by Cherry Laska
“Jacque’s heading up the stairs.” They heard Mark’s warning.
Joe moved quickly to Jessica’s side. “Love you too. ’Bye, Mom.” Jessica had finished taking pictures of the papers when the doorknob started to turn. She shut the safe and replaced the painting. Slipping her the flashdrive, Joe buried a hand in her hair and kissed her just in the nick of time.
“I knew I couldn’t leave the two of you alone for long,” Jacque proclaimed entering his office.
“I can’t get enough of her.” Joe gave Jessica a look that made her feel like maybe he really meant it.
“I understand, but come, come. It’s time for us to sit. Aurélie will not be happy if you’re not there.”
“Just let me fix my hair,” Jessica said, putting her clip back in place. Jacque slapped Joe on the back before leading the way to the dining room where guests were seated boy-girl-boy-girl around the round top tables.
During the delectable five course meal, Jessica, Joe, and Mark listened through their coms as Marshall and Alejandro went through and discussed the uploaded files and pictures. It seemed that Chevalier-Fort Chemicals made some serious cash from keeping government secrets, as well as making some questionable chemicals for France. However, there was no evidence of a connection to Zircone or the black market or knowledge of Moreau’s actions. Interestingly, there had been no internal communications mentioning anything about Moreau’s arrest—as in suspiciously nothing about the incident. It seemed highly unusual for the board and the public relations department not to have any emails or calendar meetings set for discussing the ramifications of their employee being involved in illegal and possibly terrorist activities or a plan for handling any blowback on C-FC’s reputation.
When the last of the plates had been cleared, Jacque stood and began a speech. There were so many guests that he used a microphone. “I’m honored to have you all here tonight. Chevalier-Fort Chemicals is what has brought so many of us together, and we’re all thankful for that. We know what an important role C-FC plays in our country’s success in medicine, in energy, and in so many other areas. Raise your glasses, s’il vous plaît. To Chevalier-Fort.” The room raised their glasses and drank to C-FC.
“I should have told you to take only a sip. There are many things I feel I must toast to tonight.”The room filled with laughter. “Just call out if you need a refill. We have plenty more champagne.”
Jacque raised his glass again. “To France.” Glasses were raised again and everyone enjoyed another sip.
“And we must toast tonight to amour. If not for love, what would all these things mean?” Jacque smiled at Aurélie. “My love and our hostess, Aurélie Lefèvre.” Glasses were raised once more and many of the guests clapped. Some guests already needed their glasses refilled.
“I’m so happy whenever I see another man who has had good fortune like mine. I’m reminded of what I hold most precious. And tonight, we’re blessed to be in the company of a couple who has recently declared their love and agreed to devote themselves to each other. Last night my wife and I were lucky enough to witness their engagement. My friends, my wife and I were so inspired. I cannot even tell you.” He waggled his eyebrows causing the room snicker. “So, we have a special gift for this couple. Aurélie is going to tell you about it.” Aurélie stood and gave her husband a passionate kiss eliciting some cheers.
Joe squeezed her hand and Jessica felt a rush of warmth. Man, there’s a lot of kissing going on in Paris.
“Mes cher amis, let me introduce you to our guests Daniel DeNoyles and Cassandra Bradley,” Aurélie said, motioning for Joe and Jessica to come stand by her side.
The clapping resumed. When they were positioned next to Aurélie, she turned to them giddy with excitement. “As a gift in honor of sharing the inspiration of your love, I would like to present to you the use of our Riviera house. Two weeks, fully staffed, whenever you’d like. Perhaps even your honeymoon,” she paused while the clapping grew with enthusiasm. “Please, give us the great pleasure of accepting this engagement gift.”
“Oui, of course. Aurélie, Jacque, merci beaucoup. That’s so kind and very generous,” Jessica said, smiling. She exchanged hugs and cheek kisses with the Lefèvres. Joe did the same.
