Chapter 11
Texas Motor Speedway - Racers’ Garage
“Not your brother, though.”
“...fiddling with the thumper.”
“Noah was a car enthusiast, too.”
“This is agent Kate Whistler…”
Agent Kate Whistler. Agent. Kate. Whistler.
A new dust devil hit Lucy’s head. It’s spinning so fast that she slumps her back on the wall. She can hear the wail of sirens coming in close. Good. Because she can’t tell how much longer she can keep herself from falling on the ground. Her head and throat hurt. The pounding of her heart between her ears is too appalling. She can’t breathe. The dust devil threatens to be a tornado any minute and is ready to sweep her out of Texas. If the game is about who can connect the dots fast, Lucy has definitely lost it. She coughs out a laugh and shakes her head. “Agent… Whistler–”
“Kate.” The agent chokes on a sob and shuffles forward in her steps. “It’s Kate, Lucy.”
Lucy raises a hand to stop the Agent in her tracks. “Agent. Kate. Whistler…” Every word enunciated with conviction. “That explains all the secrecy.”
“Whistler! Whistler!” A low, deep voice yells nearby.
Kate flinches. If it was for her snipe or the agent's busted forehead, Lucy couldn't tell. The dust devil in her head is gaining its full force, punishing her judgment. “Here, Holman!” Kate yells back, gulping the rigid air between them.
“You alright? We picked up the erratic pulse from your watch–” Kai barges into their standoff. A team from Fort Worth Police and the FBI marches behind him. “Oh…” He gawks at Kate and Lucy.
"Hi," Lucy juts her chin sharply. “Agent Kai Holman.” Another dot to connect. Not awkward at all.
Kai glances between Kate and Lucy before crouching down beside Rey. He presses down two fingers on the suspect’s neck. “Got a pulse.” He confirms, then fishes out a pair of cuffs. He snaps them on Rey’s wrists and waves for the paramedics to come closer.
“Lucy,” Kate takes a careful step closer. Wincing but unbothered by the scuffling paramedics between them. “It is not…”
“Gotta have that checked,” Lucy’s hand limps over Kate’s forehead, her eyes heavy. “It’s a nasty cut,” she says under her breath. Shouts of commands muffled around her, and then everything fades to black.
— — —
Fort Worth Medical Center
-Lucy-
An uncomfortable throbbing in her temples awakens her. Blurry images flash against white light like scenes from a movie. There’s a raging mechanic out to get her. A cold bolt cutter against her throat. Kate was lying on the ground. Bleeding. Motionless. And then…
“Not your brother, though.”
“...fiddling with the thumper.”
“Noah was a car enthusiast, too.”
“This is agent Kate Whistler…”
Agent Kate Whistler. Agent. Kate. Whistler.
She cringes at the horrible scent of antiseptics surrounding her and a needle inserted securely into her veins. Her webby eyes open to a pensive Lenny seated beside her on the comfy hospital bed.
He combs his hair and chuckles as relief rushes over his face. “And she lives.”
“You’re… here?” The words snagged in her throat. Lucy doesn’t know how she got here or what day it is. Her brother’s rumpled white shirt, lank hair, and uneven stubble say she’s been asleep for some time.
“Easy. You can't talk yet.” Lenny’s strained smile does not put her at ease. “Bruised hyoid bone.”
“You… knew.” She persists through the barbs in her throat, pertaining to Lenny’s out-of-the-blue ‘take care’ the morning of Liam’s wedding. It was a caution for her heart. “Since… when?” Her lashes drown in tears.
He tips his head up to acknowledge the truth behind Lucy’s question. “The night after the rollerblade relay. Noah showed photos of her to the unit on every achievement she got. That’s all I know.”
Right. Noah Whistler. The engineer who gave us three more weeks with Mom.
“You… didn’t… tell me.” The weight in her head is wearing her eyelids down.
“Would you believe me if I did?” Lenny didn’t wait for the obvious. They both knew the answer was a resounding 'no'. “I warned you still.”
Too late. I already fell for the lie. Hard. Lucy gives in to the stabbing pain slicing through her and whimpers her aching chest back to sleep.
