Sonia’s hair came out better than she’d expected. It was fabulous. Even Kyle had pretended to take a blow to the heart when he first saw the result. He was rocking Ariel, who slumbered in the crook of his arm, and staggered backward, faking a fatal hit.
“You were always a knock-out, but wow, Sonia,” he said. “Wow. That looks fantastic.”
“It’s Lauren’s artistry at work.” Sonia shook her head. Her hair had been cut shorter but still hung past her shoulders. The color was many hues of pink, shading from peach to fuchsia and into palest peony. Her hair felt bouncy and healthy, and the color was better than she’d imagined. Her hair swung more now that it was shorter and she could see the rosy color on all sides.
“But your idea,” Lauren said. She pushed a hand into the back of Sonia’s hair, proprietary now that she’d cut and colored it. “Your hair is so healthy and this brings out the shine. It’s a good color for you, too, and complements your skin tone. Your idea was exactly right.”
“It totally suits you,” Kyle said.
“I love it,” Sonia said, then gave Lauren a hug. “Thank you so much.”
“You make me want to open up shop again,” Lauren said, flicking a glance at Kyle. “Maybe after everything gets back to normal.”
“You might have to if the club doesn’t reopen soon,” he said, more serious that he usually was.
“Really? Are we doing so badly?” Sonia asked.
Kyle shrugged. “It’s the end of the world, if you listen to Ty.” He winked. “Fortunately, I never do.”
They laughed together, then Kyle surrendered Ariel to Lauren, kissing the baby’s forehead before he left.
“You’ll be two hours, max,” Lauren chided him. “It’s not farewell forever.”
“I like to keep everything covered,” Kyle said, then kissed Lauren so lingeringly that Sonia went out to the car herself.
That was what she wanted. True love forevermore. Lauren and Kyle had met years before and both had always known they’d met the one person right for them. It had taken them a while to connect—and Lauren had married and divorced in between—but two seconds in their presence would convince the biggest skeptic that true love didn’t fade.
It just kept getting stronger.
Sonia stood by the car, thinking about Nate and wishing she’d meet someone like him who hadn’t already fallen for someone else. That tattoo was evidence that he’d lost his heart already and it wasn’t his to share. Her night with Nate was kind of like the nights of all the women who had been with Kyle after he met Lauren and before they got together again. They were hook-ups that were fun but never destined to be more.
That didn’t mean they weren’t worth the price of admission.
She’d never forget that night with Nate.
She listened to Kyle and Lauren, then thought about Nate’s comment of a family of choice. If Kyle was like a big brother, what about Cassie? A big sister, clearly. And Ty was the oldest brother, the kind of distant one, who would do anything for anyone he cared about. Nate was right: the entire team at F5F could have been the big family Sonia had never had, a family of choice instead of a family of blood. She trusted them completely and that was why she didn’t want to leave the club.
From her classes, she knew that individuals needed a support network. When you don’t have a family of blood, you have to build a family of choice. F5F had been part of her recovery, even though she hadn’t thought about it at the time. She couldn’t have made such progress without them.
And now she could share that with an audience. It was going to be so great, with the entire team helping to make the podcast the best it could be. The idea made her smile in anticipation.
Then she wondered whether there was any chance of another night with Nate. He was good for what ailed her and the idea of hitting on him for a repeat made her smile broaden.
“Ah, plans already,” Kyle said when he emerged from the house. “There’s something about a good haircut that gives a woman ideas.” He dropped his voice to a whisper. “Should I be taking you somewhere other than back home?”
Sonia was tempted to say ‘Boston’, but she didn’t. She just laughed and talked about Ariel, a subject that Kyle seized upon with enthusiasm.
Once home, Sonia found herself filled with energy, like her haircut included some special magic. When she got home, she finished up the proposal for Cassie, then made herself a cup of green tea. She could hear her fellow tenants in their apartments, cooking or doing whatever. The woman upstairs was running her sewing machine and listening to the radio. She liked NPR. The woman two floors below was playing scales on her piano. It was a warm night so Sonia opened the window and turned on her fairy lights early.
