“I thought so.” She smiled at him. “All I did was study my ass off. I spent four years in the library. I didn’t have much fun. I was very serious then.”

“I’m not sure I had fun either. I had a football scholarship for college and joined the navy for graduate school. I liked the navy better, while I was flying fighter planes. And working in military intelligence was exciting.” They smiled at each other and he paid the check. He hated to have the evening end. There was so much more to learn about her. And even without words, they were comfortable. He put an arm around her shoulders lightly when they left the diner, and she didn’t object. Mike was relieved to see her driver was still waiting outside.

“Do you have a driver in Paris?” he asked her seriously, and she looked embarrassed when she nodded.

“I do, and several bodyguards…It’s an unfortunate necessity.”

“Keep it that way, Theo. Be careful, please,” he said gently but with urgency in his voice, and she looked up at him and nodded. She felt so many things with him, so much in common, and she felt so safe standing next to him. She felt protected, and there was a current running between them that she couldn’t explain, like a kind of electricity from a powerful source beyond her control.

“Thank you for a wonderful evening,” she said as he walked her to her car and opened the door.

“Come back soon,” he said, bending down to her, his face close to hers. She was shocked to realize that she would have kissed him if he dared, but she was relieved that he didn’t. It was just meant to be a simple dinner between new friends, but she wasn’t sure what it was now. It had the potential to be something dangerous and wonderful. She wasn’t ready for that and he knew it, and all the reasons why. “Take care of yourself,” he said.

“I will. You too,” she said. “Life can be dangerous, more than you know. Be careful, Mike. I’ll be back for another banana split, and I want to find you here.” She had a terror of people disappearing now.