Paul looked over Rihanna's shoulder and smiled as the car speed off. "Well that will keep them at bay for only so long." He felt her legs move from around his waist and moved away to make the coffee. "We need to be gone by the morning. I've arranged for my neighbour to pop in. She is going to go shopping for us and allow us use of her cell for any calls we need to make. She's ex force so she knows the score." She saw Rihanna arch her eyebrows. "Ok ok. And she has a slight crush on me so…"
"…you're using that to your advantage." Rihanna smirked and gratefully accepted the coffee that he had just made. "I can use her cell and hook it up to my laptop. I need to call my father and let him know what's happening. He can pick my car up as well." She sighed. "I should be used to all this you know. He was involved in some top classified projects in his day. Many things never added up and at one point my mother just gave up and divorced him." She followed Paul into the lounge and curled up on one of the couches. "It's sad when someone's job interferes with family."
Paul sat down opposite her and gave her a rueful smile. "We all know what we will sacrifice when we join. You of all people should know how difficult our jobs make it to find love."
Rihanna chuckled. "Oh really? What by personal experience or listening to you moan about it day in, day out."
Paul grinned. "Touché. It's not like I haven't tried to date people. It's just… with my job and my schedule, I'm often called away at the last minute, I never know when I'll be back and I often forget to call." He looked over to her as she placed her mug down on the coffee table. "I'm not doing a very good job at selling myself here am I?"
"Why on earth would you feel the need to sell yourself to me?" She looked at him fondly. "I've known you for a while now Paul and whilst I will admit that at times you are more than slightly forgetful, you are dedicated to your job. It's not that you don't care about the people you date, it's just that there are more important things that you cannot share with them. To be fair, you have been dating outside the Air Force, maybe choosing civilians isn't the answer?"
"Maybe not. I just wanted something normal in my life for once." He sighed and looked up as his neighbour Katie came in through the back door. "Hey Katie."
"Hi Paul." She looked across at Rihanna, openly viewing her as competition. "Here's my cell…" She handed him the phone. "Now what do I need to get?"
"We need clothing more than anything. You know my sizes and Rihanna is…"
"Size 8 clothes and size 6 shoes."
"We'll need evening wear, warm clothes and also some normal stuff…" He got up and Katie followed him out into the kitchen.
Rihanna shook her head slightly and proceeded to interface Katie's cell with her laptop to gain a secure internet connection. She had managed to pull her laptop from her own car before they had sped out of the parking lot. She typed in her father's details and waited for a connection the other end. She rolled her neck in an attempt to ease the discomfort that had settled there and rubbed it thoughtfully.
"I've asked Katie to send her hairdresser round to us; we could do with make-overs."
"Oh how very spy like. Do we get to change our names as well?"
"No because I dread to think what you'd come up with!" Paul chuckled remembering a conversation they'd had previously about absurd and suggestive Bond girl names. "That and I think we've got enough to try and remember without adding to it."
Rihanna turned her attention to her laptop as a beep signalled that her father had signed onto the secure connection. She activated the speaker phone on Katie's cell.
"Hey Dad."
"You know when you told me you were joining the Air Force I didn't envision you becoming involved in something like this Ri. Rumours are already rife. They are saying that you've eloped and got married. They're treating that as a more serious charge than the others!"
"Seriously dad… can you imagine me married?"
"Well no but these things sneak up on us when we least expect. Are you both ok?"
"We're fine. You won't be hearing from us for a while but I do need you to pick my car up. I'll send directions. Just try not to read too much into what is being said."
"Oh I won't. But just so you know what you're getting yourself into. Your boss… he's involved in Project Dark Skies…."
Rihanna bit her lip. "Ok Dad. Thanks. We'll be in touch." She terminated the transmission and looked over at Paul. "That explains a lot."
"What's Project Dark Skies?" A deep frown formed on Paul's forehead as he studied his PA. Could she possibly know about the Stargate? Is that why she rarely questioned what he said? "Do you know something you shouldn't?"
"Quite probable I'm sure." She shut the laptop and disconnected the cell phone.