“I have to get back to the lab. I just found out I’m working on a tighter time schedule than I previously was aware.”
“I thought I heard you tell your mom you’d come home right away.”
“It’s complicated, remember?”
“I’ll tell you what. You give me a ride home and I’ll be back at say, seven tonight to help you work on your secret project. You know you need my help now. Who else is going to put up with your surly, loner personality?” Kylie grinned widely to herself as she neatly placed the waitress’ tip between the salt and pepper shaker.
Evan was scowling, but he was also thinking about the proposition. He really could use the help dissecting and analyzing. “How good are you at reading slides?”
“Damn good.” Kylie’s usual upbeat personality turned serious at the unspoken challenge set before her.
“Then we have a deal, if you can agree not to ask me any questions about why I’m working on these tests.”
Kylie shrugged. “You’ll tell me what I need to know, got it.”
“Let’s go,” Evan nodded as he scooted out of the booth.
Kylie was right at his side as they exited the little café. Without thinking, Evan had walked holding her elbow lightly—a gentlemanly habit his mom had drilled into his head years ago. He opened the door for her. The morning air outside was dry and windy. Evan slipped on his sunglasses so he wouldn’t have to squint his light eyes against the bright Cairo skies.
They crossed the street back into the laboratory’s parking lot where he parked his motorcycle. Without a word, Evan handed the helmet to Kylie and straddled the bike. He started it and waited for her to climb on behind him. He glanced up to make sure she didn’t need help with the helmet strap and saw she handled herself like a pro. Her green eyes smiled at him as she reached out to place her hands on his shoulders, balancing herself as she climbed on the motorcycle. He felt her compact body mold itself against his back as her arms slipped around his waist to hold him.
Caught up in the sensation of her touch, he had to clear his throat before he tried to speak. “Where to?” was all he could manage.
“Up the hill, take a right at the second light. The house is on the left at 24414 Salim Lane. It’s white with a big porch and palms.”
“You just described pretty much every house on that street,” Evan heard himself tease. It had been so long since he felt like joking that the words startled him.
“Just drive,” she giggled. “I’ll poke you in the belly when you need to stop.”
Evan couldn’t help but smile at her playful ways. She was like a ray of sunlight bursting through the blackened anger and resentment he’d been living through for the past four months.
With casual skill, he pulled out of the parking lot and drove up the hill at a moderate speed. He realized he was in no hurry to take Kylie home.
Kylie was over-the-moon content with Evan’s slow pace. Unable to resist, she found herself occasionally squeezing his waist a little tighter. She was already addicted to burying her face in his shoulder and breathing his uniquely handsome scent.
The two continued their short ride in silence, lost in the same thought: This just feels right.
Chapter 74 Stipulations
“What do you mean ‘there are stipulations’?” Margo’s eyes narrowed at Theo who had just hung up with Greg Burns. She had called Evan the moment she heard they were going to be cleared to reenter the US. She didn’t realize the amnesty held contingencies.
“Greg says he’ll meet us at the US Embassy here in Cairo to help everything go smoothly, but that we’re required to submit to interviews.”
“Interviews?” Alik’s eyes were wide with a distinctively oh-crap expression.
“They want to interview each of us about the events on that day in Flagstaff and pick our brains about any underlying information we may have.”
“Do they know something, Theo?” Margo asked. Something smelled wrong about this to her.
“Greg thinks they are acting pretty strange. Yeah, he thinks they know or suspect something’s amiss.”
“This just doesn’t feel right.” Alik shook his head. Out of habit, Farrow reached over to him and offered her hand to hold. He took it with an affectionate glance.
“I was just thinking the same thing,” Margo admitted. “It feels like a trap.”
“Well, our other option is to do nothing. We don’t go to the embassy and keep living in exile.”
Everyone sat quietly for a while, trying to think of any way to get around the interview.
“Is it really that bad? To be interviewed, I mean?” Sloan broke the silence.
“What do you mean?” Margo asked.
“I just mean, we didn’t do anything wrong.” Her steel-gray eyes looked earnestly around the room.