— — —
Fort Worth Medical Center
-Kate-
Kate is faring much better than Lucy. Physically. She sustained a mild concussion and a cut on the forehead, requiring a few stitches to close. It’s nothing compared to the cuts in her heart that are getting deeper and amassing in number as she waits in agony for Lucy to recover. She was petrified when Lucy fainted in her arms. She doesn't pray anymore, but with Lucy knocked out cold on her lap, she recalls negotiating a deal with every saint she can remember from Sunday school. And she would do it more than once if it would help convince Lucy to see her again. To hear her side of the story. To hear her truth.
A faint knock on her room pushes her up against the reclined bed. The door opens ajar as Lauren peers in. She steps into Kate’s room with a slow smile and a lunch bag in hand. “Lucy’s awake,” she unzips the lunch bag and sets packed meals on a roller table near Kate's bedside. “As expected, temporarily lost her voice. But that didn’t stop her from complaining about how bleachy her room smells.” Lauren laughs. “Carmen prepared food for you guys.”
News of Lucy regaining consciousness alleviates half of her worries. “Thank you. Did Lucy… Did she... asked for me? ”
“She knows you’re here,” Lauren answers her unspoken question. “Uhm, she wants you to stay here and take as much time as you need to get well.”
“She doesn’t want to see me,” Kate exhales extensively as she tries to ease the heaviness of her chest. It didn't work. Her worst fear setting in.
Lauren squeezes her arm. “Give it time. She’ll come around, you’ll see." The optimism in Lauren's voice had Kate holding on to hope. It's Lauren. She knows Lucy better than anyone.
Two days later, Kate was informed Lucy insisted on going home against medical advice. Abbie, who flew back to Fort Worth with Liam after hearing the altercation at the Speedway, related Lucy’s distaste over the hospital sheets. Liam folded into his younger sister’s request when the latter threatened to sneak out of the medical facility if he didn’t sign her release form.
— — —
Stellar Energy Group Corporate Offices - The Conference Room
-Lucy-
The assault on Stellar’s youngest executive at the Texas Motor Speedway became news overnight. The consequent arrest of the assailant, Rey Kash, led to the confession of his half-brother, Stellar’s Alistair Rhimi, of embezzling from the oil giant of the Midwest. It was the trending business in the corporate world for days. Kash faces multiple criminal charges after Fort Worth Police found tools meant to cut off the brakes under Lucy’s practice car.
A week after her release from Fort Worth Medical Center, to Lucy’s dismay, the Taras are gathered back at Stellar’s unnerving conference room to finalize their unanimous statement for the public. Her father could have called for it from his estate, where she could quickly retreat to the comfort and security of her old bedroom. But by Ybrrahim Tara’s standards and rules, a united appearance this soon is vital to calm investors and discourage hostile takeovers.
Perks of being a Tara in this biz, right? Lucy hauls the chair closest to the foot of the table.
“You need help, ‘Kermit’?” Liam snarks, poking fun at her inability to snipe a comeback at his dig. The consequence of her insistence on choosing home over the hospital for recovery. Lucy is still nursing a clipped eyebrow and a busted lip, and her face is still tender from the hook Kash landed on her left cheek. Her voice is still hoarse when she speaks, but mainly from crying her heart out every night. She wouldn't have insisted on it if she knew coming home meant struggling to sleep. At least at the hospital, the regular rounds of anesthesia and painkillers have done an excellent job of numbing the pain and knocking her out of her misery despite being a room away from its gorgeous source.
Lucy rolls her eyes at Liam’s mockery. Joke’s on you, dummy.
Home also meant staying with her annoying siblings. They had been indulging her nonstop after her botched date. Overcautious and careful not to ask anything about what went down in the garage or about Kate. Agent Whistler. They would speak of the agent among them, then stop or pretend to talk about something else when Lucy joins them in a room. She doesn’t like it. The fact none of them, not even their father, berated her for the horror that took place at the Speedway. Trusting a complete stranger who may be set to destroy the family business from within.
The Taras occupy both sides of the conference table, with their patriarch at the head. Lenny sits to his left, Lauren sits beside him, then Lucy. The newlyweds, Liam and Abbie, take the seats to Ybrrahim’s right, across from Lenny and Lauren, respectively. Norman scans the area again before standing on guard outside the room while Neil procures a large light brown envelope for Liam. He lays a couple of folders on the table for Ybrrahim, and then assumes his spot by the door. Much to Lucy's surprise, Jesse enters the room a few minutes later. She hadn’t seen him in a month. She hadn’t seen him be among the Taras in ages. The last time he was, it was six years ago in his father’s home office at the estate. At the helm of a synonymous gathering. He was silently tasked to close the investigation on SuperNova. To keep the public out of their grieving family.
