The steady hum of the copier filled the room, a monotonous background to Dove's scattered thoughts as she mechanically flipped through a pile of legal documents, hardly paying attention to what she was doing. Each passing minute feel like an eternity as she focused on the rhythmic click of the machine.
Across the room, Danny swiveled in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest as he watched Dove work. He cleared his throat, a sound that seemed unusually loud in the quiet office, and leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees as he fixed Dove with a look that suggested he'd been holding something back for a while.
"Hey, you okay?" Danny asked, his deep voice softer than usual, though it carried a noticeable edge of concern.
Dove, absorbed in her task, didn't respond immediately. When she finally did, her movements were slow, her hand pausing over the copier buttons as she met his eyes. "What? Oh, yeah. I'm fine." She flashed him a quick, unconvincing smile before turning back to the papers. "Just tired."
Danny stood up, his height casting a slight shadow over her as he walked toward the copier, his movements deliberate but with a tension that made the air feel thick. His usually relaxed posture was replaced by something more rigid. He glanced around the room, his sharp blue eyes scanning for anyone who might be listening.
"You've been off since yesterday," he said, his voice lower now, with an unmistakable seriousness. Standing close to her, the slight scent of his cologne drifted in the air, mixing with the sterile smell of paper and ink.
Dove shifted uncomfortably, feeling the weight of his presence. Danny was tall, with broad shoulders that filled out his dress shirt, the sleeves rolled up just enough to reveal the veins that ran along his forearms. His dark hair was slightly tousled from running his hands through it throughout the day, adding to the disheveled, concerned look he now wore.
"What are you talking about?" she asked, hoping her voice sounded more casual than she felt. She focused her gaze on the documents in front of her, but the tension between them was unmistakable.
Danny leaned in closer, lowering his voice even more. His jaw clenched slightly as if bracing himself. "I saw you yesterday—copying Kline's file."
Dove froze, her fingers tightening on the stack of papers. Her heart thudded in her chest, but she kept her expression as neutral as possible, though her pulse quickened.
"I don't know what you think you saw," she said carefully, glancing up at him, his eyes filled with quiet intensity.
"I know exactly what I saw," he said firmly, his brows furrowed. "Whatever you're messing with.. it's dangerous, Dove." He shifted his weight slightly, glancing around the office once more, as if expecting someone to walk in at any moment. His voice dropped to a near whisper. "And you need to stop before you get yourself hurt."
Dove looked up at him sharply, her mind racing. "What exactly is so dangerous about the mayor?" she asked, her voice mirroring his hushed tone.
Danny swallowed, his eyes flicking around the room once more as his muscles tensed, the tendons in his neck becoming more pronounced. He leaned in even closer, his voice barely audible now, but his words weighed heavily. "Not here."
For a moment, Dove studied him, her eyes narrowing as she considered the implication of his words. There was an undeniable sense of urgency in the way he stood—like someone who knew more than he was letting on. His broad frame, usually at ease, was now bristling with the tension of holding onto a secret.
After a long pause, Dove nodded.
As Danny and Dove walked out of the office and into the bustling food court, the change in atmosphere was immediate. The hum of conversation, the clattering of trays, and the smell of greasy mall food filled the air, a stark contrast to the quiet tension of the law office. The overhead lights reflected off the glossy tile floors, casting a clinical glow over the space, while families and groups of teenagers meandered between the brightly colored storefronts.
Dove glanced at Danny, who was walking slightly ahead, his usual relaxed demeanor replaced by something more cautious, more guarded. His hands were tucked into his pockets, and his eyes scanned the room as if he were looking for something—or someone.
They picked a small, out-of-the-way table near the edge of the food court, away from the thick of the crowd. Danny sat down first, leaning forward on his elbows, his expression serious but calm. Dove slid into the chair opposite him, her heart beating a little faster than she would have liked. She could tell something big was coming.
For a moment, they both sat in silence. Danny glanced around once more, his eyes darting over the crowd before he leaned in closer. Dove found herself mirroring his movement, leaning forward so their faces were only a foot apart across the small table.
"Okay," Danny began, his voice barely above a whisper, "I'm not trying to scare you, Dove, but you've got to be careful."
Dove frowned, confusion and unease swirling in her chest. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about Grigori," Danny muttered, glancing around the food court again, as if afraid someone might overhear them. "The big Russian guy that's always with Kline. He's dangerous, Dove. I've seen him do things.. keep people quiet."
