The Secrets Duet

by Brownell, Rachael

  What kind of question is that? Is she just fucking with me to prove a point? “Oh!”

  Damn it! I was not supposed to say that out loud. I watch as her grin gets bigger and a few people around me start to snicker. I’m guessing that was not the original question. She busted me in front of the entire class. Point made.

  “Well class, now that I have everyone’s undivided attention let’s get back on track. We have three weeks left before the semester ends and you have two major projects to complete. You know who your partners are, or at least those of you who were paying attention might, so break up and get started.” She winks at me and nods her head in the direction of a girl who I am assuming is my partner. I smile as a thank you.

  As soon as my classes are finished for the morning I rush home. I have enough time to go for a quick run before I have to go to work and then back to campus for my night class.

  I hear the water running as I walk through the front door of my apartment. I also hear incredibly bad singing. I swear some people actually think they sound better in the shower so they sing louder. It’s really not the case. If you can’t carry a tune without music then you probably can’t carry a tune period.

  I knock on the door, but the singing doesn’t stop. I turn the knob and let myself in the steam filled bathroom. I can either go for a run and shower alone or… I quickly undress as quietly as possible and slip in behind him, moving the curtain as little as possible. His back is to me and I know I still have the element of surprise.

  I take him in from head to toe. His body is gorgeous. Tall, lean and tanned. You can see how working out has toned his body in all the right places. I want to squeeze his firm ass, but I hold back. He’s still caught up in his own world right now. I’m rather enjoying the show.

  He turns and our eyes meet. He’s surprised for less than a second and then his eyes get cloudy. I remember the first time I saw his eyes change like that. I remember how it felt to be trapped between him and his car. I remember wishing there was less clothing between us. There’s nothing between us now.

  He moves quickly, pulling me to him and kissing me softly on the lips. I smile and lean my head back as he grazes kisses along my jaw towards my ear. That’s when he finally speaks.

  “My beautiful Kat. Were you trying to sneak up on me?” You can hear the playfulness in his voice. “You should know better by now. I knew you were home the second you stepped through the front door. Why do you think I started singing so loudly?”

  Go figure. He attempted to lure me in here with his absurd singing and he knew I would fall for it. He knows me too well.

  “Your voice is horrible. I was coming in here to ask you to shut the hell up.” Take that!

  “Sure you were. Did you think by getting naked and jumping in here with me I would stop singing for you?”

  “It worked didn’t it? I distracted you enough for you to stop singing.”

  “Woman. You can distract me like this anytime you want. I promise to always fall for it.” He’s giving me his sexy as hell grin which always makes me swoon. I love it when he does that, but I also know what happens next. “I love you, Kat.”

  “I love you too, Cam.”

  “Say it again.”

  “I. Love. You.”

  “Damn woman. I’m so glad I found you.” He leans his forehead against mine and lets out a sigh.

  I feel the same way. It was the longest two weeks in history when we were apart. I couldn’t tell him where we were going. I couldn’t call him once we got there. We had been ripped apart again. It was so much worse the second time.

  The day I got home and found him standing in my bedroom with a dozen roses I about passed out from shock. It was so overwhelming. I had to grab the wall and blink a few times to make sure that he was actually standing in front of me. Then he purred my name and I started to sob.

  We moved out of my parent’s house the following week and have been living together ever since. It’s been the best few years of my life. I’m finally happy again. I take that back. I found my happiness the second he landed on top of me back in high school. He’s consumed me ever since and I can’t imagine him not being a part of my life ever again.

  I leave for work with a smile on my face. Cam put it there, of course. Just being near him brightens my mood. That’s a good thing considering the fact my job always makes me sad. I’m a counselor for runaway teens. I don’t get paid to do it, I volunteer. I’ve been through so much shit in my lifetime that I feel like I can relate to some of these kids and maybe help them in some way. Hoping that I might be able to help them doesn’t make it any less depressing at times, though.

