Carlos Hazday

, , , , Well, we now know that didn't happen so you can resume breathing. Before we get to the events leading to their departure from Mexico, we have a couple of concerts to attend, a few diplomatic receptions, and Chichen Itza calls. We have equinox special effects to witness!

People tend to anticipate too much. I mean, what about when the best man offers a toast at a wedding and encourages the bride to start spitting kids out as soon as possible. Oh, wait, I did something similar at my brother's wedding. Never mind...

LOL Yeah, it's hard for a tiger to change its stripes. We'll have to wait a couple of weeks to see if Northman remains civil. Next chapter CJ faces off against Peter.

Had Spike spent more than a few hours in Mexico, I would have shown him wearing a rumpled, tan, linen suit, unshaven, sitting at a bar smoking cigarettes and drinking margaritas, complaining about the heat and sweat rings under his armpits. Oh, wait, I can write that in the chapter he visits CJ in Cuba! Mojitos instead of Margaritas!

Hey! Nothing wrong with being single. I went back and read what I wrote and all I said was in 2041 he was unmarried. For all we know he's been married and divorced several times. Although I've dealt with relationships souring before, there may be a few more separations coming in the future.

The marketplace ultimately decides who profits most from their creative talent. While we might not be happy one artist or genre prosper, popularity has always influenced success. You highlight Vivaldi, I'll counter with Ye. I can't stand his noise, but he's raking in the money.

Ramble all you want, but no bonus chapters foreseen. LOL

Let him squeeze the bad juju out of you.

I'll interrupt the story with a short trip next weekend. When we return to Mexico the following Monday, we'll see exactly how CJ managed to get his visit to California approved.

Once CJ's done with the big house in DC, he and Ozzie could retire to Australia and become gentlemen farmers a la George Washington. Of course, I suspect CJ would get antsy after a month or two of watching grape vines grow. A dozen chapters left and all but one are longer than this one. I'd post more frequently, but since the next novel's not yet finished, we would have a long hiatus. I prefer to regularly bother you guys on Fridays.

What I think is interesting is Simmone simply suspects 'spooky' business; Spike handed Northman a card so there's no confusion who he works for. Steve, like the individual I based him on, is to dense to figure out he's sinking himself if he continues to antagonize CJ. People like him, unwilling to acknowledge reality, retreat behind rules and regulations. That won't work with someone like CJ who's willing to adapt to the circumstances. I mean he went from spoiled, rich, brat to James Bond in no time.

Oops... he'll be around again after CJ and Owen return from Miami. Did I mention there would be lots of traveling in the first three months of 2022?

Thanks for reading, Theo. I do try to take readers on a ride each chapter, sometimes one full of thrills, sometimes sedate ones. Stirring reader emotions is always a goal.

@Clancy59 With all the talk of CJ's temper going on, I wasn't surprised when he snapped at Spike. CJ would probably relish being interviewed by the Ruskies, I mean, the guy does like confrontation (I've arranged for one in the next chapter LOL) I don't even want to imagine the games the CIA's playing. Sooner or later the Russians will find out Domogarov's alive and riding horses in Idaho, but by then the damage will have been done. I liked they bought themselves at least a month or two of uninterrupted questioning. The Russians won't know what hit them, if they decide they want to chat with our man. We knew he ended up in LA for the Oscars, but not how he got there. It should be a fun happy trip with zero confrontations or controversy. Right?

Keep your eyes peeled. I allow Northman to survive through the end of the story. You think he'll stay nice?

Last night, while watching TV, I thought about what reaction to this chapter would be like. I did not expect an avalanche of comments, since like the last chapter, this one was a calm one. I'm glad you liked it.

LOL One thing Steve's not yet realized is CJ endears himself to friend and foe alike. The fact he's now climbing on the CJ bandwagon may be too little, too late; he's already left a bad taste in people's mouths. He won't be safe from gossip as long as CJ's around to remind others of the way a real diplomat should act.

@scrubber6620 Cruz returned to CJ's life with a bang, Cox, Sir Kent, Chen, Domogaroff, and Northman, amongst others, may one day also pop back in the picture. While CJ met a few famous people before, some thanks to his parents social status, he's now on his own. How he deals with them will affect how they deal with him. You can never have too many allies if you plan to run for office one day.

I find it fascinating how inciting a Russian spy to defect can change your life. CJ's on the CIA and State's radar big time now. I suspect his interactions with Yevgeny will be part of future events. I think I could see Domogarov returning to Russia once Putin's deposed for the Ukraine fiasco. Hell, he lands in the US at the beginning of January and I bet he at least had an inkling of what was coming. Maybe he's the reason Biden kept warning everyone intelligence suggested an imminent invasion.

Thanks, buddy

No, no, no... The thunderstorm I wrote about yesterday happens in a different place and time.

No, of course he's not a hothead! LOL Back home for only a bit. The unexpected DC trip must have awaken CJ's travel bug. I hear he, Ozzie, and the Munchkin are on a plane a week or so after returning. I wonder if Northman will object.

I know, right? The boogeyman is acting human. Let's see how long it lasts.

Cover stories, like lies, work best when based on truth. In this case, the IVF procedure's real, so CJ can focus on that and dismiss conjecture. That change in job would significantly impact CJ's life. Instead of attending events he wants to, he'll have to represent the embassy now and then. The choice of where to be would be partially out of his control.

“New car?” CJ tossed his bag in the back and slid into the passenger seat. “Yep. First new one I’ve ever bought.” Spike nodded while polishing a spot on the vehicle’s roof with his suit’s sleeve. “The used one I got after graduation lasted longer than I thought it would.” “You see a lot of Nissans in Mexico City. I think it’s the best-selling brand down there.” “I’m still surprised you’re flying back today. I told you we arranged for the entire week off for you.” Spike had co