She wondered what Nate was doing, picked up her phone, then put it in the charger.
He was getting ready to start his new job. She shouldn’t mess with that.
Even if it would have been great to hear his voice.
Then she wondered again what Katia had wanted, but didn’t surrender to the temptation of finding out. No doubt the truth would become clear sooner or later.
It was much more pleasant to daydream about Nate.
After his run on Monday morning, Nate had a slice of leftover pizza for breakfast. It took him a while to get the internet connection working on the laptop Jimmy had given him but he was ready for the online meeting with Silver Fox Security in time.
Nate felt like he’d passed the first test of his new job.
He didn’t doubt there would be more.
“Good morning,” Pierce said, appearing on the screen. He was wearing a dark T-shirt and spoke with his usual economy. He was predictably first on the call and it looked like he was in his home office in New York. “Everything good there, Nate?”
“Couldn’t be better,” Nate said. “I wasn’t expecting such a fancy place.”
“You might be glad of it. We’ve got two weeks of preparations lined up for you.”
“I’m ready.”
“Mack has already found a couple of apartments that you might like. She’ll tell you about them after the call.”
“Full service relocation,” Nate said with a grin.
“It’s a more efficient use of time. Mack knows the market and your budget, and with you in quarantine, you can’t look around so easily.”
“I never had staff before.”
Pierce smiled. “You still don’t. Mack solves everything for all of us. She’s a force of nature.”
As if she’d heard her cue, Lisa MacAvoy joined the call then. “Morning,” she said as she appeared in a window beside Pierce on the screen. She gave a fingertip wave and took a sip from a huge coffee. Nate knew she was a lawyer, but she wasn’t stiff and formal like other lawyers he’d met. He instinctively liked her—actually, he liked the whole team already. “All good, Nate?”
“Perfect. Thanks, Mack.”
“Hey, Nate. Welcome aboard!” Jimmy was the next to log in. He waved from what looked like an office and Nate guessed it was the firm’s facility in Boston.
“Thanks for everything. I’m looking forward to digging in.”
“Wait for it,” Jimmy warned. “Pierce’s initiation plan is brutal.”
Pierce nodded and Jimmy nodded back, some silent communication happening between them. “While we wait on the others, I can tell you about a course that would be great for you to take,” Jimmy said. “It’s about online security and cryptology, as well as computerized and digital locks. The first lectures are online, accessible through our secure connection. Pierce and I thought you might want to get a jump on things.”
“Beats watching TV,” Nate said. “Hook me up.”
“Great. I’ll send you the details. You have a new email account with the firm. Mack will have set it up on the laptop but you should change the password, of course. Same with the phone we gave you.”
“Got it.” Nate opened the email account to discover several messages he hadn’t realized were there. There was a form for him to fill out for insurance and a request from Mack about housing preferences. “On it,” he said, energized to have a To Do list building already. He preferred to be busy.
“I’m sending you the address of a rehab center for vets, in case you’re interested,” Pierce said. “I go there when I’m in Boston and it’s a good crowd. Not as fancy as Flatiron Five Fitness, but I mentioned your coaching to them and they’d love if you wanted to volunteer for a couple of hours a week.”
“I’m totally in for that,” Nate said.
“I thought so,” Pierce said. “They have social distancing protocols in place, but you might be able to suggest options to people for getting exercise outside of the weight room, or coach from behind plexiglass.”
“Absolutely. There are moves that are easy to do at home, too.”
“Good morning,” Simon growled, sounding and looking like a bear who had just been roused early from hibernation.
“Is it?” Jimmy teased and Simon glared at the screen.
“You know I’m a night owl,” he grumbled. “Welcome, Nate. Remember to call me Troll. Everyone else does.”
“Thanks, Troll.”
