Agent Gray, Red with Love

Airplane Conversations

(*gasp* a chapter in Carmen's perspective? Woah!!)

   "What on Earth could Crackle be doing on a boat in Manila?" Shadowsan asked on the Carmen Crew's private jet.

  Carmen slumped on the couch. 

  "Your guess is as good as mine. He said he was visiting a cousin working with Filipino mythology," she replied, "Which I doubt is true. Why would he lie, though?"

  "I don't think he lied, as he got three bananas, so he was with a group, Carm. I think he really was with family of some sort," Ivy reasoned.

  That made Camren feel a little better, but she was still skeptical. Gray had just seemed... off. Like he was slightly less happy to see her. Happy nonetheless, but less well... her cheeks flushed at the thought of it.

  Less flirty. Gray seemed less flirty.

  And that was really bugging her for some reason.

  She had said she was busy, so maybe that had something to do with it. Then again, the last time she'd been busy he had taken a plane all the way to Aukland, New Zealand, just to have a 15 minute coffee date with her, a memory of which she still cherished dearly.

  So what was different about their last encounter?

    "I agree with Ivy, I think he was caught off guard, and I think he was with a group. I also agree with Camren though, something seemed weird between the two of you," Player said from the computer screen sitting on the in-plane coffee table.

  "Or we could all be overthinking this, and he was just in a bad mood because of the heat, and visiting Manila because his American cousin was doing some work with Filipino mythology somewhere," Zack said. "Personally, it all checks out." 

  "Why'd you say that?" Ivy asked.

  "No one wears that fancy of clothes in that heat without doing something important," Zack replied casually, eating a mango.

  Carmen hadn't thought about that. Graham was wearing a loose, white dress shirt with black slacks and a smart leather belt. He was known to sport more casual wear, even his Sydney Opera house uniform was covered in a little dust from pure disregard of appearance. So what changed?

  Shadowsan shifted uncomfortably, "A girlfriend... perhaps?"

  Carmen didn't even hesitate when she blurted, "No." 

  "Carmen... I still have my reasons for be suspicious about him, but Gray isn't Crackle anymore. Now he's a well off, young, charming, charismatic, good looking, single guy. It is a possibility," Player agreed, trying to sound as supportive yet still honest as possible. He knew how much Gray meant to Carmen, and he had idea that if Gray got a girlfriend... it would be crushing.

  "No, why would he have a girlfriend in the Philippines? That's hundreds of miles away from Australia, much less the distance between Manila and Sydney," Carmen said, defensively. 

  "Well someone is taking this personally," Ivy commented. "Calm down, Carm."

  Why was she getting so defensive about this, though? She had barely seen Gray sense that amazing evening at the Sydney café, as she had lots of work to do. It was only natural that Gray would move on, and she should've been fine with that. So why was she having so much difficulty accepting, or even thinking of that possibility?

  Ivy titled her head, "You don't by chance have a...."

  "No, definitely not," Carmen said a little too fast, knowing what Ivy was implying.