Chapter 3
That very next morning found Carmelita awake and already dressed at seven o'clock. She watched Kitty head off to work, then climbed into her red Peugeot, dropped its top, and proceeded to have a leisurely drive through Paris proper, finally winding her way to the outskirts of the French capital. It wasn't too much longer before her sporty red convertible pulled into the deserted parking lot of the old Parisian train station. The old station was still in pretty good repair, its cement façade clean and well-kept up. Carmelita looked up at the splendor of the old building, with the finely crafted gargoyles that lined its roof, as well as the heroic scenes of France's glorious past done up in bas relief on either side of the main entrance. "Beautiful," she remarked, somewhat in awe. It was odd what she noticed now…as a normal citizen, that she had never noticed when she worked for Interpol.
Shaking her head, she decided to stop playing tourist, and parked her car on the edge of the lot, beneath a line of low-slung beech trees, whose dark green leaves rustled slightly with the small breeze that wafted about playfully this day. She walked sedately past the glory of the old train station to the adjacent building. It was a bit more modern in its architecture, certainly around the turn of the century, she guessed.
"Le Hotel Champlain," Carmelita read off of the large wooden sign that was proudly displayed in gilt-painted letters over the hotel's entrance. It wasn't a very big hotel, mind you, but it was a still impressive building, three floors, sporting ten windows per floor, but for the main floor which took up the space two windows would take on the floors above for the entrance. It was finished in smooth dove grey stone, accented by aged wood beams and trim. Olive green shutters were thrown wide to each side of every window, and matching gutters and gables accented the place nicely. The steps leading to the main entrance were of large variegated field stones, which had been smoothed over the years by the tromping of many feet up and down them. Wrought iron rails gracefully swept up each side of the concentric stairs that got progressively smaller as one headed up them, leading one to the olive green, brass-trimmed front door. Carmelita could easily imagine seeing men in tailed frock coats and ladies in frilled dresses ascending these very stairs in days gone by, laughing and talking. She was by no means surprised to find the big green door---with its gorgeous stained glass panels---securely locked. She shrugged, thinking…that would be far too easy. Eh, where there's a will, there's a way, she told herself as she descended the stairs once more.
Carmelita smiled as she studied the quaint yet grand hotel. "Yep," she murmured to herself, "this is exactly the sort of place Cooper would use as his base." She was impressed, despite herself. What a wonderful place, she told herself. I wonder what it looks like on the inside? She'd already seen a portion of it during her stay before. She shrugged, knowing she'd learn that soon enough, her face lighting with a grin. But, now…how to get in?
Now, true, she could just march up to the front door, and begin banging the ornate brass knocker there until Cooper deigned to come answer. However, that would be pretty tacky, she told herself, drawing her proud head up. A girl's got to have class, she said mentally. But, if that were the case, then…how to get inside? Carmelita decided that the only way she'd know was to do a proper surveillance, which she wasted no time in beginning. All the window on the ground floor were securely locked…which didn't really surprise her any. She briefly toyed with the idea of climbing one of the sturdy painted brass downspouts, but quickly quashed that idea. She continued moving silently around the house in a clockwise direction.
She encountered an old ornate copper gate that led to the back of the hotel, which was covered in verdigris from age. She lifted the sideways S-shaped handle and twisted. Much to her surprise it opened, and the gate made no noise when she pushed it open. She slipped inside, and eased the gate shut with nary a sound.
Carmelita now found herself in a large, but exquisite garden. Her big brown eyes widened in awe at the lushness of the place. White lobelias, stunning blue hydrangeas, vivid purple heliotropes…the place was a riot of carefully orchestrated color, brought together against a vast palette of greens. She sighed, and inhaled the wonderful smell of all the various scents blended together. She was liking this place more and more…
When she was able to tear herself away from the garden, however, she spotted something that...well, just didn't seem to fit. A large pear tree loomed up from the middle of the garden, it's branches spreading out in all directions. It was then that she spotted one clever branch that loomed very close to the hotel's second floor. She followed that branch, and moved up to the hotel's wall, looking up. She smiled a triumphant smile…as she saw the stout, yet still precarious branch stopped less than a meter away from an open window. Voila! she told herself…one entryway, no waiting!
