Page 101 of No Time Off

The headline articles included blurry pictures of UFOs and an “expert” discussing the presence of aliens among us. He was certain the UFO pictures were recycled. There were also the latest pictures of movie celebrities who were in the middle of their third cycle of an on-again, off-again relationship, and reports of a drug overdose for yet another rocker under twenty-five years of age.

Suddenly, something caught his eye. In the middle of the tabloid was a dark picture of three people. The headline under the picture read, Honeymooning Couple Helps Foil Cook Islands Coup.

What?

He looked closer at the grainy photo. The photo was backlit, clearly taken by an amateur. But, what the heck? Two of those people looked familiar. He tapped his finger on the young woman until it came to him.

That mystery power couple who’d evaded him on the way to the airport.

He squinted more at the photo. That’s who they looked like, but he couldn’t be certain because of the poor quality of the photo. The size and staging, including some emojis in the corner, looked like something a kid might post on their social media feed, and some opportunistic photographer had picked it up for a resell.

He quickly read the short article, noting unnamed sources saying the couple had stopped an assassination attempt on the prime minister and prevented a foreign-backed coup from taking over the country. The names of the couple were not mentioned, but that woman in the middle was clearly identified as Ms. Petra Askari, the official prime minister.

Mick sat back in his car seat, his mouth falling open. He had his answer. They had to be US agents sent abroad to stop threats around the world. A real-life Mr. and Mrs. James Bond.

Damn. Now it all began to make sense. No wonder the president had showed up at their wedding. He wasn’t sure how the pope played into that, but hey, no matter how you looked at it—this couple was one hell of a story.

He stroked his chin, thinking. He didn’t need to rush. They’d be coming back at some point, and he’d be ready for them. He knew where they lived; he knew what they looked like. They would be the biggest story he ever broke. He just needed to be patient.

Mick was still dreaming of how he would spend the ginormous amounts of money he would make covering this enigmatic couple when the young billionaire emerged arm in arm with his tryst partner. They paused exactly where he’d expected.

Swearing, Mitch fumbled for his camera, but it was too late. He’d missed a perfect shot.

Sighing, he watched Senstrom drive off and the model disappear back into the condo. That elusive, mysterious couple had bested him once again, and now, they owed him another one.

FORTY-NINE

Lexi

Isank deeper into the hot tub, enjoying the view from our secluded bungalow on Aitutaki. The gorgeous sparkle of the sun on the ocean provided a soothing and relaxing view. The thatched roof above me offered a bit of shade and a tropical, rustic charm.

I glanced over at Slash. His eyes were closed, and he had a contented look on his face. His head rested against the ledge of the hot tub, his dark hair slicked back from several ocean swims. We’d been here on the small island for three glorious, peaceful days, basking in its blissful and remote tranquility.

“This is what I imagined our honeymoon would be like,” I said with a relaxed sigh, my fingers idly tracing patterns in the water.

Slash shifted slightly, the water sloshing a bit. “I agree. No television, no deadlines, no crowds, and no crises.”

He exhaled a slow deep breath, and for a few minutes we watched some fluffy, gauzy clouds sail past.

“Given everything that happened with the coup and Shi, do you ever wish we’d picked Patagonia instead?” he finally asked.

I watched a cloud that looked curiously like a gaming controller drift by while considering his question. “It’s hard to argue with what we’re experiencing right now, but after you stopped the assassination attempt, we went on the run with the prime minister, and then Shi kidnapped you…well, I did have my doubts. And yet, I can’t help but be grateful we were in the right place at the right time to help Petra and the Cook Islands. This place is growing on me, and so are the people.”

“Me, too. You know, I spent a lot of time in that closet cursing myself for thinking I could find a place remote enough, where nothing ever happens to us.”

We shared a laugh.

“Navigating the marriage code under extreme duress wasn’t exactly on my bucket list, either,” I admitted. “Especially since I’m not even finished defining the requirements yet, and you haven’t had a chance to add your input. But it was kind of cool to say ‘I told you so’ in the midst of chaos and uncertainty. There’s power in that.”

“Which number is that in the marriage code?” he asked with a smile.

“It’s number five, but I’m considering moving it up to number three because of its importance. What do you think?”

“You only like it because you got to use it.” He chuckled. “Wait until it’s my turn.”

I pursed my lips at him. “That reminds me, you told everyone I was a klutz and they had to be careful around me. What’s with that?”

He cracked open an eye and looked at me. “I don’t think I specifically said you were a klutz. I may have mentioned that everyone should take steps to protect themselves against a variety of random, peculiar things that tend to happen when you’re around. I also asked them to look after your safety. Is that not a husband’s prerogative?”

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