"I hope it's better than your wildest dreams."

The voice shocked her out of her thought pattern. She looked down to find Blink standing there, looking amusedly up at her, with a single rose in his right hand. She found herself blushing uncontrollably.

Blink laughed, then offered his left hand to help her down. She abashedly smiled and took it, sliding off the pedestal, and unceremoniously tripping into Blink. He caught her.

Their faces were close. Too close, back off, her mind warned. She quickly backed up. "I…uh…sorry…I'm clumsy…but I guess you knew that," she stuttered off.

Blink's cheeks held a slight red tinge of their own. "Umm…here," he said, shoving the rose into her hands, all rehearsed romantic speeches escaping his mind. She grinned at it, then looked back to him.

"So…what are we doing tonight?"

"Well, I got us a small meal somewheres small and stuff, but other than that, I'm free."

Red smiled brightly. "Good, cuz I got someplace I've wanted to show you fer a while…but it's kinda outta the way…just a place I go sometimes."

"Alright, let's start then." He gently held her hand for a second, then started walking fast towards the heart of Manhattan, still warming her hand in his.

They skidded to a stop outside of The Red Geranium. Red's mouth dropped open. "I…I'm not dressed for this!"

Blink looked her up and down. "You're beautiful. Come on." He pulled her through the mahogany doors and approached the waiter. "Table for Shields."

Red stopped. "Shields?"

Blink looked back at her. "Follow me. Yeah, Shields." They sat at a secluded table near the rear. He picked up his menu and started scanning the choices. Red slowly picked up her menu also, but her eyes couldn't see any of the words.

Blink slightly lowered his menu. "Are you alright?"

Red slowly nodded, blinking twice. "Yeah. Sorry. It's just, I've never heard your real name before." She lowered the menu to the table. "And…well, I knew a Shields once. From the Old Country. Actually, was my friend Kaity I was helpin'. That's all." She picked up the menu again.

Blink looked at her, worried, but seeing she was back to normal, again looked at the meals. Eventually, both found things that sounded good and their meals came soon after.

Before Red plunged a fork into her chicken, she glanced at him quizzically. "How are you paying for this?"

Blink shook his head. "Don't think about it. It's covered. I do some work for the manager sometimes. He lets me come here with a date once in a while, free of charge. Pretty nice guy."

"Ah," was all she said in reply. After her first bite, she pointed the fork at him. "I think you'se gettin' the better part of the deal."

Blink chuckled. "So, where's this place you takin' me?" he asked around a bite of steak.

"Ah, ah, ah! Secret. Only I know about it…or use it at least."

- - - - - - - -

Their meals finished, dessert declined, and a tip left, they gripped hands and headed towards the Brooklyn Bridge. Blink tried guessing on the way.

"Is it in Brooklyn?"

"No. Closer."

"Someplace on the Bridge?"

"Nope."

"A public place?"

"Nuh-huh. Stop askin' so many questions, Blinkers."

Ten minutes later, they reached the wharf. The train yards were close by. Red led him through a maze of tracks, cars, cranes and engines. Suddenly, she stopped.

Blink ran into her halted form. Startled, he looked at her staring forward. He gazed at the sight in front of him.

"Amazing."

He noticed her trembling and wrapped his arms around her chilled body. "Are you cold?"

"Ye…no…sure."

He ignored her stuttering response and looked at the boxcar in front of them. The flaking rusty red glowed somewhat in the dim light. The sun slowly set over the bay. "So…this yours?"

"Sorta. I kinda claimed it for myself after I found it here. It isn't used at all."

There was a silence. Finally, Blink spoke. "So…you gonna let me in or are we gonna stand out in the cold?"

Red laughed a little, then gently pushed away from him and pried open the rusty door, wincing at the weight and the sound made by the squeaking hinges. Stepping up into the darkness, she turned to him and bowed, sweeping an arm to the dim interior. "Welcome to my castle."

Blink took her hand and kissed it. "The pleasure is mine, m'lady." Red giggled at him and pulled him up to the two foot raised surface.

Blink blinked, trying to peer into the darkness. Red lit a match, and soon an ancient lantern dimly lit the boxcar. She hung the lantern on a hook in the center of the ceiling. Blink glanced around. A stack of ratty old blankets long destined for the rag pile in one corner. The lantern. A rotting crate. He turned to Red.

"It's beautiful. I love it."

They fell, laughing, onto the pile of blankets. "There's enough here to start a rag factory!"

Red shrugged. "It gets cold sometimes."

Blink rolled his eye. "Obviously. It's too close to the bay."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, what do you suggest?"

"Get a new secret hiding place."

"Fat chance, kiddo."

Before they knew it, it was getting late. Red yawned. "C'mon, I'm too tired to move. Let's just stay here. You take a pile of rags over to the opposite end of the car."

Blink took the bunch of blankets she pushed at him. "You stay here overnight sometimes?"

"Yeah. Night, Blinkers."

"Night, Red."

"One thing…?"

"Yeah?"

"If you try anything, you'll be missing both eyes."

Blink laughed. "Good night, Red."

- - - - - - - -

It lingered over the sleeping form. Good. Already out. The agent took a glass vial from his pocket and sprinkled some of the liquid onto the rag, then gently placed it over his victim's nose.

Good night.

The rail car jerked as he returned to his hiding place.