Aurélie exclaimed, “Oh wonderful, wonderful. Now it’s time for dessert.” A tremendous wedding cake was wheeled into the room. “Our two friends, thank you for reminding us of our own love and devotion. Let us all eat ce gâteau de mariage.”
Another round of cheers and claps and a few stolen kisses ensued around the room. Glasses started clinking calling for Joe and Jessica to kiss as they would at their wedding reception. Of course, it was all a part of the cover, but Jessica had to admit it was fun. Beats laundry and homework help for sure. Joe was grinning. He wrapped his arms around her, gave her a gentle, loving, long kiss while he slowly lowered her down into a deep dip. The cheers, clapping, and whistling grew in intensity. When he stood her up, there were calls from the room, “Speech, speech!”
Joe turned to Aurélie, who was beaming, “First to our hosts, we’re honored by your friendship and generous gift. Thank you.” Everyone clapped. “And to my darling wife-to-be, I am so happy. Je t’aime, mon amour.”
The crowd gave an approving “aaawwwwe.”
Jessica heard Alejandro say, “Good job, boss,” over their coms. She could feel Mark watching her and resisted the urge to look at him.
“Please,” Aurélie was saying, “Indulge us. S’il vous plait, please, cut the first slice of cake for one another.” She added through a big smile, “Consider it practice. I’m having so much happiness remembering our wedding.”
How could they not do as she asked? Joe and Jessica moved to the elaborately decorated cake and were presented with a ceremonial knife. A photographer was snapping pictures. The room was buzzing with excitement as they cut a slice of cake together, the crowd urging the engaged American couple to feed it to each other. She held a tiny piece up for him to eat, gently smeared a little icing around his lips.
Joe got that devilish glint in his eyes and before she knew it, there was frosting, cake, and chocolate mousse covering her face from her cheekbones to her chin. There was a collective gasp that was replaced by laughter when the party guests saw the future bride was laughing. Joe always made her laugh. He just had that effect on her. Even if she was really mad, he would do or say something that resulted in Jessica laughing. She’d still be mad, but she’d be laughing at the same time. To get him back, Jessica grabbed him and gave him a kiss, moving in a way to transfer the maximum amount of cake to him. The kiss ended, and Joe wiped a bit of the cake off Jessica’s face and sucked it off his finger.
He said to her, “That was sweet. Figuratively and literally.”
The rest of the evening was spent mingling. Even though it was their first time meeting all of the Lefèvre’s guests, Joe and Jessica received and gave many cheek air kisses. The people must have felt familiar and comfortable after sharing the show of love. As Joe passed by, Mark said, “You’re full of shit, Daniel.”
Jessica had just come back from the bathroom and overheard the comment. She startled Joe when she slipped her arm through his. “What does he mean by that?”
He couldn’t think of what to say. He shrugged it off and redirected her. “Come on. We still have a lot of people to meet.”
They continued talking to various CEOs, elected officials, and other French bigwigs, casually turning each conversation to the scandalous arrest of the chemical company exec caught meeting with a suspected Middle Eastern terrorist and carefully watched for suspicious reactions. They came up empty.
40
MARK WALKED AROUND THE CROWDED, smoke-filled bar that was a popular spot for reporters. The dim lighting and many nooks and crannies were perfect for private conversations. He finally spotted Gérard at a table with two other men. Mark passed him and settled at a spot at the end of the bar. A few minutes later Gérard came beside him and raised his hand indicating to the bar
tender he needed a refill. Since the bar was busy, it’d take a few minutes to get to him, which would give them time to talk.
“I’ve been waiting to hear from ya, Gérard. I’m not happy I had to track you down. What’s the word?”
“There are several words, my friend. I will give them to you in English and French, so we will both understand them clearly and there will be no room for misunderstanding.” He took a drag off his cigarette. Smoke came out of his mouth as he spoke. “No – Non. Warning – avertissement. Stop asking questions – Arrêtez de poser des questions. Don’t talk about it. Ne pas en parler.” He turned to face Mark. The reporter’s face was covered with cut and bruises. “I know you can do much worse to me, but I cannot help you. Too many powerful people do not want this story to be out. If it comes out, I am fini.”