  Cam

  After we finished our shower and Kat headed off to work I stepped out onto our balcony and dialed his number. I wanted him to be the first to know what was happening. After all, it was because of him that we were together again. He answered on the first ring, as always.

  “How’s our girl?” You can hear the excitement in his voice. He gets this way every time I call these days. I think he’s finally okay with the situation.

  “She’s fantastic. She left for work a few minutes ago.”

  “That’s good to hear. So, are you calling about what I think you might be calling about?” He knows me too well already.

  “Depends. What do you think about having a son-in-law?”

  He’s quiet for a moment. At first I think that maybe he’s actually going to say no but I should know better by now. If he hadn’t tracked down my number from Greg then I wouldn’t be here right now. He knew this was going to be a forever thing when he called then so it shouldn’t be a surprise to him now. He also knows that no matter his answer, I plan on asking Kat to marry me anyway. His blessing is a formality.

  “I think I could deal with that on one condition.”

  Condition? What the hell? Since when do people make conditions around giving their blessing to their future family members? Something doesn’t feel right about this situation.

  “Okay,” I reply, dragging the word out much longer than needed so he would understand that I was beyond confused.

  “I need for you to meet me this afternoon at the Mexican place around the corner from your apartment. We’ll need to talk.”

  It’s not unusual for Phil to want to meet up for lunch or go out for a beer. It is unusual for him to request a meeting like this. Something is going on. It makes me wonder if someone is after them again.

  “What time?” I ask without hesitation. If Kat is in danger again I want to be ahead of it this time.

  I leave the house with plenty of time to spare and arrive at the restaurant ten minutes early. I get us a table away from the rest of the crowd, telling the hostess I needed privacy for a meeting. She gives me the once over, taking in my jeans and polo shirt. I’m not sure if she believes me, but she accommodates me anyway.

  I watch the front door, my patience wearing down when Phil hasn’t arrived at our scheduled time. I feel a set of eyes watching me, but I don’t look away from the door. I hear footsteps approaching and just before his hand touches my shoulder I grab it and pin him to the ground. What the hell is he doing here?

  “Greg. What the hell are you doing sneaking up on me like that?” I ask as I pull him to his feet.

  I see Phil behind him, laughing hysterically. This wasn’t an ambush, it was a trick. I don’t think either of them thought I would get the jump on Greg, but I did. Greg’s chuckling and shooting Phil a look that could kill.

  “Next time you’re sneaking up on him, asshole,” he says to Phil.

  “Sure thing. Anything broken?” Phil asks through his laughter.

  Greg shakes his head and takes a seat in the booth across from me. We’ve caused a commotion and there are plenty of eyes on us now. I sit down across from him and Phil pulls up a chair. I see the waitress headed our way so I wait to speak until she’s gone.

  “What the hell are you doing here and what was that all about?”

  Phil and Greg share a
knowing look and then both turn their attention to me. It’s Phil who answers my question. I don’t respond at first, not knowing what to say. When he sees the confusion in my eyes he repeats himself.

  “It was a test, Cameron. The FBI has been watching you and they want you. You have the skills and the determination.”

  “For what? They want me for what?” I’m still confused.

  “Once you get your degree they want you to apply to the academy. They want you to join the bureau. You would make a great agent.”

  “Okay. I get that I can take Greg down, but that really wasn’t hard.” I shoot Greg an evil grin before continuing. His facial expression doesn’t change, but his eyes smile at me against his determination. “Look. I have no idea where this is coming from, but I have never once shown any interest in joining the bureau.”

  “Yes, you did.” It’s Greg who speaks this time. “You tried to come with us when we went to get Courtney. You’ve kept her secret since she told you. Both of those are qualities we look for in new recruits. Determination and integrity.”

  I don’t know what to say and the waitress has returned with our drinks so I don’t respond. She takes our order and walks away quickly. Both of them are still looking at me, waiting for my response. I can’t make a decision this big with them staring me down, influencing me. I can’t imagine saying no to either of them. That’s when I remember what Phil said to me on the phone earlier.

