Progress of Love

Chapter 2: An Unsatisfactory Situation

Jones approached Diana in the breakroom. "Who's the woman with Caffrey?"

Diana paused filling her mug from the coffee pot to look up. Short gray hair and glasses. Frumpy tweeds. "I don't recognize her. Definitely not Alex. I've seen her photos. Perhaps one of his professors?" Diana could picture the woman as a historian. It would be a fitting look for the head librarian in her Arkham Files stories.

Jones chuckled. "Caffrey's one in a million. I saw them kissing by the elevator, and it was no peck on the cheek."

"Shhh," she whispered. "They're coming this way." For a woman with gray hair, her complexion was remarkably radiant. Diana would love to know her secret. It probably involved a banana peel mask and cucumbers.

"Look who's back!" Neal exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear.

"Sorry for the outfit," a familiar voice said. "I didn't take time to change."

"Sara?" Diana stared at her. "Is that really you?"

"I'm a woman of many faces," she said with a smile. "You should see my Thai-assassin look. Neal didn't recognize me at the lounge last night."

"Ouch," Jones muttered and sent a sympathetic wince in Neal's direction. Was he trying to think of an excuse to bail Neal out?

"It's okay," Neal said. "Sara realized there's no way I'd cheat on my sexy silver fox."

"You better not," Sara warned with a mock stern expression. "This satchel is a lethal weapon."

"What's going on?" Peter asked, walking in. "Quite a transformation for you, Sara."

"Hi, Peter," Sara said. "Neal and I realized we were working different angles of the same case. I hope you don't mind if I join the discussion."

"You're investigating Alex Hunter?" Peter asked.

She nodded. "She's a suspect in a jewelry heist."

"You're welcome at the table. I'll call Travis to join us."

"Give me a minute to take off my wig."

"Please do," Jones said. "You're reminding me too much of my grade school English teacher."

Sara grinned. "Afraid I'll rap your knuckles? I'll be back in a jiff."

As soon as she left the room, Neal was swarmed. "What's the damage assessment?" Peter demanded.

"You need us to back you up?" Jones added. "Just let us know what to say."

"Hey, Sara should know the truth," Diana protested and turned to glare at Neal. "You didn't leave anything out of your report about the previous night, did you?"

Neal sighed. "Give me a little credit, guys. Yes, I like Alex, but do you honestly believe I'd cheat on Sara? You certainly wouldn't write Arkham Neal to do something so despicable and may I remind you he's based on me?" He took a slow breath, apparently to ratchet down his frustration, but it didn't seem to work.

He was probably worried that Sara had doubts as well. Despite herself, Diana felt herself go a little gooey inside. It wasn't often, but every once in a blue moon, Neal reminded her of the way she'd written his fictional counterpart. Caffrey at work was cool and in control, his conman's mask firmly in place to hide any tension. When the mask slipped, he looked surprisingly vulnerable. Sara's unexpected appearance must have rattled him badly.

This wasn't the time to slip out of character. He'd be even more flustered. "Sheesh, calm down," Diana urged, adding an exaggerated eye roll to enhance the effect. "We weren't impugning your character." She zipped a mischievous grin his way. "Well, maybe we were, just a little. But clearly Sara knows you far better than we do, and she didn't doubt you for a second." Diana kept her fingers crossed behind her back that she was correct.