Mark had never seen Gérard this shaken before. “All right, buddy. Take it easy. You don’t have to ask any more questions.” Gérard’s posture relaxed. “There you go. You know you really shouldn’t smoke so much. It’s not good for you.” Mark smiled, pausing before lowering the boom. “Just give me the names of all the people you talked to and you’re done.”
41
SINCE THEY WERE FLYING OUT early in the morning, Jessica packed everything except what she would need in the morning. She’d just finished putting everything in her suitcases when her phone buzzed. The text was from Trevor to make sure she was coming home by Friday to help Chase. He also wanted her to know he’d heard Bridgette and Blake had broken up. He’d tried to talk to her, but she didn’t say much.
Jessica sent texts to all of her kids. She needed to make sure her daughter was okay. Jessica waited for their replies and acknowledged a part of her couldn’t wait to be home, but there was another part of her that loved being away working. She was relieved when Bridgette texted back she was the one who had ended the relationship, and they were both fine. Jessica hoped her daughter would open up more to her later, but she didn’t count on it.
Seeing Joe was already under the covers looking at his iPad, Jessica was suddenly very tired. She chose sleepwear Choice D, the smoky-purple nightie and went to the bathroom to do the routine and get changed. She’d just come out when Joe stood up and grabbed for his clothes. He said, “Honey, put some jeans on.”
“Okay,” she said, picking up on his seriousness. She quickly slid on her jeans.
He touched below his eye and pulled his ear. “I have a surprise for you.” They left their luggage and only grabbed the one bag containing their weapons, extra ammo, IDs, some clothes, and $5,000 in cash. They were out the door in under a minute.
Joe was concerned that their car was compromised, so they left it and grabbed a cab. He gave the driver instructions and focused on exchanging texts with the team during the ride. The driver let them out in front of the Eiffel Tower. It was lit up beautifully with what seemed to be a million tiny lights.
Once they were alone in the elevator on their way up, Jessica asked what had happened. “I got a message from Marshall that an alarm in our room was triggered earlier. He reviewed our hotel security tapes. Two men slipped into our room while we were out. Marshall matched the digital footprint back to the same people who had tapped into the garage feed. They got our faces and must have done a facial recognition search. A local team is on their way to sweep and clean the room. They’ll pack our stuff and send it back to Langley. Marshall and Alejandro are closing down and packing up the safe house while Mark meets with his sources. When he’s done, Mark and Marshall will make a stop at Montecristo’s and then head to the plane.” Joe looked at his watch. “Alejandro will pick us up in about an hour and a half to head to the airport. The pilots are getting the plane ready for us to fly out tonight.” He smiled at her. “I think we’re clear, but I want to make sure. I don’t want to risk leading anyone to the safe house or the plane. I thought this would be a great place to lay low.”
“What’s a trip to Paris without a stop here?” She smiled back and opened their bag, pulling out a Fedora and jacket. She handed them to Joe. She reached back in the bag and got a scarf and stylish trench coat for herself.
They got off the elevator at the top floor. The clothes were primarily meant to change their appearance, but Jessica was grateful for the extra layer against the night wind. She shivered. Joe noticed and put his arm around her. They walked to the far side of the tower and stood at the rail admiring the lights of Paris. “This is gorgeous,” she said. “I’m glad we got a chance to see this. I’ve haven’t been up here at night.”
A few minutes later they heard footsteps approaching. Joe lowered his head to shield both their faces with his hat. The footsteps passed, but he kept close, now looking in her eyes and not backing away.
“We don’t stand out this way. We look like lovers enjoying the romance of the tower.” The twinkling was back in his eyes. They were so close their lips were practically touching.
“You must hate your job, right?” Jessica teased, her heart rate picking up.
“Oh, absolutely. It’s terrible.”