Carmelita moved quickly over to the pear tree, reminiscing about the days that she and her sister, Carmen, used to climb orange trees back in Spain during the summers. She smiled as she spotted a stout lower branch, stepped up, and with the dexterity that would leave any squirrel impressed, she ascended. Once she reached the root of the branch she intended to use to gain entrance to the hotel, she shinnied her way out. She softly bit her lower lip in a moment of anxiety as the narrowing branch began to bend a bit beneath her booted feet. She moved further out…as far as she dared, before she tensed her legs and leapt!
All those years of chasing Cooper over the rooftops of Paris must of paid off handsomely, for Carmelita zipped through the open window and landed in a roll that brought her to her feet. "I'm in!" she crowed softly in her satisfaction.
She paused a moment to orient herself…as well as to allow her eyes to adjust to the dim light she now found herself in. Well, she was definitely in one of the guest rooms, she deduced. As her eyes adjusted, she could begin to pick out items in the room, as well as those that hung upon the walls. She grinned a moment later when she spotted a picture of none other than herself upon the wall. Further inspection proved most of the pictures were of her. "Ah, so this must be Cooper's room," she told herself in a whisper. She nodded as she moved about, recognizing the place where she had finally admitted her feelings to Sly. This was a very special place to her. She then spotted one picture of Sly and his friends all standing together, big grins on their faces. She wondered briefly what the picture commemorated…why they were all so happy. But, after another moment, she only smiled fondly at his picture, raised her fingers to her lips, kissed them, then pressed her fingers to lips of Sly's picture. "I've got one of those for you when I met you in person, buddy boy," she said, smiling.
She then stopped her fond reminiscing, and moved over to the door. She briefly pressed one large pointed ear to the panel, and listened intently. Hearing no voices or sounds, she worked the handle, and peered through the tiny crack she made in the door. She smiled in satisfaction upon seeing no one at all. She then slowly made her way down the hallway, listening all the way. Her large, sensitive ears finally heard the murmur of conversation…coming from down the stairs. "Ah, there you are," she commented in a hush. She stealthily crept down the stairs, telling herself she was going to have to buy herself some crepe-soled shoes to replace her noisier boots.
As she cleared the stairs, she listened carefully again. There! she thought, their voices were coming from the left of where she now stood. She made sure she walked over the thick blue runner on the wooden floor, which, she hoped, would muffle the clomp of her boots. Finally, their voices became loud enough for her to hear what they were saying. She paused one last time, her ears swiveling to locate the sound of their voices. She then nodded and headed over toward what had to be one of the hotel's sitting rooms.
She carefully edged her way over, hugging her body against the inside wall, then the glass paneled doors that were opened flush to the walls now. She then leaned her head over until only the top of her head and her eyes showed. She grinned to see Sly and his buddies all grouped around the sitting Bentley, whose face was made even greener by the illumination of his trusty laptop computer. The big, friendly hippo, Murray she thought his name was, was seated beside his little friend, reading some book illustrated with bright flashy colors and bold text. Sly, lounged against the nearby wall, idly twirling that oddly-tipped cane of his in a lazy circle as he listened.
"…and that's about it, gents," Bentley finished. "That's the heist, in a nutshell. Nice, simple, and straight-forward for a change. Now, if we succeed---er, when we succeed, I should say---we all agree to hand over the profits of the operation to our favorite charity, the Happy Campers Orphanage, right? I mean, I really don't think either of you will disagree with me when I say that they could really use the money."
"No, you got that right, Bent," Sly replied, chuckling. He then sighed, obviously reminiscing. "Yeah, they do. Oh, hey, guys…do you two remember our first heist there…way back when?"
Murray put down his book, and chuckled fondly. "Sure I do! How could I forget, Sly?" Murray told his boss, his friend. "That was when we stole those chocolate chip cookies the Headmistress had just baked." The big hippo groaned with remembrance. "Mmm, I can almost still taste 'em!" Murray then sighed, adding, "Oh, man…I remember I got so hungry while we were planning that job."
"No doubt, my big friend," Sly said with a laugh, "That was pretty easy for both me and Bent to see…as you ate all of our crayons, including the ones that Bentley had used to draw up our plans with."
"Oops…sorry, guys," Murray replied, shame-faced, but with a grin.
Sly laughed, a laugh that Carmelita found very attractive. Then Murray's deep rumbling laughter joined in, and lastly Bentley's higher-pitched laughter rounded out the group's. That was when a fourth distinct voice's laughter joined in on the joke…a soft, mellow, very feminine voice at that.