Sam was next. He had dark hair and blue eyes and looked to be in his late forties, like Troll. “Sam O’Leary, in case you forgot,” he said with a fingertip wave.
“Not me,” Nate said. “You were the one who ducked into the room across the hall and almost got me.”
Sam nodded at that. “Close only counts in horseshoes, though. Pierce and I had our first tour as SEALs together.” He gestured to Simon with a fingertip. “The fearsome threesome. Welcome, Nate.”
“We call him Smoke,” Jimmy provided. “Sam is the master of disguise who can disappear faster than anyone you know.”
Nate nodded, impressed.
“Quick review for Nate’s benefit, so he knows who to call,” Pierce said and they all sat up straighter. “We start on time, no matter what.”
Nate realized there were team members who hadn’t shown up yet. He wasn’t going to join that club.
“Lisa MacAvoy,” Mack said. “Legal details, quartermaster, smoother of wrinkles and general facilitator.” She wrinkled her nose. “Since we don’t have that many legal quandaries, yet.”
“Let’s keep it that way,” Pierce said.
“Jimmy Wong, tech support and troubleshooting. I’m the backroom guy or the guy who has your back.”
Nate nodded.
“Troll,” Simon said. “Brute force extraction.”
They all laughed at this and Nate recognized it was a joke.
Simon almost smiled. He seemed as taciturn as Pierce. “Seriously, I do physical training, along with Angel. I’m more weapons and Angel is more martial arts. Between us, we have it covered.”
“Angel!” everyone cried together when a big blond guy appeared on screen.
“Fucking computers,” he muttered, eyes glinting with frustration. Then his grin flashed. “I hear you have mad skills with locks, Nate,” he said. “Jared Peters. Angel. Martial arts and general ass-kicking.”
“I remember you kicking my ass,” Nate said.
Angel grinned. “Always good to leave an impression.” He sobered. “I need to see your stuff this week so I can assess what you need to learn.”
“Absolutely.” Nate realized his initiation wasn’t going to be any easier than what he’d expected from the Raiders. He was ready for them to bring it.
“Hi everyone. Sorry I’m late!” A woman with curly ginger hair and glasses appeared. She could have been the same age as Lisa, but looked more disorganized. Nate remembered Regan from his test.
Pierce tapped his watch and she flushed.
“Won’t happen again,” she said breathlessly.
“Yes, it will,” Mack murmured.
The other woman’s blush deepened. “I found floor plans for both bridal shops but they took a little bit longer than expected to download. Why do people have such huge PDFs? I could paper a skyscraper with these images.” She obviously didn’t expect an answer. “Sorry.” She smiled at Nate. “Regan Winslow, logistics and reconnaissance.”
“Hi again,” Nate had time to say before Pierce cleared his throat. Nate was clearly the youngest on the team as well as the newest addition. He couldn’t wait to learn from all these experts and lift his game.
“Fifty-two minutes left,” Pierce said. “As ever, Mack has the agenda and the floor. Let’s do it.”
“First up, welcome, Nate, to the team,” Mack started, speaking quickly. There was a murmur of approval from the others but she didn’t pause. “Nate, you’ve got forms to fill in for me and I’ve got apartments for you to consider, but we’ll do all of that after the call. Talk to Jimmy about any tech issues. I see you’re interested in that course, so I’ll get you enrolled and send you details later today. I have an appointment booked for you at the shooting range next Saturday, at the end of your isolation, at eight in the morning.”
Nate nodded and made a note. “Great.”
“You’ve got a calendar app on your laptop and phone,” Jimmy said. “It synchs with all of ours.”
“On it,” Nate said, finding the app and launching it.
“Weekly drill until I’m satisfied.” Troll’s eyes narrowed. “How much does the prosthesis affect your skills?”
“I’ve got it covered.”
“We’ll check it out. There may be some tweaks we can make.”
Nate didn’t blame him for being skeptical.