Dove's breath caught in her throat, her heart thudding painfully against her ribs. "What do you mean, 'keep people quiet'?"
Danny looked at her, his expression deadly serious. "I mean he's not just some businessman. He doesn't just negotiate contracts or whatever. I saw him with this guy—a contractor, I think. They had a.. disagreement. And the next day, the guy was gone. Fired. Nobody talks about it, but I heard rumors. He doesn't play by the rules."
Dove felt a cold chill wash over her, but she tried to shake it off. "Why didn't you say anything sooner?"
"Because I didn't want to drag you into it," Danny said quietly, his eyes searching hers. "But now that you're looking into Kline, you're putting yourself on Grigori's radar. I don't know what's going on with them, but it's big, Dove. Bigger than just shady business deals. Starcourt, everything—it's connected."
Dove's mind raced as she leaned closer to Danny, her voice a whisper. "What do you know about Starcourt?"
Danny hesitated, his eyes flickering over her face as if weighing how much to say. He leaned in even further, their heads almost touching. "I know it's owned by the Russians," he finally said, his voice so low that Dove barely caught it. "I don't know the full extent, but I've been looking into the paperwork. The money trails don't add up. There's money going through channels that shouldn't be, permits that don't make sense."
Dove stared at him, her pulse quickening. She leaned back slightly, the realization hitting her hard. "This is bigger than I thought."
Danny nodded solemnly. "I'm telling you, Dove. You need to stop digging. It's not worth the risk."
Before Dove could respond, a shadow fell across the table. She turned, her heart skipping a beat as she saw Steve standing there, arms crossed, his expression somewhere between concerned and suspicious. His eyes flicked from Danny to Dove, narrowing slightly.
"Hey, Dove," Steve said, his voice casual but with a sharp edge. "Dustin needs you. Like, right now."
Dove stood up quickly, tucking a strand of hair that had fallen from her bun behind her ear and glancing back down at Danny. "Sorry Danny, it's my brother, I have to go."
Danny nodded, though his eyes lingered on her, still concerned. "Of course. Just promise you'll be careful, okay?"
She gave him a quick nod, not really processing his worry, and turned to follow Steve, who had his arms crossed tightly over his chest. As they started walking away, Dove noticed Steve glance back at Danny with a suspicious look, his lips pressed into a thin line.
Dove's pace quickened as they reached the parlor. If Dustin really needed her, there was no time to waste. She rushed into the back room, where Dustin was standing at the table, fiddling with his binoculars and humming a tune under his breath. He looked up, confusion spreading across his face as he saw Dove standing there, breathless.
"What's wrong?" Dove asked, her voice tight with worry.
Dustin blinked, looking around, confused. "Uh.. nothing?" He glanced between Dove and Steve, completely puzzled.
Dove froze for a second, the confusion swirling in her mind quickly morphing into frustration. Slowly, she turned to face Steve, who stood in the doorway, rubbing the back of his neck.
Steve shifted uncomfortably, finally meeting her gaze. "I, uh.. might have exaggerated a bit," he muttered.
"I thought something was wrong!" she snapped.
Steve sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I just.. I saw you with that guy, and..." He trailed off, his voice filled with frustration. "I don't know, okay? It looked like you two were close."
Dove's eyes flared with irritation. "Are you seriouslyjealousright now? Danny is my co-worker, Steve. We were just talking!"
"It looked like a little more than talking, Dove." Steve shot back, his voice rising in defense. "You were leaning in, all secretive and—"
"You areunbelievable," Dove interrupted, shaking her head. "You don't get to act like this, Steve! We're not even together anymore!"
The words hung in the air for a moment, thick with tension. Dove froze, realizing what she had just said, and her heart sank. She hadn't meant to bring it up—not like this. She felt a sudden chill run down her spine as she realized Dustin was still in the room.
"What?" Dustin blurted out, his voice cutting through the silence. "What do you mean, 'not together anymore'?"
Dove's heart dropped as she looked over at her brother, his wide-eyed stare fixed on her. She hadn't planned to tell him like this. Her mouth opened, but the words wouldn't come out.
Steve glanced at Dustin, guilt washing over his face, but then his gaze shifted back to Dove, a mixture of confusion and hurt still flickering in his eyes.
