Deep Cover, page 11
A slow smile warmed Gregor's face. He picked up the phone and began dialing.
* * *
Sitting on one end of the couch after changing out of her work clothes, Kris tucked up a leg and shifted to face Shelby. Raising an eyebrow, she asked, "So, why the sudden interest in my wearing sunglasses?"
Shelby thought she'd gotten away with not offering an explanation. Kris had been usually quiet since her return from lunch and had rebuffed her questions with noncommittal answers. Wanting to lighten the atmosphere, she quipped, "I already told you. They look good on you."
She smiled, but her eyes remained serious and she sighed in the wake of Kris' unwavering gaze. "There's a rumor going around that one of the operatives on our list is at headquarters."
"And...?"
"I don't know if they're talking about you, but I suspect they have no idea what the operative looks like, so just in case, I thought you should be more disguised."
Inwardly roiling, Kris took a deep breath. "Shelby. Who is the operative?"
"Blue."
"And you think that's who I am?"
Grinning, Shelby countered, "I don't know that it's not."
The corner of Kris' mouth turned up. She was trying to protect me. Why should she care? "Thanks for looking out for me."
Shelby smiled shyly and looked away. "You're welcome."
Kris searched for something light to say. She was usually adept at casual conversation when necessary, but Shelby's concern had touched her and she was still trying to come to grips with that.
"Do you see your aunt and uncle very often?"
Kris glanced at Shelby, surprised at the question. "No. You could say we're estranged."
"Oh."
The operative was curious about Shelby's family, and wanted the focus of the conversation off her own past, but understood that if she expected the analyst to be open with her, she had to be forthcoming as well. "What's your family like?"
"Pretty average, I guess. My sister Ann lives in Seattle, and my half brothers, Jimmy and Jason live with my mother in Arlington. What about you? Do you have any sisters or brothers?"
Well, that was certainly the short version. "No. I'm an only child. Remember I told you my aunt and uncle raised me?" Shelby nodded and Kris continued. "My father was in the Army and died on a training mission when I was a baby. I don't even remember him. Mom was killed by a car when I was ten."
"Oh, I'm so sorry."
Kris shrugged. "It's okay. It was a long time ago."
"Did your aunt and uncle have any kids?" Shelby was pleased that Kris was finally sharing.
"No."
"That must have been really hard for you. I'm glad I had a sister to grow up with. My two half brothers are pretty good kids, but there's almost ten years between us, so I was more of a babysitter to them than anything else."
Kris stood up and walked over to a picture on top of one of the bookshelves, inclining her head towards it. The picture was of an attractive woman in her forties with golden brown, shoulder length hair who was smiling at the camera, but Kris sensed the smile was forced. "Is this your mom?"
Joining her, Shelby said, "Yeah. She had it taken last year. My sister and I have been asking her for an up to date picture for a while, so it was her Christmas present to us."
"Your mom's an attractive woman."
"I think so, too, but then I'm probably a little prejudiced."
Kris inclined her head to one side and studied Shelby. "You have her nose."
"Well now, that's different. I've been told I resemble her."
The operative looked at the picture again. While there was a family resemblance, she was put off by the woman in the picture. Kris was sure Shelby's mom did not possess the same pleasant, sunny personality her daughter did. "A little. You're better looking, though."
Shelby could feel her cheeks warm and chuckled to cover her reaction to the compliment. "Thanks, but don't ever let her hear you say so."
"I don't think you have to worry about that. I'll be gone in a week or so."
The younger woman smiled sadly at the flippant comment. "I bet you'll be glad. No more sitting at a desk, looking at a monitor all day long."
Kris suddenly realized how her comment had sounded. "I'll be glad because I don't like being cooped up in an office." And because I need to get away from the constant scrutiny and surveillance I'm under. "I'll miss working with you, though." What in the hell am I doing?
When the two women sat back down on the couch, Stormy jumped between them, meowing plaintively, and both women automatically reached out to pet her. Kris pulled her hand back when her stroke landed on Shelby's hand rather than the kitten.