Troll nodded. “Kudos to you on changing dominant hands, though. Not everyone can do it.”
Nate had no chance to reply before Mack spoke again. This meeting was moving fast.
“Pierce wants you fitted for some body armor. I’ll give you the address and you can go there immediately after the shooting range.”
“I’ll meet you there,” Angel said. “It’s got to be right.”
The calendar was populating before Nate’s eyes as others typed in appointments.
“You’ll want to get a drivers’ license for Massachusetts, too, but wait until you choose an apartment so you don’t have to change the address,” Mack said. “The insurance company wants a physical, so I’ve booked you with the GP we use for two weeks’ tomorrow at 11:15. They’ll want bloodwork, too, but you can do it afterward when the doctor gives you the requisition.”
“On it,” Nate said.
“Angel? You have a plan for Nate?”
“We’ll do some workouts on video conference so I can assess your skill level,” that man said. “This afternoon?”
“Just give me a time,” Nate said.
“He’s a keener,” Jimmy teased in an undertone.
“He doesn’t know yet that we’re going to kick his butt and teach him to like it,” Angel muttered in reply.
Nate laughed, looking forward to it.
“And now to our regularly scheduled review,” Mack said. “Current business first. I’ve found two houses that might suit Mrs. Rashid, but we need to dig a bit deeper to be sure before making a recommendation to her, let alone orchestrating her move from Paris. Regan has floor plans and it would be great for you to do an assessment of vulnerabilities, Nate.”
“Absolutely,” Nate agreed. He knew that Mrs. Rashid was the mother of the princess, Farah, whom Pierce had defended while working in Greater Alghenia.
Pierce interjected. “Don’t tell us about them just yet. When your quarantine is done, you can try to break in, as a test, and we’ll see how right you are.”
Nate grinned. “Bonus.”
“That wedding for the princess’s college friend has also been booked, the one in which the princess is a bridesmaid. Pierce is arranging for a fake date for her at the event, but we’ll need to check out the hotel and create some contingency plans for her defense.” Mack held up a finger when Regan would have spoken. “The bride is going shopping with her bridesmaids for dresses next Saturday. The princess has, at our suggestion, offered to provide a limo. I suggest that Simon drives and Jared follows at a distance. Jimmy can hook up your comm and Sam will make sure you blend in. They’re visiting a shop in a town called Harte’s Harbor called Forevermore…”
“And I’ve got the floor plans,” Regan said. “As well as for the boutique in Boston and the department store that has a big bridal section.” She rummaged through papers on her desk. “And the restaurant that the princess booked for lunch.”
“We’ll embed Sam in the staff there,” Lisa continued.
“More floor plans and schedules heading your way, Nate,” Jimmy teased.
“Works for me.”
The meeting continued in this vein for another twenty minutes or so, with Mack giving details about upcoming jobs or potential assignments and the team contributing their thoughts and expertise. Nate was clearly going to be the one to break down systems or break into supposedly secure sites, at least in the short term, which was a welcome challenge. When he found vulnerabilities, the others would find ways to compensate for them.
“Twenty-six minutes left,” Pierce said. “Are we done?”
“He likes to keep the meeting to an hour exactly,” Mack confided and the team all smiled.
“You can’t organize your day if meetings ramble on,” Pierce said.
“Not with military precision, that’s for sure,” Jimmy agreed. “And the man’s on his honeymoon.”
“In quarantine,” Mack said, rolling her eyes.
“How is that a problem?” Angel asked with a grin. “Being confined to barracks sounds like an ideal way to spend a honeymoon.” They laughed together.
Pierce cleared his throat again. “New business, or potential business. There’s another assignment under discussion that you should all know about early. The Prince of Mauscoria is planning an official visit and we’ve been asked to augment his security while he’s here.”
“Wait a minute,” Mack said. “Isn’t he the one Farah decked?”
Regan and Jimmy started to laugh. “At their official engagement,” Regan said. “Twelve years old. What a great right hook.”
