AJ was having an out of body experience. It was rude, considering that he was on a date, but his date had come in proudly bearing many red flags. Red flag number one? To say she was coming on strong was putting it lightly.

"I feel like from the moment I saw you we just had, like, this connection." Sandra? Sonya? Whoever she was, she looped her arm into AJ's and gave him a squeeze. A squeeze-y squeeze. Not just a little passing caress, but like an actual muscle honk.

Red flag number 2, despite having insisted that this be a chat in the open-air café portion of a restaurant so that AJ could escape if things got bad, he had yet to be able to say much beyond introducing himself. She hadn't taken the seat opposite from him, across the table. Instead, she'd inserted herself next to him. Very closely next to him.

Maybe he'd started the conversation a bit more engaged, but AJ couldn't recall a single detail of the conversation because once she opened her mouth, he'd started checking his escape routes.

Maybe that was why she looped her arm with his. She was not going to let this be a simple 'hey, something came up and I gotta go.' Every once in a while, AJ tuned in to double check that he wasn't needed for the conversation—

"I am a romantic person, y'know? I really believe in love—"

—He wasn't.

AJ was uncomfortable, but didn't yet feel the need to make a scene. He could fake a phone call, maybe spill his drink? Hers was empty, while his remained full enough to make a proper mess...

"I just... the divorce was rough, and he hurt me so bad that I don't know if I can date again—"

AJ's eyes flicked over to Sandra's flushed face, the point of contact between her chest and his arm, the eyes totally disconnected from reality.

Red flag number 3, recently divorced. IT WAS TIME TO ABORT MISSION.

"Then why are you here, if you don't want to date?"

"Of course I want a date, silly." She playfully slapped at his chest, but didn't remove her hand. "I could use a friend and... some benefits."

AJ looked around for help.

Was no one else seeing this? The lady had more hands than an octopus.

Whatever the root cause of the persistent attacks on Sabine, her assailants were laying low as of late. She wondered if the lull in her impending doom was connected to the emergence of a "magic cult," but Sabine was just glad she could walk the city with her default levels of caution and paranoia. You never shook your training, but you could let go of some tension and grab a bite to eat.

Sabine tapped her foot impatiently, standing beside the entrance to the restaurant when she finally received a text.

Fucking hell, Sab, I'm sorry. The meeting with the board and the NSA is actually never going to end. I think I'm gonna have to take a rain check. Maybe find a new date?

Fucking Kristoff. Not that she envied him; for all the responsibility Sabine had thrust on her shoulders, Kristoff was the one high on the food chain dealing with bureaucracy as the primary focus of his job. Sorry SOB. That did not mean she would spare him grief for cancelling on her or insinuating their meet-up was a date.

Rolling her eyes, Sabine looked through her phone. She was still hungry and she could eat alone, but there were other options. She could text Sveta and make it a business dinner with her number one frenemy. Of course, if she really wanted to enjoy dinner, maybe Pippa was available...

>> "Then why are you here, if you don't want to date?"

Dealing with people the way Sabine did, remembering faces and voices became necessary talents. That voice around the corner was familiar. Side-stepping toward the corner of the restaurant's brick wall, she peeked her head around the corner and confirmed it: AJ, Pippa's kind, brave, and (admittedly) handsome friend was sitting at the outdoor patio. What's more, he was clearly on a date. (With not Pippa, she also could not help but note.)

Ever the observer, the body language of the pair screamed everything she needed to know. The woman was needy to the point of physical clinginess. She was demanding attention, and AJ's tension said he was not keen on being wrapped in her embrace. If he was less of a gentleman, he probably would have jumped out of his seat, but leaving a bad date politely was next to impossible.

Not without help, at least. Grabbing her cell phone, Sabine found AJ's number, claimed after the baseball incident. He was a witness and a major part of Sabine still breathing, so they exchanged numbers in case there was some follow-up on what happened. Now she could, in a small way, pay him back by saving him in his time of need. Typing out a very fast text, she hit send and kept an eye on the scene from her spot around the corner.

Quick, Choose Your Adventure!
a. Jealous Girlfriend
b. Pregnant Ex
c. High School Sweetheart

Sabine waited for a response to get in the right headspace, but once she was there, she finally turned the corner and approached the outdoor table. "AJ??"

So she wasn't looking for a relationship. She was just looking for a hook up. AJ sighed and gently grabbed the hand that had bee drifting up toward his neck.

Was he in any state to judge here? He could probably have this woman and throw her aside and she'd be happy about it. He just... had never really considered such a thing before.

"Ma'am--" AJ's phone buzzed against the glass table and that totally derailed his train of thinking.

"Oh-hoh. Ma'am is my mother. You're supposed to call me Sonja." She pulled back a bit to pout when AJ reached for his phone, but did not let him go. He'd been holding her hand a few moments ago. She could sense his resolve wavering.

To free himself, AJ pressed his glass into the woman's hands.

"Looks like you're empty. Take mine."

She protested about ordering more and even started to flag down a waitress, but AJ was more concerned about his phone. Was this interruption enough to get him out?

...

"Pfft." He couldn't believe what he'd just read. The stoic no-nonesense woman who'd been through the blackout with Pippa was probably the last person on the plant he expected to hear from, let alone be given such a golden opportunity from.

Honestly, they were untangled now, he could just leave.

Or...

B. Please weaponize your hormones. BBBBBBBBBBBBBBB

He glanced around, but didn't see her, but the waitress was on her way.

