Private Pleasures by Vanessa Devereaux

Chapter One
     
    Seattle, Washington—2045
     
    A gentle tap, tap, tap on the window urged me to turn in its direction. It was as I’d hoped, the rain splashing against the pane. It hit, and then at a snail’s pace, cascaded down the glass. I reached out and traced it with my finger, still not believing it was actually happening. We hadn’t seen a significant downfall for almost a year. I took some pride in knowing Joel had been responsible for it. I wanted to go outside and feel the drops of water hit my face and body, but I was on duty and would be for another hour. Hopefully, by the time I was dismissed, it’d still be falling and I could enjoy its softness as I went home.
    To no one, now that Joel was gone. I bit my lip, trying to hold back tears, but they fell very much like the rain on the pane. I think he would have been proud of me, how strong I’d been, and how I had to work for the Agency and train for the sort of mission that took his life. I wiped the wetness away with the back of my hand as a crack of thunder broke the silence and heavier rain beat against the window.
     “Natasha, we’re ready for you?” I looked up to see the director’s assistant in the doorway, holding it open for me. I stood and walked toward her.
    Inside the room Jonny sat at a desk. He’d been Joel’s best friend at school. The best man at our wedding, and now he directed the Agency that had been formed to help restore Earth and save mankind.
    “Come in and sit down,” he said. His assistant left us, and I pulled up a chair in front of his desk. He opened the folder with my name written across the front. “I’m sure you’ve seen the rain?” he asked.
    “Yes. Do you think it will be enough?”
    “The lab said it should rain for at least a day, so it’s a beginning. I’m going to sign off on your dismissal. You did a wonderful job on your first assignment. I think Joel would be really proud that you signed up with us.”
    “I think I’d really like to go on the sort of mission he was on when he…”
    My voice trailed off. I wanted to see where he’d taken his last breath. I don’t know why, but I didn’t think I’d get closure until I did.
    Jonny looked at me before putting his glasses down on my folder. “Natasha, there are so many other things you could be doing with your life. For example, you’re a wonderful gardener. You could work in the food preservation section.”
    He was right, but since Joel had left my life I didn’t think too much about my future.
    “I think I need to do it,” I said.
    “I understand that, but you know the risks?”
    Joel’s death had taught me all about them.
    “How about we compromise? Take some time off for yourself. In fact, I insist you take a week off. And during that time I want you to think about what you’d like to do. I need to give you this. Joel left it with me before his mission. I intended to give it to you after the funeral, but something told me to save it for later when your mind was clearer.” Jonny pulled out an envelope from the desk drawer. My name was written on it. It was Joel’s penmanship. He handed it to me. “Wait until you get home to open it.”
    A last letter from Joel, perhaps? Money?
    Jonny looked at his watch. “As of now you’re off duty, and I don’t want to see you back here for at least another seven days or I’ll have you arrested.”
    It was the first time I’d seen him smile since Joel’s passing, and I realized he probably missed him as much as I did. A gap in life that could never be filled again. Someone only ever got one best friend and one perfect love.
    I stood, slipping the envelope into my jacket pocket, said my goodbyes and left his office.
    Once I reached the street, the rain was still falling. I put my face up to the sky. Before the asteroid had hit Earth five years ago, rain had been frequent in this part of the country. It’d also been cool when it hit the ground. Now it was man made, and felt hot as it kissed the