"In college, I had a huge crush on Frank." Rene confessed, smiling.
"A crush on our boss," Cody remarked, shaking his head, "An effort wasted."
"Hey!" Monica pushed him, scolding his implied insult to Rene. She kind of agreed with Cody, although Rene had what it took. But Frank Donovan the Agent adoring a woman? Not within the range of their imagination. From what they've seen from Frank, the guy will remain a bachelor for life, even if girls come crawling from ends of the earth.
Rene did not mind. "Cody is right, actually. He never asked me out."
"What about the dances?" Alex asked.
"I don't know if he went to any. Maybe he was too busy. Or maybe he was just disinterested. Some people jokingly called him a monk."
"That's not too bad," Said Cody, "There are nastier names than that."
"Yes there were," Rene laughed a little, "But no one dared to go past that."
Jake sighed. Alex stared at him. "What I want to know" he said, " is how long did your crush last?"
Cody pointed at him, laughing silently: That was a good question.
Rene brushed a streak of hair from her face. She smiled lightly and thought about the answer. She had thought that the crush ended when Neil proposed, or better, when she took herself the lover. But ever since she saw Frank again she realized that she had never gotten him out of her head. Did the crush persist for almost ten years? Or was it not a crush in the first place? After all, Frank was the reason she got that detective as a lover. The detective was of Israeli descent and was dark and handsome. At first sight, she thought he was Frank with a few changes. When they were together sometimes, she thought this substitute was exactly like Frank.
"I don't know how to answer you, Jake. It seems that I was never quite over that crush." She said finally.
The company fell silent. "So, what was the lover thing?" Jake asked.
"He was almost like Frank. Have you ever read 'Thorn Birds'? It's almost like why Meggie married Luke when she couldn't get Ralph. My lover was a private detective. He was active, intelligent, dark, handsome, but far more accepting towards women."
"Of that one can be sure of." Muttered Cody, staring at his empty, cold cup.
"And he didn't like children." Rene continued, "So I broke up with him. It's that simple. He lives now in Pennsylvania I think."
"I've read 'Thorn Birds'. It was an excellent book." Said Monica, nodding at Rene, breaking the sad spell of the subject.
Rene nodded slightly. "What time is it?" The clock was going slow for some reason. It was half an hour till.
"Let's - " Alex began to say "let's go" when Rene's cell phone rang.
Everybody stopped dead in the track. Rene picked it up. "Hello?"
"Hello, my new widow. Preparing to leave the nest, to pick up the little girl? Well, when you go, deliver some medical equipments for me."
"All right." Rene's voice was even. "What do you need, a first-aid kit?"
"Sure, if you want Donovan to die. Stupid woman." Gatille hissed, "500 cc of O type blood, IV. Cotton balls. Remember, don't come near my place. And tell those agents don't bother to disguise themselves and come."
"Agreed." Rene hung up. The rascal, she thought, warning her as if she doesn't know all about his recognition device.
"Wait a second for me." Rene said to the team, "I have to dress up a little."
When She came back out, the team was stunned. Rene had totally butchered her clothes to make a pinkish skirt and black low-cut top. She also wore fashionable sunglasses and a hair band that left her hair dangling down messily. With seductive air, she looked like an expensive prostitute from top to toe.
Cody gasped. Jake smiled widely. Alex and Monica exchanged laughing glances.
"Are you sure you're not a federal agent?" Cody joked, after a few seconds of pause.
"No, but I was Lady Macbeth in dramatics club." Rene replied, smiling, seeing their reaction. "Let's go."
"A crush on our boss," Cody remarked, shaking his head, "An effort wasted."
"Hey!" Monica pushed him, scolding his implied insult to Rene. She kind of agreed with Cody, although Rene had what it took. But Frank Donovan the Agent adoring a woman? Not within the range of their imagination. From what they've seen from Frank, the guy will remain a bachelor for life, even if girls come crawling from ends of the earth.
Rene did not mind. "Cody is right, actually. He never asked me out."
"What about the dances?" Alex asked.
"I don't know if he went to any. Maybe he was too busy. Or maybe he was just disinterested. Some people jokingly called him a monk."
"That's not too bad," Said Cody, "There are nastier names than that."
"Yes there were," Rene laughed a little, "But no one dared to go past that."
Jake sighed. Alex stared at him. "What I want to know" he said, " is how long did your crush last?"
Cody pointed at him, laughing silently: That was a good question.
Rene brushed a streak of hair from her face. She smiled lightly and thought about the answer. She had thought that the crush ended when Neil proposed, or better, when she took herself the lover. But ever since she saw Frank again she realized that she had never gotten him out of her head. Did the crush persist for almost ten years? Or was it not a crush in the first place? After all, Frank was the reason she got that detective as a lover. The detective was of Israeli descent and was dark and handsome. At first sight, she thought he was Frank with a few changes. When they were together sometimes, she thought this substitute was exactly like Frank.
"I don't know how to answer you, Jake. It seems that I was never quite over that crush." She said finally.
The company fell silent. "So, what was the lover thing?" Jake asked.
"He was almost like Frank. Have you ever read 'Thorn Birds'? It's almost like why Meggie married Luke when she couldn't get Ralph. My lover was a private detective. He was active, intelligent, dark, handsome, but far more accepting towards women."
"Of that one can be sure of." Muttered Cody, staring at his empty, cold cup.
"And he didn't like children." Rene continued, "So I broke up with him. It's that simple. He lives now in Pennsylvania I think."
"I've read 'Thorn Birds'. It was an excellent book." Said Monica, nodding at Rene, breaking the sad spell of the subject.
Rene nodded slightly. "What time is it?" The clock was going slow for some reason. It was half an hour till.
"Let's - " Alex began to say "let's go" when Rene's cell phone rang.
Everybody stopped dead in the track. Rene picked it up. "Hello?"
"Hello, my new widow. Preparing to leave the nest, to pick up the little girl? Well, when you go, deliver some medical equipments for me."
"All right." Rene's voice was even. "What do you need, a first-aid kit?"
"Sure, if you want Donovan to die. Stupid woman." Gatille hissed, "500 cc of O type blood, IV. Cotton balls. Remember, don't come near my place. And tell those agents don't bother to disguise themselves and come."
"Agreed." Rene hung up. The rascal, she thought, warning her as if she doesn't know all about his recognition device.
"Wait a second for me." Rene said to the team, "I have to dress up a little."
When She came back out, the team was stunned. Rene had totally butchered her clothes to make a pinkish skirt and black low-cut top. She also wore fashionable sunglasses and a hair band that left her hair dangling down messily. With seductive air, she looked like an expensive prostitute from top to toe.
Cody gasped. Jake smiled widely. Alex and Monica exchanged laughing glances.
"Are you sure you're not a federal agent?" Cody joked, after a few seconds of pause.
"No, but I was Lady Macbeth in dramatics club." Rene replied, smiling, seeing their reaction. "Let's go."