Page 17 of While You Were Spying
“We’lltalk to her.”
“Are you sure you can handle that? She’s not like the bad guys you’re used to interrogating. I mean, not unless they enjoy ogling your hot bod like it’s a piece of meat to a starving dog.”
He chuckles. “I’m sure there are a few who would love to rip off my head like they’re a starving dog.”
“That’s not quite the same thing. My grandmother is notorious for the trail of broken hearts she left behind in her younger days, before she fell in love with my grandfather. She loved men and still does.”
Even now she goes out on dates, but those men are closer to her age than Jayden’s. But as she explained last year, she’s eighty-two years old. She’s not dead or put out to pasture. She can appreciate a hot man just as much as anyone my age.
Although usually when she’s in the same room as Jayden, she tries to encourage him out of his shirt…as do Henri and Liza.
“Don’t worry,” Jayden says. “I can handle your grandmother.”
I add the tomatoes, olive oil, herbs, and spices to the sautéed onions, and turn down the heat. “Keep an eye on this, and I’ll call her.”
I return a few minutes later. “We’re on for tomorrow afternoon. Are you sure about this? You’re supposed to be resting at home for the next few weeks. You’re not supposed to be involved in any missions. Liam will probably kill me if he finds out you’re joining me.”
“This isn’t a mission. We’re just talking to your grandmother.”
“Sure, it’s a mission. It might not involve guns and being shot at, but it’s still a mission. It’s not like you guys jump into a situation without gathering the necessary intel first.”
“Again, this thing with your grandmother isn’t a mission. We’re just talking to her. That’s all.”
I take a sip of my wine.
Jayden grunts. “You’re not going to be an operative, so get that thought out of your head, Isabelle.”
“So you keep mentioning, even though you know this is something I’ve wanted to do ever since I joined the firm.”
Shortly after joining, I had admitted my plans to Jayden. He pulled the same caveman routine that he’s doing now, stomping into each of the guys’ offices and declaring an emergency meeting. The meeting in which he went on a mini rant as to why he thought I was nuts.
Fortunately, not everyone agrees with him. He just doesn’t know that. Yet.
“Well, I want to fly to the moon,” he says, “but that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen.”
I lift my chin. “It might. You just have to want it enough. Why is it so tough for you to accept that I want to do the same job as you?” By sheer will, I keep my frustration out of my tone.
“Because you’re my friend, and I don’t want to see anything bad happen to you.”
“So you’ve said, but Adam, Connor, Liam, and Landon are your friends, too, and I don’t see you preventing them from doing their jobs.”
His eyebrow quirks up. If I weren’t so damn frustrated with him, I would find it sexy. “Exactly how many days have you spent deployed in a country at war? How many times have you had to defend yourself in a life or death situation?”
“There’s more to your job than shooting at people and avoiding being shot at. A large part of your job is going undercover and gathering intelligence. Who better to do that than a woman whose grandmother is a talented actress?”
I can tell he wants to cross his arms in his typical alpha-male, I’m-right-and-you’re-wrong stance, but he can’t. And that’s only pissing him off more.
“That doesn’t make a difference. No more than being the grandson of a talented chef means I can create fresh pasta from scratch.”
“That’s true, but you also admitted that you only tried to make it four or five times. It’s not like you spent years practicing until you could make it like your grandmother’s.”
Score one for me.
“Unlike you and your fresh pasta, I’ve had several years of experience as an actress. I might not have starred in any Hollywood or Broadway productions like my grandmother, but I did star in numerous high school productions.” I enjoyed acting, but it was never my career goal. Not in the way it was for my grandmother.
“I know how to get into character,” I say. “Heck, I even know how to put on makeup to alter my appearance. I can do things none of the guys on the team can. And that’s why I deserve a chance to prove myself.”
Score two for me.
