'super'... at the other end?" "Yes, you could. Others have, for the same reason." With a nod, Cade met her gaze and asked, "Do you want optimum conversion, or would plain old average do?" "Optimum would be nice, of course." Cade sliced off a chunk of meat and ate it, then said, "I think so, too, also of course. There's nothing quite like knowing your support people are as good as they can possibly be. Beth is good for another few hours, then she'll leave for D.C. or I'll become too much for her. Doesn't matter which; that'll be the end of it. If we're going to try to optimize me, I'll need someone to take her place." "Her name is Andrea. I've already talked to her." "Why not you?" Mandi sighed and said, "Sorry. You're still several days away from being able to make love to me, Ed." Another chunk of steak later, Cade asked, "So this Andrea -- who's never even met me -- is willing to take over for Beth in my bed, huh?" "If she likes you. She's very fond of sex. If she doesn't like you enough, she'll simply supervise your normal conversion." "I'll need supervised? It won't just happen on its own?" Sighing again, Mandi said, "Yes, of course it would, but there are ways -- that don't involve sex -- to heighten the effect a bit." "What ways?" "Hard exercise and energy infusion can help." "Energy infusion?" "Direct transfer from one of us to you. That couldn't happen for another day or two, though. It would kill you." Filching his other slice of tomato, she said, "Andrea is taking a week off to help you through this. John says you have a three-bedroom house." "It would be if I threw out two rooms'-full of ceramic molds and computer gear." After a pause, Mandi said, "Oh." Cade chuckled. "Yeah. Oh. The place is a factory, too. But don't worry about it. If we don't get along well enough to sleep together, I'll take the couch for a week. Think she'd like to go to Disneyworld and some of the other tourist traps?" Smiling, Mandi canted her head and said, "I really don't know. I do know she shoots pool fairly well." Returning her smile, Cade said, "Well, that's a plus." He'd just put the last bit of steak in his mouth when Mandi said, "Slide your plates over here. John's coming." Shoving everything to her side of the table, Cade asked, "Why doesn't he know about this, Mandi?" Giving him a firm look, Mandi said, "He's not in the loop." "I've known him for ages. He'd be cool with it." "Okay, he probably would be, but you weren't supposed to happen for a while yet. Quiet. Here he comes." As John walked up to the table, Cade thought, 'Not supposed to happen for a while yet? What the hell?' "Hi, all," said John, taking a seat beside Mandi. "Good news. They found Kahlil this morning. The company is saying this op is finally over." More strangeness. John had referred to 'the company', which the NIA most definitely wasn't. Only the CIA was referred to as 'the company' by anyone who knew the difference, and John definitely knew the difference. Cade said nothing and gave John a slightly puzzled look as Mandi agreed that it was good news, indeed. John gave Cade the old-days hand sign that meant 'later' and talked to Mandi as the waiter brought the other steak dinners Cade had ordered and asked John if he'd like anything. John ordered coffee. 'Great,' thought Cade. 'Settle one problem and up pops a new one. Get through one puzzle and another one will fall into your lap pretty much instantly.' He started in on the second dinner as Mandi and John chatted and talked about wrapping things up in the ops room. Cade kind of hurried through his steak and John asked him why he was in a rush. Pointing at the 'go' bag, Cade told him that was for someone upstairs and that he didn't want it to get cold. "Would it maybe be for Beth?" asked John. "Can't let her starve. She's NIA property." "Thought so. Carter says you've been spending a lot of time in her room." "Someone was using my room." Meeting John's gaze, Cade cautioned, "Beth doesn't know -- or maybe she just doesn't want to know -- that anyone else knows, you know? I don't really know why it matters to her, but it does." Mandi grinningly crossed her heart and zipped her lips like a schoolgirl taking a pledge of silence. John chuckled and nodded as he spoke. "No sweat. Like it or not, she knows we've been monitoring the