“A purple and yellow scarf?” Vince asked. “And a ratty raincoat?”
“The perfect disguise. The purple and yellow scarf will cloak those perfect, heart-shaped lips. If people can’t see those lips, they won’t know it’s you.”
He made a play to reach for her, and she danced out of the way. “I’m pretty sure that’s not the only thing that gives me away.”
“You’d be surprised,” Mina said. “People tend to home in on the face, particularly eyes and lips.”
Quinn pushed open the service door a few minutes later, handing out the garments. Vince took them and put them on, shrugging his large shoulders into her dad’s raincoat. It was a snug fit, but it worked.
“Daphne’s holding a tube for us. Come this way.” He ushered them inside.
They made their way down a short hallway and into a tube Quinn’s friend Daphne held open. She was a petite brunette with a pretty smile.
Once the door was safely closed, everyone inside relaxed.
“Hey, man, it’s good to see you.” Quinn reached out and shook Vince’s hand. “It’s been a minute. Glad you could join us tonight.” He placed his arm around Daphne, pulling her close. “This is my friend Daphne Rogers.”
“It’s very nice to meet you,” Daphne said with a slight catch in her voice. She placed a hand on her chest to steady herself. “I’m sorry. I’ve never met anyone famous before.”
“Yes, you have,” Quinn said. “At Primal. Last week, that vid star came in. What’s his name again?” He snapped his fingers a couple times.
“Knuckle Knot?” Daphne said. “That’s not exactly the same. He’s a vid star celebrity, but Mr. Kramer is in a whole different strato.” Mina was going to let the mister stand, even though Vince’s title was colonel. She knew Vince wouldn’t want to make a big deal about it.
“I’m not so sure about that,” Vince answered easily. “It’s nice to meet you, Daphne. It’s good to see you, too, Quinn. I’m happy to have secured an invite for tonight.”
Daphne turned her attention to Mina, reaching out to give her a quick hug. “It’s great to see you again. I’m really glad you’re here.”
“It’s nice to see you, too. I’m happy we could make it,” Mina said.
“Mom’s been bouncing all over the place,” Quinn said. “She’s beyond excited you’re coming and bringing Vince. She keeps saying it’s like old times again. I even caught her with some liquid in the corner of her eye.”
Their mother, Rose, wasn’t one to hide her emotions. She was definitely a crier.
The tube door opened, and Mina gestured for Quinn to get out first.
“It’s clear,” he said, taking Daphne by the hand.
There were ten residences on this level, five on each side.
“Why are we being so careful, again?” Quinn asked as they moved toward their family home. “Everybody knows Vince is in town. He should be able to meet with old friends if he wants to.”
Mina had told her brother very little, only that they had to get Vince in unnoticed. He also wasn’t aware that Mina worked for a secret agency, and therefore, being seen with Vince would ruin her undercover status.
“At the moment,” she explained, “Vince is working on something top secret for the Protectorate, and everyone thinks he’s in France. We want to keep it that way.” She glanced at Vince for approval. He gave a short nod. “So it’s really important that you guys don’t say anything to anyone. Particularly not at Primal, but no one can know he’s in town or that he was here.”
“Cool. We get it,” Quinn said. “I explained how it all works to Daphne. We already do all that for you, so we can do it for Vince. We’re good at keeping secrets after all this time.”
Before they got to the door, Mina’s mother whipped it open. She spread her arms wide. She had the same coloring as her daughter and son, was a bit shorter than Mina, and her long, undyed brown hair was showing its gray.
Mina went in for a hug. Everyone else followed. Quinn shut the door.
She held on to Mina’s face for a couple beats, then kissed her on each cheek. “It’s so good to see you. I’ve missed my firstborn. You look healthy and glowing. I love it.” She dropped her arms and turned toward Vince. “Come here and give an old woman a hug.”
Vince had already unwound the scarf and shrugged off the coat, cap, and glasses, which were now dangling over one arm. Quinn took the garments, and Vince obliged, giving Rose Leeds a very nice embrace.
