Page 49 of Iron Shield
“Mmhmm. If I had a boyfriend who was niceandhot, it’s all I’d be doing too.”
“Really, we don’t only do that.”
“Your face says otherwise.”
Jolie’s smile suggested she wasn’t totally wrong. But she twisted to face Stina. “I’ll help you think of something to do. A hobby.”
“I’m not allowed to do any of my hobbies right now. I can’t get on social media. No gaming platforms. No going out for an iced latte and walking around Chicago until my shift starts. I only have restrictions here.”
“There’s a gym,” Jolie offered.
She shook her head. “I’m not in the mood to work out.” That wasn’t completely true. If Rome asked her to burn off some calories in his bed, she’d gladly jump at the offer, but she couldn’t exactly tell Jolie that she was still a little sore in spots she never knew she had.
“Fine. No gym.”
Stina rolled to a sitting position but slouched on the couch. “Honestly, this place feels like 2020.”
She barked out a laugh. “You think it’s 2020 down here? It’s 1960 to 1980 up there.” She flicked her eyes to the ceiling.
Stina followed her gaze, her brows pinching. “Up where? On the concrete ceiling?”
Jolie’s smile faded as she leaned forward slightly and lowered her voice. “In the ski resort.”
“The what?”
“The resort. Sierra base is under a closed ski resort. But it’s classified. You can’t sayanything. We have to stay quiet to keep the team—and ourselves—safe.”
“I can’t tell anybody because I’m not allowed to talk to anybody.”
She couldn’t do any of the things she usually did for fun…or the one thing that wouldreallydistract her.
“This feels a little like prison.”
Jolie issued another laugh. “It might not come with the freedoms we’re used to, but isn’t it nice knowing you’re not going to get shot?”
She fixed her stare on the ceiling again. “I wasn’t worried about it before the day Rome showed up.”
Jolie fell silent for a moment. “We’ve been friends for a long time. But you’ve never shared much about your personal goals.”
“Besides getting rent paid on time?”
She nodded. “What would you do if you weren’t working at the restaurant?”
The question caught her off guard. Nobody ever asked her that.
Stina tucked her legs under her and contemplated her friend’s question. She’d spent her adult life questioning every choice she made and trying to stay afloat.
But since she started working at Antonio’s, there was a spark floating around her mind.
Jolie watched her expectantly.
After thinking for a moment, she said, “There is one thing I’ve been thinking about.”
She gave Stina an encouraging nod.
“I’d like to be in the kitchen instead of on the floor serving food.”
Jolie blinked. “Really?”
