Page 17 of A Labor of Hate
The last thing the op needed wastwoLex’s walking around Detroit, especially when one of them was supposedly pregnant.
“We don’t look as much alike anymore, though.But yeah, you’re right.I can’t go anywhere near your place until you’re done with your thing, I know.”
“And you wouldn’t be able to leave your bakery for that long, anyway.We both know it’s your baby.”
Huh.Baby.What an unintentionally fitting term, considering my predicament.
“Psh, itbetterbe, considering it’s what has been keeping me from settling down with someone and making any real babies.”
Okay, ew.I did not need that mental image.
“You know I haven’t gone on a date in months, right?”she continued.“Unless you count the one time I met someone for coffee on my day off.Turns out, guys don’t want to take a girl out who has to be home and in bed by seven-thirty every night.”
I grimaced.“Yeah, that does put a damper on any dinner dates, unless you’re aiming for the senior citizen early bird dinners.”
“Har, har,” she laughed sarcastically.“Maybe when I come visit you could set me up with one of the hot agents on your squad?”
I snorted, picturing the men in the squad.We had no shortage of attractive options.In all honesty, we probably had the hottest squad in the building, in my biased opinion.Unfortunately, as my predicament proved, everyone else was married or engaged.“Sorry, the only single one is Colt.And there’s no way I’d subject you to that.”
“Want to keep him for yourself, huh?”
“What?”I sputtered, straightening my spine in indignation.“Of course not!In fact, if you want him, you can have him.See if I care.”
When she only laughed in reply, I ground my teeth together.“It’s practically your bedtime already, Grandma.I’m hanging up now.”
“Wait!”She finally composed herself, her voice light with suppressed amusement.“I promise I won’t do anything to mess up your cover, okay?But I’ll miss you.”
I sobered, any annoyance I had melting away.“I’ll miss you, too.”
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, okay?”
I eyed the box beside me.Would faking pregnancy for the greater good be something Dekker would do?Before today, I didn’t even know it was somethingIwould do.As it was, I’d been fighting zealously to ignore the pang of guilt at the thought of faking what so many hoped and prayed for every year.
Trying to lighten the mood and the weight settling in my chest, I teased, “That doesn’t exactly rule out a whole lot, you know.Besides staying out past eight.”
And navigating crowds.And talking to strangers on the phone.But still.
“Hey!”she protested, but I drowned it out with my goodbye.
Left to sit in the silence of my apartment, the reality of my situation turned my bones to lead.I still had to pack.I had to hide my real IDs.I had to memorize my cover until I could recite it in my sleep.I had to dig up all the buried dance jargon and moves I hadn’t regularly used since college so I couldsellmy cover.
My to-do list was a mile long.But, since the deadline wasn’t staring me in the facequiteyet, I gave in to temptation and browsed social media.I’d even made it past three whole posts before I couldn’t handle not knowing anymore and searched for Colt’s profile.
Self-control, thy name is Lex.
Sure enough, Colt Dixon popped up immediately.Four mutual friends.Instead of a photo of himself for the profile pic, he had a scene of a sunrise by a lighthouse on a lake.It was a little odd that he wouldn’t flaunt his looks, but he could’ve just changed his profile pic in preparation for the assignment.Heaven knows he was proactive enough.What wasreallyodd was the fact that he’d selected a lighthouse instead of a stapler or box of paperclips.You know, his true idols.
I clicked on his profile, which was set to private.Unsurprising, since mine was the same way, but itwasfrustrating.And now I could see that the lighthouse had been his profile pic for months, which meant it wasn’t a recent change.Whichalsomeant…
I switched apps, my thumbs flying furiously over the screen as I texted the very person I’d just finished talking to.
Me:You friend requested him??
The reply came seconds later,after a wave of crying-laughing emojis.It was one of her favorites—which was saying something considering how much she liked emojis—because, and I quote, “The laughing face without the tears looks passive-aggressive.”
Dekker:How long did you wait to look him up—one minute or two?
Me:That’s not the point.Have you no loyalty?
