Two Different Speeds

JP with Trustno1 and Cindy

Riding back in Alyssa's new van, Sartre noticed the upgrades."

"You have all new equipment!"

When we get back to the hotel, I want to go over some of this stuff. See if we can make any connections. There has to be something somewhere, and you said you had something that you didn't want to show right away."
In the chip: "Alyssa, can I stay with you tonight? I feel safe with you.”

Agent Powers saw the text from Alyssa and replied, "Okay. Text me if you need me for anything. I'll help the others till then.”

"Yes, Cassini insisted. I mean I like this new van there's plenty of room for Max, when he's in it, and the tech is beyond state of the art. The security system is amazing as well." She paused, "But I still miss my old van."

Alyssa hit the thumbs up emogee and sent it to Max.

They were the only two in the van, so, the hacker was a little unclear why Peter used the chip. She made sure that he was ready, then started up the van before responding, which she did outloud. "I don't mind you staying in my room but a few things, I'll be working most of the night. And you'll have to sleep in the other bed." Alyssa then said. "Things got weird before with us in the same room. Can you promise that won't happen again. No trying to get into my bed, even if it's just to sleep. No asking me to kiss you, just as a friend, and no assumptions about what I might want. I will let you know when I'm ready for more. Can you agree to that?" Alyssa liked her space, the fact she was willing to share it was big enough in her mind, for right now.

"Oh, we can agree. "he smirked. He loved her assertiveness. "I'm really excited to see what evidence you have? Why did you not want the others to see it?”

Alyssa nodded, with a slight smile to Peter agreeing with her on her terms. "Oh, I didn't say I didn't want the others to see it. I just didn't want to discuss it there." Alyssa clarified. "I want to wait until we're back at the hotel, then I'll show you what I was sent.”

"Sounds good Alyssa. I love spending time with you." he smiled. "Did your van get a new stereo?" he continued.

"Absolutely, Cassini didn't miss a thing." Alyssa grinned. "You wanna listen to anything in particular?”

"Whatever you want fiery and dangerous hacker." He reached for another fist bump.

Alyssa laughed slightly at his comment, and returned the fist bump. "Whatever, huh? Between that speakeasy and the ghost that was stuck in the 90s.... I've got it." While driving the hacker tapped a button. "Play Squirrel Nut Zippers, Hot album." She spoke to the onboard computer. Soon enough the sounds of jazz, from the 90s revival, were playing in the background, horns included.

"When I was a lad I was a little bit shy.
Something came along and caught my eye.
When I heard the jazz band strike up..."

The song, Got My Own Thing Now seemed to go with the theme of the day. "A compromise among the two time periods," Alyssa commented.

"How long till we get to the hotel? Hungry for some junk food Alyssa?" asked Sartre.

"A few minutes, but I am kind of hungry. What time is it anyway?" They had oddly spent several hours at the theater, as it had been morning when they arrived.

"Pizza. I've always wanted to try the deep dish Chicago style everyone talks about. I bet we can find somewhere that has decent pizza. Door dash will deliver from Chicago, if we want." Alyssa commented.

"Deep dish from Chicago? Absolutely!" he said as they pulled into the hotel parking lot. He would follow Alyssa to her room.

She opened her room using the key card, then let him in. "Let's order the pizza." It would take a while to get there. "I'm going to order extra if anyone else wants some." She knew Choi, Max, Dahlia and Ekaterina would be out for dinner before going to the bar but there were a few others that might want food, even if not, she could give the extra to Max. Alyssa went to her draw and pulled out a second key card, handing it to Peter. "Here, you'll probably need this if you'll be staying in this room. Now, what do you want on your pizza?”

"I'll have whatever the hacker is having." He took the key card.

Alyssa ordered a few pizzas with various toppings, from the app and then sat down on her bed. She then asked Peter, "I don't know if I should be telling you this but I've never dated anyone before. Even though we're not official or anything, still this is all new to me." She wanted him to understand a little more of where she was coming from.

"I understand Alyssa, it can be very nerve-wracking at the start. I understand you want to take things slow. Did anybody really not find you interesting? Even though we're not official, why the interest in me? What do you look for in a guy? I know this is your first experience, I'm thinking of a beach in December. Though you decide, you'll decide everything and be in complete control when we....." He smirked. My guess is, that will be a first for you as well? Let's take things slow, But let me do this. You are one hot hacker to be so pale." That was probably the first time she had heard that he thought."You said no holding hands in public. You did not say we couldn't hold hands while you research and try and figure things out, Alyssa.”