Working behind a desk so much, Sabine found fewer oportunities to flex some of her well-trained skills. Sure, she was a competent fighter and a good shot, but those were rarely if ever the focus of her fieldwork. Sabine trained as an actress in college before settling on her career path, and playing a role was something that came naturally to the agent. There were tragically few reasons to "play a role" behind her desk beyond pretending to be a person with more authority than she actually carried.

This seemed like a situation where Sabine could be helpful to AJ and have some fun. Keep those acting muscles engaged, as it were.

And lucky for her, AJ chose B, an option so far removed from Sabine's current life, she would jump at the chance to ham it up.

"AJ, you jerk!" she called out, stepping hastily onto the restaurant patio. She had to keep her volume controlled enough not to actually get AJ kicked out or have the cops called on her. As much as she would enjoy shouting at her deadbeat ex, her lament had to be more public-friendly. "I can't believe you're already out and about, like we never happened."

Riling up a sense for drama, Sabine felt the sting in the corner of her eye. Oh, if she could get herself to cry on command, this would be her best moment of 2021. She just had to keep pushing. "Well, I hope you're having fun," Sabine spat out, grabbing the back of an unused chair and leaning over it for support. "And I hope this one doesn't mind being a step-mother, AJ. Because I'm. Late."

He tensed when she called his name. It wasn't that he was scared-scared. It was an automatic response to the scolding tone and too many years of not meeting his mother's expectations. AJ forced himself to relax again when he saw her face.

He didn't know Ms. Song all that well, but he was getting to see a whole new side to her.

"What is this?" Sandie murmured into AJ's drink.

> "I can't believe you're already out and about, like we never happened."

"Babe, we never happened." AJ stretched his arms to fold them behind his head, totally and thoroughly amused. Sunny's head was whipping back and forth like she was watching a tennis match.

> "Well, I hope you're having fun,"

He was. He really, truly and completely was. The twinkle in his eye said so despite this dangerous woman looming toward him and semi-shouting.

> "And I hope this one doesn't mind being a step-mother, AJ. Because I'm. Late."

Pfffffffffffffft!

Sondra spit the big gulp of drink that she'd taken and a mix of Gin and lemon misted down over their table.

For a moment between heartbeats, not even the traffic made a sound. Then it all started in all at once. AJ was up on his feet. Sandra was quick to follow.

"Oh my god—"
"Are you f@*(%#ing kidding me?"
"Maybe you should— He tried to usher Ms. Song into a chair.
"She is not sitting here!"
"Sangria, Would you give us a—?"
"IT'S SONJA!!!"

AJ paused with most of his silverware already unrolled and ready to help pat Sabine dry. He looked at Sonja, really looked at her.

"You—!" Her shoulders heaved and his tall skinny glass, now mostly only left full of ice and slice of lemon, came spiraling toward his face. She ran off before she would have to suffer the consequences of her actions.

"You didn't even bother to learn my name!"

Getting into the headspace of a spurned ex was unexpectedly easy, despite Sabine's lack of a dating history. Looking at AJ, she pictured a relationship starting when he charmed her at some wine bar. This Sabine, of course, was drawn in by his soulful eyes and winning personality. And she did not take it well when he asked for space, because of course he did. Handsome men like that could get away with toying with a girl.

And now he was doing it all again with another woman all over him? No, this was totally the scene where the player got a wake-up call.

The woman was confused, but AJ dismissed her. 'They never happened,' he said. Clearly they happened! Okay, maybe she exaggerated the relationship, but it was probably a very romantic weekend!

Sabine delivered the payoff, and if AJ was acting shocked, Sabine missed it because she was not expecting the spittake from their unwitting co-star to drench her. Sabine bit her tongue, eyes wide in faux-outrage as she tried not to break character in the silence.

But she lasted until they both got up from AJ's seat to pad her off, and she waved her hands frantically, signalling her babydaddy to back off because how dare he right now? He persisted, leading her to a chair. Sabine huffed, but she accepted, because clearly she was still obsessed with this ex-fling.

Sangria was not pleased. Except she wasn't Sangria, she was Sonja. Sabine scoffed, because she needed to cover up a laugh. "That's so like him. Like, we were in bed and I was being so snuggly, and what did you call me? Subaru!" She glared at AJ, shouting, "I'm NOT a car, AJ!"

Her righteous indignation was interrupted by Sonja splashing a drink in AJ's face and Sabine covered her mouth with her hand. She was going to laugh and this woman was going to kill her for it. Thankfully, Sonja ran off, shouting back at the man who scorned her. "That's right honey, you deserve better!" Sabine called out, waiting for Sonja to get out of earshot before turning back to a doused AJ, and she could finally smile. "So yeah, she seemed nice. You thinking there's a second date there?"

Subaru? Oh he was totally changing her name in his phone now. Half of him was dropping his jaw and the other half was just so damn amused. Subaru.

Thankfully or not, most of what got AJ was ice—A large portion of the drink had already been aeresolized in Ms. Song's direction. The glass bounced against his shoulder and he managed to bobble it until it landed sideways on the table without breaking.

> "So yeah. She seemed nice. You think there's a second date there?"

He plucked at his shirt and shivered the ice out.

"That wasn't a date," he insisted. "That was a highway robbery. That lady wanted my precious virtue." He clutched imaginary pearls and then mopped his face, pulling an ice chip from his beard.

Was there ice melting in his hair? Ugh. He was going to be sticky.

"Anyway, you were really something, Subaru. I feel like I should buy you a thank you drink, but maybe something non-alcoholic since you're expecting." He couldn't even look her in the eye, otherwise he was going to crack up.