The Search for Juno

Chapter XXIX

"You lied to me."

    "I did no such thing."

    Alex gave an exasperated sigh, wriggling around in his binds like a petulant child. Angie shot him a warning glare, and he settled once again into stillness.

    She wasn't particularly worried. Even if the mafioso were to somehow get free from Clio's makeshift binds—tree limbs were quite sturdy, hardly makeshift at all, really—there wasn't much space in the SUV's backseat for him to cause too much of a threat. Besides, his gun was back at the hotel.

    In a very, very safe place this time.

    Hopefully.

    "You said," Alex began again, "and I quote, Juno, 'If you put the gun down, I'll let you go.'"

    Angie folded her arms, keeping her gaze straight ahead as the streets of Portland zoomed by in multicolored blurs. Hermes, as usual, was driving like a madman, and though Alex looked a bit green, Angie and Clio were both used to it by now.

    "Technically speaking you never finished putting the gun down," Angie replied, jutting her chin, "and for the last time, it's Angie."

    His face flickered with a subtle surprise. "Right," he said, his eyes darting away. "Sorry. I'm not used to it."

    The old friends sat through an intensely awkward silence.

    After a moment, Angie coughed. "Sorry about your boyfriend."

    "Whatever," Alex said, with too much vitriol in his voice for him to really mean it. He slumped lower in his seat, his head bumping Angie's shoulder. "And your girlfriend? How long has that been a thing?"

    Try as she might to fight it, Angie's face felt as if it burst into flame. Her eyes flitted up to the rearview mirror, where she could catch just a corner of Clio's face, the spring flush to Clio's cheeks and the intent gleam in her eyes as she sat forward to change the radio station.

    Girlfriend? Angie panicked. She hadn't thought to call her that yet. Was that true? Was Clio her...girlfriend? Was she Clio's girlfriend?

    Now Alex glanced at her, alarmed. "Angie, Jesus. Breathe. You look like you're about to pass out."

    Angie sputtered, drawing herself back to reality. "Well, it's just that I didn't—we haven't—"

    "Oh." Alex grinned devilishly. "I see."

    "What!" Angie shoved him off, not regretting it a bit when Alex slammed into the window with a pleasing thwack. "What do you see?"

    Alex groaned, face pinching into a grimace. "Are you serious, woman? I'm trying to be helpful and that's how you repay me?"

    Angie scoffed. "As if I need your help, Al."

    "If you didn't need me, I don't think either of us would be here."

    Angie narrowed her eyes at him, not quite sure she liked the smirk at his lips and even less sure she would like whatever it was he had to say. Nevertheless, she scooted closer, dropping her voice to a whisper. "Here's the thing."

    Alex, as composed and regal as a king despite his current state, nodded her on.   

    "I like, kissed her. I didn't mean to, I was just feeling very strangely emotional at the moment and it just sort of happened."

    "Sure," Alex scoffed. "Kissing. That's something you do by accident."

    Angie chose to ignore him. "Anyway, I thought she didn't like it, but she did! But now we haven't really had time to talk about anything and I still get very fluttery around her and I don't know what's going on or what I should do."