Alyssa took a soda out if the mini fridge in the room, "Do you want one?" She sipped her soda, and sat back down on the bed as Peter spoke.

"Well, I went to college so young and really only focused on my studies. I didn't have anything in common with the other college students. It's not like they'd invite a 12 year old to party with them or anything. Then I graduated, and my father brought me to the Illuminati. At first I worked in the tech department at headquarters but I was, once again,the youngest person in the department. When I became a little older, I don't know, there's no shortage of guys in my field but they seem to intimated by any female who's their counterpart. " She sipped her soda. "I'm interested in you because your intelligent, nice and willing to put up with all that internal stuff I bring with me. Heck, I'm being stalked by a demon-like thing that can open portals to - somewhere hellish and your still interested, that takes some kind of guts. You are aware most men would run in the opposite direction at that, aren't you?" Alyssa was telling the truth, but it was sort of a quip as well. "Hmm.. what I look for on a guy, intelligent, kind, patient, willing to do things with me, I guess those are the big things." She nodded to his words about taking it slow, but said nothing regarding the beach in December. When he complimented her, she could feel the heat rush to her face. Was she blushing, Alyssa had never blushed before in her life. She looked down, so, maybe he wouldn't see and waited for the heat to pass. The hacker smiled at the agent, she put her hand in his. "For now, it'll be too difficult to try to type on my laptop like this. But I kind of want to wait, the ones staying in the hotel, not going to the bar, maybe we can just all hang out together and try to piece things together, as much as we can.”

He gripped her hand. "You just want to sit here for a while and hold hands. He squeezed her hand. I thought you said you didn't want to. I'm surprised you don't want to get back to work, just yet. you're nervous I can tell. It's alright to blush. You know you're smart, cautious and hot." He paused. Can I at least get some sort of preview before December?”

"I can change my mind, about things - like hand holding." Truth was Alyssa had missed him, but she didn't want to admit it, not yet, to anyone including herself. "Well, Max thinks I'm a workaholic. I suppose a little break while we're waiting on the food and the others won't hurt anything." She smiled slightly at him. "A preview? What do you mean by that?”

"I mean something like I watch you get undressed into something more comfortable, while I watch. You give me just enough of the preview to wait until December. I know that I can trust you and that you can trust me. You could also slap me for asking for that. When you're in control in December, you might do that again." He smirked. "The blushing makes you all the more hot.” He hoped he hadn't messed up...

Alyssa stared at him, but didn't remove her hand or get up. "Don't you think that's a little fast considering we haven't even kissed or been on an actual date, yet?" Hadn’t they just discussed not moving too quickly. "I'm still not sure we're on the same page when it comes to the speed I need to go at." She wasn't mad, and didn't sound mad but..."I'll let you think about if my speed can meet your, apparent, expectations. While I take a shower, and get changed. You are welcome to move your things down here, if you still want to." Alyssa just couldn't figure out how else to explain that holding hands was about 10 mph, getting changed in front of him was about a 60, to her. She couldn't go from 10 to 60 that quickly. She gathered some things, went into the bathroom and turned on the shower. She really wanted a proverbal light bulb to go off for Peter, where he'd just get it.

"I wonder if you are speed can meet mine. Can we compromise?" he asked playfully. "The thought of you in the shower. Can you speed up just a little bit. I'll go grab my things while you shower. I'll be here waiting when you get out." He continued playfully. "You are very prudent Alyssa." He smiled and said seriously.

She heard what he said, "I'll think about it." She quipped at him, with a slight grin. With a nod to his last comment, she closed the door to the bathroom.

He went to his room, retrieved his case files and sidearm. He returned to What he wanted to consider their room even though it wasn't official. He glanced at her laptop wondering what Mysteries the genius hacker could unravel. There had to be something connecting all of the occurrences with what was written in that book. he sat down and simply looked at the laptop, he respectfully moved his thoughts towards solving the case at the same time waiting to see what would emerge wet from the shower. He wondered which would be more powerful...