The Operator

by Craig Martelle

  “You better scrub the other half of that deck. Can’t leave it like that.” He pointed at the unfinished work. “I’m taking us in. You go spend time with that lady of yours.”

  I pulled out the bucket and the brush, got back on my knees, and used my body weight to help put more pressure on the deck. I wanted to finish before we docked. It was a sense of pride.

  The Ion was nowhere to be seen. Noon. I was going to get back early as long as traffic cooperated. I turned my attention to the deck and renewed my efforts.

  I had a little bit to go when we docked. The captain told me to leave it. I couldn’t. I tied us off and returned to finish the last of it. The old man carried two fish to the cleaning station. I cleared the deck before he returned, so I took the other two and carried them down the dock to where the old man carved away.

  I flopped them on the table and headed back to the boat to get my clothes. I cleaned up as much as I could with a dirty rag. I needed a shower. When I made it back down the dock, I pulled two one-hundred-dollar bills from my wallet, rolled them up, and stuffed them into the old man’s shirt pocket.

  “You showed me a great time today. I don’t take that for granted.”

  “I have all these fish and a clean deck. I should be paying you.” The old man pulled out the bills and looked sideways at me. I held a finger to my lips.

  “If anyone asks, I was never here. I wouldn’t be able to live it down if anyone found out I spent the day with a squid.”

  He held out a fish-snotty-and-bloody hand. I took it, and we shook. The cleaning table had a sink where I could rinse off, but it wasn’t good enough.

  “Anywhere around here to get a shower?”

  “Inside. I’ll let ‘em know.” He left his fish at the cleaning station and opened the door to the main building. “My friend here is going to catch a shower. Caught some decent chinook off Rockaway Point.” He gave someone inside the thumbs-up and I walked in, barefoot and without a shirt. An older woman pointed in the direction of the restroom.

  The shower was ratty and aged like the rest of the building, but it did the trick. I smelled like a new man, still barefoot, but I had on my nice pants and shirt. I bundled my nasty pants, holding them away from my body as I walked out the front door, through the lot, and into the neighboring park to my car. I tossed my pants in the trunk while I sat on the bumper to wipe off my feet and put my shoes on.

  Besides fishing, what I had learned?

  I had time to think on the drive.

  If not the Wonderbeast, then who? I felt like I was back to square one.

  Help would come to me through Rush. I scrolled to Grace Under Pressure and tapped The Enemy Within . I was taking the long way back to the hotel, avoiding the ferry by driving overland south and then east.

  What to do about Tricia Tripplethorn? I needed to know where she went and who she met. I wanted to know where Barchetta went. I had to stop by an electronics store for a commercial GPS tracker. It carried the appropriate legal warning about tracking people without their consent.

  Perfect.

  I bought two. Thirty dollars each. Should have been illegal.

  Would the Wonderbeast show up at the campaign headquarters on Monday night? I counted on it. I would browse her emails daily to find what else was going on in her life. It nagged at me. What was her role?

  She had to get something out of it, but what? I needed to continue looking for dirt on Jimmy, too. I had to dig into his emails if I could get in. A lot of work to do. I would take care of it in the morning while Jenny slept.

  Traffic ground to a halt. I used the opportunity to give her a call.

  She answered without preamble. It kept me on my toes. “Does this mean what I hope it means?”

  “Your hopes are my desires. I am on my way to the hotel.”

  “I’m at my house, but I’ll head back. Be there in less than an hour.”

  “I can’t wait to see you, Miss Jenny.” I waited for a moment before adding, “Don’t get a speeding ticket.”

  “I’m grabbing my purse and keys on my way out the door. Soon, Ian.” She hung up to focus on getting back to the hotel.

  I turned up the car stereo. Hold Your Fire had just started. The album was over fifty minutes long. It should take me all the way to the hotel if traffic resumed at a decent pace. Saturday midday.

  Where was everyone going? With the flow. Just like me.

  But my destination was different.

  Ride the tide. Turn when I had to. Only had to decide which direction.

