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Once her friends were rescued, Carmen could lose herself calmly in her memories about the A.C.M.E. agent, since she was on her way to her house at that precisely moment after the girl’s own invitation.
She wasn’t counting with Julia in that hotel in Monaco, but it was impossible not to notice her in that spectacular dress: It fitted her perfectly. But she had a mission and she didn’t want to endanger her, same way as with the twins. They couldn’t see each other, she had to focus. Even so, since her job is so unpredictable, the very host himself asked her to dance that piece, which provoked a slight distraction that Julia took advantage of.
Seeing her acting so natural and being who took the initiative in every moment surprised her pleasantly. It was funny watching how the shy agent changed out of her comfort zone wearing a more daring attire. At any moment she anticipated that she would tell her that she’d expect to find the stolen objects in her house’s door. She was giving her free rein to know where she lived! She needed a lot of willpower to stop thinking about her and focus on the mission. She just asked Jules a vote of confidence that she accepted.
While she was on her way to the airport, she thought about the moment she met Jules at that train: it looked like a date. Both of them chatting enjoyably, sitting at a table from the dining car, getting to know each other and wanting to know it all about the other. She would have liked to spend more time alone with her, but Paper Star had The Magna Carta and that treasure of humanity couldn’t be stolen.
When she met her again in her new destination to save her friends, she found very tender the way the agent was looking for her and after appearing right in her face, startling her, she told her about the situation. She required her help to impersonate the thief, because she knew the agent could handle herself. Not for nothing she was part of the INTERPOL.
She had found it funny seeing her wearing her coat. Since Julia was shorter, the coat was slightly big on her. With a soft laugh Carmen stepped closer to her to delicately put her red hat on her head.
“You should use red more often: looks great on you.” Carmen remarked, winking an eye. Julia’s face competed with the red of the borrowed clothes.
When Zack stopped the car he noticed they were close to the location Player had given them. The siblings, with the carefulness they didn’t use to have, put the statue, that was wearing a jacket with a hoodie, out of the van using a ramp. Ivy had prepared a skate under the warrior’s feet to be able to move it better, since it was too heavy. Zack, for his part, was holding it from behind to call as less attention as possible from any likely passerby, though having both siblings still rapping her song wasn’t of much help.
In that moment, they passed in front of a florist, whose showcase was decorated with a bouquet of red roses that called Carmen’s attention. She approached it and grabbed them with a smile. The siblings, realizing she had stopped, got closer to her.
Carmen didn’t feel right just leaving the stolen objects at her door with no further ado, she wanted to give the delivery a special touch. A little gesture so she would understand that it was never indifferent for her, that she could always trust her, and that beautiful bouquet of red roses seemed pretty spot on.
“Hey Carm, are you buying it?” Zack peeked out over her shoulder to see the bouquet, smiling.
“Boss, are you giving them to Julia?” Ivy appeared after the other shoulder, elbowing her lightly with a mischievous smile.
“In the language of flowers, red roses symbolize love. Lovers often gift them to each other to celebrate special occasions like Valentine’s day, their anniversary or just to remind them of their love.” Player, as usual, contributed his facts, but for once the information seemed to be interesting to the twins, who started imagining different scenarios featuring Carmen, Julia and that bouquet of red roses.
The young thief left them to let them go on with their fantasies while she went to buy them. They were truly beautiful and with some luck the agent would like them.
“Boss, it’s all yours! We’ll wait for you in the van.” Ivy said smiling after taking the skate and the camo clothes off the warrior. She pushed her brother to walk down the stairs as fast as possible, but first she turned around again. “And we want details!!”
Carmen stood there with a sarcastic look after such an act, but at the same time a smile grew on her face, because at last she had a true family who supported her no matter the mission. But that didn’t mean she could just knock on the door and give her the bouquet and the stolen pieces. Please! She was a thief and Julia was an A.C.M.E. agent, they shouldn’t be seen together! She put extremely carefully the rest of the objects on the floor to each side of the warrior and she stood hesitant about the bouquet in her hands.
“I am Carmen Sandiego and I’m here to brighten your day.” Carmen quickly turned around towards the door. She recognized Julia’s voice from inside in an instant and couldn’t help smile and a blush appearing in her face.
She gently left the bouquet on the warrior’s hand, knocked on the door and got out through the windows, leaning on a side to be able to see her reaction.
Watching her leaving her flat wearing her red coat and hat made her heart race. She had definitely been left with one less outfit in her closet, but she knew it couldn’t be in better hands. Julia got closer to the objects, astonished, but the first thing she did was grabbing the bouquet between her arms. She didn’t check if the objects were the authentic stolen objects or not, or if there was any scratch. She was only interested in those dozen red roses.
“Thank you, Carmen Sandiego.” Julia whispered, blushing, looking at the roses with a gentle smile. The thief blushed herself in an excessive amount over Jules’ reaction and decided to leave with a smile on her face: she would take good advantage of knowing where the agent lives.
When Carmen came back to the van she didn’t answer any of the twins questions. She just sat in the back and smiled looking through the window, thinking only of Julia. Maybe when she gets to make V.I.L.E. disappear she can ask her on a date more peacefully, with no pressure, no rush and no missions in between. Just the two of them.