They’d been so good about acting professionally in the past. What changed?
The sparks were flying more fiercely than ever. No one was around but me. It was the perfect time to act upon their feelings. The romantic music in my head was reaching a crescendo. The two of them leaned toward each other, still holding each other’s gazes. Hope flickered across Vanessa’s face.
“Oh, would you just kiss already?” I blurted out. “The suspense is killing me!”
Uncle Victor made a choking sound. He spun around and took me by the arm. Vanessa beamed at me as I was dragged out of the break room.
“You can’t just say things like that, Jazz,” my uncle rumbled, carting me all the way to the front doors. “Vanessa and I are coworkers. We’re not allowed to date.”
“And you’re too afraid to ask her out.”
“Will you keep your voice down?”
Fortunately, there were only two other people in the precinct at this hour; one of them was confined to the reception desk and the other was sweeping the floors. Uncle Vic nodded at each of them and smiled politely while shouldering his way outside. Then he went back to looking grumpy and embarrassed.
Charlie and I didn’t look anything like Uncle Victor, what with our dark hair and eyes, and super pale complexions. But when he scowled like that, he totally resembled my brother. It made me smile.
“Something must’ve happened between you two last night, otherwise you wouldn’t have been so hot and bothered this morning,” I teased.
Uncle Victor dropped my arm and gawked at me, like I’d just said the “F” word. “What are you—? We didn’t—Nothing happened last night!”
“Maybe it wasn’t anything to you, but whatever you said or did revealed to Vanessa exactly how you feel about her because she’s not even bothering to hide just how much she wants you.” I poked him in the arm and danced over to his Corolla. “I could’ve cut the sexual tension in the room with a machete.”
“Jasmine!”
I did a pirouette when I turned to face him. “Yes?”
My uncle kept staring at me in confusion and horror. “How do you know what sexual tension is?”
I blew a raspberry at him. “The internet. How else?”
He squeezed his eyes shut and gripped his forehead. “In what universe does my sweet, innocent, sheltered niece know about…? Ugh, my head is splitting open.”
“Just breathe. You’ll be fine.” I tapped a knuckle against the passenger side door. “Could you unlock the car?”
My uncle fished his keys out of his pocket with a frown. The car beeped a moment later. I climbed in and watched him amble over.
“Of course, you’ll feel even better if you finally give into your feelings and go out with Vanessa,” I said as he settled into the driver’s seat.
“We’ve been over this, Jazz. It’s not a good idea.” Once he’d turned on the car, he put it in reverse. “Healthy relationships aren’t built on secrets and I have plenty of them.”
“No, Charlie and I have a secret. You can still build a relationship with Vanessa without telling her about it.”
Uncle Victor shook his head. “You still have a lot to learn about people, Jazz. Trust me when I say it wouldn’t work.”
“But you guys aren’t happy like this. Wouldn’t it be better to give it a try and fail than to keep wondering and wishing and longing for each other in solitude?” I asked, hugging my torso and batting my eyelashes at him.
My uncle sighed through his nose, his eyelids drooping as if this conversation was making him tired. “No, because at least this way we can still work together.”
I pouted. This was always how the conversation ended. Uncle Vic was just too stubborn. I guess all I could do was hope Vanessa made the first move and did it so spectacularly that my uncle couldn’t refuse her. I was convinced that a kiss was all it would take. One amazing, perfectly timed kiss could plow over the last of Uncle Victor’s defenses. I gazed out the window, lost in the “first kiss” scenes of all of the romantic movies I’d watched over the years.
My thoughts turned to Ralph then. I shook my head, stopping that train before it could leave the station. I couldn’t go there or I’d start to depress myself again. I was on a mission. There was still a hit man and an immortal couple to catch. I had to focus.
◆◆◆
When Angela opened the door to her hotel room and saw me standing there with a box of donuts, she smiled. “Hello.” Then she saw Uncle Victor and looked back at me. “You’re Jasmine.”
“The one and only. Is this a bad time?”
“Not at all. Please, come in.” She stepped to the side, opening the door wider. Over her shoulder, she said, “Jerald? We have company.”
There was a squeak of bed springs and then Mr. Smith walked around the corner with a book in his hand. They were both dressed comfortably, her in wool tights and a V-neck sweater, him in worn jeans and a flannel. Once again, I was struck by their contradicting features. Their flawless skin, glossy hair, and pristine bodies; the wisdom and nostalgia of old age in their eyes.
These two had lived for thousands of years. The thought sent a chill down my spine, but somehow managed to make my heart ignite with envy at the same time. Why in the world would these people, who had seen it all, done it all, learned it all, and traveled around the world several times, want to be mortal?
I mean, on the one hand, I sort of understood. It must be
