The ride to the eighth floor was silent, and it killed me that I was the one who had created a situation where we barely spoke to each other anymore.
Fallon looked around as we walked to his door. “Where are the other agents?”
“Since it’s a holiday, you’re stuck with us until the night shift starts,” I replied.
He unlocked his door, and I completed a quick sweep of the condo. When Fallon entered, he walked toward the kitchen to put away the leftovers he’d been sent home with, leaving me to decide if I should follow him or give him space.
Assuming he didn’t want me to hover, I took a seat on the leather couch in the living room. When he came back, he had two plates in his hand. “Thought you might want another slice of pie.”
I took the piece of pumpkin pie he was offering. “Thanks. I can’t remember the last time I’ve had a meal as good as the one today.”
We ate in silence for a few minutes, and then he asked, “What do you normally do for the holidays?”
I swallowed a bite. “For the last few years, I’ve been scheduled to work, but before that I would fly out to Arizona, where my parents live.”
“What about Poppy?”
I sighed. “She spends the holidays with her mom, and then we get together when I have time off. My parents try to plan their visits around my schedule so we can celebrate as a family, but it doesn’t always work out.”
Fallon looked at me with a hint of sadness in his eyes. “I can’t imagine not seeing my family on Thanksgiving or Christmas.”
I lifted a shoulder. “It comes with the territory. If I’d planned things out, I would have probably waited to have kids because my job isn’t very conducive to a family life, but I wouldn’t trade Poppy for anything. It just takes a little more planning to spend time together.” I took the last bite of the dessert.
“I’m guessing your schedule makes it harder to date too,” he pondered and then shook his head. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have brought that up.”
“It’s fine.”
He stood and grabbed my empty plate. “No, you made it clear there are boundaries we need to abide by, and asking about your dating life crosses a line. I’m going to stick these plates in the dishwasher and then go to bed.”
“Wait—”
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Agent Davis.”
* * *
The following day,I headed out to sign the lease agreement for my new place. I’d already made arrangements with Agent Tanner to switch to the mid shift because the leasing office was closed for the holiday weekend, but the property manager was making an exception for me and offered to meet in the morning.
When Day and I had gone apartment hunting a couple of weeks before, I’d found a perfect two-bedroom, one-bath place only a few blocks from where Alexis and Poppy lived, and couldn’t wait to have my daughter over as soon as possible.
As I drove away from the apartment complex with my new keys in hand, I passed a retail store and decided to stop so I could pick up a few things before heading back to the command post. Besides needing to grab some toiletries, I wanted to get an energy drink because I was operating on very little sleep.
The night before, I’d gone straight to my room after Agent Meyer relieved me. I tried to fall asleep, but I ended up tossing and turning the entire night as I thought about Fallon.
Our conversation, while not our usual light-hearted bantering, had left me conflicted because I really did enjoy spending time with him. My head told me to leave things as they were and focus on my job. But my heart—and other parts—begged me to give in to my desires and see what could happen between us. It was like one of those classic cartoon characters with an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other, each trying to convince me what path I should take.
I found a parking spot near the entrance of the store and headed inside. I grabbed the items I needed, and as I went to check out, I passed a display of prepaid cell phones, and divine inspiration hit. Maybe there was a way Fallon and I could explore things with each other as long as we were careful.
Of course, I needed to get him to forgive me for pulling away first.
* * *
After my shopping trip,I dropped off my stuff at the command post and then made my way to Fallon’s to start my shift. When I walked into his condo, he was sitting at his desk and didn’t bother to look my way, even though I knew he heard me come in.
“See you tomorrow, Fallon,” Agent Bernard said as he left.
“Later.” Fallon waved over his shoulder.
When the door clicked shut, I moved toward him and tossed one of the cell phones I’d purchased onto the desk.