“You okay there, Luce?” His voice an octave lower. He’s certainly not just asking how she is recuperating. Physically.
Lucy inches forward in her seat. “What are you doing here?” Her eyes follow him as Jesse answers with a paste-on smile and draws the chair at the foot of the table to her left. Is he back with Dad’s security team?
The door to the conference room creaks open. Neil steps aside, making way for the woman causing Lucy’s sleepless nights and restless heart. FBI Agent Kate Whistler surveys the room, rounding up all the Taras before sliding her foot in. Hair framing her cheeks, glasses gone, and angry stitches still evident on her forehead. Lucy winces at the monstrosity blemishing the agent’s face. Her brows wrinkle as Jesse offers the chair on his left to the agent. Abbie cheerfully taps the chair, encouraging Kate to sit beside her. It’s a freaking trap! Lucy drops her forearms on the table as Agent Whistler sits across her. The youngest Tara drags her chair backward, drawing all eyes on her. Lauren yanks her wrist before she fully rises to height.
“Don’t,” Ybrrahim stares at her. His tone is unbending but not warning.
Lenny anchors his elbows on the table. “You need to hear this too,” he presses on.
“Come on, Luce. If you still want to walk away after hearing everything,” Liam glances at Kate. “I’m not gonna hold you back.” Abbie slaps her husband on the arm. He whirls to his wife, “What?! I said ‘everything’.”
Lucy exhales her displease at the blatant deception of her family. “Of course, everybody knows except me…” She put a foot forward, heading for the exit. Neil reads her next move. He shuts the door and stands on guard, blocking it immediately. She scrutinizes everyone at the table except Agent Whistler, who sits precariously on the proffered chair. “I wasn’t expecting this from y’all.” She arches an eyebrow at Jesse, “Including you,” then sulks back in her seat.
Jesse raises his hands dejectedly. He walks towards the opposite end of the table and picks up the folders beside Ybrrahim. He selects a folder from the pile and glides it along the table for Agent Whistler. “When my team did a final sweep of the blast site in 2016, we recovered a scorched part of the thumper truck set to explode at the SuperNova refinery. It was among the evidence surrendered to the Fort Worth Police but was subjected to partial examination until recently.” Kate flips the folder open. “A print was exhausted, matching that of Rey Kash. The designated truck driver that day and Noah Whistler’s trainee.” The agent swings her chair at the mention of her brother’s name and meets Jesse’s condoling eyes.
Rey’s arrest and Lauren’s forty-eight hours of detainment prompted Alistair to confess his involvement in the blast and Stellar’s ‘missing money’ case to the FBI. The brothers orchestrated to avenge their father’s refinery for what they believe is an unjust acquisition by Stellar Energy Group. They rigged the thumper truck to overdrive and set SuperNova on fire to tank its market value. All these to sway Ybrrahim Tara from fully taking over their company. They initially planned on restructuring SuperNova with the money Alistair gradually stole from Stellar. But an unexpected move thwarted their plan. Lenny’s seal and signatures on the forms. With one missing, the drilling at the site won’t push through. And since Ybrrahim didn’t back out of the deal, the ‘missing money’ was later repurposed to buy SuperNova back and rebuild it to rival Stellar.
Lenny scrubs his face with both hands. “Two days before the blast, I came looking for Mom at Stellar. Told her I didn’t want to head Operations… I know what comes after that. I got cold feet.” He ducks his head, dodging Lucy’s eyes. “I asked her to convince Dad to sign the documents himself. She was disappointed. I knew she was.” He shuts his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose. “But I never heard any of it. So… I placed my seal over the forms and ran.”
“Alistair admitted to forging Lenny’s seal.” Jesse sits and picks another folder. “The stamped seal on these documents doesn’t hold a glimmer under the light.” He opens the folder for Kate. “The ink unique to the Taras’s use contains specks of gold dust manufactured from Mr. Tara’s ancestral home near Amman. It creates a lasting shine over time. Only visible when subdued near a good light source.”
