Page 13 of Fearless
I shove him playfully and step away. “I can admit I’m high maintenance, but I’ll never admit that I’m wrong.”
“Duly noted,” Roger says with a wink. He opens the door for us to leave just as Jessie confirms the cameras are active and the feed to the server at HQ is connected.
Jessie logs out of the system and closes the laptop. She removes a small black case from the bag and passes out the communication devices that are inserted into the ear canal, which allow us to hear one another even if we’re whispering. “It’s time to feed the beast and get this investigation started.”
Carter and Leanna are waiting for us at the entrance to Piano Keys, a fun restaurant that offers food native to the French Quarter in Louisiana and has a dueling piano bar for live music and entertainment.
Leanna waves when she notices the four of us meandering up the walkway. I wave back and then ask, “Can someone please explain to me why we bothered to stagger our arrivals if we were just going to be meeting out in the open?”
“Look around you, Harper,” Jessie says and then gestures to a group of people standing not far from Carter and Leanna. “I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that those five couples planned their trip together so that they can get a group rate. It’s also not unheard of for couples to meet together and get away from the kids for a week to let loose with friends. Establishing that we know each other now will make it less suspicious when we’re seen together later.”
“The way you guys do undercover work is the complete opposite of going undercover,” I say with a laugh.
“It’s the art of hiding in plain sight,” Elijah says. “I have to agree, Harper. It takes a little getting used to. Before I joined Shining Knight, I was a detective for the Seattle PD and anofficer in the Office of Special Investigations for the Air Force. Undercover work meant taking on a whole new persona and trying not to get lost in it. We had to hide in the shadows with a long-range camera lens and listen in with a parabolic microphone. None of which meant using my real name and pretending to be on a vacation with my feisty wife.”
At least Elijah understands my plight. Jessie lifts one shoulder and says, “We spent six years touring as a rock band for the FBI—no fake names or false personalities. It didn’t stop us from uncovering a plethora of crimes, from drug smuggling to human trafficking. For the most part, all we had to do was watch and listen without acting like we were watching and listening. The same goes while we’re here. Just act natural and go with the flow.”
“You make it sound so easy,” I tell her.
Jessie stops in her tracks and grabs my arm to stop me as well. “Roger, Elijah, we’ll meet up with you in a minute.” When the two men nod and walk away, Jessie yells, “Wait! Elijah, please order me one of those really pretty fruity drinks in a pineapple!”
“Sure. Do you want it high-octane or no octane?” he asks.
“No alcohol, please. Thanks, Babe! I knew I married you for a reason!” Jessie blows him a kiss for good measure.
“I love you, too. I’m here to cater to every desire and whim,” Elijah retorts good-naturedly.
Roger thrusts his hands into his pockets and rocks back on his heels. “Harper, do you want your usual sparkling water with a twist of lime, or do you want to treat yourself with a nada colada?”
A ‘nada colada’ is what my mom always calls a piñacolada without alcohol. It was my favorite drink and my ‘go-to’ for special occasions. It warms my heart that Roger still remembers that little tidbit about me.
“Live dangerously, Harper,” Jessie taunts.
“It’s only pineapple juice and coconut crème,” I retort.
“And sugar. There’s plenty of sugar. Yum,” she says, closing her eyes and smiling. “You only live once, Harper. You should enjoy it while you can. Thankfully, there won’t be any calories to worry about in Heaven!
I can see that Jessie is going to be a bad influence on me because I find myself telling Roger that I’ll have the sweet, calorie-laden beverage instead of my bubbly water. His returning smile makes it all worth it, even if my hips are going to pay the price.
Jessie waits for our husbands to walk away and join Carter and Leanna just up ahead. She taps her ear so that her communication device is turned off. I do the same. “Harper, let’s talk woman to woman here. You said that I ‘make it look easy,’ but it isn’t always that way. Pretending to be in love with a man is far from easy. I should know. I have loved Elijah since I was a teenager, but I had to play a doting girlfriend or fiancée a time or two.”
“How do you do it? Most of my undercover roles were for a singular event, never for anything long-term like this.”
Jessie chuckles. “A week is not long-term by any stretch of the imagination. Let me ask you this. You used to dance, right?”
“I did. I still do, but in private,” I say, a pang of regret filling my soul.
“When you were on stage, did you have to pretend to be aswan, a nutcracker, or a tree swaying in the wind?”
I can’t help but laugh at the imagery. “I have. When I was eight, I played an orange in a dance titled ‘Fruit Salad.’”
“It’s no different than playing a piece of fruit, Harper. You immerse yourself into the role and be the most believable dancing pomelo ever to grace the stage. You own it and make your own. But something tells me that you won’t have to fake your feelings when playing the role of Roger’s wife. Am I wrong?”
I cough and sputter, trying to formulate words to refute Jessie’s assertion that I have feelings for Roger. She pats me on the back much harder than necessary and adds even more fuel to the fire. “That’s what I thought. We all saw the way you looked at Roger as you walked down the aisle. Savannah mentioned seeing the same look on your face when you were 18 and had just won a beauty pageant.”
“Remnants of a childhood crush,” I say, taking a step away to put some distance between me and the truth of her words. “Roger and I are practically family.”
“Whatever you need to tell yourself to get through the day, Harper. But I want to go on record saying that the way Roger looked at you when you were walking down the aisle, the way he held you when you nearly turned and fled, and the way he kissed you at the end was anything but familial,” Jessie says with arms crossed and feet spread apart. “I dare you to deny it.”