"Huh?" Sly said after a moment, turning his head toward the sound of that congenial laughter. Murray frowned a moment, then grinned, turning in the direction Sly was. Bentley pushed his chair back and twisted his head around on his scrawny neck. That was when all of them froze stock still in shock.
"What?" Carmelita replied, grinning. "It was a funny story," she reasoned, smiling broadly then. The three fellows had three very different reactions upon seeing her there.
"Oh, crap!" Bentley hissed, his green skin turning abruptly the color of pale celery. "Oh, crap!" he groaned, snapping his laptop shut, and began hurriedly stuffing all his notes into an already overstuffed leather valise.
"Inspector Fox?" came Murray's pleased, though puzzled query, his eyes flickering between welcome and near-panic, and back again. He finally chose to give her a very timid wave.
"Carmelita!" Sly whooped, elated, standing up and moving her way, grinning like a madman.
"Well, I'm impressed, fellas. Really I am," Carmelita remarked, enjoying herself this moment, especially upon seeing Sly moving toward her happily.
Bentley was loosing his composure completely! "Run! Sly, Inspector Fox is in our hideout! We're doomed! It'll mean life in prison for all of us!" the turtle shrieked.
"C'mon…get a grip, Bentley!" Carmelita said, smiling and shaking her black-haired head. "Do you think if I'd come here to arrest you three, I'd of come just by myself? Hmm? Now, Bentley…do you see squads of gendarmes? The Interpol Quick Reaction Forces, maybe? Um…no. Now, if you had done your homework, you would of noticed that I'm no longer employed by Interpol. In fact, I quit."
"Say what?" Bentley yelped, but Sly only shook his head sadly.
"You heard me, buster. I quit two days ago," she informed them. "Now, I'm just plain old Carmelita Fox, private citizen."
"You may not be an Inspector any longer," Sly told her with a telling smile. "But, you'll never be just 'plain old' Carmelita Fox, my pretty girl."
Carmelita flicked her eyes to his, and smiled in appreciation. "Thanks," she said simply.
Bentley then sighed explosively, immensely relieved. "So, if that's the case, Inspector, just what in the heck are you doing here then?" he asked suspiciously. "And, even more importantly, exactly how did you manage to find our hideout?"
Carmelita paused a moment, then walked into the room. "Well, I guess I'd better answer your question in order then. First, I'm here---in your hideout---because your boss, Sly Cooper---you remember him, right?---told me at his birthday party---where I was his gift! (upon hearing those words, she scowled meaningfully over at both Bentley and Murray, who rather predictably blushed and backed away)---that if I should ever found myself out of a job, I should come look him up. So…I'm out of a job…and here I am!"
Bentley and Murray gaped, then swung their heads comically around to gaze rather stupidly over at Sly, who just smiled and shrugged. "What can I say fellas? It was an offer I just couldn't let her pass by," he reasoned, moving over to put his arm around her slender waist, then drew her tightly to himself, pausing to lean over to kiss her firmly upon the cheek, inhaling the scent of her freshly washed hair.
Carmelita returned his kiss with one of her own…but, it seemed, her aim was off…as she planted hers directly on his lips! Much to Sly's delight, of course!
Bentley and Murray continued to gape. "But, but…how?" Murray asked, grinning, obviously very pleased.
"Never mind 'how', Murray," Bentley threw out. "I wanna know when?"
"I already answered that one, Turtle Boy," Carmelita reminded him. "Or, weren't you listening?"
"Be nice, Carmelita," Sly counseled her, seeing his friend blush in embarrassment.
"Let's just say," Sly began, pausing to give his Carmelita a look, asking for her approval. She nodded, and he continued. "That we had some rather interesting discussions, Ms. Fox and I did. And, thanks to you two guys forcing the issue for once, we kind of…well, got to understand one another better."
"You got that right," Carmelita confirmed. She then gave Bentley a hard look. "That's the only reason I didn't stun both of your sorry rumps right then and there." She relented, then smiled over at Sly. "I---I finally was forced to shut up and listen to my heart for once. And, it was then that I realized all along that the only reason I chased your boss was…well, because I couldn't stand to lose him. I guess it was then that I finally realized that I loved him." She gazed a lingering look over at Sly, then noticed the grimace on Bentley's face. "Well, I do! And, he loves me too! I guess I was just…er, well, too stubborn to realize it was all."
