The Gulfstream to Washington leaves in ten minutes, so Agent Todd and I hit the ladies' room. I'm not one of those women who always needs a pee buddy, but Kate seems like she is, and I tag along.
"Sorry you had to go through that," Kate sympathizes as she washes her hands in the tiny sink.
"Go through what? Shooting Nasser?" I shrug a little. "I've done it before."
"I meant flirting with Tony," she explains, smiling apologetically. "That must have been rough… acting like you liked him."
Her smugness irritates me a little. It's actually a myth that women stick together in this profession. "Who says I was acting?"
She turns towards me, incredulous. "You mean you weren't?"
"Maybe a little," I admit. I tear off a length of paper towel and hand it to Agent Todd. "It's… not the hardest thing I've had to do for my job."
She shudders as she accepts the towel. "Better you than me, then."
"What do you care, anyway?" I make a show of applying lip gloss in the spotty mirror, although I'm not really a girly girl. "You've made it pretty clear how you feel about him."
Kate's eyes narrow. "And how is that, exactly?"
"You can't stand him. You think he's juvenile, sexist, and raunchy." That's right, Agent DiNozzo isn't worthy to lick the bottom of your Secret Service shoes, I think, but do not add.
"And you're telling me he isn't all of those things?" Kate is smiling again, keeping it light.
"Maybe," I concede. "But he's kind of cute, too."
She shrugs dismissively, but I know she has noticed it too. The green eyes, the great smile, the cute butt. "I guess."
"It's a long flight back to Washington." I'm leaning in to the mirror, fluffing my hair, feeling evil. "Maybe I'll have a little fun."
She stares me down with scary eyes. "If you hurt him, I'll kill you."