was searching everywhere for the dead drop… and I had it. ”One for the books,“ Delvaux said.”
“Huh,” John said.
“Jumpin‘ Jehoshaphat,” said Marti.
IMMERSED IN THE
She took his empty cup to the coffeepot at the back of the faculty lounge and filled it, along with one for herself. She didn’t often wear summery frocks, but it was unseasonably warm. Her bare arms were brown and firm and very smooth.
He smiled at her when she returned and sat down.
“That’s not a smile; that’s a leer,” she said. “I know leers, and that’s one.”
“Hey, lady, can I lick your arm? Did anyone ever tell you you have extremely sexy arms?”
“I can’t handle any more compliments,” she said. “I still haven’t gotten used to the one about the subtrochanteric whatever-it-was.”
“Trochanteric subcutaneous adipose tissue distribution. Mmm, that’s nice, too.”
“What’s with you? You didn’t seem very interested last night. You were asleep before the lights were out.”
“I was tired. I’m wide awake now.” He reached out and stroked her arm.
She covered his hand with her own and squeezed it. With a quick glance around to make sure they were alone, she leaned forward and kissed him gently.
When they pulled back, a lump rose suddenly to his throat. “Ah, Janet, I’m afraid you’ve gotten to me, and I didn’t want to be gotten to. It’s going to be a long four days in Izmir without you.”
Her eyes shining, she smiled at him. “Listen, I need to tell you about the staff meeting.”
“It was a short one, wasn’t it? You were only in there half an hour.”
“Yes, but big things happened. In the first place, Eric Bozzini is going to be acting chancellor until they get a replacement.”
“Eric?” You’re kidding! That’s ridiculous.“
“He’ll do fine,” Janet said. “There’s more. First, I’m going to be acting logistics director. Acting acting director, I guess it is.”
She seemed so pleased with the appointment that he congratulated her. “Is it a good position for you?”
She laughed with a tinkling, pealing laugh he had not heard before. He hoped he would hear it many times again. “Who cares about the position?” she said. “The point is, with the Russian thing off and the alert over, we go back to our normal schedule. Isn’t that great?”
“I guess so,” he said, “but am I missing something?”
“You bet you are. It means that the logistics director has to get out of her office and start making field visits. And guess which base hasn’t been visited in two years?”
He sipped his coffee, giving himself time to determine whether he was feeling happy or anxious. He decided easily on happy. “It wouldn’t be Izmir?” he said.
“It sure would,” she said, and then looked at him for a long time. “Is that all right?”
Her hands were clenched on the table. He covered them with his own, and she turned her palms up to clasp his fingers.
“Yes, that’s all right,” he said, with a fine, painful tightness in his throat. “I guess I’m getting kind of used to you.” He paused. “Did I ever tell you what beautiful