  “Is this the condition?”

  “Yes. I need to know she will always be safe, that you will always be able to take care of her.”

  “That’s a pretty shitty condition if you ask me. I want to marry Kat and you won’t let that happen unless I join the FBI?” Fuck me! He’s already made my decision for me.

  “No. I want you to join the FBI because I think you would make a great addition to the bureau. I also want to know my daughter is safe and part of that is knowing the training you will receive will help protect her. You have my blessing, no matter what you choose. I shouldn’t have used the word ‘condition’ I guess.”

  I’ve lost my appetite. I need time to think about all of this. I need to talk it over with Kat before I made a decision this big which would affect both of us for the rest of our lives. That’s what I tell them before I get up and leave them sitting at the table.

  I need to talk to Kat. We need to decide this together. I pick up my phone to dial her number when my phone rings. I don’t recognize the number so I send the caller to voicemail. Kat’s phone rings twice and then she picks up.

  “Hey, baby. Sorry to bother you at work but I need to talk to you and I can’t do it over the phone. Can you leave early?” I ask before she even has a chance to say hello.

  “Sure. I have a meeting in ten minutes and then I should be able to leave if nothing is going on. Give me an hour or so. Is everything alright? You sound stressed out.” I can hear the concern in her voice. I’m causing her to worry.

  “I’m fine I just need to talk to you and everything will be better.” I try to sound as assuring as possible, but I know I fail immediately.

  “Okay. I’ll try to be quick. Love you.”

  She walks in the door just over an hour later and you can see the worry on her face. I kiss her softly to let her know I’m alright. Her presence soothes me in a way I’ll never be able to describe.

  “I’m sorry I worried you,” I say as I pull us both down on the couch, her in my lap. “I had lunch today with your dad and Greg and they…”

  “Wait.” She interrupts and her eyes get big. “You saw Greg today? How’s he doing? Why didn’t he call me if he knew he was going to be in town? Is he still here?”

  “I’m assuming he’s still in town. We can call him after we talk. Okay?” She nods but I know the look in her eye. She wants to jump up and call him right now. “Look, your dad and Greg made me an offer today that I want to talk to you about. They asked me if I would be interested in joining the bureau.”

  I can’t tell what she’s thinking by just looking at her. I see the wheels turning. She knows what it means to be married to someone in the FBI. She watched her mom all those years. She grew up with her dad being gone all the time. She’s told me all about her life before we met. I don’t know if she’ll want to sign on for that. If she doesn’t then I won’t join. Having her in my life is more important than any job there is.

  “I think if you are interested in pursuing a career with the FBI then you should. Why are you asking me? It’s your life.” I hear the tiniest bit of resentment in her voice. She’s acknowledging the fact we’re not married and not tied to each other and can live our lives however we choose to live them.

  My hand has been forced. Now is the time.

  I gently move her off my lap and onto the couch. I stand and pull the ring from my pocket. I thought she might react this way so I made sure I was prepared. I want her to know she comes first, before anything else.

  Her eyes get really big as I get down on one knee. I see a single tear forming in her right eye and I reach up and wipe it away before it has a chance to fall.

  “Kat, my beautiful Kat, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?” I purr her name because I know she likes it when I do that.

  She nods and the tears are falling down her face before I have a chance to catch them. “Yes.” She screams and jumps into my arms.

  I fall backward onto the floor and roll us so that I’m on top of her. I kiss her deeply and slip the ring on her hand. She laces our fingers together and sets them on her chest. “I love you so much Cam.”

  “I know baby. I love you too. I will love you forever. You’re my destiny, remember?”

  “And you are mine.”

  Secrets

  & LIES

  A Secret Life Companion Novella

  Rachael Brownell

  1.