“She had a good teacher,” Mack said and Pierce smiled.
“Busted that boy’s royal nose,” Jimmy informed Nate. “Did anyone ever find out what he said to her?”
“Something that pissed her off, no doubt,” Mack said.
The group all shook their heads. Angel and Troll looked amused, and Nate guessed they hadn’t been there either. That made him feel a bit less like an outsider.
“What’s the reason for his visit?” Jimmy asked.
Pierce shook his head. “That’s where it gets interesting. He’s apparently planning to renew his romantic attentions to the princess.”
“I thought theirs was to be an arranged marriage,” Mack said.
“It was, but her family weren’t big on it. The princess definitely wasn’t interested, but he must have liked what he saw.” Pierce shrugged. “Or his family still think it’s a good idea.”
“I’m going to guess that the princess won’t agree,” Regan said to general agreement.
“And I’ll guess no one will have any doubts about her opinion,” Troll said under his breath.
“Pow!” Jimmy said, driving his fist into his palm. “She’s hardly the queen of subtlety.”
Pierce cleared his throat. “I think it’ll be a good idea to have the inside track on this. He arrives September 1, barring a change of schedule. I’ll send Regan the address of his accommodations and his itinerary while here.”
“If he thinks the princess is just going to fall in line, he’s in for a surprise,” Mack said.
“There’s going to be good entertainment value in this one,” Jimmy said.
“Fifty-eight minutes,” Pierce said. “Are we done?” There was a murmur of agreement. “Then we’re done.”
“I’ll meet you here in thirty, Nate,” Jared said. “Wear your workout gear.”
“Got it, Angel.”
They all shouted another welcome to Nate and he knew he’d landed in the right place. “All I need is a cool nickname,” he said, and his new co-workers laughed.
“Don’t worry. They’ll give you one,” Mack said. “Enjoy every moment before that. Now, don’t sign off. We’ve got to talk about apartments first.”
When their call started, Sonia was surprised to see Cassie wearing a black T-shirt with #MeToo printed on it in pink. Cassie had her hair twisted up and was wearing horn-rimmed glasses.
Did Sonia have more in common with her boss than she realized?
She could certainly take a lesson from Cassie, who wasn’t shy about flaunting how gorgeous she was.
“You look like the sexy prof that every guy dreams about,” Sonia said and Cassie laughed.
She held up her hands. “And you changed your hair. It looks fantastic!”
“I love it,” Sonia said, shaking her head so Cassie could see. She spun around to show off the colors. “Lauren did it.”
“She’s incredible with color,” Cassie said. “I might have to step out of my comfort zone. But this is great for your debut. I was thinking we’d go with black and pink, and we’ll use the dark yoga room on six…”
“No, I’d rather use the light one on five,” Sonia said. “And film in the morning sunlight. If the show is about healing and starting fresh, then it needs to look light. Positive.”
“But we’ll need something distinctive, too.” She pointed at the screen toward Sonia. “What’s that you have on your walls?”
“Fairy lights,” Sonia said. “They’re strung all around the room. I like how it looks at night.”
“I like that,” Cassie said, scribbling. “I was thinking you could take a few moments at the beginning and the end of each podcast to share something of your own journey.”
“I want to intersperse it,” Sonia said. “I don’t want to dump on people or judge them, but offer help if they want it.”
“Can you send me some scripts?”
“I wrote two already. They’re just drafts but you’ll see what I have in mind.” Sonia emailed the files and they talked about branding, music and graphics.
“We do tie-in products for the podcasts, as you know, starting with one or two that are made on demand to gauge popularity before we produce a lot of them,” Cassie said.
“I was thinking about a journal,” Sonia said. She knew this was what the club did, and had wanted to be ready. “I found these online that can be easily customized. Writing about my experience was a big part of my healing process.”
Cassie was nodding and taking notes. “Good idea. If you were going to recommend anything, what would it be?”
