{Wattys Shortlist 2022}
A one night stand is turned inside out when two strangers discover their shared past.
After a skydiving excursion that ends in a whirlwind one night stand, Camilla writes off ever seeing her handsome instructor again. That...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
An unseasonably cool breath of night air blew in from the harbor, leaving goosebumps on my arms and legs as I opened the door and stepped out of Connor's car.
He might be a bit klutzy on his feet, but Connor became another person behind the wheel. All aggressive turns and smooth lane changes. We arrived at the incredibly elegant restaurant and hotel in record time.
I was dressed in the black wool pencil skirt and delicate white cotton blouse Stella had dropped off at my house by Mr. Turner—the Fredericksen Family attendant of household affairs.
As I smoothed a hand down the front of my skirt, I wondered what it would be like to have a boyfriend whose family adored you. As doting and loving as the Fredericksen's, or my own.
Connor had gotten out of the car and popped his trunk, fumbling around with a tangle of cords when I peered over at him. "I'm gonna get going. I need to meet Stella in the employee lounge. I'll text you if anything strange happens."
"Hold up," Connor said, shutting the trunk, "I want you to wear this while you're inside."
I stared at the tiny beige microphone and thin cord between his fingers, unsure what to make of it. "Do you always drive around with spy equipment? What is that? A wire?"
Connor shrugged. "Would it make me cooler if I said yes?"
I let out a laugh, and Connor grinned back at me. "No, this is a microphone for doing interviews. I keep one in the car in case the admiral decides to have an impromptu conversation he'd like a recording of. It's probably a misuse of government property to use it for this, but..."
His voice might have trailed off, but Connor took a step closer. "I guess I'm breaking all the rules now, so screw it. I want to make sure you're safe."
Another surge of appreciation laced with guilt tore through me. Like the day I'd leaned against his shoulder and asked him to give me Admiral Tenney's personal calendar.
Connor was willing to break the rules over and over again just to help me. Just to make sure I was safe. It was something friends did for each other though, and Connor and I were friends.
The sound of his Boston accent drew my attention back to his face. "This microphone is connected via Bluetooth to an app on my phone that will automatically record any conversations you have. This way, we will have a record of all that's said. You can even whisper into it and describe what you're seeing."
"Okay, that makes sense. Good idea."
He seemed so much more confident while explaining how the recording device worked.
"Would that be okay with you?" he asked, "If I recorded this?"
I nodded, and Connor leaned forward—pausing as he studied the white buttons on my blouse. "Where do you need to put it?"