“That son of a–” Lauren glances at the head of the table where their father broodingly perches his chin on his fist. “He... called SuperNova’s field manager that day and asked for Stellar’s lead engineer on site. He notified them, Mom is on her way with the signed forms. That cunning piece of trash!” She unloads. Her ferocity untamed over her husband’s treachery. “He was like a son to Mom!” She curls her hands into a fist. “She sent him to college, hired him as her assistant, and trusted him with most of her tasks.” Lauren punctuated each phrase with the pounding of her fist on the table. “And I didn’t…” She trails, regret shadows her face. “Never! Once doubted the accounts he vetted.”
Lucy taps her sister’s clenched hand to stop it from shaking. It was the angriest she had seen Lauren, and she understood where it came from. Betrayal of trust. From the one, you love the most. Lauren had been in love with Alistair, probably still is, for the longest time. Her sister is also going through a difficult time. Lucy is so much into her heartache that she becomes oblivious to Lauren’s.
Liam chooses that moment to get up from his chair and walks over to Kate. He edges out x-ray films and several pages from the light brown envelope and hands them to her. The agent suppresses a gasp with her right palm. Abbie grasps Kate’s left arm as the agent reads the name printed on the file. “That’s a copy of Noah’s autopsy report,” Liam informs them. “The primary cause of death is blunt force trauma to the head. Excessive blood loss from multiple lacerations on his back was secondary. The trauma team at Fort Worth Medical may have saved him from bleeding out if he had gotten there in time. But the injury at the back of his head was irreparable.”
“His team saw him run to cover Mrs. Tara from flying shards of the shattered wind turbine hit by the blast. That would explain why most of his injuries were on his back.” Jesse eyes Kate with sincerity.
“Mom probably thought I signed the forms anyway and came to the refinery to deliver them to me, but she found Noah in my stead.” Lenny’s chest caves in as he loses power in his voice. “I’m very sorry for your loss, Kate. Noah was a good engineer, an even better friend, and he was very proud of you.”
Lucy blamed Lenny for the death of their Mom, admonishing his inability to shoulder the responsibilities entrusted to him. Now that she holds a more significant role in the family business, she realizes where Lenny’s apprehensions came from. And witnessing how devastated he still is. It’s clear her brother condemned himself for two deaths for six years.
“If Noah did…” Kate pauses to knead her chest with the heel of her right hand. “If he got to Mrs. Tara, how did she…” She grips the pages of Noah’s autopsy report with her free hand.
Lucy clutches her chest. She leans on the table and extends her left hand, reaching out for Kate. She retrieves it into a fist when Liam passes behind to pat her shoulder before circling back to his seat. For that painful moment, Lucy wants to rush to Kate’s side and hold her in her arms. This walk through of a painful past is not easy. Not for her nor for Kate. But then again, who is she to her?
“Cardiac arrest after three weeks,” Liam puffs a breath to clear his chest. Abbie immediately rubs his back. “The surgical team was quick. They retrieved jagged pieces of metal lodged in her lungs, but the damage was severe. Her heart was pumping too hard to cope with blood loss.”
“I am sorry it took us this long, Kate,” Lauren rests her back against the chair. Her voice was soft, but her words firm. “Our loss consumed us too much. We failed to acknowledge yours. It’s not going to change anything. But I'm hoping it will pave way for acceptance. Not only for you but also for us.”
“There’s no pushing through. We are never the same after losing someone we love. Grief does that to us.” Ybrrahim traces his chin. “I understand your anger, Miss Whistler. You want to blame someone for your loss.” His eyes dart among his children, then settle back to the agent. “Take it on me. I am… accountable for that blast. I… gave the order to stop the investigation on it.”
Agent Whistler runs her fingers along Noah’s name on the file in her hand. “That's all I need, Mr. Tara. The truth of what happened that day. I’m not done grieving. Probably will never be.” She slides the films and the papers back into the envelope. She re-seals the files and evens the envelope flap with her palm a few times. “I’m done being angry. But if not for that anger,” she lifts her gaze to Lucy, “I wouldn’t be here and might not have met you.”
A delicate wind sweeps in the room. Kate puffs her chest and, without leaving Lucy’s eyes, asks, “May I have a word with Lucy, Sir?”
