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I moved the Poofs back into the jacket pocket that didn’t have my iPod in it, got my Glock out of my purse, and got out of bed as quietly as I could. Checked the closet and under the bed—nothing. Crept to the door. Opened it like I’d seen Chuckie do, from the side so the wall would block me, pointed the Glock out.
“Whoa there, Superagent Girl. Gun down. It’s a big crime to shoot your superior.”
I pulled the gun back. “Chuckie, what are you doing here?” I dumped the Glock back in my purse and walked out to the living area.
He was sitting on the couch, arms stretched out on the back, watching TV with the sound very low. “Got some sleep, then woke up and couldn’t get back to sleep. Reader brought me down here with, of course, the message that if I put moves on you, he and many others would conveniently forget I was their superior and rip me a new one, literally, and so on.”
“Why are you watching TV?” I yawned and went to the fridge. “Coke or Cherry Coke? Or whatever?”
“Coke. And I’m watching it to relax and maybe fall back asleep. Duh.”
I opened the fridge and grabbed a Coke for him and a Cherry Coke for me. Took the straw that was in the door for me, didn’t bother for him. Tossed him his can.
“Hey, Dudette, you have to stop doing that. I hate it when it sprays.”
I snorted. “Payback’s a bitch, and so am I.” I plopped down on the couch next to him. “So, what’re we watching?”
“Reruns. Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous right now.”
“What, are you and Jeff on some scary wavelength? I thought he was only separated at birth from Jerry.”
He shrugged. “I like it. I’ve been to a lot of the places they show. It’s interesting to me to see what they were like a few years ago.”
“Yeah, you are the one with the big money.”
“So’s Martini. You’d better get used to it.”
“He lives a lot more simply than his parents do.” I thought about it. “Like you.”
“Do you want to?”
I thought about this. I knew Chuckie well enough to know this wasn’t casual talk. “I don’t know. Comfy middle class has always been fine. I like the Lair. I like Dulce and Caliente Bases. Of course, I really like the maid service, but it’s fine here. Like the dorms, only for grownups.”
“I miss the coed floor sometimes.”
“I miss having you right there sometimes. But, why are you asking about living arrangements?”
He sighed. “Martini is going to want to give you the best of everything, shower you with gifts, buy you an expensive house, the works. And I know you. That will sound great to you for a little while. Then your father’s training will kick in, and you’ll realize you don’t need ten thousand square feet even if you have a bunch of kids. You’ll feel guilty for wearing designer clothes when other people can barely afford shoes. And he won’t understand, because you liked it before.”
“What makes you so sure of all this?”
“I know him. Not like you do, but as a professional, a peer, if you will. I’ve seen how he is with you—which is nothing like he is with anyone else. He’s been to C.I.A. headquarters a lot. Every time, he’s charming to the women, nice to the men who aren’t his peers, and pissed off with me and anyone who technically has a higher rank than he does.”
“So?”
“So, he could have landed any woman there. He’s got a lot more charm than me, and every woman I work with and around thinks he’s great-looking and would give their right arm for a shot at going out with him.”
“Are you telling me I should be worried?”
He laughed. “Not about his eye wandering, no. He really is a very focused individual. I’ve seen his ‘everything’s great, no worries’ act. It’s just that, an act. But because he’s focused and you’re the one he’s focused on, he’s going to be putting that energy into making you happy.”
“Is that bad?” I was wondering where Chuckie was going with this.
“No.” He sounded exasperated. “But he’s only known you a year. I have half our lives’ experience. I can say without a doubt that it would take you quite a while to adjust to my lifestyle. Could you? Sure, because I know the things to do to make you feel right about it—we come from very similar backgrounds—and I’m fairly unostentatious. Martini is too. However, he grew up with a father who showered his wife with everything and lived on a huge estate. He comes from royalty, for God’s sake, and even though he didn’t know it, clearly Alfred’s imitated that lifestyle as much as he could within Earth-American standards.”
“I guess.”
Chuckie made another sound of exasperation. “The clothes you’ve been in, as an example—how comfortable are you in them?”
I thought about it. “Well, I like that Jeff thinks they’re really sexy.”
“And I saw your expression when you looked at the price tags. You were ready to cut a vein open. You look sexy in a concert T-shirt, Kitty. You just woke up and were sleeping in your dress and a man’s jacket, you have total bed hair, and you’re still sexy.”
“Gee, um, thanks.” I started to get up to brush my hair, but he pulled me back down.
“I’ve seen it. For years. We lived next door in the dorms, remember? Hell, even when you joined the sorority and moved in there, you looked like this half the time when I came by.”
“Yeah, I always liked to look my best. Fine, point made. And, yeah, I love these clothes, but I wouldn’t want an entire wardrobe of them.”
“Right. You love them because they’re a special indulgence. He may be an empath, but unless you set the stage right away for how you want to live, long-term, he’s going to err on the side of extravagance, and that’s going to cause major marital issues for the two of you down the road.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
He shook his head. “Because I love you, idiot. You chose him over me, fine, I’m a big boy, have to learn to deal, but, hey, I’m still around should he screw up. Of course, he chose you over ruling an entire solar system. Let’s be real—first the guy saves you at the last moment from a raving sociopath by ru
“Sometimes I think he thinks he’s competing with you.”
“He’s jealous as hell, yeah. Can’t blame him, really. Even the gay guys drool over you.”
“James doesn’t drool.”
“Right. Put it this way: I can understand why Martini and Gower wonder about the two of you.”
“Humph.”
“Play coy; it’s cute, and doesn’t fool me.” He hugged me. “I love you, okay? Yeah, romantically, but also as a friend. And that’s all I’m getting, the friend part. So, as your friend, instead of letting you make a mistake that could cause that ‘mating for life’ idea to seem passé, I’m giving you the talk your parents can’t, because they have no experience like this, and the one your other friends won’t because they aren’t aware it’s an issue.”
I hugged him back. “Okay, fine. And thanks. I’ll make sure to get the ground rules on extravagance set early, okay?”
Chuckie kissed my forehead. “Good.” He let me go. “Now go get changed, and please, God, brush your hair. I promised Reader I’d get you over to him once you were up and functioning.”
“I thought you said I looked sexy like this.”
“Only if we’re going to fall into bed together and you’re going to realize you don’t love Martini and run away to Australia with me.”
“Love you, but no.”
“That’s what I figured. So, go make yourself presentable even to those who don’t want to jump your bones.”
“You are so smooth.” I got up to go into the bedroom.
“That’s why I’m one of Australia’s most eligible bachelors.”
“Really?” This was news.
He shrugged. “Yeah. Just means all the bimbos and gold diggers come calling.”