Connecticut trip.”
King studied him with such intensity Arnie felt sweat gather around his neck.
“How much more time?”
He answered honestly. “I don’t know.”
“Is this what I think it is?”
Arnie said nothing, but he did feel heat bloom on his face and knew he was blushing.
“You aren’t alone on the planet. Every single one of us is aware you’ve been going through something.”
He cringed. “Am I that obvious?”
“Arnie, Jesus Christ, man. You fucking declined an invitation from the White House. The goddamn White House. Believe me, dude, if Izzy could’ve figured out how to impersonate you, she would have gone in your place.”
“I hate politics.” He said it as though his opinion mattered.
“Everyone hates politics, but that doesn’t mean you turn down a front row seat to history. Someday, don’t you wanna tell your kids you ate dinner there?”
Rather than state the obvious, that he didn’t have kids, he didn’t say anything.
King chuckled. “I bet they have killer swag, but now we’ll never know what’s in the White House goody bag because you were in the fetal position sucking your thumb instead of kicking ass and taking names. That sort of shit does not go unnoticed.”
Arnie frowned. “Have you always been a dick with words, and I just didn’t notice?”
“Whatever, you big crybaby. Look, if you need time to fix what you fucked up, have at it. And while I’m feeling magnanimous, let me add this. You do know that all of NIGHTWIND’s considerable resources are at your disposal, right?”
He raised his eyes and looked directly at his boss. “What I do, what we do, requires a line in the dirt. This isn’t business. It’s personal. Bringing the full weight of NIGHTWIND into the mix is a huge leap over the line. This thing is messy enough without adding stalking and electronic invasion of privacy along for the ride.”
King nodded once. “What’s your play? Do you need a strategic sounding board? I don’t think that’d be crossing the line.”
“Maybe not,” Arnie agreed, “but I have to do this myself. Someone else can’t find the answer. It has to be me. Am I making sense?”
“Sure,” King murmured. “You’re talking about destiny. I get it.”
“There is one thing you can do for me.”
“Name it.”
“Don’t freak out when the DoD eventually figures out NIGHTWIND went snooping in their backyard.”
Expecting a stern lecture, Arnie ended up grinning when King snickered loudly. “And did NIGHTWIND find what NIGHTWIND went snooping for?”
“No,” he grumped. “Security cock block.”
Still chuckling, King smirked. “How rude.”
“I know, right?”
Arnie stood and ran his hands down his thighs. He straightened and sighed. “I want the record to show that the new year started messing with me right out of the gate. I don’t know why, but I’ve got more than the usual mixed feelings about the annual family get-together. Shit is about to go down. Senior is making decisions some of the others are not going to like. I predict drama on steroids. And because that’s not enough, well, you get the picture.”
Rising, King came around the desk and thumped Arnie on the back. “Look at it this way, man. You’ve claimed the heart of at least one princess. According to Nic, you are, and I quote, the coolest, and I’m pretty sure being the coolest means you can handle the universe throwing firecrackers at your feet.”
Arnie smirked. “I have no idea what that means, but thanks, man.”
The next morning, he pulled out his suitcases and began to pack. When he left the city and headed to Connecticut, it was only the beginning of what could be a long journey. Heaven only knew when he’d be back.
“Summer, I simply cannot thank you enough. We’ve done all we can to cover Frannie’s shifts, but it’s not enough.”
Papa Leo’s Sicilian Eatery attracted a decent crowd every night. The mom and pop restaurant had fantastic Yelp reviews and served great food. They also treated their employees well. When Bud suggested she give the restaurant a call, Summer never imagined it would be so easy to land a sweet substitute position of two shifts a week for a month.
“I’m happy to help,” she assured Selene Canton, restaurant manager and waitress wrangler. “Thank you for understanding about the paycheck issue.”
Selene huffed and offered a partial smirk. “Pfft. You’d be surprised how many restaurant workers prefer to remain off the books. In this situation, it’s temporary, you don’t need training, and my scheduling ass is in a sling, so if cash under the table solves our dilemma, so be it.”
She