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Jessica had barely stepped out of the taxi before someone picked her up and swung her around. She was breathless and irritated by the time the person put her down. Until she turned around and saw who it was.“Michael! What are you doing in Paris?”“I heard you were going to be here, love.”“Of course, you did,” Jessica said. “I’m here for work, so don’t try to drag me into any of your schemes.”Michael clutched his chest as if mortally wounded. “I can’t believe you’d think that of me.”Jessica snorted. She turned back to the taxi driver and thanked him for removing her bags from the trunk of the car as she handed him some folded bills to cover the fare and a nice tip. He tipped his hat at her and left her on the sidewalk with Michael Hagarty and the doorman, who looked like he wasn’t sure about the man who’d just accosted one of the hotel’s clientele.A bellhop appeared with a cart, onto which he loaded Jessica’s luggage. Jessica followed him into the hotel, and Michael, ignoring the look the doorman was giving him, followed her. Michael leaned against the reception desk while Jessica checked in. Without looking Jessica knew that he was giving the clerk his very best flirtatious look, based only on the color in her cheeks and the way she got a little bit flustered completing the transaction.“Now, Michael,” Jessica said when she turned away from the counter. “It’s not that I’m not very pleased to see you, but it’s been a long flight. How long are you in Paris?”“Oh, there’s no real timeline,” Michael said.Jessica harrumphed. “I need to rest and freshen up after my flight. And I have tickets to see Gypsy at the Palais Garnier this evening. How about we meet up for breakfast tomorrow morning?”“I would be honored, dear lady.” Michael took Jessica’s hand and kissed the back of it.Jessica shook her head as Michael waved goodbye and took his leave, but she couldn’t help smiling. She turned to the bellhop, who waited by the elevator with a professionally blank expression. Jessica hurried over. “I’m sorry to have kept you waiting.”“I’m at your service, ma’am.”“Well, I appreciate your patience.”Moments later Jessica was alone in her room. She heaved a sigh of relief. While she enjoyed Michael’s company, she hadn’t expected to run into him here. She had to stay on track and Michael had a habit of blowing into her life and changing her plans before she knew what was happening.Jessica unpacked, because she couldn’t rest when she knew she had left that task incomplete. She got the final draft of her paper out of her briefcase and lay it on the table. She’d re-read it if there was time before she left for the theater, and a few times more before she was scheduled to speak. The International Mystery Writer’s Conference was very prestigious, and Jessica was excited to have been asked to present one of the key talks.Jessica called down to the front desk to ask that her outfits for tonight’s and tomorrow’s events be steamed or ironed to get out the wrinkles from the flight across the ocean. While she waited, Jessica called Seth to let him know she’d arrived safely. Once the items had been picked up, Jessica stripped down to her panties and wrapped her robe around her before laying down on the bed for a nap.~*~Jessica should have been surprised when Michael popped up at the Palais Garnier, but she really wasn’t. “Michael,” she said, torn between being flattered and annoyed.“I couldn’t let you attend the theater without an escort.” Michael extended his arm.Shaking her head, Jessica curled her hand around his arm and allowed Michael to escort her into the theater. When they were seated in the box on the first level of the loges de face, Jessica said, “How did you manage to get a seat in this box?”Michael gave Jessica a look. “The fact that you even need to ask wounds me.”Jessica rolled her eyes, then turned her attention to checking out the other patrons.“Are you looking for anyone in particular?” Michael said.For a moment Jessica wondered if Michael knew why she was there. “Just people watching,” she said.Just then she spotted the person she’d been looking for. Twisting a bit in her seat so that the camera hidden in her brooch was aimed directly at the person (Jessica gathered that he was someone of influence who might be putting himself in a position to be blackmailed; she didn’t know if it was by someone else or her own government, but she didn’t need to know), Jessica turned her attention to Michael. “Have you seen this performance before?”“No, but I’ve heard that the leading lady is stunning.”“I’ve heard very good things, as well. Do you have any free time tomorrow morning or afternoon?”“I am at your service, Jessica.”“I have a cocktail party and dinner in the evening.” They were the opening events of the writer’s conference. Jessica had arrived early so she wasn’t as jet-lagged for the events, and for other obvious reasons. “But I was planning to do some sightseeing during the day, if you’d like to join me.”“I’d be delighted to,” Michael said.Satisfied that she’d allayed his suspicion as best she could for the moment, Jessica opened the program and began to read.“Do people really do that?” Michael said in a loud whisper.“Do what?”“Read the programs.”“Some do,” Jessica said, not looking up.The lights flashed to let people know that the show would begin soon. There was a brief increase in noise as people found their seats and spoke in excited voices. Jessica’s heart rate increased a little bit. She reached out to squeeze Michael’s arm.“Isn’t it exciting? The anticipation?”