Page 66 of All He Takes
"Well, I'm gonna go home and get some sleep," Grace said, yawning and stretching. "I was waiting by the phone all night to hear from you two!"
"Thanks, Grace," Nicky said. "I really appreciate all the work you've put in." Grace always proved to be a helpful ally in times of need. She wasn’t there on the field, but she could quickly dig up information that sometimes got them out of a bind, and Nicky appreciated that.
"Of course." Grace winked. "Have fun, you two."
Nicky's face flushed. Once alone with Ken, she hesitantly locked eyes with him. They’d been through so much together now. Nicky felt closer to him, yet there was still a barrier that needed to be broken down even more. Maybe they could work on that together.
"So, uh..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Any chance you want to get that drink tonight? It's probably gonna be our only chance to do it."
Nicky laughed, feeling light. He was right--this probably would be the only time, as they'd be back to work before they knew it. After so many losses--and victories--Nicky knew that even she needed some time off sometimes, to keep her mind healthy.
"Sure, Ken. Let's do it."
***
Later that night, Nicky found herself in a nice restaurant in downtown Jacksonville. Cool, blue lighting and a calm, soothing atmosphere permeated the restaurant from its tasteful surroundings. White tablecloths and blue-rimmed glassware accented the tables. Every table held a vase of fresh-cut roses and long, slender candles that flickered slightly in the cool breeze from the air conditioner.
Ken sat across from her in a booth, looking more relaxed than she was used to seeing him. An unbuttoned beige suit jacket with a dark purple shirt underneath, even leaving a button or two open, with his black hair holding some sort of product. He looked good.
Nicky cradled a glass of red wine, wearing a form-fitting brown dress, and her long brown hair in curls. She wasn't used to dressing up like this. But it felt right, somehow, to be here with Ken. It felt… normal. How much normal did they get to have in their lives? It was nice to kick back a little.
"So, tell me about Nicky Lyons before the FBI," Ken said.
Nicky took a sip of her wine, relishing in the acidity. "Oh, God, well, I guess I was a bit of a party animal when I lived in West Virginia."
Ken lifted a brow. "You? Really?"
"You can't see it?" Nicky asked, smirking.
"Oh, I can," Ken said. "But I never get to see you relaxed, so it's hard to picture you, well, kicking back and partying."
Nicky laughed. "Okay, well, I was kind of a wild card. I did what I wanted, when I wanted to." She twirled her wineglass in her hands, her mind going down a darker path. "But I changed when..." She trailed off, swallowing hard. She didn't want to think about Rosie right now. This was the one time, the one night, she was supposed to give herself off.
"Sorry." Ken cleared his throat. "I didn't mean to, uh, bring up the past..."
"It's fine." Nicky smiled. But for a moment, things felt a bit weird. They needed to talk about non-work-related things, but dark pasts didn't make great dinner conversation either.
"I'm sorry, I guess I'm not very good at this," Ken said, his cheeks red, which only endeared him to Nicky more. It was nice to see him so human.
Nicky laughed. "It's fine. I don't know what I'm doing either, if we're being honest. All I know how to talk about is work, and I'm trying really hard to not do that right now."
Nicky's hand was draped on the table. When Ken reached forward and touched it, she froze. His skin felt warm and callused on hers, and Nicky watched as he picked up her hand and placed a kiss on top of it, holding his lips there.
She was stunned. Stunned at how good it felt—and stunned that this relationship was really happening for her. It felt real, and Nicky had spent much of her life believing something like this just wasn’t for her.
"I like you for you, Lyons," he said. "If you wanna talk about work, to hell with it, let's talk about work. If you wanna talk about all the messed up shit that's happened in your past, then we can do that too. I'm just happy I'm here with you."
Something strange and foreign welled up in Nicky's heart. She was speechless. When Ken dropped her hand, she felt ten times colder. But the burn of attraction for him--it was growing. She felt something she hadn't had in a while--desire. To be close to him. To really know him, all of him, and for him to know her, too.
"I'm happy you're here, too," she said, her voice coming out lower than she expected. "But I'll pass on the work talk. Let me ask you something. Where do you want to be in five years?"
"Is this a job interview?" Ken asked, laughing.
"Of course, Walker," Nicky said. "I am your boss, after all." She shot him a wink, and his face flushed. He laughed and shook his head.
"Five years, I'd like to be my own boss. I'm thirty-five, not getting any younger. I'd like to get promoted to Special Agent, then move my way up the ladder. Maybe I could even be your boss for a change."
Nicky smiled at him. "You could be, if you play your cards right."
