Martini and Salsa 1.5: Sent a spy to catch a break

"Nothing I hadn't already read or won't have time to." he said sliding a book back onto the shelf and standing. "You find what you were looking for?" he walked with her back out into the corridor and turned the corner. He was feeling better now that he had decided to drop the whole matter. "Come one, wine tasting time." he walked with her up to the bar where there was a small workshop going in, nothing that would make you into an expert but enough to introduce you to the parts of the flavor that all wine tasters used.

"Even if you don't like wine just bare with it, I promise you you'll thank me one day."

The glasses were brought to them one by one by the instructor who had the correct answers on his clip board, he was surprised whN Josh got the first one right but Josh explained he was introducing his fiance to the art.
 
"Nothing I hadn't already read or won't have time to." he said sliding a book back onto the shelf and standing. "You find what you were looking for?" he walked with her back out into the corridor and turned the corner. He was feeling better now that he had decided to drop the whole matter. "Come one, wine tasting time." he walked with her up to the bar where there was a small workshop going in, nothing that would make you into an expert but enough to introduce you to the parts of the flavor that all wine tasters used.

"Even if you don't like wine just bare with it, I promise you you'll thank me one day."

The glasses were brought to them one by one by the instructor who had the correct answers on his clip board, he was surprised whN Josh got the first one right but Josh explained he was introducing his fiance to the art.
 
Cynthia listened to the instruction given and was careful with each sip, trying to pinpoint the different parts of her tongue that the wines flavors stimulated. She was perhaps a bit more serious about this then the other patrons, but she didn't look like it to the casual observer. Of course the man sitting next to her wasn't a casual observer, in fact he was far too well trained to miss anything. From when Cynthia wasn't sure what she was suppose to be tasting, to the moments where she was having to hone in her focus.

Once the tasting was over Cynthia felt she at least could go out with business men from non Fortune 500 companies and keep up, but not beyond that. The nuances that Josh seemed to notice as though it was a normal part of sipping a vintage she hadn't grasped. Cynthia did start to develope a preference though, so that was something.

"I'm looking forward to lunch," she told Josh as she sat back.
 
"And where are we having that?" he asked "Its your turn to choose where we go and its about that time." he grinned swirling the last bit of wine under his nose and picking up on the scent, then putting it down. "You did well by the way. You just need to separate the taste, the grape, the climate, the wood of the barrel, they usually come separately by strength. You'll pick it up."

He stood and took a deep breath. "I though vacationing would be hard, but I'm enjoying this... I should try it more often." he yawned the disturbed night catching up to him slightly, looking like lunch would be had with coffee.

"While we're on the subject of picking up. I have something for you when we arrive in port. Its a surprise."
 
"There's that nice sitting area on deck," Cynthia suggested. It was opposite the pools so it wouldn't be as noisy and there was the chance to watch the sea slip by. Overall it seemed like a great place for a relaxing lunch. The menu was limited out there, but Cynthia thought it was worth the limitation.

She smiled at the complement, as well as the confidence he had she would eventually get it. She stood up and then tilted her head to the side. "Surprise? Am I suppose to try to guess, or do you want this a real surprise?" While Cynthia's natural curiosity could at times be very driven she had long learned to appreat the anticipation of a positive unknown. She liked good surprises.
 
"If you guess I will 'neither confirm or deny the truth of your allegation' until you're about to get it. And you should know what it is by then. Not that I will be hinting." he chuckled as they made their way over. It wasn't far and on the same lever as the bar. "Though you know what I feel like? A plain old hamburger and fries." he said "Its not often I get to eat something bad for me and we are on holiday." he gave her a wink "I recommend you do the same once we get back its regulated diets and scowls if he have one tic tac too many."

He sat down and signaled to a waiter and placed his order. "Speaking of the island can you fly a helicopter?"
 
Josh had her curiosity piqued now. She grinned, feeling much like a kid that just saw a huge package under the Christmas tree. It didn't matter that she didn't know what was inside, only that it had her name on it. She wondered if he realized how just knowing he planned a surprise made her feel, regardless of what it turned out to be. Cynthia was not ammune to a thoughtful gesture. Her reaction to being noted out here was actually very muted, and that had been because of all the other events that had happened at the same time.

"Well I do have a fondness for onion rings," Cynthia admitted. A little indulgence was good for the soul. She raised an eyebrow when he asked if she could fly a helicopter. "I'm not the one that got her pilots liscense before her drivers liscense," Cynthia said with a grin,referng to her sister Julia. "I did get a chance to handle one though so I know what it feels like, and of course I know the basics of how it's suppose to work." It was again one of those moments where Cynthia forgot her childhood was exceptional. That her sister, who could fly anything from a hot air ballon to a jet, was exceptional in her own field also didn't register to Cynthia. It was just Julia, and her and Rebecca she had envied because they both knew what their passions were and went for it. Where as Cynthia was never quite sure.