“It’s wonderful to see you, Rose. It’s been much too long.”
She patted his back while wiping away a tear that had leaked out. “You’ve gotten so big since I saw you last. Not a little boy anymore, but a grown man. How did that happen? It feels like only a blink of time has gone by.” They separated. She grabbed on to both of his hands. “I only recently found out about your parents. I’m so very sorry. I was getting ready to send you some sort of note of condolence, but it felt hollow after all this time. I can’t believe we didn’t know. It was shocking to find out. They were so terribly proud of you. When they went to France, we lost touch. But I’ve never seen two parents more proud of a child. They adored you. They would be exceedingly proud of the man you’ve become.”
“Thank you for that,” Vince replied with some emotion. “I deeply apologize. It was my fault you didn’t know. I shut down with my grief, rather than reaching out. If I had it to do all over again, I would’ve made their death ceremony a celebration of their lives. But I was young. Too young to know any better. Too lost in my own sadness. The very small gathering was held in France, only immediate family. My parents were very fond of you and Damon. They talked about you often. I wish it could’ve been different.”
Footsteps sounded from the short hallway, and Damon Leeds walked into the room. “Vincent Kramer!” he called genially. “How wonderful to see you. What a career you’ve made for yourself. It’s been impressive to watch your progress. Congratulations.” He grinned at his daughter. “Mina Patina. We’ve missed you. It’s been too long between your already sparse visits.”
Where Rose was slight, Damon was robust. He was tall, with broad shoulders and a thick waist. Like his wife, he eschewed enhancements and was aging gracefully, his black dark hair streaked with gray.
“It’s good to see you, too, Dad,” Mina said. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed seeing them. This was just what she needed.
He wrapped Mina in a hug, rocking her back and forth. “We have to make this a more-often occurrence.”
“We do,” she agreed.
He turned toward Vince and gave him a thorough handshake.
“It’s wonderful to see you, Damon,” Vince said. “Thank you for letting me crash your dinner tonight.”
“You are always welcome in our home. After all, you’re family. You were a constant here for many years, and we hope for many more to come.” Damon Leeds was never one to leave anyone out. He turned toward Daphne, reaching out his hand. She took it, smiling shyly, and he guided her into the meal-prep area, saying, “Come on, everyone. We’ve made a feast, and Quinn has brought the guest of honor. Daphne Rogers, we formally welcome you to our home and hope you enjoy our food and company. In honor of your visit, Rose and I decided that a real meal was in order, so this morning, we flew to the fresh market upstate, and we’ve prepared some delicious dishes. A nice baguette topped with fresh tomatoes and basil.” He gestured toward a plate of dazzling red tomatoes. “And an apricot tart.”
Mina’s parents actually had an old-fashioned oven. And by the smell of the tart, they had just taken it out.
“We had something like this on our last trip to Istanbul,” Damon said, “and it was amazing. I hope we were able to create its equal here. And there’s much more to come. Sit, sit.” He gestured to all the stools around the comfortably sized island. “Who wants wine? It’s printed. Real is beyond our budget. You can’
t win them all.”
Mina and Vince took seats next to each other in the same polymolded seats where they’d sat together so often over the years. He leaned over to whisper, “I forgot how much fun your parents are. They always made me feel so welcome here. You’re lucky to have them.”
She whispered back, “Hey, you heard my dad. They’re extremely excited to have you back. Even if we don’t work, they’ll be happy to keep you in the fold.”
He winked. “Oh, we’re going to work.”
Chapter 24
“We spent so much time in here.” Mina paced around her old room, which was now her father’s office. Her old sleep pod had been removed long ago, as well as all of her toys and wall decorations. “It feels like another lifetime, yet like no time has passed at all. Remember my orange tent? The small triangle one that zipped up the front?” She walked to the corner of her room, indicating with her hands. “It sat here for years. I spent so much time in that thing imagining I lived in different worlds and far-off places. It was a magical hideaway. I’m sure that’s where I came up with Princess Priscilla of the Poconos and Sir Servant of Seville.”
