Page 53 of Rhet

“I’m not giving you his last name.” She turns back to her laptop with a smile on her face.

“Why not?” I like seeing her smile, seeing her happy makes me feel satisfied.

“Rhet, I’m not giving you Craig’s whole name. Then you will become an FBI agent looking up his information, where he lives and works.”

I put my phone down. “I like the CIA more than the FBI. They get shit done.”

“Either way, I’m not telling you his last name.” Her fingers move swiftly over the keyboard.

“Why did you break up?” I don’t know why I need to know but I do.

Her shoulders slumped. “He cheated. He said I was too committed to my family.”

“Are you?” I like people who put their family first.

“Am I what?” She questions.

“To committed to your family.”

She pauses like she needs to think about what she was about to say

“I… I try to put my family first then me.” Her face falls as she says so.

“That sounds like a sacrifice. You can be taken advantage of.”

She stiffens, flexing her hand over the keyboard. “When you do something out of love for family, it never feels like a sacrifice.”

I throw my head back and laugh out loud. “That’s some diplomatic shit, right there. Here’s the truth, sweetheart. Whether you believe it or not, your enemy can be better than a deceitful family member. At least I know where my enemy is coming from.”

“Why would you say that?” She is so naïve and innocent.

“It’s simple, with your enemy you know he doesn’t like you. Your guard is up, you’re protected. With family you never know.”

She bites her bottoms lip, seeming to think silently.

“Looks like I hit a nerve.” I think I did, since she rolls her shoulders and her neck.

“Have you ever had a girlfriend?”

I stand and walk to my mini bar. “Yes, her name was Charlotte.”

“Oh, Charlotte right.” Her smile becomes devious, and she rubs her hands together.

“On the night I planned to propose to her, I found her being stuffed like a turkey by Barrett.”

“Shit, that’s horrible.”

I stoop pulling out a bottle of Angostura 1824 rum and a can of coke.

I drag a crystal glass off the silver tray and pour some coke and rum into it.

Opening the ice bucket I realize, there’s no ice. “Shit.”

Ignoring my outburst, she asks, “Did it hurt you?” Her voice travels across the room.

“Yes and No. I wasn’t in love with her, however I always thought of her as my future,” I sip the hot rum and coke.

Standing she walks to my desk and places some files on it.

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