"Will I need to?" she asked with a slight smirk.
 
"I might be in need of a co-pilot." he said. "And its always good to accumulate flight hours to build up to getting a license. Not that you need to worry about licenses." His smile was warm when he looked at her. "I like flying even though I'd never though I would ever do it when I was recruited. I like it for the same reason I like driving, or riding. Taking control of a craft and..." he stopped himself and leaned forwards "New game, this is an easy one."

He paused dramatically and leaned forwards "What branch of the military was I and what did I do." he grinned again "And why was I discharged."

He had checked up on her, time to see if she had done the same. I was all in public record.
 
Cynthia lifted an eyebrow and leaned back. She had in the week she had been stuck in base, tending to paperwork and other business, found time to snoop around quite a bit. There was a mental list she still had of things she was still surprised by, and not because of the information she found, but because she found it. Some information wasn't of so sensitive a nature. Such as Josh's military record. Cynthia had looked into his police career,mand then before that his military career with ease.

She didn't say anything until their food had been delivered. She even took a bite of her burger. It was very good after all.

"Well let's see. You were in the army and you drove a tank." Cynthia dipped an onion ring into ketchup. "I didn't know the term blue on blue incident before," she admitted. That was one thing she was starting to be careful with. She had surprised Josh once or twice, but she also wanted to be sure he knew when she was under educated. Surprises were only good if they worked in their advantage after all. Which also reminded her of an old saying, 'friendly fire isn't.' "So, how do you feel about satisfying my curiosity on exactly how this all took place?"
 
He nodded and took a bite then dipped a fry in bbq sauce and stuffed it into his mouth, chewed and swallowed. "You're right, blue on blue means friendly fire." he said "Though that particular day I wasn't the one driving. Or gunning. so how you light ask was I blamed for the mess up they led to our shells blowing up the wrong house and resulting in two dead civilians and another wounded..." he took another bite, apparently talking about it.

"I was on the radio getting our orders, there was a RPG holding up our main column were were told the building it was in had to come down. He related the orders and the coordinates of the target and above me the turret turns, everyone covered their ears and the gun fires, like clockwork. They said I had one of the numbers wrong and thats why he hit the wrong house. I reran the scene about a hundred times in my head but I'm sure I got them right but I was about done with tanks anyway. What else did you find out?"
 
Cynthia thought about what he said as she ate. Unless he was a very different person when he was younger she had a hard time believing that Josh wouldn't take responsibility for a mistake that was his. Either he was given the wrong information or in the confusion of the front line he truly messed up but didn't realize it. Human recollection was a funny thing at times.

"Your police record of course. There was a very nice obituary in the Chronical, but I'm sure you read it." She took her time with her drink. "It wasn't the only obituary I read. They're a good snapshot of a persons life. It takes a good deal of inferring though to get any nitty gritty from that type of source, and I really have two options, tedious work or go to the source."

Not that Cynthia had any intention of grilling Josh about his past, but she wanted to know, and she wanted to know from him. The public ally available records only told her so much, and in all honesty Cynthia didn't have the time or the resources to go much deeper. Her trust in Josh stemmed not from those fact finding foray, but by working with him, and the concern and trust Daddy Dearest had for him during the whole Cardinal affair. It was not an ideal way to get to know someone, but while there was a lot she didn't know about him, Cynthia figured she knew the most important bits already. It was why she trusted him, and why she smiled at him between bites of food at lunch on the ship.
 
He nodded and put down the half finished burger and looked at her. "May surprise you but I haven't read it." he said "Have you read yours?" he finished his fries and picked the burger back up savoring the last half of the burger keeping it over his plate. "Call me superstitious but reading your own obituary seemed a bit surreal as a new recruit and it hardly matters now."

The burger gone he wiped off his hands and leaned back taking in the sun and the sea. "And its always better to go to the source if it can be trusted."
 
Cynthia blinked. She had not read her own. It had seemed very surreal that she was publiclly dead, and she felt she didn't need any more emotional drama with what was chosen to be said about her. She supposed it might not have been all that different for him back then. It was good to remember that Martini was the product of training and experience. Something she would get both of eventually, if she survived the process.

Not being nearly as fast eating her own lunch Cynthia was nibbling on an onion ring before she smirked. "It's all about trust in the end." Cynthia pushed the plate over to offer him the last of her onion rings. They were tasty, but she didn't need them all.
 