Laughing, Shelby said, "I guess we both had the same idea. Talk about a greedy kitten. Notice how she got right in the middle of us. Nothing stupid about this one."
"I hear you." Kris' attention was actually focused on how soft Shelby's hand had felt beneath her fingertips and, as her imagination became more suggestive, she suddenly stood up.
"What's wrong?"
"Um. Nothing. Just stretching my legs. Is there a public gym around here anywhere?"
"I have a membership at Theresa's Fitness Center."
"Want to go?" Kris was starting to feel very caged, and she knew it was time to find a physical outlet to control her excess energy and urges. She would've preferred running in the neighborhood, but couldn't guarantee Shelby's safety on the streets.
"Sure." Shelby was more than ready to do something normal. "Let me get my things together."
Kris quickly changed into a pair of silky, dark blue jogging shorts and a matching tank top. After attaching a miniature cellular phone to the waistband, and concealing her gun within the folds of a sweatshirt she was carrying, Kris went downstairs to check the area.
Returning a short time later, she walked into the apartment and looked at Shelby appreciatively. Her companion was wearing a stylishly cut teal workout suit, with close fitting leggings emphasizing shapely legs and a white form-fitting top offset by a lightweight teal vest trimmed in black. "You look very nice. Ready?"
Shelby's could feel her cheeks warm, but the tingling feeling she was experiencing under the intensity of Kris' admiring gaze overshadowed that reaction. When she finally found her voice, she nodded and said, "You look pretty good yourself."
She silently cheered when the tips of Kris' ears reddened, knowing that her compliment had not been ignored. "Ready?" she mimicked.
Kris nodded. She was more than ready, and still wondering how a simple compliment could evoke the strong physical reaction it had. While she readily acknowledged an attraction to the younger woman, she had sought to limit it to one based on professional respect. However, Kris was finding it disconcerting that both her emotions and her body had shown a distinct proclivity to ignore the constraints she placed upon them and act of their accord. And for a woman who was used to being in complete control, it was a peculiarly vulnerable feeling.
As they started out the door, the phone rang. Shelby smiled apologetically and answered it.
"Hello."
"Hi Shelby. It's Mom. How come you haven't returned my phone calls? I've been worried sick about you."
"I was going to, later. I've just been a little busy lately."
"Too busy for your own mother?"
Shelby silently sighed. "No, Mom." In an effort change the focus of the conversation, she asked, "Did Jimmy and Jason both make the baseball team?"
"If you'd stop over more often you could ask them yourself."
"Mom, what did you do? Take a crabby pill before you called?"
Kris was barely able to stifle a snicker at the comment. She was standing in the doorway, and hadn't intended to eavesdrop, but the apartment was too small to avoid hearing the conversation.
"I can't believe you are talking to your own mother like that. All the years I sacrificed and went through hell to give you things I never had, and you don't even appreciate it."
Shelby's face momentarily darkened. You'll always be a victim, won't you, Mom? What about the hell Ann and I went through because you did nothing to stop it. "Mom, what's wrong? You've been on my case since I picked up the phone."
"I had a busy day at work today and then had to come home and cook for the boys. Can I relax yet? No. Because you haven't called me all week and I was worried about you. Do you appreciate my concern? Of course not. You insult me instead."
Shelby rolled her eyes, strolled over to the couch and flopped down. "I shouldn't have said that. But I've been really busy with work stuff too and just haven't had much time to call. So can we call a truce?"
Somewhat mollified, Lisa said, "Yes, dear. I just miss you."
"I miss you, too. I'll stop over next weekend."
"Can't you stop over this weekend? I'll make dinner. I could really use some adult company."
Shelby inwardly sighed. "Let me see how things go at work and I'll get back to you, okay?"
"Just for a couple of hours, Shelby."
"I've got to go. I'll call you later."