Vince sat on her father’s office chair, grinning. “I do remember that tent and playing make-believe. I was delighted to be knighted Sir Servant of Seville. It felt important. I also remember you had actual paper books. That was an anomaly, even back then. We would bring stacks of them inside and read together, even when we were far older than the content. It was such a pleasure to turn the pages. I think we even slept in there a time or two when we were younger, curled up side by side.”
“The books were fantastic. My mom collected them. She would drone hundreds of kilometers to pick up one.” Mina remembered it fondly. “Feeling the heaviness in your hand with all the bright, detailed pictures was the best. I bet she kept some of them.”
“I’m sure she did,” Vince agreed. “She would want her grandchildren to experience the same thing we did.”
She glanced at Vince. “I never thought of that. You’re right. I’m sure she still has them.”
Vince rose off the chair, moving toward her, grabbing her hand, and leading her to the middle of the room. He gestured toward the ceiling. “This is where we let the holo butterflies loose. I wish I still had that old holo box. I wonder what happened to it?”
“I have no idea,” Mina murmured, resting her head against his shoulder. Being together in her childhood home felt so natural. Just like it had back then. But this was different. They were adults in the process of forming a new, different connection, built upon all the mutual love and respect that they’d shared for years. “It was yours, so I’m sure you took it home.”
“I likely did,” he murmured into her hair. “I just know that when I saw the wonder on your face, I wanted you to enjoy it forever and ever.”
He tilted her chin up and gave her a slow, lingering kiss.
There was a short knock at the door, and Mina spun away from Vince like she’d been pronged.
The colonel-in-arms chuckled, letting her go easily.
Damon Leeds stuck his head in. “I just arranged a drone pickup on the roof for you two.” He smiled. “It should be here in a few minutes.”
“Thanks, Dad,” Mina said.
“It’s no problem. We understand the need for secrecy. I’ve gotten to know the maintenance manager here. A good fellow by the name of Carmine Kennison. He called it in, claiming we had some furniture to haul in. He didn’t ask too many questions and promised it wouldn’t be a problem in the future if we needed to do it again.” He inclined his head. “I’m hoping we get to do it again. It was such a pleasure catching up with you, Vince. The stories of your life will stay with us for a long time.”
“The pleasure was all mine,” Vince answered as he and Mina made their way out to the living area to say their goodbyes.
Quinn and Daphne stood by the door.
Daphne stepped away to give Mina a quick embrace.
“Thank you for being so kind to me,” she whispered in Mina’s ear. “Your family is absolutely lovely and so generous. I had a wonderful time. I appreciate you not bringing up, you know, my past…episode.”
Mina smiled warmly at this sweet girl whom her brother was so obviously over the moon for. He’d doted on her the entire night. “Daphne, your private life will always remain private. I promise. I don’t discuss cases with civilians, including the ones who birthed me. You decide what you want to share with them, not me.” Mina lowered her voice even further so no one could overhear. “And for the record, trying a dose of regulated Plush doesn’t sound like such a bad idea at the moment.” She winked.
Mina wasn’t about to take a dose of Plush. And because of what Bliss Corp was doing, she probably never would. But she wanted to let Daphne know that when you were with the right person, trying things like a pleasure enhancer was perfectly normal.
Daphne grinned, bowing her head. “Thanks for that.” She glanced up shyly. “I’ve never experienced a stable family life, or ever had anyone who would keep my secrets. That means a lot. I promise to also keep yours.” Her eyes flicked to Vince, who was in an animated conversation with Mina’s parents, her mother clutching his sleeve.
“We both appreciate that more than you know. And just so you understand,” Mina murmured, “we are still investigating what happened to you. I’ll keep you informed with what we uncover and will try to keep you out of it as best I can. There are bound to be more cases like yours, and those will be documented, which will take the focus off of you.”
