Calculated Entrapment

by K. T. Lee

  “Well, maybe it’s like anything. You should practice being happy.” Stefanie stood back as he laid the noodles in the pan.

  He looked up. “But what if the person I’m happy with can’t handle the complexity? The happy and the sad mixed together.”

  Stefanie looked him in the eyes. “A person that simple is not the right person for you. The person you’re happy with should be able to handle complexity. But first, you should finish making her some lasagna. She’s starving and it smells delicious.”

  Joey barely resisted the temptation to pull her in for a kiss and instead followed orders. He stared at her just a beat too long. “Yes, ma’am.”

  Once he’d put the dish in the oven, he turned to face Stefanie. He wrapped an arm around her waist and she gave him a mischievous look. While a lot of things in his life were confusing, the next thing he needed to do was crystal clear. He leaned in and she met him halfway. Kissing her felt as natural as breathing and for a moment, he lost all track of time.

  Eventually and too soon, Joey pulled back. “You really like lasagna, huh? How many days a week can I make it for you?”

  “I mean, I do like lasagna.” Stefanie laughed. “But I think we both know you don’t have to make me lasagna for more of that.”

  She pulled him close and he grinned, then held her a little tighter. “You’re a handful. I think I like it.”

  She leaned so their noses were touching. “You’re an incredibly kind person. And tough. And for what it’s worth, I like your complexity.”

  He breathed her in. “And when I leave?”

  “Please. If we can handle an international espionage ring, we’ll figure it out. Okay?”

  He let her go like a hot potato and hurt flashed across her face. “I’m so sorry. You’re in the middle of a dangerous situation. I know better and am getting involved anyway. That’s what got me into trouble last time.” He took a deep breath and composed himself. “Let’s go spar until the lasagna is done.”

  * * *

  Stefanie slowly placed her barely-touched wine glass to the side and went to the hall closet to dig out her protective equipment. She flashed Joey a smile and tossed him a spare set. He needed the stress relief as much as she did. And she’d seen the fear flash across his face. Not fear of the situation, but fear of being responsible for her getting hurt. While she was disappointed in the moment, she wasn’t offended – she meant it when she said she could handle his complexity. “I’ve had a few sips of wine,” she said, putting on the headgear. “My reflexes are going to be slow.”

  Joey winked. “Already making excuses?”

  Stefanie grinned and pulled on her hand pads. She led him to a small office that doubled as an exercise room. They had just enough room to work out if they moved the desk around. Joey grabbed one end and they placed it against the wall. Energy and preparation rose along her back, drowning out the stress and worry that came with the investigation and whatever was going on between them, if only for a minute or two. Once they were both ready, she made the first move, jabbing at Joey. He turned, returning a jab of his own. She bounced on the balls of her feet and ducked a light kick from him, using the opportunity to give him a little tap on the stomach with her foot.

  Joey gave her a high five. “That’s a point. Nice work.”

  She put a hand on her hip. “Are you taking it easy on me?”

  Joey shook his head. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

  “Good. I want to win fair and square.” She ducked, turning on her best skills, focusing like she would if she were in a tournament. Dodged punches and kicks were as satisfying as the ones that landed. Joey, for his part, seemed as relieved as she to relax into a sparring match. They exchanged points until they both lost track of the score.

  Finally, a buzzer sounded from the kitchen and Joey pulled the soft helmet off his head. His skin was shiny and hers was more than a little damp as well. “I better get that. You’re a worthy opponent, Stefanie Ryland.”

  She cocked an eyebrow. “Are you serious or are you hitting on me again?”

  “Both.” Joey winked and kissed her on the cheek. “Now, I’m going to impress you with Nonna’s lasagna.”

  Soon, they were sitting around her small table, both with large glasses of water. After Stefanie had gone back for seconds, she leaned back in her chair. “Okay. I get it now. This is some kind of sneaky CIA trick. Wear me out by sparring with me, and then stuff me so full of delicious homemade food that I can’t bear to move, much less freak out. I’m assuming the kissing isn’t in the manual, but what do I know?”