“Drink lots of liquids,” Sonia said immediately. “I like green tea, even though it’s not always decaf.”
“How about a lidded mug or a travel flask, one of those stainless ones that hold a lot?” Cassie said. She was obviously scrolling through merchandise, and sent an image to Sonia with a mock-up. “Like that? Pink and black.”
“That looks great.” Sonia felt a bubble of rising excitement.
“If everything goes well, we can think about getting a green tea blended and branded. Sonia’s Choice or similar.”
“That would be awesome.”
Cassie gave her a hard look. “Are you ready for all the possibilities?”
“What do you mean?”
“This could bomb completely. Or it could really work and make you suddenly famous. Or results could fall somewhere in between.” Cassie took off her glasses. “No matter how much we plan, we never know how people will respond until they do.”
“I’m ready for whatever happens,” Sonia said, because she was.
Cassie smiled and put on her glasses again. “Stalkers? Fan girls?”
“Maybe I’ll need a bodyguard.” They laughed together, a sure sign that Cassie didn’t expect that particular result. “I also sent you an outline for the first five sessions with the moves we’d cover in each one.”
“I saw that. It’s great, a terrific introduction, very gentle but powerful, and a solid increase in effort.” Cassie nodded. “How about you add a bit about the stretches, about where they’ll be felt strongest? We want to assume that we’re dealing with novices and even those with some experience may need a reminder.”
“Okay.”
“We’ll do close-ups for that, like you’re talking right to them. I’ll send the file back to you with some places flagged that are natural places to expand, in my opinion, but follow your instincts. You’re a good teacher, Sonia, and don’t need me to sit on your shoulder.”
“I could use your advice, though,” Sonia said and Cassie looked up. “Not just about the class. You’re wearing a #MeToo shirt.”
“Yes.” Cassie exhaled the word and took off her glasses to study Sonia. “It was in high school. A long time ago, but it’s still hard to talk about it.”
“But you just own it,” Sonia said. “You’re so confident and sexy.”
Cassie considered her. “Are you a mini-me in a way I don’t know about yet?” she asked gently.
Sonia nodded. “It’s why I was heavy. I wanted to stop being a target.” She took a breath. “I wanted to disappear.”
Cassie nodded. “I dressed like a boy for a long time.”
Their gazes held and it was a potent moment, even though they weren’t in the same room.
“And now you’re ready to take sexy back,” Cassie said. “You always look neat and feminine, Sonia, but there was something different at the wedding. More verve. I liked it a lot.”
It was great to be acknowledged and understood. Sonia nodded again, more glad than ever that she’d ended up at this particular club.
“I think you have to just do it,” Cassie said. “You’ve already started. You need to be fearless, or act like it, even when you’re terrified.” She smiled. “People respond to confidence, even if it’s just a show. Most of them don’t know the difference. It’s just the first step out of the shadows that’s the hardest. You’ve started and I’m so proud of you.”
“Thanks. You’ve inspired me.”
“It’s funny because I wondered why you didn’t want to teach like this, but it never occurred to me that we shared that history.” Cassie made a face. “I don’t want anyone to share that kind of experience, but in a way, that feeling is part of it, too. I felt so alone for so long, as if I was the only one who’d endured that. I was ashamed and I blamed myself, even though it wasn’t my fault. I was the victim.”
“Yes,” Sonia agreed. “That’s it exactly. A big part of the healing process involves sharing the truth and discovering that we’re not alone. That helps dismiss the shame.”
“Spoken like one of my favorite therapists,” Cassie teased and Sonia smiled. “I think you’ve totally got this, Sonia. You’re always gentle and understanding, and you listen. Let’s go with the idea that we’re making this podcast for women like us, women who think they’re alone, who blame themselves and are maybe ready to shed all that crap.” She tapped her pen. “Have you thought about wearing a #MeToo shirt? It’ll send a message before you say a word.”
