“So you listened to my pity party earlier, and now I have to listen to yours? I’m not crying for you, man. Whatever it is, you and Mena will get past it,” Kendrick said.
“I missed her big lecture this morning,” Julian started.
“That’s the straw, but not what broke the camel’s back. What’s going on?”
“Weird ass conversation where we kind of talked around the idea of marriage. I feel like we’ve been out of sync since then,” Julian admitted.
“Aren’t you glad I talked you out of buying that engagement ring?” Kendrick asked.
“Yeah, I am. I got her a charm bracelet instead. She loved it, but I could tell she was relieved it wasn’t anything more serious,” Julian said.
“And you don’t like that, do you?”
“No. So what do I do now?” Julian asked, leaning back in the chair.
“How about get a job,” Kendrick said.
“What? How is that even related?” Julian asked.
“You have too much time on your hands. You need something else to focus on other than Mena, so you don’t drive that woman straight out of your life. Sure, that IT gig she tried to set you up with wasn’t a good fit, but there’s got to be something you could do,” Kendrick said.
Julian reached into his pocket and pulled out the card. Flipping it in his hand, he saw Sunny’s name and number.
“Maybe you’re right,” Julian said, tucking the card back into his pocket.
“About you? I’m always right.”
Chapter Six
Julian clutched the glass door, pausing to read the name in stark white sticker letters on the grimy surface: Tactical and Intelligence Defense Executive Services. The offices were in a warehouse district, toward the end of a long row of businesses in a strip center, tucked away from prying eyes. Julian pulled the door open. The tinkling chimes of bells slapping against the door filled the air as he walked into the waiting room. A small coffee table sat to the left in front of two worn and ragged leather couches. Magazines littered the surface, topped by a TIDES coffee mug with brown stains around the rim.
Two days had passed since Mena’s lecture and things still weren’t back to normal. Mena was tense and distracted, which she blamed on her work. Wangari had given Mena a new time sensitive assignment and she’d been working long hours at the museum. She was anxious to prove her laser techniques would work on the piece of art where other conservation techniques had failed.
Julian wasn’t so sure that Mena’s sour mood was because of stress. The elephant in the room was their unfinished discussion about marriage. He should have told her how he felt, but now it was too late. Bringing it up again would only introduce more strain into their relationship. He knew where she stood on the topic, so why bother.
All of this had convinced Julian that Kendrick was right about him. He couldn’t sit around wallowing in thoughts about not being able to marry Mena. Tactically analyzing their relationship to formulate a strategy to weaken her defenses against marriage was futile. She wasn’t a mission to complete. She was the woman he loved.
He tried to tell himself that these ebbs and flows were normal in a relationship. Having differences of opinions was normal. He had to suck it up and get over it.
But to do that, he’d need a distraction.
One Sunny Tate could provide.
Julian walked to the counter and tapped the old fashioned bell. A round of sharp rings filled the air and Julian heard rustling and movement behind the cream colored wall in front of him. Leaning on the wood grained surface, he twirled Sunny Tate’s business card in his hand, hoping she would help him.
The door behind the counter flung open and an Italian with a lopsided grin emerged, arms crossed over his chest.
“What the fuck are you doing in Nairobi?”
Julian frowned, instantly recognizing Enzo Vinci. Enzo had bombed out of basic training, unable to keep up with the rigorous physical feats required to become a sailor. A scrawny kid from the Bronx, he’d joined the Navy to bulk up and stop the neighborhood bullies from punking him every chance they got. But he didn’t have the stamina or mental strength to make it back then. He’d gone home after four weeks and Julian hadn’t heard anything about him since. The man standing before Julian had come a long way from those days.
“I could ask you the same thing.” Walking around the corner, Julian shook Enzo’s hand.
“What? Are we acquaintances now? What’s with the fucking handshake? Come here!” Enzo said, wrapping his arms around Julian in a tight hug. “You looking good, Jules. Life been treating you well, I see.”
Julian shrugged. “You working for Sunny?”
Enzo nodded. “For the past two years. Best gig I’ve ever had and the money is fucking phenomenal!”