Sly smiled broadly at Carmelita's admission, and drew her into his arms once more, kissing her forehead with obvious affection. "That's my girl," he told her softly, proudly. She smiled, enjoying being in his arms again.
After a moment to enjoy herself, Carmelita continued on. "Now, to answer your second question…as to how I figured out just where you all were holed up…"
"Holed up?" Sly questioned, his eyebrows arching. "I hardly call this---"
"Sly, hush," Carmelita admonished him, giving him a teasing smile, before readdressing Bentley once more. "Actually, it was Kitty---you remember your accomplice now, don't you?---that figured it out," she confessed, explaining just how Kitty had pieced the whole thing together.
Bentley groaned, then vowed, holding up his right hand. "That's it…I swear, I'll never kidnap anyone again…ever! Far far too risky," he pledged.
Carmelita could only smile. She smiled as Sly began to run his hand softly up and down her back, which she found very pleasing…and distracting. Eh, she figured, I'll get used to it. She grinned to herself. "Now, what's this I heard you all talking about then? The Cooper Gang's planning some new caper then?" she mentioned.
"Yeah, we were…and so? You're not an Inspector anymore. What's it to you?" Bentley growled, still not comfortable with their former arch-nemesis being there.
"Bentley…" Sly warned, his brow furrowing.
"Whatever," a still cross Bentley grumbled.
"She's here because I invited her, Bentley," Sly told him. "So, ease up already, would you?"
"All right," Bentley acquiesced, but folded his arms across his narrow chest. "But, I still don't like it. It could all be a trap to apprehend us, you know."
Sly heaved a much put-upon sigh, fighting for his patience. "Wouldn't that be a pretty spectacular ruse, Bent? I know Interpol could fake her getting fired," Sly explained, seeing Bentley nod emphatically. "But, Bent…do you really think Carmelita could be this good an actress?" he asked, looking adoringly over at his lady love, who looked back at him with very affectionate eyes. "Hmm?" he urged, looking over at Bentley once more.
Bentley swallowed, looking like he'd just eaten something very bitter. "No…no I don't think so, Sly. The former Carmelita might have been able to pull off allowing you to give her a hug or two…but a kiss? Uh-uh, I don't think so…not willingly at least," he reluctantly admitted. He then turned to the expectant Carmelita, and he looked away as their eyes met. "Sorry, In---er, Carmelita."
Carmelita smiled, and nodded her acceptance of his apology. "Hey, Bentley," she pointed out, "this is all sort of weird for me too, you know."
Bentley grinned at that, shaking his head. "Yeah, I can imagine," he said with a chuckle.
"So, gorgeous," Sly began then. "What can I do for you then?"
"Well, I was thinking about that the last few days," Carmelita answered, disengaging herself from Sly with reluctance. But, she knew, she talked better when she was moving. "Me and my family have been in law enforcement for four, now five, generations, yes?"
"Yep," Sly answered. "Your Dad chased mine half way 'round the world and back, querera."
Carmelita blinked at that, then grinned. "Yeah, well…that aside. While I'm no longer with Interpol…that doesn't mean that I've given up on trying to bring the bad guys to justice," she explained.
Bentley's eyes went huge behind his glasses, and he opened his mouth to speak, but Carmelita didn't let him.
She held up a hand. "Quit jumping to conclusions, amigo," she counseled. "You'll only hurt yourself." She grinned, seeing him smile wanly back at her, annoyed.
"You were saying, querera?" Sly prompted her.
"What?" she replied, surprised---but pleased!---by him calling her 'his love' in Spanish. "Oh! Oh, yeah. Well, I figured there's just got to be some other way to hurt the scum out there that preys on innocent folks, you know? And, since I'm fed up with Interpol---and their stupid, wasteful politics and other crap---I had to think long and hard on how I could still do my part. So…that was when I thought of you guys. How you, over the years, and despite my efforts---sorry about that!---you still managed to get a goodly number of real nasty criminals behind bars and off the streets."
"Thanks for the kudos, Carmelita," Sly replied, "but you were sort of instrumental in that as well, yes?"
Bentley growled. "Enough with the mutual admiration society, you two, okay?" He took off his glasses, wiped them, then re-perched them on his nose. "You were saying, Inspector?"
Carmelita nodded, but not before giving Sly a clever wink when Bentley wasn't looking her way. "Yes. Well, the more I thought about it, the more I was intrigued by the idea. If I can't use the law to bring them down…I could hurt them where it really counts…in their pocketbooks!" Carmelita proclaimed.
