Page 33 of Doozer

“No, not really. It’s not like I don’t trust you or anything like that. It’s just that the two of you have been spending a lot of time together and we haven’t. You know. It makes a guy wonder. That’s all.”

“Doozer,” I said with an exaggerated gasp. “Are you jealous?”

“Jealous? Me? No way.”

“Mmmm hmmm.”

“Look at it from my perspective. Here you are, the sexiest, most beautiful woman in the world, and you’re out in the woods, alone with some dude.”

“Some dude? A second ago, you brought up the fact that Taxi saved your life.”

“Ourlives,” Doozer corrected. “Plus. Hedidsort of kill me.”

“First of all, it’s still too soon to joke about the time we all thought you were dead, and secondly he didn’t save my life, he prevented me from ending Wolf’s.”

“Which would have gotten you killed by the Spiders for sure,” he said.

“You don’t know that” I said, knowing full well Doozer was right.

“What I do know for sure is that I’m glad Taxi was there that night to stop you. I also know how incredible you are, and I’m not surprised he wants to hire you.”

“Thank you,” I said, kissing him again. “I’m so glad you didn’t freak out. I was really worried you were going to be upset about all of this.”

“How could I be anything but happy for you? Besides, it means all these mornings without you were worth it. Your training obviously went well, and once you know your schedule, we can finally synch back up. Plus, now that you’re working, that’ll speed up our plans to move out of the Sanctuary and get our own place.”

My heart sank like stone and my face must have shown it.

“What is it?” Doozer asked.

“My training isn’t over just yet,” I replied. “It’s only just starting, and…”

“And?”

“And the FBI doesn’t have a training facility in Portland.”

“So, what? You keep running around in the woods with Taxi until you’re officially hired? For how long?”

“Not exactly,” I said. “Taxi is taking me back with him to Quantico, Virginia, where he’ll report for his new post, and I’ll begin training at the FBI training academy.”

“Quantico?” Doozer asked in a tone and manner more akin to what I had originally expected. “For how long?”

“Eight weeks.”

“That’s two fucking months,” he growled.

“Normally, training at Quantico is twenty weeks, but Taxi’s team is being fast-tracked. Some of the other guys have already started.” I said, hoping these bits of information would alleviate the sting of the news.

“Oh, that solves everything,” he replied.

“I thought you were happy for me?”

“I was…I am, I… just thought you meant Taxi was offering you a job here in Portland, not on the other side of the fucking country. Not that you would be gone for two fucking months.”

I broke eye contact and said nothing.

“Trouble? There’s something else you’re not telling me. What is it?”

Dammit.

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