— — —
Stellar Energy Group Corporate Offices - The Conference Room
-Kate-
She was skeptical to accept the invitation to a dialogue with Stellar’s President. Kate doesn't see the need for one since the cases they were looped in are getting resolutions. Her team at the FBI made a formal case against Alistair for embezzling from Stellar in the last decade. Kash awaits trial for multiple charges after his assault on Lucy uncovered a barrel of his crimes, including the SuperNova blast, which answers Kate’s questions surrounding Noah’s death. But when Abbie told her all Taras would be present in the conference room, a glimpse of Lucy was enough to push through her hesitation. They hadn’t seen each other in days. None of her messages for Lucy, both text and email, were answered. All her calls were ignored. Abbie’s updates on Lucy’s health were enough until they weren’t. She needs to see her.
Kate got more than she bargained for. She was astounded at the placating waves that hit her chest while reliving the final minutes of Noah on that tragic day. Her brother didn’t suffer a futile death. To the very end, he was who she knew he was. She still misses him. A lot. But the Taras' unified sympathy quelled every cinder of anger she had over Noah’s death. For the first time in six long years, she was not alone in her grief. She came after the Taras in fury and revenge but found solace instead. And so much more. She fixes Lucy with a longing gaze. You made it all possible for me, and you don’t even know it.
Her heart plummeted when Lucy denied her request for them to talk. Lucy need not utter a word. The all-too-familiar scrunch in her face said it all. Chairs squeaked as the Tara siblings stood in unison to convince their youngest to hear her out. For once, Kate was grateful for their meddling because she needed all the help she could get. The elder Tara’s booming voice broke off the ruckus and compelled Lucy to reconsider Kate’s request. The stubborn repulse in Lucy’s voice was apparent even when she threw her hands up in resignation.
And then there were two. Kate and Lucy. For Kate, that is. Just Kate and Lucy. Inches apart. But the silence in the room makes the distance between them miles away. Lucy swivels her chair. Gaze dashing on everything and anything in the room, but not on her. She was almost discouraged by the frown on Lucy’s face when she walked into the room. That’s fine. She’ll take it over radio silence. The bitterness in Lucy’s voice? The resentment in her eyes? Kate was ready to take it all, but there was none. Lucy has been avoiding her, and it rattled Kate’s resolute hope to the core. Then, she saw Lucy reaching for her. In one vulnerable moment. In that little window where grief chose to stab her in the chest, when she yearned for the comfort of Lucy’s touch. She saw it. Right before, Lucy leaned back and clenched a fist. Was it a figment of her imagination? Something her mind conjured at the mercy of pain? You still care, don’t you?
Lucy stops swinging her chair and angles it against the side of the table. “I’m sorry you had to go through that again, and I think they’ve already answered your questions. So…” She hugs herself in her seat. “What else do you… need?”
Hot tears prickle Kate’s eyelids. I miss you. She clasps her clammy fingers on her lap. “You have questions too.”
Lucy closes her eyes and plops her head on the chair. “Doesn’t matter.”
“They do.” You do. “Scream. Shout. Ask questions. Just… Please, don’t…” Kate falters. Fazed at the sound of fear in her voice.
“Don’t what?!”
“Treat this like… nothing happened."
“What happened?”
You did. “Everything!”
Lucy clenches her fist. She holds it in mid-air. Hesitates slamming it on the table. “Everything was a lie! A lie I can not be angry at all because it’s part of your job. That’s what undercover means! Right? Lying to get the job done!” She says in one breath, wrenching her fist further. “And it wasn’t as if you didn’t warn me. I am…” She exhales through gritted teeth. “A dumbass for insisting on a possibility that you were uncomfortable with in the first place.”
“No. No,” Kate shakes her head slowly in protest. “Our date at the Speedway. That is all me.”
“Who did I ask out on that date?”
“Katherine Marie Whistler. Kate… to you. From DC. I used to dissect legal contracts for a living. I love mushroom coffee. Sometimes, I treat myself to a good burger. Double patty, double cheese, smothered in Thousand Island dressing. I played field hockey when I was young. I love to surf, fancy watching romcoms while sipping Pinot grigio from mason jars, and I hate pineapples.” Lucy stares at her. Amused? Surprised? Confused? “The evening of the wedding,” Kate continues. “I was ready to throw in my badge. I knew I was already compromised. I had to get out of there or risk blowing the whole operation.”