"Hmm," Sly murmured, rubbing his chin, as he often did when thinking. "Not a bad plan, really, sweetheart." He grinned over at Carmelita, who smiled her thanks. "Sort of just a spin on what we've been doing for years, really." Sly began slowly twirling his cane again. "Yeah, that could definitely work," he commented, then looked quickly over to Carmelita. "Especially if you could still use your contacts at Interpol, like your rascally Ms. Petro, and that sweet Trish Connelly too…"
Carmelita frowned at him calling Trish, her friend, 'sweet'. "Watch getting fresh with Trish, buster," Carmelita warned him. "She's my friend, and I'm the jealous type, okay?" She grinned, just enough to take the sting out of what she said, but enough to let him know she was serious.
"Understood, Carmelita," Sly replied with a chuckle. "Consider me only a distant admirer of that lovely Irish girl."
"Sly…" Carmelita repeated, her eyes narrowing.
"What?" he said innocently. "C'mon, Carmelita…Trish is a very pretty girl. Now, not nearly as gorgeous as you, mind, but…" He grinned at her.
Carmelita snorted, then grinned. "You're impossible, Cooper," she told him.
"Aye," he said in a poor Irish accent, "just all part o' me boyish charms, don't y'know." He bowed to her grandly.
Bentley rolled his eyes in disgust, but wisely kept his silence.
"You know," Carmelita said a moment later. "That's not a bad idea either. It might be hard to set up at first…but, having some inside help at the Bureau could prove to be very useful."
Even the cross Bentley recognized the truth of that. "Oh, yeah. If I could get direct access to Interpol's files…man, the sky's the limits, pal!" Bentley told him, practically drooling at that prospect.
Sly then abruptly stopped his cane. "So, Murray? Bentley?" he called out softly.
"Yeah, Sly?" they both answered.
"I think it's time for the Cooper Gang to take a secret vote," he said mysteriously, glancing meaningfully over at the now-puzzled Carmelita.
"Ooh," Murray said, thrilled. "We haven't done that in ages, Sly!"
"Yeah," Bentley agreed, thinking. "Not since we formed the Gang, in fact."
Sly nodded his agreement, then turned to Carmelita. "Take a seat, Carmelita. Me and the boys will be back in a few minutes," he instructed her.
"Okay," she said, heading over and sitting down upon a plush armchair. "But what's this all ab---" she began.
"It's secret," Sly cautioned her, smiling, and holding his index finger over his lips. "Be back soon, my love."
Carmelita, for the first time since she had arrived, felt somewhat uncomfortable. Oh, not from the chair…that was very comfy, really. But, from the fact that she was out of the loop on what fate awaited her.
Thankfully, the three returned soon enough. She tried to gauge the expressions on their faces. Bentley's was as sour as ever. Murray's was all over the place, frowns alternating with smiles. Sly's was the hardest of all to read. "So?" she asked…rather tentatively.
"We," Sly then intoned, the three of them moving over toward her in a row, making Carmelita push back in her chair, "took a secret vote…only the second one in our existence."
"And?" Carmelita asked, her voice a bit tremulous.
"And," Sly intoned very grandly, making Carmelita's heart begin to speed up in her nervousness. "And…the Cooper Gang has now officially accepted it's first Apprentice!" he said, his happy brown eyes caressing her.
"Me?" Carmelita asked, then grimaced. "Right, stupid answer. Who else could it be?" She found herself suddenly buoyant feeling, feeling happier than she had in quite a long time, in fact. "Thanks, fellas!" she told them all, giving them the benefit of something none of them had seen before…a most stunning, very thankful smile.
"Thank Sly," Bentley said, his cheeks going rosy. "Trust me, he had to do quite a bit of fancy talking to convince me. But…convince me, he did."
"Yeah," Murray agreed, then added. "Me, too. But, Carmelita…I'm so happy your on our side now!" Murray then leapt forward, gathered a most startled Carmelita in his arms and hugged her, rocking her gently.
Carmelita giggled. "Thanks, Murray," she grunted. Man, that hippo had quite a grip! "Um," she added breathlessly a moment later. "You can let me down now."
"Ooh, sorry!" Murray said, placing her gently back on her feet.
Carmelita reached up on her tip-toes and thankfully bussed Murray on the cheek, which made him smile and blush. She then turned to regard Bentley.
