10.

*Joe*

I dug into the waffle and sighed before putting the bite into my mouth. My thoughts had all been on Katelyn and it was a distraction. I couldn't really help it, though. After seeing her again after missing her so much, I just couldn't help but think about what she was doing every few seconds. I wondered what surveillance she'd gotten done in a day or if she was even still in Italy.

"Joe?"

I turned my head to see Mr. Mosckowitz holding out a plain, white envelope. Adrenaline coursed through me as I forced myself to not lunge out of my seat to grab it. It might not even be from her. "Thanks," I told him as I took it and opened it as slowly as possible. After all, lots of heads would probably turn in my direction if people heard me tearing apart an envelope to get to the contents.

The contents turned out to be a single sheet of paper, the kind you would get from a college ruled notebook. The writing was in Italian, and it was also a kind of anagram that I worked out within my brain. Come back to Italy. Meet where we did before. I'll be waiting on Friday night at seven. – Katelyn.

Holding back a grin, I dug into my waffle with more gusto than before.

The following day, Friday, the day seemed to creep by slower than normal. Several times, I could have almost sworn that the clock had actually stopped ticking. Finally, though, the last class left and I gathered up my bags to go meet the helicopter.

Rachel thought that I was going to another Circle-related operation, which made me feel a little bad for lying to her about something so serious. But, I consoled myself with the fact that spies lie. It's just part of the job description.

The flight was short thanks to the newly engineered helicopters and the whole time, I just stared out into the impending night, smiling. I wondered what Katelyn would say to me, how we would interact. I wondered if being with me had already begun to trigger memories and I wondered how long it would be until she remembered everything. Our late nights together; our kisses and our joined bodies. The way that we had fit together and the night that she had agreed to marry me.

I arrived in Italy, checked into my hotel, and then set off for the coffee shop, my body tingling. I was still Joe Solomon, though, and I instinctively checked for tails before assuring myself that it was safe to go inside.

Katelyn was sitting in a little corner, a cup of steaming coffee in front of her. Her hair was intricately French braided, with a few wisps framing her heart-shaped face. She wore a yellow button-up shirt along with jean shorts, and I noticed that her ring was still in place. A minor setback.

I bought my coffee and then approached her table.

She looked up and smiled a little sheepishly at me. "Sorry for calling you away from whatever it is you were doing."

I shrugged. "Don't be sorry; it's okay."

She blushed slightly. "I just…wanted to see you again. Does that sound creepy?"

Actually, she had just made my day. "No," I replied in a neutral voice, giving her a warming smile. "That doesn't sound creepy at all."

She smiled. "So, what do you think of helping me surveil Antonio's house tomorrow?"

I took a drink of my coffee and then flashed her a grin. "I think I'm in."

*Katelyn*

I got up on Saturday morning and took a quick shower, allowing the heated water to aid in waking me up. After my shower, I pulled on jeans and a blue blouse, allowing my hair to scrunch and then I applied light makeup. I pulled on black TOMs just as I was heading out the door and then I walked to the meeting point to meet Joe.

When I arrived, I found that my breath caught when I saw him, his hair still damp from a shower. He wore jeans and a navy polo, and he was cleanly shaven. Attractive.

I shook the thought out of my head and approached him with a smile. "Hey."

"Hey." He held out one of the cups in his hands. "Decaf. That okay? I always find that decaf works better for surveillance in the morning."

I nodded and took the cup. "Thanks. I'll pay you back."

He waved it away. "It's just coffee. So, what now, boss?"

I smiled as I took a sip of the coffee. "Follow me, sir."

He chuckled and walked with me down the sidewalk. "Have you done any work on this at all?"

I nodded and moved out of the way of a small crowd of women. "Yeah," I told him when we were walking side by side once again. "I just want to run my plan by you; see what you think. Maybe you'll have some suggestions. It never hurts to have a second opinion if the person you're asking has more experience than you do."

He nodded slowly. "So what is your plan?"

I explained it to him in detail and he listened intently, asking a question every now and then for clarity. Finally, when I was finished, he smiled at me. "That's a well thought out plan. I really like it."

"Really?"

He nodded. "It's smart."

"Thank you. I should be able to have it done pretty soon. What I need now, though, is just a final look at the house. I'll begin tailing Antonio himself tomorrow."

"I have to leave tomorrow," he said conversationally.

I found that I was a little disappointed at that news. "Oh; I see."

"Is this the house?"

"No," I shook my head. "It's the one at the end. Come on; we'll go the back way. Easier to avoid cameras."

He gestured for me to lead the way so I stepped in front of him. As I did so, I caught a whiff of cologne that I could swear I had smelled before…

It's probably nothing.

But another part of my brain said that it was definitely something.