He almost said it wasn't but stopped himself. "Partly." he accepted the onion rings and lifted a few into his mouth. "But you have good instincts, you'll figure it out. He ate and thought for a moment. "You know I've never thought about what people like us would be like as parents, you'd know better than anyone though."

He finished the onion rings and put the money for both of them on the table before looking away like he regretted bringing up that subject. "So now we return to the suite and get off our feet for a while?" he asked "Sur you have things you want to do today that don't involve holding onto my arm."
 
Cynthia tilted her head when Josh brought up the subject of parenthood. It might have not been all that unusual of a topic, but that he cut off the discussion before it could even start. It was very likely that despite being married to the job, there was still a desire in the spy to have something closer to normal, a family. It wasn't all that very strange really. Too bad it seemed he thought it was. Cynthia stored that little tidbit away. She would bring up the topic soon, maybe that way he didn't have to feel as out of sorts about it.

Standing up and stretching Cynthia shook her head. "Not really. That zip line thing looked like fun, but with the line I doubt I'd want to do it more then a few times. Ashame it's just on deck really, I'd heard of some in jungles before. Now that would be an interesting way to see scenery." She then took his arm, yes it was the cover, but Cynthia didn't mind walking with Josh like that at all as they headed back to the room. There was always the chance he was trying to kindly get rid of her for a few hours. It was so hard to tell what he wanted. All she could do was give him a polite out if he needed it. "Unless you were planning on some downtime for yourself like a nap. I can find a distraction or two easily enough."
 
"Ziplining...?" he asked "Save that for the island..." he did stop however and look at her. "Is there anything else you'd like to do today?" he asked "Theres nothing I have planned until tomorrow. There something I want you to see." he said "I've mentioned it before but lets see if you remember." he started walking with her away from the suite.

"So what did you look up?" he asked glancing at her. "You didn't think I wouldn't ask did you."
 
Cynthia grinned. Sounded like the island was going to be very fun indeed. She shook her head however when he asked if there was anything she wanted to do. In all honesty she could go window shopping to pass some time but it wasn't a great desire, though she'd surely have fun. Cynthia tilted her head when he mentioned the next day. "Only thing I remember you mentioning was waving to the guys doing drills."

"Of course I figured you'd ask, but I think I'll tell you later," Cynthia had a mischievous grin on her face. It wasn't likely to pull one over on Josh, but she did want to save her little expanded knowledge for just the right instance. Mastering timing was just as important as any other skill, but really it was just the hope to pleasantly surprise Josh when it might be served best.

Once they returned to their suite Cynthia headed out to the private deck. They were here to relax after all, right?
 
"Yes... a full military fleet doing maneuvers, its quite the sight." he said not objecting to her taking his arm again and once they were in the suite he ordered then ice cold tea though room service and joined her putting his book down on the table in case he needed something to do.

"How is it for you?" he asked "Being recruited under mistaken identity and deciding to stay. I don't think anyone asked you this but it can't be easy.I sometimes wished someone had asked me when I was recruited so here I am." He shot her a glance "If you'd prefer I didn't bring it up though thats fine too." he kept his eyes on her reading her features.
 
Cynthia frowned a little. Not that she minded the question, but it wasn't exactly an easy one to answer. She could chose not to answer it, but she rather get the chance to talk about it now, then never get to.

Though she moved so she was sitting slightly to the side, facing Josh, Cynthia wasn't looking at him so much as looking inside herself. That she wasn't looking straight ahead though, nor curled up at least suggested she didn't mind sharing whatever she was going to with him. It wasn't likely she even knew she was doing it, though a trained agent could fake body language to a good degree like anything else they mastered to be whoever they needed to be during a cover.

"I was so confused. I think you know that, but everything happened so very quickly. I still can't fathom what possessed her to even send me out with you." Cynthia frowned a little deeper. "It was when the Doctor said my father's name, wasn't it? He already figured it out, but he was still surprised, wasn't he?" Her expression then softened. "Then you got shot. I have replayed the events in the warehouse I don't know how many times, from the moment the sniper shot missed me because of you until you were carried out of the car."

Cynthia sat their silently. Those events, beyond anything else was enough to cause anyone some serious trouble.
 
"No one knew you father like Daddy did." he said "She knew he must have taught you a thing or two.. you were all we had." he said. "You've had lesson one on doing with the job, lesson one on living with it is no regrets. In every second you do what you feel you can and whats the best. If you start regretting you start second guessing, you start hesitating, next thing you know you're caught or your partner is shot."

He was sitting sideways on the deck chair leaning on his knees with his elbows.

"Trust your instincts, I should have trusted mine and let you shoot your gun."