  Joey swirled his wine in his glass, his neck getting just a little red. “You got me. This is page one in the CIA operations officer field manual. High energy witness is lasagna and wine. Low energy is coffee and sugar. If your witness can beat the crap out of you, spar with her to learn her tells if she turns on you. And the kissing–”

  Stefanie pointed a finger at him. “Don’t you act like it was a mistake. I was there. You thought about it. And we didn’t do anything wrong, even if you’re scared to death that somehow it put me in danger. I know what’s up, and you don’t have to talk about it. I just want you to know, I’m still okay with the complexity.” Stefanie looked at Joey over the top of her wineglass. “My tells?”

  Joey shook his head and for a moment, he looked like he was going to kiss her again. He cleared his throat. “For example, if you’re acting annoyed but are still smiling, you don’t really mind. If you go silent and polite, you are so mad you can barely speak. It’s a defense mechanism for emotional overload.”

  Stefanie laughed. “Guilty as charged. Although when you say it like that, it sounds kind of terrible that you can tell I’m mad if I’m nice.”

  Joey shook his head. “No, you’re nice to everyone, but you joke around, find things in common with people you like. You’re formal and extra polite to people you don’t like.”

  She shook her head and finally returned to her glass of wine. “That’s so accurate it’s scary.” Stefanie sighed. “Now that I am allegedly relaxed, do we have any more news on our customers?”

  Joey sighed. “This part is never easy, but usually big fish like Dmitri get big because they know how to keep themselves from getting personally involved or arrested. We may not have any news until he makes a big move. Quinn is helping refine our plan and wants to talk to you about it soon.”

  Stefanie checked her watch. “Is it too late to call?”

  “Depends on if she’s stressed.” Joey shrugged. “Quinn bakes when she can’t sleep, which I found out when she started bringing in stress-fueled scones, brownies, etc., to the office. The last few months she tapered off but started again when things heated up. She said she wanted to talk tomorrow but she’s probably trying to give you time. If you want to talk now, I’d bet she’d be up for it.” Joey pulled out his phone and sent a message. Moments later, his phone started buzzing. “See? I should warn you, our team has no chill.”

  Stefanie sipped her wine. “You say that like it’s a bad thing. Alexis is working while we fli—spar. Now, let’s find out how I can help you and Quinn catch this guy.” She reached across the table to accept the call for him, giving Joey a cheeky grin in the process. He smiled back at her and snapped to attention when the call connected.

  Quinn was sitting on her couch with Cam next to her. “Good evening, folks.”

  “Good evening. Thanks for getting on a call so late.” Joey gestured for Stefanie to join him and she pulled her chair closer to his.

  Cam nudged Quinn. “She was just getting ready to bake some chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. Q said she was going to give you space, but I’m not sure how many dozens of cookies it was going to take for her to actually do it.”

  Quinn eyed Cam. “You never complain about the cookies in the morning.” She turned to face Stefanie. “How about you? Are you holding up alright?”

  “I mean, I guess?” Stefanie winced. “I’d love to hear your ideas on how this thing is going to play o
ut.”

  Quinn looked at Cam. “See, I told you I could jump right in. Cam said I should give you some space to adjust and recover before I throw you into the deep end.”

  Stefanie crossed her arms. “Throw me in. All the way. I want to know what I need to do to get this over with.”

  “First things first, not to sound like a motivational poster here, but it’s not just you, so get the ‘I’ out of your head. All of us have your back. Now that that’s covered, I think you should use the connection with your sister to draw them out. Tell your coworkers that Ree is planning on being in town this weekend. Especially Cole. Let him know she’d like to come on the boat since she planned on coming in for a family weekend. I don’t plan to send Ree in person, but I’d like to see what kind of reaction we get.”

  Joey leaned in. “What if Cole isn’t our guy, and he’s just a ladder-climber who doesn’t ask too many questions? Then the news falls on ears that won’t send the information along or might say no.”