The idea of declaring her past experience publicly, of wearing it on her shirt, was startling to Sonia but she knew by the force of her reaction that it was exactly the right choice. “I hadn’t but I will,” she said.
Cassie smiled and put her glasses back on. “We look good for the pitch at Wednesday’s meeting. I hope Shannyn isn’t busy having a baby yet: she’s got the best eye of everyone we use on camera and I want this to totally rock.”
“Me, too,” Sonia said and they laughed together as her unexpected double entendre.
“This could be big, you know,” Cassie warned. “Really big. You need to be ready for that.”
Sonia’s heart skipped a beat. “I am,” she said, knowing she had one last thing to do first to make her confidence complete.
Asking for what she wanted was proving to be addictive.
She’d wait until Wednesday to call Nate and proposition him, with the hope that she had good news about the podcast to share. In the meantime, she had scripts to write.
Locks, locks, locks. There were more kinds than Nate had realized, and each one was a delicious puzzle in itself. He was having a blast with the online course, which alternated instruction with simulated—and timed—tests.
Three days into his new job, he couldn’t imagine working for anyone else. He ached after Angel’s workouts and he’d started lists of Troll’s succinct bits of advice. He’d pored over Regan’s floor plans and pointed out some weaknesses for the bridal shopping expedition on the weekend, and had been proud to find one that Troll hadn’t noticed. There was something about the one proposed apartment for Mrs. Rashid that bothered him, but he knew he had to go there to assess its importance. Lisa had narrowed the search to two apartments and he was going to do a drive-by later in the evening. It felt as if everything was coming together.
This lock was the toughest yet, even in simulation, but he was going to nail it. He’d timed out on his first try and was going through the coursework again, checking for a detail he’d missed, when his phone rang. He was so engrossed that he didn’t even look at the number before answering. It was probably Lisa, confirming the time for his drive-by.
“They approved it!” Sonia said, her excitement clear.
Nate blinked. It was Wednesday night. They would have had the weekly meeting at F5F, probably held virtually now. He had to guess that Sonia and Cassie had pitched her podcast. “Well, of course they did,” he said. “Cassie asked you at the outset.”
“I know, but I was worried about it.”
“Didn’t you do a kick-ass proposal?” he asked, his tone teasing.
“The best I could, and Cassie asked extra questions ahead of time.” She made a little excited sound that more than held Nate’s interest. “But I can’t believe it. We’re going to map out all the moves, and start filming on Monday. Shannyn is going to set it all up, and we’ll splice in special guests for each episode. The idea is to show that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes, that it’s comfort in your own skin that matters. Meesha will be there first, then Rachel is going to participate from F5FWest with split screens.” She took a shaking breath. “Sorry. I’m really excited.”
“I would never have guessed.” Nate found himself smiling at Sonia’s evident pleasure.
“You,” she said, then laughed. “What did I interrupt?”
“Homework.”
“Doing what?”
“I’m taking a course on locks.”
“Making them?” She sounded confused.
“Opening them. It’s all part of the Mission Impossible thing.”
“Does everyone take the course who works for Pierce?”
“No, it’s going to be my thing, which is appropriate although I have no idea how he found out about that.”
“Your mis-spent youth,” she said and he was surprised she remembered. “What did you do?”
Nate leaned back and put his feet up. He liked that Sonia had called to share her news. It wasn’t a sign of expectations, just that they were friends. He was good with that. “When my dad died, I fell in with the wrong crowd. I guess a therapist would say I was acting out.”
“That’s exactly what I would say,” she said, and he heard the smile in her voice.
“I always liked locks. They fascinate me. And I especially like opening them when I’m not supposed to.”
“I’ll guess that started with something of Diane’s.”
Nate laughed. “Got it in one. I used to open her diary and leave things inside.”
“Like?”
“Dead bugs, notes, candy wrappers. Anything that showed I’d been there.”
