Page 84 of Just Dare Me
I make a peace sign with two fingers. “Peace out!”
She gives a severe look to Nora. “Director Jacobs? You—and only you—will say…?”
“Oh, uh, I’ll say…” She shakes her head, jogging her memory. “I say, ‘Thank you, that’s all for now.’”
“Yes, buthowdo you say it?”
“With a smile, I know,” Nora answers.
The woman doesn’t look satisfied, but it’s time for her to take her place out of sight. When she gives me a final glare full of daggers, I flash the peace sign with a cheesy smile. She stomps away.
“It’s just too easy with some people.”
“What are we doing here, Shayne? I’d rather take another plunge in the Rouge river. I’d rather go back down in that salt mine to fight an entire demon horde.”
“Ah, the good old days. We did do some crazy shit, it’s true. Impossible shit, even. How are we still alive, Nora?” I give her hand a squeeze, and I smile. Not cheesy or sarcastic this time—a genuine smile that releases just enough of my dominance to help her take the edge off.
Feeling the buzz, Nora exhales, calming down. “We’re alive becauseyouwere there.”
“Andyouwere there.”
“And together we make one bad-ass team.”
My smile widens. “Not bad for a couple of sad sacks, huh?”
A familiar voice says, “Directors.” Nick Gorgeous steps out from his hiding place behind a marble column.
All in one breath, I gush, “Nick, you beautiful bastard. I know you’re here to set the record straight by telling the world that you and Parker are therealdirectors of this Agency, and not us, right? That’s so nice of you! I’d give you a hug, but if we move away from these marks on the floor, we’ll be assassinated.”
Nick shoots Nora a flat look. “When Shayne’s nervous, she talks a lot and fast.”
Nora winks at me. “I know; it’s cute.”
He looks doubtful. “Is that what we’re calling it?”
“Shayne’s not wrong, Nick. You and Parker have all the experience.”
“Not to mention the respect,” I add.
“Yes, but experience and respect from theoldworld, from theoldway of doing things. A new world needs new faces, new perspectives. A clean slate.”
“Oh, if you mean ablankslate, then we’re all set, because I got nothin’ going on up here.” I waggle my fingers at my head. “No idea what I’m doing.”
“We don’t feel like leaders, Nick. We feel, like…” She searches for the right word.
I finish her sentence. “Small.”
“Yes! Tiny.”
I hold up my thumb and forefinger, almost touching. “About this big.”
Nick takes a long breath and slowly releases it with a beaming smile and a nodding head, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it looks like he’sproudof us. “And that’s why it has to be you two. You both have the same superpower. With each success you have—with each new and more epic victory—you don’t feel bigger and badder, like most people would. You feel smaller and smaller. It’s the hallmark of history’s greatest leaders. It’s calledhumility.”
I snap my fingers. “Dammit! If only it werehumiliation, I’d be Superman.”
He points at me. “That’s what I’m talking about. Keep it real. Look, I don’t know what all these government PR stooges have told you to do, or to say, or to be out there tonight, but all you really need to do—please, for all our sakes—is just to keep being you, and not anything or anybody else. Let them see who you are. You do that, the way you’ve done with us, then they’re going to have the same response we did. They’re going to love you.”
Well, Nora’s about to swoon, and I’m even feeling a bit warm and fuzzy inside, until Nick holds one finger up. I know that gesture. I know that look on his face. I knew it was too good to be true—that he’d never just say something nice and leave it at that.
