Page 60 of No Reason to Trust

For a moment, she wanted to start the car, pull out of this parking lot and drive back to the airport. Get on the next plane to Helena and put Jake in her rear-view mirror.

Damn it, she wasn’t going to do that. Wasn’t going to live down to Jake’s expectations. If she wanted a relationship with him, a real one that would last, she couldn’t run away again. If she did that, Jake would never speak to her again. And he’d be right to cut her out of his life.

What was she going to do until Jake came home? Sitting in this car and staring at his building would be totally boring and wasn’t going to make her feel any better. Neither was driving around the district and looking at the sights. She’d seen everything she wanted to see when she worked here.

Maybe she should start with breakfast. All she’d eaten this morning was a small packet of snack mix on the plane. And she hadn’t even finished that. She’d been so nervous about facing Jake that she’d only managed to eat half the small bag. So she put her car in gear and headed for her favorite breakfast place in the city.

An hour later, full of pancakes, bacon and coffee, she felt much better. As she walked back to her car, she thought about what she should do with the rest of the day. As she slid behind the steering wheel, she decided she’d go talk to Diana. See if it would be possible for her to get her old job back.

The thought made her heart ache. She loved working for Blackhawk Security. Loved everything about her job and her co-workers. But she needed something to show Jake that she was serious about him. Serious about committing to him. And getting her job back was a good place to start.

She sat in her car for a long time, gathering her nerve. She didn’t want to go back to the FBI, but she would if there was no alternative. And she figured it was a good gesture. It’d let Jake know she was serious about him.

So she pulled out her phone and called Diana’s office. Diana’s secretary answered and said, “Director Redfield’s office. How may I help you?”

“Does the director have any appointments available this morning?” Olivia asked. “This is Olivia Williams. I’d like to meet with her.”

“Let me ask the Director,” her receptionist said. She clicked the phone, and it began playing elevator music. Less than a minute later, Diana came on the line.

“Olivia,” Diana said. “Rosie said you wanted to meet with me. I’ll be happy to see you. Would ten o’clock work for you?”

“That would be great, Madame Director.”

“Wonderful. I’ll see you then,” she said.

Before she could hang up, Olivia said, “Please don’t tell Jake we’re meeting. Okay?”

Diana hesitated for a moment. Then she said, “I wouldn’t discuss my appointments with anyone, including Jake. I’ll see you at ten, Olivia.”

She disconnected the phone, and Livvy took a deep breath. Closed her eyes until the butterflies stopped flapping in her stomach, then started her car and headed for FBI Headquarters.

At 9:55, she sat in a chair in the reception area, paging mindlessly through a magazine. She wouldn’t be able to tell anyone the name of the magazine or any details about the articles. But it made her feel less pitiful as she sat and waited for Diana to see her.

Finally, several minutes after ten, the receptionist said, “You can go back now, Ms. Williams.”

Livvy replaced the magazine in the rack and walked to the door of Diana’s office. Knocked once, then opened the door.

“Livvy,” Diana said, standing up. “Good to see you. Come sit down and tell me what I can do for you.”

Livvy slid into one of the visitor chairs on the other side of Diana’s desk and slid her hands beneath her thighs. “It’s good to see you, too, ma’am. I was wondering how complicated it would be to get my job with the Bureau back.”

Diana leaned back in her chair. “Do you want your job back, Livvy?”

Livvy forced herself to hold Diana’s gaze. “I might. I’m here to patch things up with Jake. If it works out, I’ll likely be moving back to D.C.”

“And if you do, you’ll need a job.”

Livvy nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

“What about your job with Blackhawk Security?”

Livvy cleared her throat. “I haven’t talked to them yet.” She drew in a shuddering breath. “No point until I see how things go with Jake.”

Diana raised one eyebrow. “But you came to me to ask for your job back.”

Livvy nodded. “Yes. I thought it would be easier to ask in person as long as I’m in D.C. anyway.” She shrugged. “If it doesn’t go well with Jake, all I’ve lost is the time spent with you. It’s always a pleasure to see you, ma’am,” she hurried to add. “But everything’s up in the air right now.”

Diana studied her for a long moment. “I understand, Olivia. And I would certainly give you your job back if you moved back to D.C. I’m assuming that’s what you needed to know.”

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