"Oh, no you don't!" Bentley yelped, seeing Carmelita descending upon him, trying to squirm away.
"Oh, yes I am!" she crowed, placed her hands at the back of his head and beneath his chin before she kissed him loudly on his cheek. "Thanks, Bentley…I really appreciate you voting me in."
Bentley goggled in near apoplexy! Now, he had been kissed on the cheek twice by a woman…both times by the stunning Carmelita. His cheeks flushed a deep dark red beneath his green skin, but her eventually smiled at her. "Y-Your welcome," he managed.
"And, you!" Carmelita said as she moved over to Sly.
"Me, corazon?" he asked, rubbing his knuckles against his chest.
"Yes, you, buster!" she said, then she seized him, drawing him tightly against herself, and kissed him. She kissed him for a minute, before she pressed the issue and dipped Sly as she kissed him, bending him over backward slightly as her emotions got away from her.
"Good Lord, girl!" Bentley gasped another minute later. "Let the poor guy breathe!"
Carmelita lifted him back up, then broke off her kiss. She then ran her hands through the wealth of her blue-black silken hair, pushing it back over her shoulders before she regarded Sly again. She grinned broadly to see the dazed, yet dreamy look on the smitten raccoon's face. "Sly?" she tried softly, grinning. "Oh, Sly…?"
"Hmm?" he muttered, a big goofy grin on his face. She laughed, and he then regained his composure once more. "Woo! I think I should accept you to the team annually!" he teased.
Carmelita chuckled, grinning. "That could be arranged, Ringtail," she told him.
"Okay, then," Sly finally said, running his hand up through his spiky gray hair. "You probably need to leave your house at least an hour before eight…so you have enough time to get here, you understand," he instructed.
"Uh-uh," Carmelita said, disagreeing. "What's the matter, Cooper? All the rooms in this place full-up?" she demanded.
Sly was flustered by that. "W-What?" he managed finally. "You mean…you mean, you want to move in here…with me? Er, um, I mean us?"
"You got it right the first time, buster!" Carmelita said, taking his hand. "So…may I then?" she asked.
"Of course, you can!" Sly crowed, kissing her again. "I just…well, thought that, well, maybe…" He grinned in embarrassment. "Tell you what, sweetheart. You make your arrangements, do what you got to do. Then, when you're ready, you can come and pick any room that's currently not in use. Heck, there's enough…you can have two, if you need them!"
"That sounds wonderful," Carmelita replied, smiling happily.
"Yep," Sly continued, warming up to the matter. "We can then help you decorate, move your stuff in, that sort of thing. Then, once you're all settled in, we'll start your training. How's that sound, Carmelita my love?"
"You've got a deal, Sly!" she replied, then whooped in joy, startling poor Bentley.
She looked over his way, then said, "Sorry about that".
"Done!" Sly replied, then reached out to take Carmelita's hand and press his lips to her knuckles.
Carmelita was happily flustered by his gentlemanly act. "Um, well then…I guess I'll be off to head back home. I'm going to need at least a week, so I can sign over my house to Kitty. I'll have to make arrangements with my attorney, and then I'll need to box up all my personal belongings, so I can move them over here. But, then…after that, you're all stuck with me!"
Sly smiled at her affectionately, then kissed Carmelita again…one last time. "I wouldn't have it any other way, mi corazon," he told her, very truthfully, his eyes full of warmth and great affection for her. He then grinned and turned his head toward his buddies. "Right, guys?"
"Hurry back, Carmelita!" Murray called out, excited at the prospect of a new member of the team.
"Oh, yeah…right," Bentley replied…without much conviction though.
"Eh," Sly commented to his lady love. "He'll come around, Carmelita. I know what kind of effect you have on him. He's just uncomfortable."
"With me as a former cop?" she asked. "Or because I'm a woman?"
Sly laughed, then kissed her on the cheek as he escorted her toward the back door. "A little of both, I think," he told her. "But, I have no doubt you'll be able to win him over, Carmelita. You're an exceptional lady, you know."
"I do try," Carmelita tossed back in mock humility.
"What! A! Woman!" Sly announced to all and sundry, hugging her to himself. "I love you, Carmelita. You be safe, okay?"
"I will," she promised, smiling. "And, I love you too."
They kissed one last time, then Sly opened the door, and led her outside. "Hurry back!" he called after her. She just gave him her most stunning smile, and waved, jogging back to her convertible.