VANGUARD(94)

“Sorry,” he said, not sounding the least bit apologetic. “You’re like two peas in a pod, you know.” They both sulked silently. After a few moments, Michael’s foot nudged Sophie’s under the table, but she ignored him. Eventually his hand came down and took hers. She gave it a quick squeeze of apology and acceptance.

The morning show segment focused on the war and the humanitarian emergency that had emerged in the developed world. There were a couple of clips of her and Michael, but they were clearly saving the majority of their “exclusive interview” for the episode of Current Event.

Sophie put her coffee cup in the dishwasher. “I’m going into the office before we end up killing each other.”

He smiled ruefully at her, and she suddenly wished they had the house to themselves. Michael’s smile broadened, and she blushed. He could read her like a book, which both delighted and annoyed her. She stalked upstairs, trying to preserve her dignity.

She brushed her teeth and put on her makeup, her mind already on the day’s schedule. When she left the bathroom, she crashed into Michael, who stood right outside the door. Only his quick reflexes kept her from tumbling to the ground.

“God, sorry, my mind is…” She didn’t get to finish her sentence as his mouth descended over hers. Warmth flooded through her as she caught his urgent mood. He backed her against the wall and kissed her very thoroughly.

“I want to make you late for work,” he breathed into her ear, his hands pulling her skirt up and her underwear down.

“Yes, please. Make me very late.”

He did.





-





That evening, the Nariovsky-Trents and Sophie gathered in front of the television. They had declined an invitation to watch the interview at UNICEF headquarters with the PR staff. Sophie hadn’t been able to eat a thing all day. They’d taken an enormous gamble to get their side of the story out there. While the interview itself had gone very well, the media could easily destroy them both with a few clever edits or a malicious source.

The doorbell rang, startling Sophie. Maxwell opened the door and ushered in Carter and Janet, who had little Michael bundled up on the unexpectedly chilly April evening.

Michael and Sophie rose, surprised at their friends’ sudden appearance.

“I called them,” said Signe. “They are your family. And family needs to be together tonight.” She plucked little Michael out of the carrier and made a gloating face. “I also wished to see this baby since my only son has not given me grandchildren. Yet.”

Carter mouthed “Holy shit” over Signe’s head at this, then accepted a glass of vodka from Maxwell.

“You think this is going to be so bad that we’ll need a drink to get through it?” Sophie asked.

“No.” Maxwell grinned as he poured her a shot. “I think it’s going to be so good we’ll need something to toast with.”





-





“Tonight on Current Event…the refugee crisis in Orlisia, a full edition documentary. More than eight months after the Soviet invasion of Orlisia, the human cost mounts. Nearly one-third of Orlisia’s population is homeless, the death toll is in the thousands, and the economy of northern Europe lies in ruins. A massive refugee camp – controlled by a man alleged to be a war criminal – sits on the border of Orlisia and the Soviet Republic, estimated to house more than a hundred thousand Orlisians. It is the largest humanitarian disaster in Europe since World War II.

“In the midst of it, the world learned of the shocking discovery of an American citizen imprisoned inside the Parnaas refugee camp – and his dramatic rescue and repatriation to American soil by the Refugee Crisis Coalition. Tonight, Michael Nariovsky-Trent and Sophie Swenda, in their only televised interview together, tell Current Event about the resistance against the Soviet occupying force…their firsthand experiences inside Parnaas…and the extraordinary connection between them that has lasted nearly a decade, and finally led to love.”

A series of clips showed the Soviet invasion, the Parnaas camp, and footage of Michael and Sophie in the studio with Annabelle Hunter. The opening music started, and Sophie’s iPhone vibrated itself off the coffee table and onto the floor. Every phone in the house rang, but nobody moved. Sophie knocked back her shot, then put the glass down quickly so no one could see her hands shaking. Michael pulled her against him, wrapping his arms around her.