"Why? What's the big hurry? I haven't talked to you all week."
Kris had watched various emotions flicker across Shelby's face and had heard the frustration in her voice for long enough. She walked over to the apartment door and knocked loudly.
Shelby jumped at the noise, but seeing Kris at the door, she immediately understood that the other woman was giving her an out. "Mom, I gotta go. Someone's at the door."
"Well, okay, dear. Now don't forget to call me back."
"Bye, Mom."
Shelby shook her head, laid down the phone, and glanced at Kris. "Thanks."
"Didn't mean to butt in, but I figured you needed a break."
"Did I ever! She was really on a roll tonight."
Locking up, she followed Kris to the car. After the operative pulled out of the parking lot, Shelby turned curious green eyes on her companion. "What was your mother like? Do you remember?"
Kris was caught off guard by the question and torn about whether to answer or not. Her emotions were still raw from her recollections earlier that day, but she sensed Shelby needed to talk. She hadn't talked to anyone about her mother since she was a child. It had been forbidden at the institute, so she had tucked all the memories of her mother into a safe, dark corner in her mind – separate from the brutal memories of their parting.
Almost before she was aware of having made a decision, Kris began speaking. "She was pretty cool for a mother. At least that's the way I remember her. She was tall, but I think I'm probably taller now, and had short dark brown hair. Mom had hazel eyes that changed colors, depending on what she wore, and a pretty smile. She used to smile and laugh a lot."
Kris' eyes were far away as an image of her mother formed in her mind. "Mom raised me by herself and worked long hours at a factory to support us. It was hard for her with no one to help her, but she never complained or took it out on me. We didn't have fancy things and barely got by, but it didn't seem to matter."
Shelby saw a softness she had sensed but never witnessed on the operative's face as she spoke of her mother and knew she was seeing a side of this woman that few had ever been privy to.
Kris shrugged. "That's about it."
"She sounds like she was a great mother."
"Yeah, she was." Kris looked away from Shelby, concerned about the comfort level she felt in talking to her. While she had chosen to share that memory, it had felt good to do so and that worried her.
* * *
After signing in as a guest, Kris glanced at Shelby. "Where to first?"
"I usually warm up, then work out on some of weight equipment. We can do whatever you want, though."
Kris smiled. "No, that sounds fine. Lead on."
Shelby inclined her head to the right. "Over this way." She led the way to a room in the back of the facility that had an assortment of stationary bicycles and rowing machines in the front of the room, and stair steppers in the rear. "I usually warm up on the bike for about twenty minutes."
Noting that all of the machines faced forward, Kris opted for the stair stepper. She wanted a vigorous workout, and it would allow her to keep an eye on Shelby at the same time. "I'm going to do the stair stepper."
"Okay." Shelby mounted one of the stationary bicycles and adjusted the tension as she began pedaling. She would rather have had Kris right next to her, but knew they would be able to work together on the remainder of the regimen.
Kris was lucky enough to find a vacant stair stepper just to the left and rear of the Shelby's location and started moving the high steps in a steady, rhythmic pace, gradually increasing her speed to where it was comfortable, yet taxing.
She normally found this type of exercise incredibly boring, but watching Shelby's shapely legs smoothly work the bicycle in front of her was proving very enjoyable. It wasn't until a salty drop of sweat blinded her in one eye that she realized her own speed had increased proportionally with her enjoyment, and she consciously slowed down. Stepping off the platform, she joined Shelby when she saw her begin to slow. "All warmed up?"
"Yeah. How about you?"
"Oh, absolutely."
Shelby noticed the drops of moisture that had escaped from the sweatband Kris wore around her head and the sheen of sweat apparent on her body, and chuckled. "You sure are. Don't you believe in starting slow and easy?"
Kris bit off a chuckle, knowing her mind had gone in a totally different direction than Shelby's. "Always."
Shelby shook her head, amused. "Well your definition of slow and easy must be different than mine."
