Agent Gray, Red with Love

Selfies, Operas, Trespassers, and Tiny White Guns

  "Man, I still can't believe you still get to work there after the accident," said a grey chat bubble that just popped up.

  "Me neither, mate. Still pinch myself every day!" an electrician at the Sydney Opera house responded.

  Graham was texting with his cousin Shadow Hawkins, a geography major, now turned lead historian and archaeologist for an ancient history research and archaeological discovery organization. He lived in the the Midwest United States. His cousin was in most aspects a stereotypical blonde, except he had a  4.0 GPA, and an IQ score of 168.

  Though, despite his cousin's apparent genius, he still didn't believe when Graham called him and said not only did he keep his job, but he actually had gotten a promotion and lost the "junior" in front of his "electrician" title. It wasn't until Graham sent him a selfie at the ol' Sydney Opera house in uniform that his cousin finally surrendered his doubt, and acknowledged Graham's not being fired. Sense then, his cousin insisted on another picture at the opera house, preferably a selfie to prove Graham wasn't fired, as a testament to Graham's good fortune. Graham complied happily every second Tuesday of the month.

  So nothing was different about that night. Graham had lit a production of "Carmen" for the final time, as the next show, "The Magic Flute" was starting that next coming Saturday. No doubt tech week would be a drag, but Graham was used to it. In all seriousness, he was almost relieved  he wouldn't be lighting Carmen again for a while, even though it was his personal favorite opera. It just brought back too many memories after the last encounter with his Carmen.

  He sighed at the thought. Yes, the cheeky woman in red who hadn't left his mind sense that afternoon in the café. 

Carmen San Diego.

  To this day, Gray still debated whether or not the New Zealand incident was a dream or epic reality. However, he still had the bruises from when he hit the cold grass under the night sky, when her glider crashed trying to hold their combined weight. Some crazy mad scientist lady was threatening to simply shut off all the electricity in Auckland, New Zealand. And not just any power outage, one that would apparently be historic, and bad. Real bad.

  But Carmen had saved the day, clearly, as no big stories about the neighbors having a major blackout ever reached the Australian news channels. And he had helped! It was awesome, if not very terrifying. Though, he never really talked about if farther. Carmen and he had taken different planes when they went back to Sydney, and after pleasantries, their meet up for coffee hadn't lasted any longer than 15 minutes. 

  He had decided at the time to play it cool, and not ask any more than what was needed about their misadventure, as he was never quite sure if they were two friends having a drink, or on some sort of date.

  He hoped it was the latter, but he had enough respect for the gorgeous Argentine woman not to press his luck. So when he wasn't asking what he had to know, they'd spent the rest of their time joking about the places Carmen had visited and gossiping about the Carmen actors.

  That didn't stop him from thinking of her though. The way her cloud grey eyes pierced into his, as well as the glow of her skin. How her autumn red hair was accentuated nicely by her loud red accessories, which was a pattern in the way she seemed to dress that Gray didn't mind one bit. 

  He remembered when he asked his first question, how she had bit her lip and replied, "I do provide a service, and it's secret, so yeah, something like that." It was so normal, and yet mysterious and playful at the same time, like she had just said she worked for a kindergarten center.