  CHAPTER TEN

  “Exercise of body and exercise of mind are supplementary, and both may be made recreative and educative.” John Lancaster Spalding

  I pulled into the lot before Jenny. I hurried to my room to change, brush my teeth, and throw a few things into a bag for the rest of the weekend.

  A gentle knock signaled Jenny’s arrival. I waited without replying. She used her keycard and entered. “Oh! You’re here. Why didn’t you say anything?”

  She strolled casually up to me, wearing a smile that broadened with each step.

  “I gave you the key to my room. You need nothing more from me to come in.”

  She leaned back. “Housekeeping also has a key to your room.” She rubbed her nose against mine.

  “The difference is that I didn’t give it to them.”

  “Point to Ian,” Jenny conceded. “I smell fish.”

  “Funny thing,” I started, looking down and shuffling my feet. “Working with the client resulted in going fishing in Puget Sound. We caught a number of chinook.”

  “Ooh! I love fresh grilled salmon.” Jenny’s smile radiated brilliantly.

  “Oh, no. I didn’t have a cooler. Didn’t think… I gave mine to the client. Dammit.” The string of disjointed thoughts tumbled from me. “Can we buy some?”

  “Of course. This is Seattle. The question is, can we buy good stuff?”

  “Let’s go shopping,” I offered, trying to redeem myself.

  “We want to cook it right after we get it. It’s a little early, don’t you think?” Jenny dropped her purse on the low dresser. She returned to the door and put the do-not-disturb sign out, then locked us in.

  She stood by the door and casually unbuttoned her blouse.

  I mirrored her movements. There was nothing else to say.

  ***

  Jenny drove north to get past Lake Sammamish and then east and south. We held hands. Hers was warm and soft like the rest of her body.

  “Grocery store?” I wondered what was for dinner. Jenny drove by a large chain store that touted fresh-caught salmon for sale.

  “You didn’t get your burger, so I’m taking you to a burger and barbeque joint. My treat.”

  “What’s not to like about that? I’m sorry. I like good burgers but prefer great ones.”

  “I think they’ll take good care of you. You can order whatever you want.”

  “Is this your neck of the woods?”

  “About ten minutes from my house. I grew up here, but I don’t know too many people now. Turnover as people move away and new commuters move in.”

  I understood that. “Still affordable for many who work downtown, but it’s a long haul from here to the big city. A sacrifice the young are willing to make to get more for their money at the cost of their precious time.”

  “It’s what my dad did,” Jenny replied. “But he also loved to hunt.”

  “Do you shoot?” I expected his guns had passed to her.

  “I can, but I don’t. I’m not comfortable with just me going to the range.”

  “That’s what we can do tomorrow. We’ll send some rounds into paper and then clean the weapons, as it’s probably been a while, hasn’t it?”

  “It’s not something I think to do.”

  I wanted to see what she had in case we needed to defend ourselves. If The Peace Archive came after us.

  “We’ll fire them and forget about them. Then go for a hike or swimming or who knows what.” />
  “Swimming! Like you want to be seen with a beached whale.”

  I gripped her hand tightly. “You can stop that talk right now. Purge those thoughts from your mind because that is the only place they exist. Definitely not in mine. I think about how beautiful you are and what you are doing falling for someone like me. I consider myself lucky to be with you. Maybe the luckiest man ever.”

  “But it’s okay if we don’t go swimming?”

  “Of course, but not because you’re afraid of what people will think. We are none of anyone else’s damn business.”

  Jenny smiled, and her eyes sparkled as she pulled into the restaurant’s lot. “Only our business, Mr. Bragg.”

  “Indeed, Miss Lawless. Let me get the door for you. It’s the least I can do since you’re buying. I shall embrace my role as a kept man.”

  “I’ve never kept a man before.” She nodded at me. I got out and circled the car.

  I opened the door for her and bowed slightly. “Neither have I.”

  She nuzzled close before taking my arm for the walk into the restaurant.

  “Would you look at the time?” I showed Jenny my watch.

  “We’re acting like old people, eating dinner early.”

