"Seriously, Jett. I know you have the job with Golding Security, but—"
He shrugged. "It's the pay. I'm saving up so I can make some improvements, maybe get a lady I know to come over for dinner without worrying about getting robbed."
She felt her cheeks blush. "If the lady in question is packing heat, she won't have to worry about getting robbed."
"Really? So, is that a yes?"
"To what?"
"A date."
She took a deep breath, trying to keep the smile from her lips. "I… don't go on dates."
"Why? Against police policy to date a civilian?"
"Of course not, goofball."
"Oh, I'm a goofball? You take a sacred vow, then?" He raised one hand in mock seriousness. "I solemnly swear never to date until I cleanse the city of—"
She smacked his arm. "Stop it. I don't date because I don't have time. And…"
"And what?"
"My track record hasn't been so good, okay? Dating complicates things. I like to keep my life simple."
"Keep it simple, then."
"Do you ever stop? Where's all this coming from?"
He ran a hand over his clean-shaven head. "It's like you said — I've been through a lot. And I realized something: you can't take time for granted. People are here today, gone tomorrow. I don't see the point of tap dancing around the subject. I think you're an amazing woman, and I want to get to know you better. What's wrong with that?"
She sighed, feeling a rapid swell of conflicting emotions. "It's just… I like this. Coming here, talking to you, watching the kids. It's like an oasis. A safety zone. But if we take things to the next level and things fall apart… all of this is gone. You can't just dial things back, Jett. That's not how relationships work."
"Says who? We're both adults. I think we can handle it."
"Maybe."
"Maybe? That's a start, then. How about lunch? Far less threatening a concept than dinner."
She smiled. "Lunch I can do. Tomorrow sound good?"
"Yeah. Tomorrow."
"Good." She picked up one of the basketballs and bounced it. "Seems pretty easy."
"Oh, she's got skills."
"Don't make fun. How good are you, mister Coach of the Year?"
He picked up a ball, expertly dribbling it through his legs. "It's all about form, really. Once you get it down, the game gets pretty easy." Raising up, he shot the ball off his fingertips. It sailed through the air and bounced off the rim. His disappointed expression made her explode with laughter.
He grinned. "Oh, you think that's funny? Let's see what you got, baller."
She caught the ball, dribbled, then jumped and let it fly. It dropped through the net with a swishing sound. Turning around, she winked. "Had a hoop in the parking lot of the Academy. Used to play all the time."
"Show-off."
"Like you said — the girl got skills." She looked down when her holoband buzzed. Look — I gotta run to the office."
"Off to save the world?"
"Something like that. We'll talk later, okay?"
"Tomorrow. Not a date. Lunch."
"Right — lunch."
"Watch your six out here, Captain."
"Will do." She walked back to her aerodyne, feeling his eyes on her. Hiding a grin, she slid into the driver's seat and set the coordinates. As the vehicle lifted into the sky, she glanced down. The kids continued their play, but Jett stood in the middle of the court, looking up. He waved.
It wasn't fair that he made her feel so good without even seeming to try. But it had been too long since anyone saw past the badge and uniform. Too long since anyone made her feel special. The sensation was exhilarating and scary at the same time.
Please don't screw this up, Ronnie. Not like last time.
The aerodyne banked, turning in the direction of RCE headquarters.
"Jett's got a girlfriend, Jett's got a girlfriend!"
He turned to the chanting children, shaking a finger. "Cute. Time for a break — get hydrated, catch some air conditioning. It's a furnace out here."
Glancing up, he caught the glint of Ronnie's aerodyne before it cut between buildings and disappeared. He scratched his neatly-trimmed goatee, wondering what the hell came over him. He half-expected Ronnie to laugh in his face when he made his blushing schoolboy confession. If she had, it would have made things easier. He couldn't afford to be close to her. He couldn't afford to be close to anyone.
But he knew it was hopeless.
He liked the way her eyes lit up when she smiled, her chocolate-toned skin, her mane of naturally curly hair. He liked the way she smelled and the sound of her laughter. He wanted to put his arms around her. He wanted to do a lot of things…
Careful, Jett. That's the loneliness talking.
He sighed. Naturally, he'd be attracted to a gung-ho police officer, someone who probably had an agenda that included tracking down and arresting Vigil as soon as possible. It didn't change how he felt about her, though. Being around her felt right, and maybe that was enough. He just hoped he didn't make a fool out of himself in the process.
Walking into the building, he spotted Zoe sitting by herself in a corner, absorbed by the holovisor on her head. He gently tapped on the goggles. She pushed them up, staring up as if she'd never seen him before.
"Hi, Zoe."
"Hi, giant."
"Have you been to the East Wing lately?"
She giggled. "There's nothing in the East Wing, silly."
"There is now. Wanna see?"
The VR center was brand-new, divided into several sections where children could use the equipment in safety and privacy under the direction of a digital supervisor.
"If you're going to do the Immersion thing, I want you to do it here where it's safe. Not at a Haze parlor. Scheduled time, regular breaks. I even installed the simulation you like. But it's not a replacement for reality, okay?"
She smiled. "Okay, Mr. Wolfe."
"Oh, so now you remember my name?"
"I remember a lot of things."
She looked so focused and lucid that he was surprised. "I know you go to trauma counseling, but I want you to know I'm here if you ever want to talk about what happened. Okay?"
"You mean the Beasts."
He nodded, studying her face. "That's right. The Beasts."
"Vigil took care of them."
He blinked. "You remember that?"
"Sure. He was a giant, too."
Jett recalled the rescue of the children, when he removed his helmet to gain their trust. "Do you remember anything else about Vigil? What he looked like, maybe?"
Her hazel eyes widened. "No. He had a shiny helmet. It was made of starlight."
He slowly exhaled. "Starlight, huh?"
"Yep. And he had laser hands. Maybe he came from the stars."
Jett leaned back against the wall, slowly sliding down until he sat on the floor. "Yeah. He probably came from someplace far, far away." His mind wandered, drifting across the canyon of time where his brother still lived and his team still raised hell.
"Mr. Wolfe?"
His attention refocused. "Yes, Zoe?"
She looked very small sitting in one of the Immersion chairs, staring at him with eyes too old for her face. Haunted eyes. "I don't want anyone to hurt me again."
"No one ever will, Zoe. Not while I'm around."
She smiled.
In his ultra-chic Manhaven condo, Joe Blow learned how to dance.
One, two, cha-cha-cha…
Shuffling his enormous feet, he tried to keep time with Honey. She was beautiful and graceful as he was ugly and ungainly. It didn't matter. She loved him anyway, and for that, he gave her everything he had. Anything she wanted. So when she wanted to dance, he got up and danced despite having absolutely no rhythm. Not that he wasn't quick on his feet or didn't know how to move. It was just that his moves were usually fierce and violent, not coordinated to a melodic tune.