Page 37 of Mr. Dangerous

"No big deal. We want to make it easy for them," I assured her. "Let them know we're thegoodguys."

"Are the police there?" the 9-1-1 operatorasked.

"Yes," Naomi said, a tremble in her voice. "We're standing outsidethecar."

"It's all right," the 9-1-1 operator said. "You guys are safe. Everythingisfine."

But now that everything was fine, Naomi seemed to be falling apart. Her hazel eyes were suddenly pooling with tears, and she started to wipe her face, then put her hands back up intheair.

"It's all right," I repeated, putting a steadying hand on her shoulder. She was safe, and I wanted her to know she was safe. "It'sallover."

I wanted to hold her, comfort her, but two police officers joined us just then, taking possession of the gun, asking questions. Once the situation was calm, they took Naomi over to one of the squad cars to get her version of the story while I gave my own statement. The Suburban was taken into evidence for the timebeing.

"This," I said, as we rode back to the hotel in a police car, "Is not the romantic evening I'dplanned."

Naomi laughed, a little bit too heartily, her face still blotchy from her earlier tears. "I told you, no romance, no flirting. This is what happens when you don't listentome."

"Fluke carjackings? Well, that isscary."

"We'll try to get your car back to you by tomorrow afternoon," the policeman who was driving promised. "Sorry for thetrouble."

"It's all right," I said. "I'm happy no onegothurt."

"He got hurt,"Naomisaid.

I felt a jolt. I wondered how much of the abrupt, bloody takedown of that carjacker Naomi had seen. I wanted to ask if she was afraid ofmenow.

Instead, I said, "I bet our burgersarecold."

"Let's go back to the hotel and order a pizza," she said. "You sure know how to treat a lady. We're like six hours into this date and I still haven't had a decent bitetoeat."

Back to her usual sharp self. I could’ve laughed in relief. "Oh, a date? You changed your tune onthatone."

"I have to call it a date," she said, "So I can tell all my girlfriends about the worstdateever."

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