The TO RUSSIA WITH LOVE Blog Tour ran between August 6 and August 10. Thank you to all who participated! For those who missed the posts on those days, we are reposting them here and linking to the original posts so you can read the comments on the sites.
The room charges with energy when the six people walk on stage. I take my seat in the center of the stage facing the six arm chairs positioned in a half moon. The myriad emotions bouncing to and from them rush over me in a powerful wave. Animosity, jealousy, love, fear. All mingle in one big woosh. As they settle in their chairs, I kick it off.
"Hello, my name is Sarah Wild and I am your host at Behind the Written Scene. As you know, we get the scoop about what goes on behind the scenes and in deleted scenes with the people from our favorite stories. We have some questions of our own and have collected some from readers we hope you will answer."
"Let's get this show on the road." Trevor peeps from the second seat to the right, rubbing his hands together and sporting a wicked smile on his unshaved face.
"Okay, then! Here's our first question. Trevor: How has the transition been to consultant life?"
Trevor's eyes roam the line-up beside him and then focus on me. His boyish grin dims. "Not much has changed aside from the freedom to work on my personal quest. Having George as my liaison is a plus. We've worked together for a long time and understand each other's thought process well. Having access to the amazing resource we have is invaluable to searching for more clues and we need all the help we can get with that."
Cassandra reaches for his hand and Nathan's gaze drifts to the gesture.
I take the prompt and move to the next question. "Nathan: Where did you grow up? I heard it's somewhere in the Midwest."
Everybody turn their attention to the blond, green-eyed man sitting on the first seat to the left and wait for his answer. I notice Nikol's eyes zipping across the line up in his direction. Her gaze lingers a bit until she catches my scrutiny. With a shrug, she glances the other way.
Humor floods Nathan's eyes. "No jokes about farms, please. I grew up on military bases throughout my childhood. I can't count the number of times we were transferred back and forth through the years. Kinda harsh for kids but my brothers and I learned to deal with it. It was harder on my mother because she had no family around during those years." He catches himself and stops before he gives any more details, a frown creasing his brow.
Drawn by the hint of something I caught in her expression earlier, I prompt Nikol. "This question is for Nikol. Is there someone special in your life?"
A wistful look crosses her face and disappears just as quickly. "No."
The tone of the curt reply is as clear as a red light. The woman sitting directly across from Nathan and watching him like a bird watches a hawk isn't going to budge. I move on to the other questions, still hoping to get more out of her later. "Jessica, how does Ireland compare to San Francisco?
The small sprite of energy smiles at me. "It's wonderful. With the exception of the language and"—her voice fades as her eyes trail to Stephan—"other interesting sights. It's just like being in the city by the bay."
Taking her cue, I move on to Stephan who has been avoiding Jessica's eyes all along. His stiff posture and closed expression only lightens when he catches Trevor and Cassandra's hands entwining on Tevor's lap. "Stephan, what do you see in your future now that Trevor is back in Ireland?"
Stephan turns to Trevor and answers the question directly at him. "It's very good having him back home. Even if he won't take his place in the company. It makes it easier on me, I guess. And I can keep an eye on him like I think Conor would want me to do." He nods at Trevor who nods back in a respectful way.
The two men, although apart in age, have loss in common. It is clear Stephan mourns losing his best friend almost as much as Trevor mourns the loss of his father.
Touched by the silent exchange, I return to Nikol, hoping to bring her out of her shell. "I'd like to direct this next question to Nikol: What is your impression of Americans?"
Nikol eyes Nathan who scowls back at her. "Most Americans I have met were fairly sophisticated. However, it is the wild ones who intrigue me." Nathan coughs and scowls as he looks at the paper in his hand. More to explore later, I think to myself.
Trying for questions to lighten the air, I turn to Stephan. "I know you flew to California to attend Trevor and Cassandra's wedding. Did you enjoy your time there?"
Curiously, his eyes dart to Jessica almost as fast as hers dart to him. He avoids her gaze once again. "Hmm, sure. Yes. I mean, of course. It was their wedding. I enjoyed being a part of it. I wish I had more time to explore California but I was..."
"Too much of a chicken shit to do so." Jessica mumbles from beside him and Stephan frowns.
"I was due back to work. I have responsibilities, you know. Adult responsibilities."
My attention is grabbed by the narrowing of Jessica's eyes. Irritation billows from her and I'm relieved for not being the target of such a heated stare.
Trying to diffuse the tension in the air, I squeak from my seat. "A young man sent us a question for Cassandra. He asked: What is married life like? Is it what you expected? If not, will you marry me?"
Cassandra's gaze shoots to Trevor's and he flashes her a wicked smile. "Married life is more than what I had expected. It's like living on a rollercoaster. You never know what's around the next corner or over the next hill, but you love every tummy rolling bump and loss of breath it gives you on the way."
Trevor grins at me. "You can tell him for me, sorry mate, she's taken."
A low curse rumbles from the other side of the room and now I see I have a powder keg in my hands. In the center, Stephan and Jessica are still frown at each other, Nathan and Trevor are throwing darts with their eyes. Mind you, Trevor has a snarky smile quirking his lips while Nathan's face is turning red, which all spells trouble.
Back to diffusing mode, I read my Q&A cheat sheet for anything that can distract them. "Nathan: What drove you to join the CIA?"
Nathan takes his time answering. He stares at Trevor for a little while before finding his words. "My father was a military man, both of my brothers followed his footsteps. I wanted something different." He shrugs but his eyes don't leave Cassandra and Trevor.