In that moment, standing in one of the most romantic spots in the world, the passion was overwhelming. Cautiously Joe leaned forward. Their lips met, sending an intense rush of heat through her body. The air around them sizzled. The kiss deepened. Since being in Paris, they’d kissed several times, but this kiss was different. They were alone. This was just for them, and they both wanted it. Joe turned Jessica to face him, pulling her body close to his and sliding his other arm around her. She wrapped her arms around his waist. The kiss was sensual and full of desire.
Jessica didn’t know how long they’d been kissing when they were interrupted by Joe’s phone. She’d thought it must have been a while considering how much heat there was between them, but it also seemed like it’d only been seconds, because it was not long enough. He fished his phone out of his pocket and read the text. He cleared his throat. “Alejandro’s a few minutes out.”
They rode the elevator down to the base of the tower in silence. She glanced up at Joe. He was looking at her, but quickly averted his eyes. She was picking up a weird vibe, and she didn’t know what to think.
Coming out of the exit, they spotted a car they didn’t recognize idling at the curb in a dark area. They stopped in the shadows of a tree and watched guardedly. Alejandro arrived. With no movement around the idling car, they walked at a controlled, normal pace, and climbed in the backseat. They pulled away and the unidentified car didn’t follow.
Twenty minutes later they approached the airfield. The pilots had the Gulfstream ready for takeoff. Everyone settled in. Before long they were cruising and snoozing.
42
ORLANDO, FLORIDA
IN THE DIM CABIN LIGHT, Joe couldn’t sleep. He’d been chastising himself since leaving the tower for crossing the line with Jessica. She was in a vulnerable place and they were on a mission. He knew he had to get his shit together. Still he couldn’t look away from her. After analyzing everything over and over for a good portion of the transatlantic flight, he’d gotten to a place where he believed they could handle whatever happened. The plane started to descend.
“Wake up,” Joe said, gently shaking Jessica. “We’re in Orlando.” She stretched and looked around. They were taxiing in. Everyone else was tilted back in their seats, covered with blankets, and sleeping or trying to. “I’ll call you after we regroup and figure out our next move.”
Jessica felt torn. She was excited to see her kids, and she needed to deal with the mess of her marriage, but she was having a hard time letting go. She had never taken a mid-mission timeout before. It wasn’t that she didn’t have faith in this team. They were more than capable. It was just the stakes were high, and she wanted to help. She knew she had to compartmentalize and be useful when and where she could be, but the transition felt weird.
Joe said, “I’ll walk you to your car. I want to stretch my legs.” When they were down the stairs, he put a hand on her shoulder. “See, Smoke, you did great.” With
a sly smile he teased, “Maybe tonight I’ll get some sleep without you hogging the whole bed.”
“What? Yeah, right.” She smiled and gave him a hug.
When they parted, he said, “ ’Bye, Bentley.” Seeing the look on his face, she knew he’d intentionally called her by her maiden name both to tease her and to remind her of their shared past. Whatever awkwardness there had been after their kiss at the Eiffel Tower was gone, but where did they stand? Her car was parked only a few feet away. By the time she had gotten in and turned the key in the ignition, Joe had jogged back and was climbing the steps of the plane. She watched the door close and the plane taxied into position for takeoff.
43
JESSICA DID THE WORK FIRST. She shampooed, conditioned, and shaved all the necessary body parts. With that taken care of, she was free to stand under the hot water and just enjoy it. She stayed under the shower as long as she could. When her skin was sufficiently puckered, she turned off the water, stepped out on the plush bath mat, wrapped her hair in a towel, and used a second one to dry off. Just as she finished, her phone vibrated. She smiled seeing who it was.
Joe said, “Good morning. Hey, activate your FaceTime.”
“Uh—no. I just got out of the shower.”There was silence. “Are you there? Can you hear me?”
“Yes, I was trying to think of some logical argument that would persuade you to turn your camera on anyway, but I’ve got nothing except I want you to.”
She laughed. “You’re funny, and the answer is still no.”