“I hope you discover what’s going on. Having those doses out there is scary.”
“I agree.”
Quinn eased Daphne away, giving his sister a quick hug. “Thanks for showing up and bringing the entertainment.” Quinn chuckled. He turned to Vince and shook his hand. “It was amazing catching up with you. It felt like we were back in the old days. We’ll have to do it again soon. Daphne and I are heading to our first night at Harri’s unit. We’ll have you all over for dinner next.”
“That sounds like a plan.” Mina gave each of her parents a quick hug.
Her mother held on for an extra moment. “We’ll be back from our next trip sometime next month. I’ll be in touch.”
“We look forward to hearing about your adventures,” Mina said. “And tasting some new recipes.”
Rose Leeds embraced Vince and gave him a kiss on each cheek. “Take care of yourself. Don’t let those media buzzards peck at you too much. I hate how they go after you with such glee. ”
“I won’t,” Vince said. “Thank you for a wonderful evening, Rose. The food was delicious, and the memories were priceless.”
Quinn, Daphne, Mina, and Vince exited the unit together, along with Mina’s dad, who went to the line of tubes and swiped for one.
When it opened, he stuck his hand in to keep it open. “This one will take you up to the roof.”
Mina and Vince stepped on, saying their goodbyes to Quinn and Daphne, their heads down because of the cam set high in the corner. “Thanks, Dad. Hope your next trip is amazing.”
“I’m sure it will be. We’re going to Bali. This is the fourth time, but it’s such an enchanting place. I’ll send you some images when I can.”
“Can’t wait to see,” she said.
The tube doors closed.
Vince draped his arm around Mina’s shoulders, both of them facing forward.
They exited onto the roof three seconds later. The drone was just setting down. It was from a fancy private shuttle service company called Lux Rides.
“My dad spent some nice currency on this,” Mina commented. “Nothing but the best for the colonel-in-arms.”
“More like he wants to spoil his daughter.” Vince grinned.
“I don’t think so. If you weren’t here, I’d be taking public transpo home, like Quinn and Daphne. Do you think we should make a
few stops or just go through to The Spire?”
“Since your father ordered this, we should be fine,” he said. “It’s up to you.”
“Let’s head there and wait. We need to be cautious. We can check with the transpo hub and see if there were any unauthorized drones that have requested to land.”
“Sounds good.”
The door rose, and they boarded.
Vince ordered the drone to land on the executive level at The Spire, where he’d already been approved by Suzanne, Mina’s mega rep.
Mina snuggled into Vince’s side, basking in the happy glow of the evening. It had gone exceedingly well. The conversation had flowed, the food had been excellent, and the family time had nourished her. She hadn’t known how much she’d needed it.
She glanced up, noticing Vince was lost in thought. “What’s up?”
He pulled her closer. “I’m imagining faraway places. Nothing I can speak of at the moment.”
“Understood.” It was illegal for transport companies to record conversations inside operational vehicles, but since everything was voice-activated, a record could be stored for a while. “It can wait until we get home.”
“Home? I like the sound of that.”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself, French boy. You’re staying with me tonight, because it’s the best option, but you’re going to have to find your own unit soon enough.”
“I’ve been thinking about that.” Vince lazily rubbed Mina’s arm, head reclined. They were both satiated and relaxed. “I’m planning to give Suzanne a call. If I secure a residence in The Spire, we’ll be able to see each other much more easily.”
Mina lifted her head. “I’m not sure I’m ready—”
He kissed the top of it. “I don’t plan for us to move in together or to invade your space. I’ll likely be back and forth from France quite a bit. There will be long periods where we don’t see each other. But when I am in town, you and I both know that keeping a low profile is our number one priority. To do that, proximity will be our best ally. Residing in the same building will give us that. We don’t have to make any decisions tonight. It’s just a thought.”
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