Syl before, quick pecks or something, and I'd certainly kissed a girl or two once I got out of my geek stage, but there just wasn't any comparison at all. I'd been waiting to do this since I met her, and from her response, she'd been waiting just as long.
When lack of air finally signaled the end of eternity, I pulled back from her for a moment, looking into those deep blue eyes. "Whew."
"So what was it you were so afraid of, Jason?"
"This. I like having control over my own life, and there's no control over this."
That smile again. "Do you want to change your mind?"
"Don't you even think about it. After all the courage I had to work up there to mention that four-letter word 'love,' you're not getting a chance to get away." I wanted to spend the rest of the night—maybe the rest of the week—continuing what we'd started, but I couldn't ignore business, either.
Especially when business also involved a friend. "Syl, can we make a date for tomorrow night? Right now I'd better keep working—I've already lost a couple days as it is. And do you think you can do anything for Verne?"
She grinned. "Not jealous of him any more?"
"What?!"
"I can sense things, you know that. And I could see your little pout every time Verne put on the charm and I smiled back at him."
I gave a sour look. "Well, he does have a kind of overwhelming presence, not to mention that perfect sense of style."
"Jealous, like I said. Don't worry, Jason. I knew you were the one for me as soon as I saw you. I had a feeling about it."
Now that really made me wince. "I don't believe in destiny."
"Then call it a self-fulfilling prophecy. I'm heading over to Verne's. Maybe I can't do anything, but then again maybe I can."
"Thanks . . . Syl."
Even after she left, it took a while to start concentrating on the work at hand.
Perfume stays with you.
38
TO:{Jason Wood}wisdom@wis.com
FROM:{The Jammer}
SUBJECT:EXCUSE ME????
Did you have ANY idea what kind of mess you were trying to get me into? No, let me revise that. Do you have ANY idea what THAT kind of mess can do to me?
Dammit, Wood. This guy's an international fugitive and you want me to give him a bulletproof ID? What are you mixed up in THIS time?
So there were limits to what the Jammer would take casually. Nice to know, but I wish he'd stayed in his omnipotent