No. I don't think it is. Want to find out? Kris cut off her train of thought and issued a stern warning to herself. Don't even go there! She looked at Shelby and shrugged nonchalantly, then followed her to the workout room.
The two women steadily progressed through the various equipment designed to tone different parts of the body. Kris limited her use of the equipment to those in which she her view wasn't obscured. They were currently at a machine that worked the muscles of the abdomen and shoulders.
Kris noticed Shelby seemed to be straining as she operated the overhead bar even though she hadn't said anything. She laid her hand on Shelby's arm. "Wait a minute. The tension is too tight for you on this."
Shelby had been so intent on watching the smooth rippling of Kris' sinewy muscles each time she leaned back and then slowly sat up drawing the bar over her head, she hadn't even thought about adjusting the tension when she sat down and the feel of Kris' hand further distracted her.
Once the setting was adjusted, she easily maneuvered the overhead bar. "Thanks."
Kris smiled. "Next time, say something, okay?"
Smiling, Shelby nodded, as she positioned herself on the padded bench. Reaching up, she securely grasped the overhead bar in her hands before slowly pulling it forward, then letting it guide her back down until she had achieved a steady rhythmic motion.
Kris stood off to the side and suddenly found herself transfixed by the movement of Shelby's breasts and abdomen each time she laid back in the chair and brought the bar back over her head. Sucking in a deep breath, Kris tried to will her eyes away from the incredibly sensual movement, but couldn't find the motivation to do so.
She finally quit staring when her companion released the bar, and glanced away, sure if she didn't that Shelby would see the desire reflected in her eyes.
Shelby swung around on the bench only to find Kris gazing around the room. Disappointed that the operative hadn't been watching her work out, she said, "We've been through all the ones I normally do. Anything else you want to try?"
Kris was still uncomfortably aroused. "No. I'd rather run for a while. Stretch out my legs a bit."
"Okay." Shelby usually enjoyed a couple of nice leisurely laps jogging around the track, and was looking forward to running with the Kris.
After five laps, Shelby had had enough. She sensed Kris had kept her pace slow for her benefit, but the heavy workout had taken a toll. She slowed to a walk. "That's it for me."
Kris slowed along with Shelby, and looked at the flushed, tired face. She had to restrain herself from brushing an errant lock of hair from Shelby's face. "Okay. Let's go."
When they arrived on the ground floor, Shelby headed towards the locker room.
"Where are you going?"
"To take a shower. I have clean towels in my locker."
"It would be better if we shower at your place."
"Oh, yeah, right." Shelby couldn't believe she had actually momentarily forgot about the danger they could be in.
Noticing the sudden worry reflected in her companion's face, Kris gazed into Shelby's eyes, momentarily losing herself in the soft green pools. "Don't worry. You're safe with me."
Shelby never hesitated. "I know."
Kris looked away first. What are you doing?! "Ready?"
Shelby nodded, and they began to walk toward the entrance when two smiling men stepped into their path, intercepting them.
The taller of the two said, "Hi, ladies. I'm Bob, and this is Greg. We were going to stop next door and get a sandwich. Would you care to join us?"
Kris quickly assessed the men. Bob sported a muscular physique. Boyishly handsome, his fashionably cut blonde hair fell over his forehead. His companion was a couple of inches shorter, with brown hair and a slighter build. He lacked the thick muscles of his companion, but appeared to be very fit. She figured them for regulars at the health club, dismissing them as potential threats. "No thanks."
Bob turned his attention to Shelby. "What about you? It'd be fun."
Shelby smiled. "No thanks. We've gotta be going."
"Could I have your phone number, then?" Looking pointedly at Kris, he said, "Maybe we could get together when you don't have company."
Her eyes paling, Kris said pleasantly, "Would you mind getting out of our way? We said we weren't interested."
"How about letting your friend answer for herself."
Kris glanced at Shelby.
"I don't give my phone number to strangers."
Greg looked at his friend. "Come on. We're wasting our time."
