boobs falling out of place. “Slut shaming, are we?”

“No! You look like you’re about to go on a date or something. And you look like…his type.”

The truth is, I don’t know Joaquin all that well. “The man doesn’t have a type. Not that I’ve seen. In fact, I was starting to think he might be a eunuch.”

“Be serious. Look at you.”

I have to remind myself that women like her are the reason I’m on this assignment. I’m here to help. Maybe I can get information from her. If I play nice. I change my tone a bit. “I’ll take that as a compliment because, as a matter of fact, I do have a date. But not with Joaquin.”

“Oh.”

I look into her eyes, and I see the same haunted look that I’ve seen on so many women.

“Why are you so concerned about me having a thing for Joaquin, anyway?”

“No reason.”

“Uh-huh.”’

“We just met an hour ago.”

“OK, sweetie.”

“I’m here to help him with the cats,” Jasmyn says. “If they ever show up.”

“I’ll just bet you are,” I tease.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“If you don’t know, then you are definitely not ready to take on that man.”

“Apparently, there are whole worlds I don’t know about.”

“How old are you?”

“I’m 28. I think.”

“You think?”

“It’s a long story.”

I sigh. “I see you’ve got a ring on your finger. And how old is your husband?”

Jasmyn replies, “Fifty-five.”