Change of Heart

Chapter Nine: Rules

Chapter Nine

Her head pounded a little as she sat in the hall and waited for the ambassadors to come and hear her report on her time in Guinea. She drummed her fingers on the black leather of her purse, her mind wandered to the night before. She smiled a small smile and shook her head, she had no idea how she would face Tom after she'd made such a fool of herself. Still, he'd called to check on her first thing in the morning and made sure she was awake on time, and insisted on picking her up after the meeting was over. He promised to be waiting outside whenever she was done.

"Miss Famosa, the ambassadors will see you now."

She entered the room after smoothing her skirt and adjusting her blazer. She looked every bit the professional, and her hair still looked neat and styled from the night before. She smiled at the ambassadors, a middle aged man and a slightly younger woman, and took a seat in the chair across from them.

"Welcome to London, Miss Famosa, and technically, this office is American soil, so welcome home as well." They chuckled politely, and Jacks smiled, suddenly a little anxious. " we heard great things about you from Tania and Julien, and so we have every faith in your capabilities in Afghanistan. The country is stable at the moment, but of course that isn't saying much, a stable Afghanistan is still more dangerous than we can accurately describe. Do you have any qualms about your new assignment?"

They both leaned forward in anticipation of her response. She chose her words carefully.

"I am far more excited about the good I can do, than I am afraid of what could happen while I'm there. UNICEF is beloved around the world, Afghanistan was one of our first missions, we're well established therr and so I will be as safe as possible. I have no qualms, I'm honored, actually, that you would even consider sending me. "

The woman nodded, her solemn face softened a bit, the man beamed from ear to ear.

"Well said. Now, tell us about Guinea and we'll let you get on with the rest of your day."

____________________________

"So how'd it go?"

Tom asked, glancing over at her as she fastened her seatbelt. She smiled, he was obviously worried that she had a hangover.

"Fine. Great. I leave in about a week in a half. They have to get me cleared to enter the country and all that...I'm excited."

"Are you going back to America first?"

"No. My parents are going to fly over here this weekend to see me, though. I'm not looking forward to my mothers tears, but it'll be great to see them."

Her voice trailed off and she suddenly became very interested in her fingernails, she rubbed them one by one nervously.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine....I just can't get over how ridiculous I was last night. I was a mess and I'm sorry, I must have embarrassed you pretty badly in front of all your friends....not to mention I completely crossed the line when I kissed you."

"Please don't apologize for that. It was the highlight of my night."

He smiled over at her, she looked curiously at his profile as he focused his eyes back on the roads. She couldn't figure him out.

"Why do you flirt with me even though you know I can't really be with you?"

"I'm driven by emotion, feelings. I feel attracted to you, I have to act on it."

"But it can't go anywhere."

"Do things always have to end up somewhere?"

"Yes. Everything we do should have a purpose."