@just-love-nikki-things
Toto stepped into the crowded restaurant and scanned the room until she spotted a familiar silhouette seated next to the window. She took a step in her target’s direction, but was stopped by the host.
“Good afternoon, ma’am; do you have a reservation?”
Toto glanced at him and gave him one of her more disarming grins. “I believe so; I’m here to meet an old friend.”
The man glanced at the tablet on his podium and nodded. “Ah. Right this way, she’s waiting for you.”
Lisa looked up at their approach. She’d apparently switched out her signature glasses for contact lenses, and currently had on a blonde, curly wig to cover her natural, pin-straight dark brown tresses, but with one look in her eyes Toto knew it was undoubtedly her.
“I will notify your waiter that you’ve arrived, she will be right with you,” the host said before bowing gracefully and walking away.
Once he was out of earshot, Lisa smiled at her and spoke. “It’s nice to see you again Toto—if that’s even your real name,” she added with a smirk.
Toto smiled back as she pulled out her chair and took a seat. “I could say the same to you, Lisa,” she said, throwing her a wink. “Wait, is it ok to call you Lisa? Or would you prefer Lenore right now?”
Lisa shrugged and leaned back in her seat, looking back out the window once again. “Well, the reservation was for Lenore and guest, so why don’t we stick with that.”
“Sure,” Toto agreed. “So I bet you’re wondering why I—”
“I know you must have a lot of quest—”
They both started speaking at the same time. When they met each other’s eyes, Toto couldn’t help but chuckle, and Lisa did the same. Immediately after that, their waiter showed up to hand out two glasses of ice water and to let them know she’d be back for their orders shortly.
“Please, let me go first,” Lisa said once the waiter had gone again. “I know I’m a person of interest for your government right now. But I’m going to get it on record right now that I’m of no use to you. I’ve lost contact with my former employer and have been on the run for over a month now. As I told the new Monarch of my former nation, I have no clue where they are hiding.”
Toto bit her lip. So Lisa had assumed she’d sent that letter asking for a business meeting. She didn’t blame her, but come on! Toto had signed it off with ‘XOXO TOTO 💕’. Was that really how Lisa thought she would write a communication to a fellow spy?
“Lisen, about that… My boss didn’t tell me to make this meeting.”
Lisa raised a single brow. She reached for her water, brought it up to her lips, and took a sip. When she set it back down, she fixed Toto with a sharp, guarded gaze. “What, are you going rogue now? Trying to get off the grid? I probably won’t be much help with that either, I’m afraid. After all, you managed to find me.”
“It’s not that either.” Toto took a deep breath, deciding to just get this confession over with. “Look, I know when we first went out back in Cicia, we were both on the job. I was your cover, you were my mark, et cetera, et cetera, but ever since then, I’ve kinda always been thinking of you. So the other day when I spotted you on the street—and it was seriously just dumb luck by the way, your cover isn’t blown and I haven’t told anyone—I decided I just couldn’t let this opportunity slip by.”
“Opportunity?”
“I wanted to ask you out on a date.” Toto paused, and when Lisa didn’t say anything, she felt the need to clarify. “A real one this time.”
