I go back inside. My glasses fog over, but I find AmberLea anyway. She’s near Aiden Tween, who’s standing with Toby in a circle of people. “Hot damn,” AT is drawling, his accent back, “he’d a’ taken a bullet for me!”
It occurs to me that Aiden Tween took a big risk to help save Bunny, and Toby took a big risk to try to save AT. Maybe I’ve been a little wrong about them. In fact, apart from Dusan/Jennifer, I’ve been wrong about a lot of people in the last few days. “He didn’t know mah jacket was bulletproof and national security was all over it,” AT cries. “He was willin’ to lay it on the line!” His arm is draped over Toby’s shoulder. Given the height differential, that’s not as easy as it sounds. Toby’s arm is over AT’s shoulders too. They give each other a squeeze that’s, um, well…let’s just say maybe I’ve been wrong about other stuff too. “Hey,” I say to AmberLea, “is Toby…?”
“You’d have to ask him,” she says. “Let’s just say he’s a big fan.”
“Wow,” I say. “I sure had some things wrong.”
“Like what?”
“Never mind. Do you want to go back to the hotel for the after-party?”
“Not really. Do you? I should text my mom. We’re supposed to meet her soon, remember?”
“Okay. Let’s leave the party to Toby.”
She leads the way. As we squeeze through the crowd, I notice we’re holding hands. I try to be cool about it. I think about the sexy bit in Ipcress File where someone asks, “Do you always wear your glasses?” Unfortunately, I’m the one wearing glasses, so I can’t ask it. AmberLea saves me with a better line. Outside, she checks her phone. “It’s after midnight. Happy New Year.” She turns to me. We’re still holding hands.
“Happy New Year,” I say back. “What do you want to do?”
“Right this minute?”
“Yeah.”
“Make my day,” she says.
Which cues our kiss.