Chapter Two
"Why don't you drive?" Paige said after Drew had deposited
their son into the back seat of her car and had strapped him in.
"Sure." He took the keys she held out to him and walked around to the driver's
side of the vehicle. Paige got in on the other side, taking a deep breath.
She was too upset to be behind the wheel. The awful scene with Walter kept
replaying in her head. She shouldn't have said what she had said. But she
had been jealous, had felt betrayed, especially when she had overheard him
asking Linda for a second date. For a moment she had been glad the other
woman had turned him down. For a moment. Then she had grown angry Linda had
failed to see the special person who was Walter O'Brien.
Paige had been so caught up in her thoughts she was surprised when
Drew stopped the car and she realized they were at the condo.
"I'll carry Ralph up," he offered as they started to get out of the car.
"I'm awake," the boy said before unbuckling his seat belt. "Hi, Dad."
"Hey, Ralph."
"I forgot to tell you Dad was coming this week to do some scouting," her
son said after they had all emerged from the vehicle. "Sorry, Mom."
"That's okay, honey," she said in an airy tone which hid her inner turmoil.
An hour later, Ralph was asleep in his bed, and Paige had directed Drew
to the spare bedroom, apologizing for its cluttered appearance. "We just kind
of toss stuff in here when we can't find another place for it," she stated
as she picked up spare robot parts which were strewn about the bed's comforter.
"It's fine, Paige," Drew reassured. "I've stayed in worse places." He smiled
nervously. "Do you want to tell me what I walked in on back at the garage?"
"No." Startled by the sudden change in subject, she was even more surprised
he had picked up on the tension between her and Walter. But, she told herself,
Drew had a normal amount of EQ. Maybe she had spent so much time around
people with little to no emotional quotient, she had come to expect everyone
was like them, instead of the other way around.
"I can tell it's still bothering you," he pointed out as he placed his
duffel bag on the floor. "And I can be a good listener."
That was true. She had always been able to confide in him when they had
been together. It had just been so long since she had trusted anyone else,
she had lost the habit of unburdening her problems.
"It's just been a rough day," she began, "We found out our former Homeland
handler was a traitor who tried to force us to commit sabotage by strapping
a bomb to a woman and threatening to blow her up."
"A woman?" Drew asked. "Not you?" Paige shook her head. "The angry little
mechanic, whatshername?"
"Happy? No, not Happy." She wrapped her arms around her waist. "No, a woman
Walter went on a date with last night."
"Walter went on a date?" Drew's tone was full of disbelief. "With someone
besides you? And you're okay with that?"
"Yes, why wouldn't I be?" Paige had hoped her response would sound like
she didn't care, but even she could hear the bitterness underneath her words.
"I could hear the both of you through the door before I came in. You didn't
sound okay with it at all."
Paige sighed. "Just leave it alone, Drew. I don't want to talk about it
anymore."
He sat down on the bed, bouncing on it a couple of times. "Paige, I know
that you and Walter have some kind of odd relationship. I certainly don't
understand it and I think neither of you do either." He held up his hands
as she opened her mouth. "There's a weird feeling in the air when you two
are together. I'm surprised I don't see sparks shooting off of you."
She stared in amazement at her ex. When had he become so perceptive? "There's
nothing between Walter and me," she said dismissively. "He's just helping
me understand Ralph. He's my boss. We're just professional colleagues, nothing
more."
Drew shook his head. "Colleagues," he repeated with a laugh. "That's not
what I saw tonight. I think you both have feelings for each other and you're
both lying to yourselves that you don't. Hey, if you need me to make O'Brien
jealous. . ."
"Don't make me regret inviting you to stay," Paige warned, signaling the
conversation was at an end.
"Okay, okay," Drew laughed, getting to his feet again. "I'll mind my own
business while I'm here. And I do really have to get up early to check out
a couple of pitching prospects. So, good night."
"Good night." Paige backed out of the room, turning when she entered the
hallway. With a wave, Drew closed the door behind her.
Dammit. She was lying to Drew, lying to Ralph, lying to Walter, and
worst of all, lying to herself. She loved that stupid genius with the one
ninety-seven IQ. And she had no idea what she was going to do about it.