Feeling a smug look curl up the corners of my lips, I turn around to look Max in the eye. "See, that wasn't so hard. I think you guys owe me an apolo...aaaah!" Everything suddenly turns black as I fall, then slide down along a cool metal surface. My fall just as suddenly ends, I land in a soft heap of money, and exhale out a soft, "Ooof."
I'm not surprised to see Lucy Diamond standing in front of me, but I am surprised at the butterflies I feel beginning to flutter around in my stomach. I can't help but just gape at Lucy for a moment. I try to convince myself it was just the ride down the chute. As I stuggle to stand up from the pile of money bags, one thought flies through my brain.
Damn she looks good. I shove that to the back of my head. That's just a bit too confusing for me to analyze right now. Gotta deal with the situation at hand, Amy! "What are you doing here?" I fall back into spy mode, telling Lucy to release the hostages and put back the money as I determinedly get up and try and keep my ridiculously short uniform in place.
"Don't you understand? I can't be here!" I hear myself say the words, but at that moment I can't think of somewhere I'd rather be more. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stress you out." "I'm not stressed out!" I pretty much yell back, realizing just how stressed out I actually am. Is it because of the hostages? My team stuck in the vault? Maybe. But somehow, just being this close to Lucy has all my nerve endings on edge.
Alright, calm down..."I just, I don't want you to get the wrong idea. I mean I really like you, but I don't like like you." As I say it, part of me is whispering in the back of my head, "Are you sure about that?" I don't know what else to do, but look expectantly at Lucy, silently begging for understanding. "Yeah, yeah, I gathered. That's why I brought you here, so we could sort of clear the air between us." "That's really sweet of you to go through all the trouble, the chute and all." Our eyes are locked the entire conversation and those butterflies are back and worse than ever. It's like I can physically feel those deep brown eyes burning a hole right through me.
My team! I suddenly remember them. Why won't they be worried about me? "Lucy!" She deactivates the booby trap. I try and be stern and serious. "That wasn't funny." "It was kinda funny." I glance at her again and "I can't" is all I hear myself say. I wonder if I'm saying it to her or to myself? What is it that I can't do? See her again? It's suddenly clear that it's all I want to do. I heave a big internal sigh. She looks so sad right now. I can't look away. I need to try to leave before I drown in those big brown puppy dog eyes.
"I gotta go." "No. No! I'll go," she says with a sad half smile. My resolve is cracking. "Look I understand this whole thing isn't gonna work out between us cuz obviously I misinterpreted the whole situation, but..." I can't look away. "Lucy, you didn't misinterpret anything!" I want to say, but the words won't form. I'm so lost in those beautiful brown eyes and soft voice. How can I let her leave? "I just want you to know that last night was the most alive I've felt in a while." Then it suddenly clicks. It's the most alive I've felt in a while. A long while. And definitely the first time I've ever felt like someone got me. Is this the 'more' I've been waiting for? Can I let her walk away without knowing?
"So I guess I'll see you around, same bat time or whatever." She's turning to leave! Lucy's turning to leave! I almost panic. I reach for her arm and grab her, pulling her back around to me. It must be written all over my face as she leans in for a kiss and I meet her halfway. It's the softest, most perfect kiss I've ever had. "Come with me. Come on, what do you have to lose?" "Everything." But I think the answer might have been the same if she had asked what I had to gain.