“Very,” Michael said dryly.Jessica tried not to let Michael see her grin.At intermission Jessica and Michael headed to the bar with the others to get a drink. Michael suggested champagne, but Jessica demurred. She needed to keep her wits about her. He returned with a tumbler of some type of whiskey and a lemon-lime and cranberry for Jessica. They found a high top table out of the crush of bodies and people watched while they sipped their drinks.When the show was over, Jessica made a stop in the ladies room. She checked out her reflection in the mirror and waited until the third stall was empty. The stalls in this bathroom were completely enclosed and private, which suited Jessica’s purpose very well. She removed the brooch she’d worn during the performance and placed it into a plastic baggie. She zipped the bag shut, folded it, and placed it inside another baggie, which she also zipped shut. Jessica carefully lifted the back off the toilet and hung the baggie over the back, with just enough sticking out for the lid to hold it firmly when it was back in place.Jessica wiped her hands with a wet wipe, which she deposited in the trash after she used it to press the handle to flush the toilet. She reached into her purse and withdrew a brooch that was nearly identical to the one she’d hidden, though this was the original, and placed it on her jacket, careful to make sure she used the same puncture holes.At the sink, Jessica washed and dried her hands. She fussed with her hair a little bit (it wasn’t all a cover; she wasn’t vain, but she did like to look her best) and straightened her jacket, making sure the brooch hung properly.Michael was waiting patiently, but Jessica hurried over. “I’m sorry that took so long,” she said. “I wasn’t the only one with the idea.”“It seemed like no time at all,” Michael said. “Are you ready to return to your hotel, or would you like to get something to eat.”“I could eat,” Jessica admitted. She hadn’t had time to eat before the show, not if she wanted to have a bit of a nap, and she was a little hungry.“I know the perfect place.”“You’re not going to get bored, spending so much time with me?” Jessica said.“That would be impossible.”~*~“Are you alright?” were the first words out of Michael’s mouth when Jessica met him in the lobby the next morning.“I’m perfectly fine, why?”“I heard there was a bit of a scuffle last night.”“Oh, that.” Jessica waved her hand. “It was really nothing. Someone tried to steal my brooch.”Jessica led them to the dining room, where she’d made reservations the night before.“He didn’t succeed, I take it.”“No, thankfully. Frank gave me that brooch; I’d be devastated if I lost it.”Michael pulled out Jessica’s chair and sat beside her. He waited until the hostess left to ask, “How on earth did you manage to keep him from taking it?”“Dumb luck, really. He startled me, I started to fall against him, he tripped and ended up on the floor. I think he hit his head on something because he wasn’t moving when I ran to my room and called the front desk.”The truth was, Jessica had sensed the attack and flipped the man over her hip. The thing he’d hit his head on, very hard, was the floor. Even in heels it was all about balance and your center of gravity. And rather than the front desk, she’d called her contact, who would hopefully be able to figure out how she had been made.Michael looked like he wanted to say something, but didn’t know what to say, or how to say it. Jessica spared him.“I’m going to check out the buffet.”~*~Jessica had the best day sightseeing. Michael was familiar enough with Paris to show her places that were beautiful and off the usual tourist map, which meant they were much less crowded. He took her to the most delightful café for lunch and mid-afternoon they sat in a park to cool off with some sorbet.“This has been the most wonderful day, Michael,” Jessica said. She truly was sorry it had to end, but she had to get back to her day job. “I need to return to the hotel to get ready for the start of the conference tonight.”“I’m delighted to have been able to spend some time with you, Jessica.”Michael returned Jessica to her hotel in time for her to take a brief nap before she had to get ready for the cocktail party. Jessica was not the first person to arrive at the party, so she took a moment to observe before she saw someone she was eager to speak with, a Taiwanese author of the most thrilling mystery series.While Jessica was having a delightful conversation with Liu Akemi a server appeared with a tray of champagne glasses. And one lemon-lime and cranberry. Jessica glanced at the server’s face and managed to hide both her surprise and annoyance. What was Michael doing here? Jessica merely thanked him for the drink and turned her attention back to Akemi after the woman accepted a glass of champagne.Michael moved off, but Jessica knew it wouldn’t be the last she saw of him. She was correct, as Michael was also one of the servers at dinner. Jessica wished she could phone her contact to find out what was going on. Why would MI6 be interested in Jessica’s actions? Unless she wanted to draw attention to herself, it was going to have to wait until after dinner.Back in her room, the first thing Jessica did was make the call. To her surprise she was told that Michael Hagarty had been seconded from MI6 as her back-up. Jessica wasn’t surprised that they would give her back-up, but that neither her contact, nor Michael, thought it necessary to inform her of the fact.Jessica had removed her jewelry, the pieces securely locked in the room safe, and was considering changing into something more comfortable when there was a knock at the door. “Who is it?” Jessica called as she approached the door from the side. It was late, and she wasn’t expecting anyone. After the events of last night it paid to be cautious.