  “I haven’t eaten since breakfast, and I’m hungry. Thank you for accommodating me. Jenny and Ian, being adults, ignoring all social norms as they venture through life.”

  “Philosophy. You don’t strike me as someone who adheres to social norms. I’ve seen the clothes you brought.”

  I laughed and shook my head. My effort to blend in had been less than spectacular. “I don’t care about a lot of things, but what I care about, I care about a lot.”

  “Like me?”

  “A whole lot, and then some.” I wanted to be clear. I opened the door, and she walked through and straight up to the hostess.

  “Miss Lawless. Welcome to the Pighouse.” She reached back for me. I wrapped an arm around her waist and nodded to the teenager behind the check-in stand. She raised both eyebrows while she gave me a quick once-over. She turned back to Jenny. “We have the anniversary table available if you’d like that. Are you celebrating anything special?”

  “Thanks, Dara, we would. We are celebrating the love of life.” Jenny turned to me. “Dara was in my class a few years back. A quick study and a most excellent student.”

  She led us through the half-full restaurant to deposit menus on an isolated table in the back. We took our seats across from each other. “The love of life, huh? I’m not sure I’ve ever seen you glow like this, Miss Lawless. Life must love you back.” The teenager glanced at me before putting her hand on Jenny’s shoulder for a moment before walking away.

  I held her hands, not bothering to look at the menu, and once again surrendered to getting lost in her eyes.

  Someone cleared their throat. I blinked before being able to look up. “Ah, there you are!”

  He smiled without humor. “Can I get you something to drink?”

  “Iced tea, sweet, please,” Jenny ordered.

  “Make that two.”

  “Are you ready to order?” he pressed.

  “I admit that I have not yet looked at the menu. What do you recommend?” Jenny scanned the menu while I talked.

  “The pulled pork sandwich is our specialty, complete with our homemade barbeque sauce.”

  “I’m torn. We came here for a burger, but when a restaurant has something they do best, it’s hard to turn it down. I’m good with the pulled pork sandwich. I suspect there’s a platter option with coleslaw and fries?” The server nodded as he wrote. “Miss Jenny?”

  “Make that two. It’s to die for.”

  “I hope not. Do I get to eat it first?” The server remained joyless as he collected the menus and left us to ourselves.

  “What do you do, Ian?” Jenny braced her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her hands.

  I liked that pose. I didn’t like the question, but it had been inevitable. “I’ll tell you at your house. My clients are rather private people, and this is a public place.” We were isolated, but that didn’t matter. I couldn’t risk it.

  “Interesting. I wondered how long you would go without telling me. No secrets between us. And no lies. Promise?”

  “Those things are foundational to a strong relationship. I agree wholeheartedly. Please don’t leave me.”

  “What kind of secret are you keeping, Ian, where you think I’m going to leave you?” The corners of her eyes wrinkled slightly as she held my gaze.

  “Tonight, I will tell you everything. For now, I will explain that I don’t love easily or freely. I’m amazed at how quickly I’ve fallen for you. This isn’t a ploy to get some trim while I’m on a gig. I’m not sure I could be more surprised by how things are going. Makes me want to change my life goals and everything related to them. The start of relationships is usually powerful, where little things are easily overlooked. But I love everything about you, Miss Jenny. I wish to change nothing. I only want to be part of what’s right in front of me. And that means I want you to be part of me, too.”

  Jenny leaned back and smiled without answering me. The server put our drinks on the table and disappeared without trying to make small talk.

  When she finally spoke, it was with a shrug. “There’s nothing you could say that would chase me away. I fear you are stuck with me.”

  I held out my hand with my little finger in the air. “Pinkie swear?”

  “What, are we in high school?”

  I held it there. She finally conceded, wrapping her warm finger around mine. “Be honest with me. Is the pulled pork any good?”

  “I like it.” Not the full commitment I was looking for, but if that was the best she was going to give, I could ask for no more.

  “Then we shall see how our tastes align.” I got out of my seat and squeezed in next to her. She moved aside for me. I took her face in my hands and kissed her.