“Why’d you turn back?”
“You! I told you I can’t leave you.” Kate bites her trembling lips, “I won’t... leave you.”
“Oh! You should have ended it there, Agent Whistler!” Lucy’s eyes brimmed with tears. “You didn’t have to string me along! All you had to do was ask nicely, and I would’ve given all the ledgers you wanted for audit.”
“Kate! It’s Kate, Lucy. And No! It’s not that.”
“Or back at The Rockwood! When I ‘accidentally’ hit you with my car.”
“That was an accident!”
“Was it?” Lucy pokes her cheek with her tongue. “It was…” the waver in her voice doubles, “a scheme from day one.”
“That’s not true.” It was one of those days. She missed Noah terribly and had to visit his urn at The Rockwood’s Columbarium, where she left it for safekeeping while undercover. “I was there for Noah. I didn’t recognize you or how I reached that area of The Rockwood.” She reaches out for Lucy’s hand on the table. Lucy retrieves it as if Kate’s touch is scalding water. Kate dips her head in defeat. “When I met you in Jane’s office, I had no idea I…” She pursues Lucy’s eyes. “I didn’t know I…”
“You what?”
“Fall for you,” Kate yields. Ears ringing with every loud beat of her heart. “I already am, before I knew I was. And I’m only sorry you had to find out this way.”
Lucy softly shakes her head as if to dismiss an ugly thought. She holds Kate a vacant stare, and in a controlled voice, she says, “You may leave, Agent Whistler. This meeting is over. Stellar will not be a bother to you any longer.”
What?! Kate crumples in her seat. “Lucy, I—”
“We are done here.” There’s a rasp in her voice. But her resolve is not dropping.
Kate opens her mouth to say it again, but Lucy’s far gone. Kate knew it would hurt. Who knew it would be so much more when you actually hear the words? She clamps on her knees, pumping strength into them. She rolls off her chair, grabs Noah’s file on the table, and drags her legs out of the conference room. No scampering feet trailed her steps this time, no matter how she slowed down. Lucy is nowhere behind her.
— — —
Boone’s Cafe - Fort Worth, TX
It’s a regular day at Boone’s. Aside from the handful of weird looks thrown at her by some of their patrons, the coffee-making routine has been therapeutic for Lucy. Jesse hesitated to let her operate the prep counter, pointing out that her bruised face might scare customers away. He gave in after Lucy made him choose between a truce or a reprimand for teaming up with her family in the conference room earlier that week. Later, Jesse admitted he only knew Kate accepted her father’s invitation that morning. He also confessed he knew, Kate, the mushroom coffee enthusiast, and Kate, Noah Whistler’s younger sister, were one and the same in the final stages of his private re-investigation of the SuperNova blast. He learned of it from her dad, through Lenny.
She stunned everyone at the estate when she went home the night after their conference at Stellar. But none of them dared question what transpired between her and the Agent. It took every fiber in her body to do what she did. Her heart wanted to believe that was her Kate, but her head was in complete contrast to it. Too good to be true.
Lucy drops her shoulders as soon as she hands a cup of coffee to the last customer in line. She closes her eyes and takes calming breaths to ward off the unpleasant knot in her gut. Gorgeous. Ruthless Kate? Whoever she is. Is nothing but a sweet dream. A shuffling of feet near the counter got Lucy to open her eyes. “Hi…” Her scripted greeting suspends in the air as Gorgeous, Ruthless Kate steps up to give her order. “Agent Whistler.”
“Kate,” she corrects Lucy, lifting her mouth in a half smile and holding a laptop close to her chest.
“Agent. Kate. Whistler.” Lucy pulls her lips in and arches her brows as impertinent butterflies overwhelm her belly at the sight of the agent. With her glasses gone, the dark circles under her eyes are prominent. A fresh, reddish scar replaces the stitches on her forehead. “Chagaccino?” That’s Kate’s, not Agent Whistler’s.
Kate’s half-smile is now in full bloom. “No. I’ll have a latte, please.”
Lucy creases her brows in thought. “Oh-kay,” she lifts a cup and the demitasse under the machine. She is set to pour a shot of espresso into the cup when Kate asks:
“How are you?”