"We broke up," Dove finally said, her voice barely above a whisper. She forced herself to look at Dustin, seeing the shock and hurt that mirrored Steve's. "We were gonna tell you, Dustin, I swear. We just-"
"You broke up?" Dustin's voice cracked, the disappointment hitting Dove like a punch to the gut. "Why? I thought—" He looked between them both, utterly blindsided.
Steve, standing stiffly behind her, finally stepped forward. "Look, man, we didn't mean for it to go down this way," he said softly, his tone more gentle now. "It just.. happened."
Dustin's eyes darted between Dove and Steve, his mind racing to catch up with the bombshell they had just dropped on him. His voice trembled with frustration as he asked, "How long?"
Dove winced, the guilt settling deeper into her chest. She exchanged a glance with Steve, both of them silently acknowledging the uncomfortable truth they had to face.
"It happened right after you left for camp," Dove said softly, her gaze dropping to the floor.
Dustin's jaw tightened, his fists clenching at his sides. "So you've been broken up this whole time? And you didn't think to tell me?" His voice rose, anger starting to edge into his words.
Steve sighed, stepping forward slightly, trying to calm the situation. "We were gonna tell you, Dustin. But you were just so excited about camp, and we didn't want to ruin it for you."
Dove felt her stomach twist as she watched her brother, the hurt in his eyes cutting deeper than she had expected. "We didn't know how to tell you," she added, her voice soft but strained. "It wasn't like we were planning to keep it from you forever."
"It's been over a month!" Dustin shot back, taking a step toward them. "I'm not a little kid anymore, Dove. You don't need to protect me from everything."
Steve rubbed the back of his neck, guilt washing over him as well. "We messed up, man. We should've told you sooner."
Dustin shook his head, frustration boiling over. "It's not just about you breaking up! It's the fact that you've been lying to me, treating me like a child!" He looked back and forth between them, his eyes blazing with hurt. "I thought you trusted me."
Dove's throat tightened as she took a step toward him, reaching out. "I do trust you, Dustin. We just didn't want to ruin things for you. You were having such a great time, and—"
"Yeah, well, maybe you should've let me decide that!" Dustin interrupted, his voice trembling with anger. He looked at them both, hurt written across his face.
Dove's hand hovered in the air for a moment before she dropped it, feeling the weight of her mistake fully hit her. "I'm so sorry, Dustin."
Dustin didn't say anything for a moment, just shook his head, trying to process it all. Finally, he let out a heavy breath. "I've got Russians to spy on," he muttered, turning on his heel and storming out of the back room.
Dove and Steve stood there in silence, the weight of the moment hanging heavy between them, both knowing that their decision to wait had hurt Dustin far more than they had ever intended.
Steve stepped forward, his hand gently brushing against Dove's arm, his voice soft with apology. "Dove, I—"
Before he could finish, Dove yanked her arm away, her movement sharp and aggressive. "Don't touch me!" she snapped, shoving him back with enough force to make him stumble. The frustration, the guilt, it all surged through her, too much to hold in any longer. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, and she turned, bolting out of Scoops Ahoy before Steve could say another word.
Steve stood there, frozen, the sound of the door swinging shut behind her echoing in the sudden silence of the room. His chest tightened as frustration boiled over, and with a growl of anger, he swiped his arm across the table, knocking everything to the floor. Papers, cups, and utensils clattered to the ground in a chaotic heap.
Meanwhile, Dove rushed outside, the warm summer air hitting her like a shock. She spotted Danny nearby, leaning against a pillar, a cigarette between his fingers. He glanced up as she approached, noticing her flustered state.
"Hey, you okay?" he asked, flicking ash from his cigarette. His tone was calm, but his eyes showed concern.
Dove wiped at her face, trying to compose herself, even though she knew she was on the verge of losing it. "Can I have one of those?" she asked, nodding toward the cigarette in his hand.
Danny raised an eyebrow, surprised. "I didn't know you smoked."
"I don't," she replied, her voice tight.
He shrugged, taking another drag before holding the small box out to her. "Me either." She took one from the pack, along with Danny's lighter.
Dove lit the cigarette, the smoke swirling in the air. She took a drag, immediately coughing and waving her hand as if to fan away the harshness of the smoke.