“It’s Michael, Jessica.”Jessica checked the peep hole just to be certain before opening the door and glaring at Michael.“Ah,” Michael said, stepping into the room without an invitation. “I guess the cat’s out of the bag, is it?”Jessica shut the door. “Is there a reason you didn’t tell me why you were really here?”Michael shrugged. “I wanted to watch you work. And I didn’t want you to act differently, as you might have if you knew I was here for business instead of pleasure.”“Hmm.” Jessica couldn’t deny that she probably would have acted differently towards Michael if their interactions had been dictated by work, but she still didn’t like having been left in the dark.“May I offer you a drink?” Michael said.“Out of my mini-bar?” Jessica said as Michael removed a lemon-lime soda.Michael withdrew a bottle of cranberry juice from his jacket pocket. “I brought the cranberry juice.”Jessica laughed. “Yes, please. And you can tell me what your plans are for the rest of the weekend. All of them.”~*~Jessica attended both morning sessions the next day, had a wonderful lunch, and attended the afternoon session before returning to her room to change for dinner. She put in an appearance at that evening’s meal, put on by the conference, mingling with the other writers she’d met that weekend, talking to some about the talks they’d delivered, before she snuck out with Michael.He’d told her the night before that they had the opportunity to spy on Jessica’s person of interest again that evening at dinner, as they’d discovered where he and his mistress liked to dine when he was in Paris. This time Michael was wearing the camera in his tie clip. Just to keep whoever was watching the two of them on their toes, Jessica dared to wear the brooch again. If they thought she wore the camera, they wouldn’t suspect that Michael was the one keeping tabs on . . .“He’s a United States diplomat who works in China,” Michael whispered.“So who’s protecting him?” Jessica said. “The Chinese?”“It’s possible, if they want to be the only ones with the blackmail material.”“But surely the United States government would remove him from his post?”“Unless he’d be more useful to them as a double agent.”They spent the next few minutes discussing whether it would be double- or triple-agent until they were seated just a few tables away from their target. Michael seated Jessica with her back to the table, which was frustrating because she wanted to see what was going on behind her. Still, she knew Michael required the other seat, so she didn’t argue.Halfway through the best meal Jessica could remember having – she could see why the diplomat enjoyed this restaurant – Jessica noticed someone at the bar staring at them. When he realized that Jessica had spotted him, the man casually turned his back on her and took a sip of his drink.“Don’t look now,” Jessica said. “But there’s a man at the bar who was staring at me, or us. I believe he’s the man who accosted me the other night.”Michael took a sip of his drink. “I thought your lot picked him up.”“So did I. Could it be possible they let him go on purpose?”“To what end?”“Perhaps he’s supposed to lead them to someone.”“Or perhaps there’s another mole who’s already been bought.”“Well, that doesn’t fill me with confidence.”It was no surprise to either of them when they were attacked on their way back to the hotel. The attackers didn’t use guns, probably not wanting to draw attention, and they clearly didn’t expect Jessica to be able to defend herself. A few minutes after they appeared, both men and been disarmed of the knives they carried and were laying unconscious on the sidewalk.“Was that the move you used on the man last night?” Michael said, sounding impressed.“One of them. He wasn’t armed, so he was easier to take down.”Jessica waited with the men while Michael found a pay phone to call for pick-up.“Hopefully this time they keep them,” Jessica said when they were once again alone.“It was my lot this time,” Michael said.“Like I said.”Michael laughed. “I have a lot of adrenaline right now.”“Same,” Jessica admitted.Michael gave her a look. “Can I walk you to your room and maybe offer you a drink?”“That sounds lovely.”~*~On Sunday Jessica gave her talk and it was very well received. She was approached by several of her fellow authors afterwards to talk about it and other things. The conference ended that afternoon after a farewell gathering. Jessica remained for the entire thing, knowing that she wouldn’t see some of these authors again.Michael met Jessica outside the hotel and took her for a leisurely stroll along the River Seine. She did some shopping for her friends back home and they had another delicious meal at a restaurant Michael was familiar with.This would be the last moments they spent together, as Jessica’s flight was early the next morning. “It was wonderful to see you again, Michael,” Jessica told him as they walked back to her hotel.“And you, Jessica. We should do it again, sometime when we’re not working. Though we do make a good team,” he added.“We do,” Jessica agreed. “Especially when I know we’re a team.”Michael laughed. “Fair point.”Jessica slipped her hand around Michael’s arm and resolved to let herself enjoy what little time they had left together before she returned to the States and her day job. Though she had to admit, as happy as she would be to return home, she did wonder when she’d be sent on her next adventure.The End