  Stefanie snapped her fingers. “The employee survey. Peggy has been after me about it. I’ll fill that out, and in the return email I’ll say something like, ‘I’m so glad to be a part of the OEG family. My sister might be able to come on my first real research trip!’ Peggy will eat that up and might forward it to someone on Dmitri’s team. Also, do you guys know her secret author identity?”

  “I do, but I don’t know if I should tell you. It’s not exactly a matter of national security.” Quinn bit her lip.

  Stefanie put on her the most businesslike face to hide her extreme curiosity. “I mean, unless it is a matter of national security. What if she’s using her pen name to cover up her illegal activities? I should know.”

  Joey nudged her. “Seriously, you’re using the CIA to find out what kind of books she writes?”

  Stefanie shot him a look. “Tell me you aren’t curious.”

  “I’m glad you two are getting along now.” Quinn smiled. “Much better than the first night. It’s a good thing I was close to my phone.”

  Joey managed to look a little sheepish. “I can’t blame her for that. But I did bribe her with lasagna tonight, so that helped.”

  “You made her your lasagna?” Quinn’s eyes went wide. “Wow, you two really are getting along. Or you screwed up.”

  Joey raised his hands in the air. “First one. What do you guys think we do about Nash?”

  Cam rubbed his chin. “I called in a favor with one of my old Navy buddies. His brother is going to calm him down. That should keep him off your back for a little while at least.”

  Stefanie breathed out. “Okay. So, I dangle the bait for our customers. Then what? Will the CIA be able to tell what Dmitri is planning before his team gets on the boat?”

  Quinn’s face looked pained. “We’ll keep listening in on phone calls and reading their emails where we can, but our reach is limited by warrants and our ability to access the information. It’s not very sexy, but the CIA has rules too. We’re playing by them. This is going to be an absolute cluster for our diplomats to manage, and we don’t need to make their job any harder. And listen, I don’t want to freak you out, but I think Cam and I are going to fly in Thursday night. Just to be available.”

  “Yes, please.” Stefanie nodded. “The more the merrier.”

  Cam leaned in. “Hang in there, Stef. We’re going to get through this.”

  Stefanie’s heart began to pound. They ended the call and she jumped up to start cleaning the kitchen. Joey followed suit and she waved him away. “No, no. Sit down. You cooked, I clean. So, distract me. Tell me more about your job for the fire department. You get called out much?”

  Joey twisted his hand back and forth. “Sometimes. Mostly kitchen fires, the occasional house with illegal activities. Couple of weeks ago, we had a homemade flamethrower situation. In general, it’s a good side gig to keep me occupied on my days off.”

  Stefanie chuckled. “That doesn’t sound much like a vacation.”

  “It is, in a way.” Joey lifted a shoulder. “There are fewer secrets to keep. It’s high stakes danger, sure, but lower stakes if I talk about a bad fire than if I let something slip with a top-secret designation.”

  “Plus, you get to help people.” Stefanie wiped her hands on a dish towel. “How in the world do you find the time?”

  Joey shrugged. “It’s just a couple of days a month, no more than any other hobby might take. Like teaching a herd of small children the perfect front kick.”

  Stefanie grinned. “We don’t aim for perfect. We go for good effort, improvement, and not kicking your neighbor in the face. Probably don’t have that luxury with firefighting.”

  “No. But the camaraderie is there and it’s one part of my life I don’t have to keep secret. It’s hard when work is terrible, and your family thinks you work as a lobbyist for the government.”

  Stefanie paused. “They don’t know you work for the CIA?”

  Joey shook his head. “I like to keep it low-key. The less they know, the less danger they’re in.”

  “Yeah, the danger sneaks up on you pretty fast.” Stefanie smiled ruefully.

  “Sorry about that.”

  Stefanie shook her head. “Don’t be. It hasn’t been all bad.” Joey gave her a knowing smile. She narrowed her eyes. “Don’t look at me like that or you’ll get us both in trouble.” Joey’s smile got wider and his eyes twinkled. She smacked him with a dishtowel. “Nope. If we kiss, you’re going to say it’s a bad idea again. So, you are not to provoke me with that look.”