Lucy stops mid-pour and blows out a sigh. “Could’ve been better. Thanks.” She returns the demitasse under the espresso machine and takes the pitcher of steamed milk to top off the cup with latte art, watching Kate in the corner of her eyes.
“I miss you, Luce.”
Lucy plunks the pitcher back on the prep table. “I’m really trying to get your coffee done here.”
“Yeah. Of course.” Kate chews her bottom lip. “I’d like a heart, please.” Kate joins her index fingers together and draws a heart in the air and adds, “Big one.” Lucy rolls her eyes at her request and then resumes pouring steamed milk on her drink. Lucy reaches for a cap to snap on the latte. Kate swiftly hovers a hand on the cup. “I’ll have it here. In that corner,” She points at a table to Lucy’s left near a wall with an electrical port. She slides a bill on the counter and snatches her cup before Lucy can protest. She sets her laptop and coffee on the table. Only leaving her spot several times for refills. Each time, she requests Lucy to draw a big heart on top of her drink.
On Kate’s next refill request, Lucy follows and stands before the agent’s chosen spot. Hands on her hips, eyelashes flicking. “What are you doing?”
“Working.” Kate purses her mouth in a smirk.
“Don’t you have a fancy corner office in DC where you can do that?”
Kate shrugs. “View is better here, and I have an important task to finish for the legal team before I leave.”
“Go home, Kate.” She scrunches her nose at the slip.
Kate’s face glows. “What did you say?”
She glares at her. “I said go home.”
“After that!” Lucy shakes her head vigorously and then pivots to walk away. “You called me ‘Kate’! You just called me ‘Kate’!” Lucy hears Kate shouting jovially.
Yes. My Kate.
— — —
Stellar Energy Group Corporate Offices - Jane Tennant’s Office
Riding on high hopes from the weekend, Kate is determined to make it right between her and Lucy. Her little ploy at Boone’s wasn’t met with any harsh objections or violence. Lucy’s defense was up but not ironclad. She was half expecting to see the youngest of the Taras at the prep counter for her caffeine fix this morning but ran into Allan instead. However, Kate confirmed that Lucy gave up her hours at the cafe to focus on her new role at Stellar.
Abbie has been her eyes and ears inside the Tara estate. Kate never missed an update on all things Lucy because of her former roommate, who didn’t treat her differently after the grand reveal of the true nature of her job. Abbie even let her stay at their shared apartment as long as she needed. To regain her strength and when she is ready to fly back to DC. Today is a big day for Lucy as the new co-chief of the Finance unit. Her first week back at Stellar after coercing Liam to sign her ‘clear and fit’ to get back to work. Kate disapproves of Lucy’s headstrong move, yet it is one of those she loves most about her.
“If she’s not in her office and she’s not here,” Jane lifts an eyebrow, breaking Kate’s momentary dissociation, “I know, you know by now, where could she possibly be. She has a scheduled meeting with the directors, presenting the audit process of the ledgers you two worked on. Now, why are you really here, Kate?”
Gathering some courage. “To say goodbye,” Kate cranks her neck to one side.
“Heading back to DC, huh? You are doing Uncle Sam a good service with that cool job and all, but Stellar’s offer is a lot safer.”
“How did you know about the job offer?” Kate squints.
“One, I’ve been working with legal a lot these days. I saw them draft the offer for you. And, I think I’m the Taras favorite employee.” Jane laughs. “Think about it, Kate. You’re more of a good fit with them, and the pay is better.”
“The offer is very tempting. Weather here is nicer, too.” Kate slips her hands into her hoodie’s pocket and rises. “And I love the coffee here so much. So yeah, maybe.” She smiles confidently and pads her way to the door. “Hey, Jane,” she twists over her shoulder, “thank you.”
“I’ll see you soon, Kate,” Jane hollers as her office door closes.
— — —
Stellar Energy Group Corporate Offices - The stairwells by the fire exit
Kate ran her eyes over her clothes. The choice of jeans and hoodie over a shirt is no match to Lucy’s business suit. Lucy’s chronograph wristwatch peeks out of her sleeves as she mutters something against her left hand. Rehearsing your speech? Her curls cascade over her shoulders. The light makeup on her face failed to hide the bluish-purple mark on her left cheek. If Kate can stop time at this very moment, she will encase the two of them here despite her nerves firing all at once. How could you already miss someone who is literally standing next to you? Lucy must have heard the thumping of her heart. She turns to search for the source, then huffs in exasperation when she traces the sound back to Kate.
