The Soldier and The Spy: Jay Halstead - Episode 1

Chapter 6

From the moment they pulled into the marina Jay was scanning every boat he saw, trying to see if he could tell which one was hers and it didn't take long until he figured it out. Because that tall dark blue houseboat at the back, at the very far end of the dock with a perfect view of the harbour and covered in ornaments had to be hers. It was the perfect mix of rustic and modern, her preferred style, with just the kind of whimsical twist she found amusing and the closer he looked the more he fell in love with it. With the bronze dolphin jumping along the side and the silver tentacles that reached up out of the water to wrap around the bottom, with what looked like the handle half of a broken paddle and the massive iron anchor who's weight alone told him this boat was probably more structurally sound than most buildings.

"I spent a couple weeks in a houseboat in Bali a few years ago." Tess explained as she opened the door, standing off to the side as he walked in. "It was beautiful and I had the money so I figured why not build one for myself? It's not exactly the same style, but Chicago's got a different climate."

He didn't know what she'd stayed in but he didn't think anything could top this. They were standing at the front of a large open space, far larger than he would have expected from looking at the outside. There was a turning staircase to the right with a small room underneath, a spare bedroom if he had to guess, a kitchen and dining area to the left and a living room at the back, with what looked like an enclosed deck at the far end.

A sunroom.

She'd always wanted one. Wanted a place to lounge and feel like she was outside without actually having to deal with the bugs or bad weather. He could already imagine her in it.

Everything was decorated in the reverse of the exterior, light gray walls with the same walnut floors and exposed beams, the same blue on the trim and kitchen cabinets, even the large sectional in the living room; it was just a shade off from the colour of her eyes but then it must be hard to get anything that blue. It was calm, relaxing, but there were little bits of her personality that shone through in items like the bright orange octopus and whatever creature the teal water horse was supposed to be. He couldn't help but imagine her designing it, the poorly drawn blueprints she would have spent hours making and the all of two minutes it would have taken her to pick out the colours. She'd always had an eye for design. And then there were the artwork and knick knacks. Some he recognized from Lydia's, which sent a sharp and violent ache through his heart but most he didn't. She must have picked them up on her ops, in all the places she had traveled instead of coming home.

Except... she had come home. She'd built a home, without him. And Jay wouldn't lie, that hurt. Like hell. But he knew how much it had weighed on her to not have a place of her own and to know she'd changed that, that she had built one for herself, never mind something this amazing... he was so proud of her.

She started talking, something about a drink but then, "I'm going to go change quickly."

He actually thought he would trip he turned so fast but he was grateful for it because for a second he caught a glimpse behind the mask to the pain she was hiding underneath, conjuring an image of her head just above water so vivid he knew it would be seared in his mind for weeks to come. He found himself nodding, watching as she smiled and ran her eyes over him once more before she turned and headed for the stairs, his own eyes following until long after she was out of sight.

Tonight had been long, heavy and fraught with tension and he knew that Tess deserved to take some time for herself but he also couldn't help thinking that the more she walked away the higher and thicker that wall between them was going to get. And Jay didn't know how much more distance he could handle.

He gave his head a shake and walked back over to the entrance, kicking his shoes off before he decided to take advantage of the time she was gone to get a better look around. It really was beautiful. And as much as it stung to know he hadn't been a part of creating it he was so impressed by it. By her. But then that wasn't unusual. She'd been impressing him from the moment they met. He moved from examining the kitchen, and admiring the craftsmanship of the butcher block countertops to the living room, drawn towards the photographs across the way. To one in particular.