  Joey smiled. “That’s fair. You should know, though, that I like you, Stefanie Ryland.”

  Stefanie shook her head. “Nope, none of that. Not until this is over.”

  22

  Stefanie walked into her workplace, her thoughts at war with her feelings. It was funny how her nerves could roar to life even though coming to work remained a comforting part of her routine. She pushed through the discomfort when she spotted Peggy. Peggy gave her a bright wave and Stefanie made a beeline for her. “Morning, Peggy!”

  “Good morning!” Peggy looked over her reading glasses with a bright smile. Her glasses were teal today. “I was just reading the ‘Getting to Know You’ form you sent! Your whole family is so accomplished. It’s clear you are proud of your sister. And she gets to visit! How wonderful!”

  Stefanie beamed, ignoring her pounding heart. “Ree is the absolute best. Actually, Cole sent us an email about getting The Dog House reserved for the trip. It’s wonderful that it’s big enough that she can come.”

  “Hm. Is Cole okay with bringing someone who doesn’t work for the company along?” Peggy tilted her head to one side.

  Stefanie’s heart began to thud. She waved her hand. “I would think so. She might be able to help a little. I mean, she is an expert in mechanical engineering and our customers won’t even tell us what’s in the box. Surely, it won’t be a problem if she signs some kind of liability waiver, right?”

  Peggy looked back at her computer. “Maybe I should double-check with Cole…”

  “Sure.” Stefanie shrugged. “I mean, it’s not a secret and I definitely don’t want to get in trouble for bringing her along.”

  “And she’s flying all the way out here for this?”

  Stefanie shook her head. “Oh no, she was coming to visit for a family weekend. I thought this would be a good compromise. If I can entertain her with science, she might forgive me for booking over our family weekend with work.”

  Peggy tapped a perfectly polished teal nail on her desk. “Ah, I understand now. I’ll make sure Cole knows that too. I’ll highlight how flexible you are being. That’ll convince him it’s a good idea.” Peggy gave her a knowing look. “I’ve got your back.”

  “Thanks, Peggy. I owe you one.” She lingered at the desk for a moment longer, then raised an eyebrow. “So, what can I do to convince you to tell me your secret identity?” Peggy made a motion of zipping her lips shut but scribbled down a name on a piece of paper. Stefanie looked dow
n at the paper but didn’t recognize the name. “Ooh, fun. What do you write?”

  “Romances. They’re a little on the steamy side. But since you’re so curious, I don’t mind telling you.” Peggy pointed a finger at Stefanie. “Don’t you dare tease me about it, though. My stories are beautiful, and I will never apologize for writing about love.”

  “You don’t need to apologize about writing what you love. I love romance. Thank you for trusting me with your alter ego’s name. After we get through this weekend, I will definitely read one of your books.”

  “They’re very good for stress relief. Or so I am told.”

  Stefanie tucked the paper in her pocket, glad to have made a new friend. “Thank you, Peggy. I appreciate you telling me.”

  “Oh, it’s just a little thing.” Peggy waved her hand. “I’m not very good at keeping secrets.”

  “So, when you hit it big, are you still going to work for us?”

  Peggy smiled. “If I hit it big, I’ll still have my backside in this seat. I like you guys too much to ditch you. Also, writing is a little too solitary for me to do it full-time. A lot of writers have day jobs.”

  “Oh really?”

  Peggy sighed. “That’s a topic for another day. But it really is a labor of love.”

  “That’s nice, Peggy. Don’t stop writing, okay?”

  Peggy smiled. “I don’t know how to stop. I just have to keep writing stories.”

  Stefanie walked to her office, Peggy’s words echoing in her brain. Was she really as bad at keeping secrets as she claimed to be? She pulled up one of Peggy’s books on her eReader storefront and started reading the description. They were a little steamier than she expected, given Peggy’s buttoned-up disposition, but her reviews were filled with raving fans and only the occasional grouch.

  She had very nearly breathed a sigh of relief when she spotted Nash already in the lab. He made a beeline to her. “So. I can make Saturday morning and I’ve got some camera equipment we can use.”