Five Dollar Mocha: 13

"We need to talk."

She looks up from the register, pastes a slight smile over her shocked reaction. "Right now, or...?"

"When you can." He looks to his right for a moment then focuses once more on Sydney.

"I can take a break right now." She starts moving towards the door to the manager's office.

"No!" She stops, turns and faces him. He continues. "I mean, don't change your schedule just for me."

She relaxes and smiles at him. "Michael, don't worry about it. I just need a second to get someone to cover for me." He waits at the counter as she disappears through the door and reappears without her apron.

"Do you want to go somewhere else?" she asks, trying not to show her concern. It's in vain, though, because he catches on immediately.

"Sure. Uh, we can go to my car." He opens the door for her, and she looks at him, wondering what exactly is going on here. The reach the Volvo and sit inside it. He turns on the stereo, to classical but it still jars her. Sydney waits, unsure if she should act first or if he will. She turns towards him and sits with one leg tucked under her.

He keeps his hands on his lap, looking straight ahead as he begins. "Sydney, I need to tell you something. I should have told you this before, like when we first started dating."

"Michael, what's wrong?" She reaches out and takes one of his hands in hers. He finally makes eye contact with her, and she can see the worry plainly.

"Sydney, this is going to take you by surprise. I'm not supposed to be telling you this, but it has to be done." He takes a deep breath. "I'm a CIA agent."

She stares at him. "Yeah, right. Okay, so tell me what you really do." When he doesn't say anything, Sydney inquires, "Your friends know?"

He shakes his head and smiles, a half chuckle even slips out. "No, but once when I was drunk I told them. They thought I was joking. It's why I don't drink as much as I used to."

"Really? Because I thought it was just to pick up underage girls like me." She returns the smile.

"No, I actually haven't had a girlfriend in a while. I guess it just was the right time when I met you; my life was finally starting to settle, and my missions are overnighters, weekends at the most."

"Missions?"

"Yeah, I was serious about that secret agent stuff."

Sydney sits properly, looking out the front windshield. "Wild. I get why you didn't tell me, but why are you telling me now?"

"There's been an information leak. Some shadowy agencies have somehow gotten a list of certain agents of several government agencies."

"What, like the FBI and CIA?"

"Not to mention MI6 and others."

She looks at him curiously. "Are you on that list?"

"Yeah." He tightens his grip on her hand. "I'm going to leave LA for a while, Sydney. It's a matter of life and death."

"Michael, you have to go! God, I don't want you to die—" She can't believe it, but tears are in her eyes.

"I want you to come with me, Sydney."

"You what?"

"I want you to come with me. I mean, let's face it. I'm going to be on some distant island all by myself with no one but security guards that I'll probably never see. It'd be fun to have you with me."

"You want me to go to an island paradise with you?"

"Yeah. Don't pack much."

She laughs. "That leaves little for me to wonder what activities you have planned for us."

"So you'll come."

She leans over and kisses his cheek. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."