Feelings
Had it really been a year? More specifically, a year, three days and
seven hours? He pondered to himself that he had been saying the days
had been longer without her, and yet here he was, a year later,
wondering where all the time went.
He'd been at N-Tek for about two years when he was assigned a new
partner: his old one was moving on to a different job, effectively
retiring from the spy business, and there was, in Mairot's own
words "a bright young woman who matches up with you
perfectly".
Perhaps more perfectly than they had thought.
Within a couple of months they were tip-toeing around each other: she
having come straight in to N-Tek from a British college, and he
having been working at NASA for the better part of four years, where
relationships were frowned upon. As a result, neither of them were
quite sure of the rules of the dating game, and both made a few
errors.
Rachel was the one to break the silence first, admitting to Jefferson
Smith about her relationship with Jake, and while was not given
explicit approval, it was made clear that any problems they
encountered while pursuing the relationship was theirs to deal
with.
It had all worked out well until Max Steel arrived on the scene, and
Jake found himself listening to a phone call from Rachel, telling him
that it was over. Ever since then, he'd been doubting himself,
second-guessing everything he did, wondering if they were drifting
apart even before Max had arrived.
Even a year later, he still had feelings for Rachel that would not go
away.