“Devil inside,” Sonia teased and he grinned. “I’ll bet that infuriated her.”
“It drove her nuts. She kept upping her game, improving the locks, so I kept learning more. When I was in ninth grade, she was in twelfth. I opened her locker and took her lunch. She went bananas, even though I gave it back to her. By the time Dad died, I was pretty good.”
“Useful for the wrong crowd?”
“Yes, it was my ticket in. They liked to break into houses and steal cash or booze, but they didn’t understand locks at all. They were window-breakers.”
“No class,” Sonia scoffed.
“No subtlety. I never participated in the thefts, but I opened doors for them.”
“What happened?”
“We got caught, of course, and they outed me. The cop was pretty shrewd though. He saw what was really happening. He gave me a second chance and told me not to waste it. I was almost done with high school by that point and I knew that bunch weren’t going anywhere good. If I was going to keep myself from getting drawn into things I didn’t want to do, I had to leave.”
“Doesn’t that sound familiar,” Sonia said, no question in her tone. Nate realized then that they’d chosen very similar paths. “I’ll guess you enlisted then.”
“Straight out of high school. It was my first snap and totally the right choice for me. Boot camp was hard, but I loved it. I just wanted more. The service gave me goals and good habits, and taught me how to take care of what’s important to me. I would have been a lifer, you know.”
“But instead, you’ll be one of Pierce’s spy guys.”
“Yes,” Nate exhaled the word with satisfaction. “It’s great.”
There was a little pause, then Sonia spoke. “What happened to your dad?”
“He had a heart attack when I was sixteen and died instantly. One day he went to work and he never came home.” It had happened so long ago that Nate could talk about it easily. At the time, it had been devastating to have his world shaken so hard.
“It must have been hard for your mom.”
“And I didn’t make it any easier. Diane was already in college so at least one of us had our shit together.”
“Did she marry again?”
“My mom? Are you kidding? We Buchanans are the once-is-forever team. No one gets divorced or remarried in my family. They get it right the first time and run with it.”
Sonia didn’t say anything for a few minutes but Nate knew she was still there.
He was thinking, actually, about his mom’s comments about Trish. He wondered whether he might have been the first to get divorced if they had gotten married. If he hadn’t lost his hand, how long would it have taken him to realize that she wasn’t as all-in as he was? Would he have stuck it out and been miserable in his marriage? It wasn’t something he wanted to think about.
“Did I spook you?” he asked finally.
“No, I’m just thinking that’s a pretty high bar. Not everyone gets it right the first time, and staying in a bad partnership can be unhealthy.”
“All true.” His stomach grumbled. He’d made spaghetti sauce the night before, adding ground beef to a jar of sauce, and had enough to have it again. Just the thought of it made him want to get off the phone and eat—and yet, as was typical with Sonia, he wanted to keep listening to her voice.
And she thought she had things to learn from Cleopatra about holding someone’s interest. One look and gone pretty much described his reaction to her.
Nate straightened, realizing why he couldn’t stop thinking about her.
Against everything he knew to be sensible and smart, Nate had fallen in love.
With another woman who couldn’t—or wouldn’t—love him back.
What kind of moron was he to make the same mistake twice?
How could he have not fallen for Sonia?
“That’s great about your podcast,” he said, trying to get off the phone and think it through. “I’m sure the team will pull it together beautifully…”
“That’s not the only reason I called,” Sonia said, interrupting him. She continued before Nate could speak. “I need to do something before we record the first class and I need your help.” Sonia’s voice dropped to a sultry whisper. “I need to lay my last ghost to rest.”
A lump of dread rose in Nate’s throat, but he didn’t say a thing.
Sonia took a breath, then her words spilled forth in a rush. “I want to do it naked and in the light, and it has to be with you.”
Nate nearly dropped his phone.
Sonia was propositioning him.
And everything within him was shouting YES.
Nate picked his jaw up off the floor and tried to think straight.
It wasn’t easy.