Danny chuckled, taking another drag from his cigarette, the smoke curling lazily above them. The hum of the mall buzzed in the background, punctuated by the occasional shuffle of footsteps. He eyed Dove curiously, "Is your brother okay?" he asked, his tone soft but probing.
"He was," Dove said, chuckling to herself, though the sound lacked humor. "Now, not so much."
Danny raised an eyebrow, leaning in slightly. "Why not?"
"Probably has something to do with the fact that I've been lying to him for the past month," Dove admitted, her voice quieter now. She hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal but feeling like she needed to vent. Danny just watched her, waiting for her to go on. "I have this ex, and my brother—Dustin—adores him. We broke up right after Dustin left for camp and kind of.. hid it from him until just now."
Danny's eyes widened as her words sank in. "Wait.. The dude in the sailor outfit is your ex-boyfriend?" He let out a short laugh, shaking his head in disbelief.
Dove playfully shoved his arm, though she couldn't help but smile a little. "He's actually a really great guy."
"I'm sorry, I just.." He looked at her, eyebrows furrowed. "Seriously?"
"Yes." She rolled her eyes but sighed, her smile fading. "We were just.. heading in different directions. It was mutual. But Dustin worships him, and he was having such a great summer that we didn't have the heart to tell him."
"Yikes," Danny muttered, taking another drag. "No wonder he's pissed."
"The worst part is, I totally deserve it." Dove said, glancing down at the cigarette in her hand, watching the smoke curl up into the air. "I knew it was wrong to keep Dustin in the dark. And Steve? Well, Steve is.." She trailed off, taking a drag from the cigarette.
Danny studied her, his expression thoughtful. "You sure it was mutual?"
Dove hesitated, her fingers fidgeting with the cigarette in her hand. "Yeah.. I mean, I think so. Why?"
Danny shrugged, glancing at her. "It's just.. the way he looked at me in the food court. I thought he was gonna throw a punch."
Dove let out a small, awkward laugh. "Yeah, well, he was jealous. Can you believe that?" She shook her head, the absurdity of it making her laugh again.
Danny blinked, his lips quirking slightly. "Jealous? Of me?"
She nodded, not picking up on the subtle shift in his tone. "Yeah, crazy right? I mean, we're just coworkers. Why does it have to be more than that?" She glanced at him, still half-laughing, missing the way he studied her for a second too long.
He let out a chuckle, though quieter this time, crushing his cigarette under his foot. "Yeah, coworkers. Guess some people see things differently."
Dove looked at him, catching the way his smile faltered for just a moment. "I mean, I get why he might be uneasy about our breakup. Things were.. complicated between us."
"Complicated," Danny echoed, leaning back against the wall, his fingers brushing his hair back as if trying to shake off something he didn't quite want to say aloud. His gaze flickered toward her again, but Dove remained lost in her own thoughts, still trying to make sense of the mess with Steve.
"Guess things get messy when you're heading in two different directions." Dove said, her voice quieter now, as if speaking the words out loud made the situation clearer.
"For what it's worth," Danny started, his tone softening. "You deserve someone who's heading in the same direction as you. You know, someone who doesn't get jealous over nothing."
Dove gave a small, grateful smile, oblivious to the weight behind his words. "Thanks, Danny." Dove took one last drag of the cigarette, the smoke curling lazily into the air, then tossed it to the ground, stubbing it out with her shoe. "I should probably get back in there and talk to Dustin." she said, shaking off the moment.
Danny leaned back, watching as Dove flicked the cigarette away, the smoke lingering between them like unspoken words. He opened his mouth, starting to say something, but hesitated. His eyes searched her face, trying to catch a glimpse of anything that might hint she'd picked up on what he hadn't quite said.
"Yeah, probably a good idea," he said after a moment, nodding. "Just.. don't let it get to you too much. With everything going on, I mean."
Dove gave him a quick smile, still not fully aware of the undercurrent in his voice. "I won't." She looked toward the entrance, fidgeting slightly, before adding, "Thanks for the cigarette, by the way. I'll see you tomorrow."
Danny nodded again, though this time the weight in his gaze lingered a little longer as he watched her go. "See you tomorrow, Dove."
As she walked away, her thoughts had already shifted back to her brother, her steps growing quicker as she neared the entrance. Danny stayed leaning against the wall, watching her disappear into the mall. He sighed, the moment between them slipping away once again, as he crushed his own cigarette underfoot, the smoke fading into the summer air.