hallways, so this has to be a personal preference. I'll mention to Carter to keep it quiet, okay?" "Thanks. Word'll probably get out sooner or later, but it doesn't have to happen today." As he finished up his steak, Mandi said, "I'll see you later, Ed. Give me a call around seven or drop by the room." "Seven. You got it." Cade stood up and picked up the bag and the bill, then said, "Later, all. I'll tip the waiter when he makes my change," and headed for the register. After paying the bill, Cade took the stairs to save time and reached Beth's room in moments. He let himself in, put the card on the desk, and went to the bed. Beth seemed to be in deep sleep, but as he turned away, she spoke. "Hi, there." "Hi, yourself, lady. I brought you some food." Smiling drowsily up at him, she said, "Such service. Maybe I should keep you, Cade. What do you think about that?" "I think you'd be disappointed, ma'am. I turn into a plain ol' inconsiderate, garden variety man on weekdays and I get downright mean on holidays. Hope you like steak for lunch." Sitting up, Beth said, "Steak is fine, Ed. I'll bet you don't change at all, really. I'll bet you're like this all the time." He shrugged. "Maybe so. Doesn't matter. You have to fly back to D.C. tonight and I'll be in Florida by tomorrow. Let's just play some more and make the best of our time together." Tossing the sheet aside, Beth stood up. Cade eyed her nakedness as she walked over to him and embraced him for a moment, then kissed him. "You're a nice man," she said quietly. "You're good in bed, too. I could do a lot worse, I think, if you were up for it." Kissing her, Cade said, "Thanks, milady, but you're still too young and beautiful to settle for less than you deserve. Try me again in a few years if you can manage to stay single." With a sardonic chuckle, she said, "Well, hell, I've managed this long, haven't I?" and opened the restaurant bag to begin unpacking it on the desk. As she sat down to eat, she eyed Cade and asked, "Am I going to be the only naked person in this room?" Pretending vast surprise, Cade said, "Oh! Yes'm, I'll get right to that. Very sorry, ma'am. I was so wrapped up in eyeballing your gorgeous bod that I just completely forgot. You know how it is, don't you?" Laughing, Beth said, "Yeah, sure. I know how it is," and dug into her food. A few bites later she asked, "Hey, Cade. If I'm so gorgeous, how come all the other guys don't act like you?" "Simple ignorance, ma'am. They don't know how." "So how did you become so knowledgeable?" "I had a good teacher early in life." "Who was she?" "One of my teachers in high school." Glancing up incredulously, Beth asked, "Really?" "Yup. I was sixteen. She was twenty-six and kind of pushy, just like you. I learned a lot at that lady's knees." Beth nearly choked with laughter. "At her knees...? Uh, yeah, well, I suppose... That's where you'd have been..." Patting her back, Cade said, "Yup. Most of the time, too, as I prefer to recall. Just try to breathe for now, Beth. Talk later." Beth managed to eat most of her steak and Cade finished what she couldn't, then they spent the rest of the afternoon like newlyweds on a honeymoon. At six-forty-five her ride to the airport pulled up at the front doors and -- to Cade's surprise -- Beth hugged him and kissed him long and hard. Holding her close, Cade whispered, "Somebody might see." Snickering, she said, "Screw 'em. There were cameras in the halls, anyway. Everybody who doesn't know now will know by tomorrow. I'll deal with it." "Would saying 'thank you' sound trite, ma'am?" "Not if I say it first. Thanks, Cade." Then she made a show of glancing at her watch, making an apologetic face and an excuse about long check-in times these days, and hurried into the waiting car. They waved good-bye as the car rolled down the ramp, then it turned left at the street and she was gone. Cade sighed once, then turned to go back upstairs. A tall, thirtyish, brunette woman in a sharp, shades-of-green skirt and jacket business ensemble asked, "Your wife?" Stopping to meet her gaze, Cade said, "No. A friend." After a short pause, he added, "A very nice lady." The woman had ice-gray eyes like fine gemstones that were nearly on a level with Cade's. Her face at first seemed
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