The Professional Alibi

Chapter 8: The Long Kiss Goodbye

"What?" Jesse pulls his hand from mine. I open my eyes and bite my lip as threads of indecision weave through my mind, making me second guess my decision.

Deep creases are etched between his blond brows. He's squinting at me, and the corners of his lips have dipped into a frown.

"Why?" he asks, his voice sounding slightly off.

I look away, staring at one of the plants in the corner of the cafe. "I can't tell you."

"You can't tell me," he says slowly.

Silence hangs between us like a thick wet blanket, dampening the mood between us. But I refuse to look at him. This is already hard. We have history. Lots of it. He deserves to have a reason, and I feel like jerk for not giving him one. But I can't. If I were in his shoes I'd be hurt. Maybe even pissed. And I don't want to see those expressions on his face.

"Hold up." Jesse grabs my hand. The way he says the words, makes me think he's gonna put up a fight, which draws my gaze back to his. Except his eyes are wide, shining with excitement, and the creases between his brows are gone. He lowers his voice to a murmur, leaning closer to me. "Is this where you recite our secret code phrase to tell me you've got a job as a spy?"

One side of my mouth tips upward, and all the tension in my muscles turns to mush as I say, "Maybe."

His eyes bulge and his jaw practically drops to the table. Jesse leans over the table and whispers, "Seriously? I thought we had to wait two years before we could do anything?"

"So did I." I lift a shoulder. "But here I am telling you that your mother was a hamster and your father smells of elderberries."

Jessie throws his hands into the air and bellows, "Booya!"

Everyone within a fifty-foot radius turns and stares at him. Jessie doesn't even notice. He's got a permagrin so wide, I think those pearly whites are gonna dazzle me to death.

I shrink down in my seat. "Shh! You're drawing attention. I don't want to get in trouble."

"You're right." Jesse sobers for about .2 seconds before he breaks into another grin and leans toward me again. "What's it like? Is it cool? Do you get spy gear?"

"I can't tell you anything," I say, chuckling quietly. "You know that!"

"Sure, but I'm your boyfriend. You can tell me stuff."

My stomach drops, my fade grins, and I shake my head. "Not anymore. I have to leave this life behind me. Everything and everyone. I'll bring my personal belongings in a couple of bags, and that's it. Everything else goes into storage."

This time his grin fades in earnest. "Oh."

I slide my hands along the cool smooth surface of the table between us and stare at the condiment tray off to the side.

A server in black pants, a white shirt, and carrying a large tray stops at our table and slides our plates and drinks to us. I smile up at the guy and my breathing stalls in my throat. Our server is Wade, and he does not look happy.

When Wade walks away with an empty tray, Jesse and I don't do much more than pick at our lunches. Though I suspect Jesse's reasoning for not being hungry is different from my fear that I might be fired before I even start this job.

When we finally leave the restaurant, I scan the place for Wade, but he's nowhere to be seen. Jesse holds my hand as he walks me to my Toyota sedan. When I stop at the door, he pulls me closer, wrapping his strong arms around me. For the last time.

We always knew that being spies meant we'd probably be separated. But now that it's a reality, it almost feels like losing my favorite puppy. Did I think we were gonna get married? No. Not really. But I love him anyway.

He's my first and only boyfriend. He's all I've ever known for the last year. Now, I'm walking away from all the security I know to jump into the fire of espionage, and everything it brings.

I tilt my head up to look at him, and Jesse's intense green eyes stare back at me. "You're gonna kill it," he says, pressing his forehead to mine. "Or them. Whichever fits best."

"Thanks." I chuckle softly then press my lips to his. His mouth is soft and warm and gentle.

When I try to pull away, his lips follow mine. His hands travel from my back, up my arms. and to my cheeks, trapping my face. Then he kisses me again. This time, he's firm and insistent. His tongue grazes my lips before I part and let him in. Our tongues tangle, and his fingers weave through my hair, drawing me closer. His mouth becomes more insistent, demanding. My insides turn warm and gooey.

The intensity of his kiss is nothing like anything we've ever done before. This? This is something on a whole new level. This all encompassing, toe-curling kiss that almost literally makes my knees give out. This is the kiss you give when you know it's the last one you'll ever have together.

I don't know how long we kiss. I vaguely remember one or two people making comments as they pass us in the parking lot, but I don't care.

This is my last kiss in this world before I walk away and join an entirely different, and decidedly more dangerous one.

Am I sad? Absolutely.

Am I terrified? Definitely.

Do I second-guess my decision to walk away from Jesse and the rest of my life?

Hell no. This is what I was born to do.

When Jesse finally releases me, all breathless and discombobulated, he presses his forehead to mine one last time, then sighs. "Goodbye, Charlie. I hope one day I get to see you again."

Then he straightens and walks away, out of my life.

When I turn to open my car door, I look over the hood and stop. Wade is leaning against the corner of the building, watching me. His face is unreadable at this distance, but I wouldn't mistake that body anywhere. Everything in his body language tells me he's not happy.

I open the door and get it. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to acknowledge him. I'm ninety-nine percent sure he's here to make sure I don't blab to anyone about the job and damned if he didn't catch me doing exactly that.

I'm so freaking stupid!

Shaking my head, I start the car and drive away. If Wade's gonna fire me, he's gotta catch me first. In the meantime, I'm gonna keep going like nothing happened. I've got a life I need to box up and put into storage.

And my best friend to say goodbye to.