Diplomacy

just indulging their lust for each other; they had taken plenty of time discovering each other’s bodies. He could still feel the beautifully toned chest and shoulders under his hands, the dark nipples hardening as he thumbed them. He could still taste Lucas’s skin. How could he even contemplate giving all that up? How could he turn away from the one person who had made him feel alive for the first time in… for the first time ever?
    “You work too hard, Jack.”
    Jack jumped as Maria’s voice in his ear shook him out of his reverie. He hadn’t noticed her returning to the room.

    SHE had noticed how tired he looked when she walked in. It looked like he had barely slept since Friday and she made a mental note to pamper him tonight, since tomorrow was the start of what no doubt was going to be another busy working week. She knew her husband was a workaholic and he was even worse when she wasn’t around. It was endearing, she supposed, how Jack would always bury himself in work.
    He really needed a hobby.
    After she had come down the stairs again, the present she had bought him under her arm, she had decided to order some food to be brought in. Then she would challenge him to a game of Scrabble tonight, and try to get his mind off work.
    She had slipped into jeans and a T-shirt upstairs and was barefoot, so Jack didn’t hear her come in. His face was in his hands. Beating him at their favorite word game would be a cinch!
    “You work too hard, Jack.”
    Jack looked up at Maria. “Hey.”
    After gathering his thoughts momentarily, he looked behind her back at the tubular package she was holding. “Can I see it?”
    “Uh huh.” She shook her head, turning it away from him.

    D i p l o m a c y | 93

    “You’re a tease, Maria Francesca!” He used her full name when teasing her, knowing full well it worked every time.
    She pursed her lips, “Yes, I am.” She held out the poster tube, just beyond his reach. “You know you like it.”
    Jack waited for a moment, then lunged forward and grabbed the tube before Maria could pull it away. “Gotcha!” He shook it teasingly before opening it and rolling out two posters.
    As he let them fall open on the counter he hummed appreciatively, “Dali and Miró.”
    She came in closer. “I know how much you like the Dali, but I think that drab office of yours needs some upbeat art, so perhaps the Miró’s a bit more appropriate.”
    He looked at her affectionately, “I think the office can take the Dali, too.”
    She walked around the counter and smiled. “Great! I’ll have them framed and brought over to the Embassy, then.” Jack returned to his newspaper. “Thanks, Maria.” She realized he must be very tired, giving up on teasing her so quickly. She looked at him sitting there, a little worried he wasn’t sleeping enough, but knowing things would work themselves out. And if they didn’t, she was sure Jack would make them turn his way, even though his fatigue was probably caused by a crisis of conscience right now. Maria was smart enough to see that persuading the Belgians to add troops to the post-war clean-up effort went against everything Jack believed in. They had talked about this sort of situation arising before Jack decided to take on the commission and she felt sure Jack would find a way to live with himself while managing to do his job.
    She gathered the newspapers and magazines that always seemed to be strewn around any place in the house where Jack chose to start reading and planned out their meal. She would call the small restaurant where they often had dinner and ask for a menu for two to go. One of the drivers could go and pick it up and then they could have a quiet night together.

    “EXPLAIN this to me, Lucas!”

    94 | Z a h r a O w e n s

    Lucas was rudely awakened by Lucy slapping her hand down on the coffee table. She stood in front of him, her arms defiantly crossed and a storm brewing behind her eyes. Tentatively he let his gaze wander to what exactly she had thrown on the table and felt himself wake up fully when he realized she had found the condoms.
    “I didn’t think we needed those, Lucy,” he tried.
    She shrugged, then sighed, “I can’t believe you. Do you really think I’m stupid? I turn my back for two nights. Just two nights and you go and screw someone else behind my back.”
    Lucas could tell she was seething. He couldn’t believe she found them. They were in his jacket pocket. What was she doing going through his