“Agent Whistler, here to arrest me?”
Lucy’s defenses are up, but the hint of mischief in her eyes says it’s pliable. Kate decides to play along. “Kate. It’s Kate, Lucy. And, no,” she lifts her hands. “No badge. Not here to arrest you.” To her surprise, Lucy speeds past her. Kate is quick to grab Lucy’s arm before she completely walks away. “You can hide here with me until you’re ready.” She dares whisper close to Lucy's ear.
“Ok. But no talking.” Lucy drops her eyes on the arm Kate is holding. Kate stifles a chuckle, clings to Lucy’s arm a little longer, and then releases it. Lucy treads back and sits in her usual spot. She pats down her coat. Kate knows exactly what Lucy is looking for. She produces a granola bar from her hoodie’s pocket and hands it over to Lucy. Lucy gazes up at her and frowns.
Kate extends her hand further, insisting. “You won’t last the day with sugar alone.” Lucy reaches for the granola bar and takes a calming breath. “You got this. Just stick to the facts we found. Tell them we scanned everything. Page by page.”
“What happened to not talking?”
“Yeah. Ok. Sorry.” Kate sits beside her in silence for a few minutes she can bear. Just say it. There’s no easy way to say it. “The headquarters called. They want me back in DC.”
Lucy braces her elbows on her knees and clutches the granola bar with both hands. She blinks, cranks her neck, and then breathes through her mouth. “Marcella was not just a family friend.”
A sour taste runs through Kate’s throat. She curls her lips. “I figured.”
“She’s the daughter of Centurion Industries.”
“Stellar’s major provider of isomerization services?”
“Yes. For some years now, after winning my father’s favor again.”
Again? The intensity of Lucy’s cold stare is noticeable. She hurt you, didn’t she?
“She was already making a name for herself on the local racing scene when I started. She took me under her wing. No questions asked. She knew my parents’ disapproval of it. But she encouraged me. Supported me in every way she could. Sneaked me out to join local tournaments. She was so cool. And I stupidly fell for it.” Lucy scowls. “So much. So, when she said she needed sponsorship for national competition, I almost liquidated half my shares of Stellar to support her career.”
Lucy's deliberate admission felt like a mace punctured her gut. “What stopped you?”
“Caught her in bed... with another girl.” Lucy scoffs a laugh. Classic Lucy. She’s deflecting. “That was it for me. I still dated. Casually. A few got close. None got through to the rich man’s daughter. Or the heir to a multi-million company. Until you.” She smiles. A weak one. “You were not afraid to lose your job if you ordered me around or loaded me a ton of work. You called me out for extending my breaks. And…” She frowns and nods her head slowly. “You were bold to ridicule my well-thought coffee puns.”
“I mean well,” Kate says apologetically. Her conflict is so obvious it elicits a burst of laughter from Lucy. The kind of laughter Kate thought she’d never hear again.
“God! You were not easy to pursue.” Lucy sighs, a mixture of, what Kate can tell, hope and sadness. “But I didn’t mind because I…”
She urges her impatiently. “Because…”
“You were different! I want to believe you are different.”
“I am different, Luce.”
“I am not there yet… Believe… that you are.” Lucy’s voice breaks. “And, I won’t stop second guessing if we… It’s not fair.” She shuts her eyes firmly. “I can’t keep being mad just because I can’t wrestle my own demons.”
Kate’s heart sinks. She tried pushing the thought away. But there’s no escaping it. Lucy is ending this. “Don’t I have a say on this too?”
“Don’t make this harder than it already is.” Lucy lightly clasps their hands together and caresses her thumb. “Maybe in another time. If we meet again.” She sighs, squeezes Kate’s hand, then springs a step, heading for the stairs.
Kate chases Lucy’s hand and holds it tight. “I fly commercial. Tomorrow at six.”
Lucy nods but doesn’t look back. “Have a safe flight, Kate.” She forces her hand free and leaves Kate in silent tears.
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