begin by determining the most effective way to spend time training you without alerting your business partner, or anyone else for that matter.”
“Is that possible?”
“Sure it is. For example, do you typically have evening appointments with clients?”
“Sometimes I do.” Alexandra was relieved to be speaking about her work. “Quite often Jake and I have clients that work during the daytime. In order to accommodate them, we schedule evening appointments at their homes.”
“Would Jake find it suspicious if you told him you were busy and couldn’t make a specific appointment?”
“I guess that depends on how frequently our schedules conflicted.” Alexandra laughed softly before adding, “Since my love life has been nonexistent, I’m usually always available.”
Kevin smiled. “What about a class? Would Jake understand if you were enrolled in a photography class, for example?”
Alexandra tilted her head in thought and then said, “Yes. That’s a really good idea. Jake knows I love photography, and it would make sense for me to take a class.”
“Great.” Kevin blew out a breath. “If you agree to help us, we can have you enrolled in one that meets on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and all day Saturday. Of course, the class is real, but you won’t attend. You would only be enrolled. Then we could use the class time for training.”
“Darn,” she teased. “I really did want to learn photography.”
“So what do you think? Are you ready to work for the government?”
Alexandra hesitated briefly. With her face void of expression, she asked, “Do I get paid?”
“Of course you do,” Kevin answered quickly.
Alexandra’s lips curved upwardly in a smile. “I was joking!” she laughed.
He returned her smile but remained serious. “I know now, but I wasn’t. You are going to be working very hard, and, as an official employee of the DEA, you deserve to get paid.”
Alexandra flashed him another smile. “Who would have thought?” Her perfectly straight teeth looked exceptionally white against the natural brown of her skin.
“Tell me, then,” he probed. “What do you think?”
“I’m not sure.” She also grew serious. “Part of me is excited because it seems so cloak-and-dagger. But then, I feel guilty about my excitement. I mean, it comes from someone else’s pain.”
“You already sound like a true agent. What you’re feeling is an adrenaline rush, and it’s natural. It comes with the job.”
“I still have tons of questions.”
“I’m sure you do, but how about if we answer them a wee bit at a time ,” he said, mimicking an Irish accent. “Do you think you can escape from Jake tomorrow night? The class doesn’t begin until next week.”
“Sure. We don’t have anything scheduled.”
“That’s great. Tomorrow will be a big night. We’ll get you processed and hopefully get most of your questions answered.”
“Most of them?” she teased.
“We’ll do our best. Now, listen,” Kevin’s tone grew even more serious. “Tomorrow we are going to review all of the security measures, but until then—”
“Don’t tell anyone”
“Alexandra,” he spoke firmly, “please don’t interrupt me or make light of this. What I need to tell you is extremely important.”
“I understand,” she responded quickly.
“No, I don’t think you do.”
“You have my attention,” she said in a clipped tone.
“I’m not upset,” Kevin said. “I’m just cautious. Okay?”
“Okay.” Alexandra folded her hands to listen.
“Now, no one must know my name. You met with a client today. Just come up with any name you can remember.”
Alexandra nodded.
“Do not, under any circumstances, tell anyone about meeting me, about speaking with me, about anything having to do with the DEA. Understand?”
“I understand.”
“Do not even tell your parents you have something you can’t tell them. Got it?”
“Yes. I will not say a word about anything.”
“Good. Know
“Is that possible?”
“Sure it is. For example, do you typically have evening appointments with clients?”
“Sometimes I do.” Alexandra was relieved to be speaking about her work. “Quite often Jake and I have clients that work during the daytime. In order to accommodate them, we schedule evening appointments at their homes.”
“Would Jake find it suspicious if you told him you were busy and couldn’t make a specific appointment?”
“I guess that depends on how frequently our schedules conflicted.” Alexandra laughed softly before adding, “Since my love life has been nonexistent, I’m usually always available.”
Kevin smiled. “What about a class? Would Jake understand if you were enrolled in a photography class, for example?”
Alexandra tilted her head in thought and then said, “Yes. That’s a really good idea. Jake knows I love photography, and it would make sense for me to take a class.”
“Great.” Kevin blew out a breath. “If you agree to help us, we can have you enrolled in one that meets on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and all day Saturday. Of course, the class is real, but you won’t attend. You would only be enrolled. Then we could use the class time for training.”
“Darn,” she teased. “I really did want to learn photography.”
“So what do you think? Are you ready to work for the government?”
Alexandra hesitated briefly. With her face void of expression, she asked, “Do I get paid?”
“Of course you do,” Kevin answered quickly.
Alexandra’s lips curved upwardly in a smile. “I was joking!” she laughed.
He returned her smile but remained serious. “I know now, but I wasn’t. You are going to be working very hard, and, as an official employee of the DEA, you deserve to get paid.”
Alexandra flashed him another smile. “Who would have thought?” Her perfectly straight teeth looked exceptionally white against the natural brown of her skin.
“Tell me, then,” he probed. “What do you think?”
“I’m not sure.” She also grew serious. “Part of me is excited because it seems so cloak-and-dagger. But then, I feel guilty about my excitement. I mean, it comes from someone else’s pain.”
“You already sound like a true agent. What you’re feeling is an adrenaline rush, and it’s natural. It comes with the job.”
“I still have tons of questions.”
“I’m sure you do, but how about if we answer them a wee bit at a time ,” he said, mimicking an Irish accent. “Do you think you can escape from Jake tomorrow night? The class doesn’t begin until next week.”
“Sure. We don’t have anything scheduled.”
“That’s great. Tomorrow will be a big night. We’ll get you processed and hopefully get most of your questions answered.”
“Most of them?” she teased.
“We’ll do our best. Now, listen,” Kevin’s tone grew even more serious. “Tomorrow we are going to review all of the security measures, but until then—”
“Don’t tell anyone”
“Alexandra,” he spoke firmly, “please don’t interrupt me or make light of this. What I need to tell you is extremely important.”
“I understand,” she responded quickly.
“No, I don’t think you do.”
“You have my attention,” she said in a clipped tone.
“I’m not upset,” Kevin said. “I’m just cautious. Okay?”
“Okay.” Alexandra folded her hands to listen.
“Now, no one must know my name. You met with a client today. Just come up with any name you can remember.”
Alexandra nodded.
“Do not, under any circumstances, tell anyone about meeting me, about speaking with me, about anything having to do with the DEA. Understand?”
“I understand.”
“Do not even tell your parents you have something you can’t tell them. Got it?”
“Yes. I will not say a word about anything.”
“Good. Know
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