I went another two days without seeing the fabulous, and possibly arsonist five. Then on the third day, unlike the other days that the group would ramble in, it wasn't JJ or Paul or Charlie that came in first, no, on the third day God gave me Clay. OK, God didn't GIVE me Clay, but he came first. Shit. Let me take a minute to find a way to phrase this without a sexual innuendo.

It took awhile, I know, but if you've seen Clay, I think you'd understand the issue. Anyway, Mr. White Button Down Black Jacket (see, if Keli can do it, so can I), came waltzing in like he wasn't a suspected arsonist. Maybe I was the ONLY one who suspected him and his group, but he didn't seem to act like he thought my mind had gone there.

I heard Keli's mutter, whatever she'd been twitchier about the day after the fire had faded, and now she was normal twitchy. And then he was standing in front of me again. Damn it. "Charlotte," I looked up as he took a sip from his cup of coffee, black if Keli knew her shit, and she normally did. "Could I have a word?" Sure, I thought you can have a shit ton of words, bucko.

I told Keli I'd be in my office and wasn't surprised when he didn't follow me immediately. Clearly we were on spy arsonist time now. Shit.

It took a few beats after I'd taken my chair and opened my laptop, I mean if we're pretending we're not having a clandestine meeting, act naturally (?) before I heard the soft knock that he'd given the first time he visited my tiny office. Another offer for him to enter and then there he was leaning against the wall studying me.

"I'm sure you have some ideas about-" He started, but I held up a hand stopping him in his tracks.

"I seriously DON'T want to know." I didn't, plausible deniability right? "Just tell me that no one was killed?" His gaze dropped and so did my stomach. Fuck. Shutting my eyes, I had to take a deep breath to steady myself. "OK, I REALLY don't want to fucking know."

"They weren't a good person, if that helps," he offered, and my eyes opened to his dimples peeking out a bit. Are you kidding me? My stomach had a new twist, and it wasn't from the guilt of someone's death with my possible aid. Damn him. "Charlotte, we, I will make SURE you aren't involved, that your name isn't-"

I snorted and he stared at me and the sound. "Too late, Clay, if that is your real name." I shook my head and had to fight slamming it down on the desk to give myself that brain trauma I thought I had the night of the fire. "The police were already here. You know, since the fire happened RIGHT across the street from this shop, and since I can't fucking tell them when the goddamn lights were on or off." At that my head did land on the desk, but not to brain myself, just to make me calm down. Damn it. I saw money and let it tempt me and LOOK at how well it turned out.

"Hey," his voice was WAY too close and I couldn't look up, but then I felt his fucking hand on my back. Damn it. "Charlotte, are you alright?" I snorted again, but it was slightly muffled by my desk. "I, I never wanted to get you involved, that's why I had Jen-" he stopped and I waited. Jen? Who the fuck- JJ, his real name was Jen?

I rolled my head to the side so I could see him out of the corner of my eye. "You sent JJ?" He swallowed, I could see his Adam's apple bob. "So I helped a group of mad arsonists, and possible murderers, AND got a pity date." Turning back so my face was down on my desk again, I groaned. "This shit keeps getting better and better." I heard and felt his harsh chuckle.

"I'd hardly call it a 'pity date', that boy lit up like a Christmas tree when I gave him the assignment." I rolled my eyes, and waited. "Charlotte, honestly, I had hoped that it wouldn't-" he struggled for whatever he was trying to say. "You're not the type of person I usually use during an Op." It came out quiet and I was tempted to look up at him, but I couldn't. I had a LOT of shit to work through, and seeing his face wouldn't make it easier to handle.

"I'll be fine," I murmured into the desk, hoping he heard. "I just have to- process everything."

"The police-" Clay seemed to be chewing his words, but I shook my head and groaned.

"Don't worry about Detective Flirt and Detective Grumpy Bear, I'll keep plying them with coffee and food, sooner or later they'll be either too fat to run after their suspects or so sweetened up they'll give up." I heard another chuckle, but it came from closer to the door and I realized I missed the warmth of his hand now that I noticed it wasn't on my back any longer. "Or I'll play stupid, like I've apparently been anyway. Easy peasy, right?"

"Yeah, Charlotte," his voice was as quiet as it had been when he said he didn't use people like me for Ops. "Easy." And then I heard the door open and close and Clay was gone.

I didn't return to the café for a full hour. I knew Keli could handle it, plus Sandra had come in while I was in the office, her time staggered so she would be here longer than Keli. I made work, thinking that I'd rather eat glass than go into the main part of the shop and see Clay and Asha making time at a counter, while JJ or Jen was at the table near the window, Charlie would be hovering in the darkest corner he could stake out, and Paul would be smiling like nothing was wrong in the world. Not today, Satan's assholes.

When I eventually came out, mostly to grab a cup of tea or a bottle of juice and something to munch on while I hid myself away, I realized my worries were for nothing. None of the five were in the café, and I felt a lurch in my stomach and couldn't decide if it was from relief, or disappointment.