  Maggie

  When I took this job I knew exactly what it would entail. I wasn’t afraid. I knew I was capable of handling it. For a moment, I even thought it was the perfect job for me. You need to rely on yourself and only yourself most days and in most situations. That’s me in a nutshell. I have no one to rely on except me. I’m not really a loner, per say, but more of an independent person. I’ve been on my own since I was seventeen years old. I’ve learned that I am the only person I can trust to get done what I need accomplished. I am the only person I can rely on to make me happy. I like it that way.

  Today, however, I’m second guessing my decision to take this job. For the first time ever I want to trust someone else because I feel lost. I’m not sure I really know what I’m doing or that I can do it, let alone whether I can lie to get the job done. It’s not all a lie, of course, but when you leave out the most important part of the truth, the whole story becomes a lie. I use to be good at lying, or at least I thought I was. No one ever called me out. I’ve even been trained in the art of effective lying.

  Joining the Bureau was a decision which I thought long and hard about. When they first approached me I was more than a little skeptical that the guy standing in front of me was actually in the Bureau. He didn’t look like he worked for the government. He looked more like a male model. If it hadn’t been for his credentials I probably wouldn’t have believed him at all.

  After spending time with Agent Montgomery, I realized part of what I was seeing when he approached me was the façade he wanted me to see. I saw the tussled hair, the too-tight shirt which showed off his amazing muscles, and I saw the pretty boy face which distracted me just enough to question what he was telling me. I saw what “they” wanted me to see. I saw a hot, young guy and nothing more. I never would have guessed he was working for the government.

  Why me? That was the first question I asked. There is nothing special about me – at all. I’m your average, boring, college grad who’s trying to find a job like everyone else. There is nothing special which stands out about me. Well, my hair is beautiful, but I’m not exactly sure the government takes that into consideration when makin
g decisions like this.

  The answer was not what I expected it to be and I actually walked away from him. I think he understood why. He even gave me an entire hour before he started to blow up my phone by calling me every two minutes or so. I eventually answered just to tell him to fuck off, but our conversation didn’t go the way I planned. And here I am, just over twelve months later, only a week after graduating from the Academy, driving to my first assignment. Agent Magdelyn Becker.

  Not today, though. Today I am just Maggie Becker, not an agent. Today I am a recent college grad trying to gain meaningful employment with Thomas Taylor Industries as an executive assistant to Mr. Taylor himself. Today, Mr. Taylor, better known as Taylor Donovan to the FBI, will be interviewing me himself to see if I am a good fit for the position. I have to be on my game. He’s been infiltrated by the FBI before and knows what to look for.

  My phone lights up with an incoming call from an unknown number as I pull into the parking garage. I slide my finger across my screen to answer and put him on speaker. How he knows that I need to hear from him is uncanny. Here comes my first, of probably many, pep talks.

  “Becker.”

  “I’m here, Montgomery. What’s up?”

  “Just need to make sure your head is screwed on straight. You only have fifteen minutes before your interview.”

  “I’m fine.” Shit! I know better than to say fine.

  “Fine?” It’s a question, but I don’t say anything as I focus on pulling into a parking space. “Give me the run down so I know you’re prepared.”

  I let out a long breath. We went over this less than two hours ago, but I need to reassure him, and myself, that I know what is going on.

  “My name is Maggie Becker. I am a graduate of Texas Tech with a degree in Business Administration. I am twenty-four years old. My parents died when I was seventeen in a car crash which also killed both my brothers. I was the only survivor. My neighbors, who were my parents’ best friends, took me in until I was eighteen. I moved away from Minneapolis as soon as I graduated high school and plan to never move back. I am looking for a position which will allow me to grow within the company and put my skills to good use.” It all sounded robotic, rehearsed, and it was - to a point. I knew I wouldn’t have to spill it all at once like that. I was trying to keep the emotion out of it. Why they wanted me to just be me, backstory and all, was irritating at first. I hate to talk about my parents. Montgomery knows this. Also, I knew I was forgetting something.