Page 28 of The Honeymoon Hack

This was the second.

It was a small test, but it would reveal how tight the security was. How precise the X-ray was. What the guards were keeping out.

We followed Claire one at a time through the scanner, pausing for the camera to rotate around us, and stepping out. But as Will joined me, the guard monitoring the X-ray machine’s screen called the other over.

Dammit.

They pointed. The second officer stepped out from behind the monitor to point at our trays as they came down the conveyor. “Unauthorized electronics need to remain in the locked cabinets.”

“What’s the problem?” asked Will.

He picked up Will’s tray, walking it back to the tables outside of security. “The earbuds and pen.”

Will screwed up his face as if confused and followed the guard back through the scanner. “I can’t even take my pen through?”

“It’s an unauthorized electronic device,” the guard repeated.

“It’s just got a little flashlight in the end.” Will reached for the pen, but the officer grabbed it first.

“Flashlights are available in the server maintenance alcoves, along with all the other tools required. Please come with me.” The officer walked him back to the cupboards, and once Will had reopened his locker, the officer placed everything else inside. “You can retrieve your items once you’re done with the tour.”

Interesting. Will and I had been allowed to lock up our own phones, but once something was identified by security, we weren’t allowed to touch it.

After he rejoined us on the other side of the scanner, Ronnie picked up his small toolbox.

“I wanted to introduce you to Will and Brie,” Claire said to him as Will collected his belt from the conveyor. “Could you takeWill with you to the Pacific server room? It would be a great opportunity for him to see the server areas with an expert.”

“Expert,” Ronnie grumbled. “Is that why you made me wait for you?”

“I’d love to see more of the facility,” Will said, far too bright and cheery. He was better at playing pretend than I’d expected.

“A greenie, huh?” Ronnie frowned, glancing at Will’s ID badge. “How do you diagnose and mitigate unexpected return-loss spikes in an MPO trunk under a 40-gig link?”

Will gave a confident shrug, as though someone had asked him what one plus one was. “First, I pull an OTDR trace to isolate the length and location of the problem. If it’s at the panel, I swap in known-good APC-angled patch cords?—”

“Enough.” Ronnie put up a hand, then waved for Will to join him. “Let’s go.”

Will touched my arm, precisely where he’d pinched it earlier. “See you later, sweetheart.”

Yup, he was great at playing pretend.

He kissed my temple and headed down a hallway branching off to the left with Ronnie.

I stood still, staring after him, trying to focus on why I was really there. A kiss to exposed skin was level three.Is level three high?Was that something Scarlett told him to do?

And why was there an odd tightness in my chest all of a sudden?

Chapter 11

Brie

“You two make a cute couple,”Claire commented as we took the hallway right, following a sign to The Bridge. “And I hope you don’t mind me saying, but your husband is a hottie.”

I adjusted my glasses. How would a real wife respond to that? Should I sound offended? Proud? Nonchalant? Jealous?

“He keeps getting more handsome every year.”Where did that come from, Brie?

Hadn’t allowed myself to think about it for a decade.