  The flash startled me. A picture!

  Dara was in my seat and smiling. “This looks like an engagement picture. I want to be the first to congratulate you.”

  I couldn’t have a picture of me with Jenny. “Can I see it?” Dara pulled up the picture and held out her phone. Mostly the back of my head and my hands blocking most of Jenny’s face. No one could tell anything from that, and most importantly, neither could web crawlers using facial recognition.

  Dara leaned back and aimed her phone at us. “Let me get a nice one of you two. Congratulations, Miss Lawless! Who is the lucky man?”

  I moved out of the seat and stood by the table. Dara looked dejected. “Shh. We’ll make a formal announcement when the time is right. Keep the picture because that shows the face of true love, but please, no more. My employer would be put out if he caught me goofing off.”

  Dara looked confused. “Since when is eating dinner goofing off?”

  “When your employer is as demanding as mine. They pay me a lot not to goof off.” I held my finger in front of my lips. “Keep it on the down-low.”

  “Uh-huh,” she mumbled.

  “Down-low, Dara,” Jenny requested in her teacher’s voice.

  She recovered quickly, straightening her shoulders. “You two make a great couple. If everyone had a relationship like yours, the world would be a better place.”

  A relationship like ours. What if the Wonderbeast had a boyfriend, a rich boyfriend who wanted to be richer?

  The worlds in my mind were merging inconveniently. I was still in the game and needed to stay sharp.

  A voice, both gentle and urgent. “Ian?” Jenny. I was standing, staring at the wall.

  The two compartments were open, flooding into each other. Tricia Tripplethorn. Jenny Lawless. Worlds apart. Commitment. Betrayal.

  The Wonderbeast was still in the middle of it. I hadn’t been wrong. The Porsche. I had to know where she was going. Jimmy’s days were long, and the kids were in school. What did she do with herself?

  “Ian? You’re scaring me.”

>   “No. I’m so sorry, no! My day job. Dara’s words offered a revelation. I see some things more clearly and others not so much, but I have a way ahead. Tonight when we’re at your house. I’ll tell you everything.”

  I sat down across from Jenny. She nodded, close-lipped, while she contemplated me.

  “A man of mystery. I think you will keep me on my toes, Ian Bragg.”

  “It will be a good thing, too. We never want to grow complacent.” I lowered my voice. “I hope you don’t mind a world cruise when this is over. It might be six months long, but it will be epic.”

  “I don’t have that kind of money,” she replied, shaking her head firmly. “A partnership means we have equal parts to play.”

  “We shall discuss this later, and there will be no decisions without mutual agreement. Deal?”

  “I’ll hold you to that.” She kept her face even, but the corners of her mouth ticked upward. I couldn’t help but stare. Bachelor me of six days prior would be appalled. I embraced my evolution.

  The server arrived before I had to come up with anything else because the truth of my life was the elephant consuming all the oxygen in the room. I needed to get it out so we could move forward.

  Instead, we ate in silence. I peeked at her and she glanced at me while we chewed, barbeque sauce getting on everything. We were going to run out of napkins.

  “I think we’re supposed to lick our fingers,” I suggested. My one napkin was mostly destroyed and no longer useful. “Or finish it without putting it down, eating two-year-old style.”

  I held it in front of my face and peered over the top of my sandwich. Sauce ran down her chin. She put her pulled pork down and wiped her face with the last vestiges of her napkin. She stood gracefully and strolled to the servers’ station, where she snagged a stack of napkins, and returned to the table, waving them like someone who had received their lottery payout.

  She dropped them on the table. “Men.”

  “I’m one of those. I would rather drive around lost than stop for directions. Just so you know. My secret is out, but it wasn’t so secret. You already knew I was a man.”

  She took a deep breath. “I’ve dated both men and women.”

  I didn’t know if she said that to shock me or it was a true revelation. I had taken a big bite of my sandwich and couldn’t delay answering. She’d get the wrong idea. I replied with a full mouth, “So?”