Enjoue` stepped back from the group hug, pleased and smiling to see that she had been missed so sorely. Looking down at her clothes she was perplexed to note that she was covered with some kind of orange granular substance that was highly resistant to efforts at removal. As she brushed futilely, Nikita507 and ‘chelle stepped over and began to assist.

"Sorry," ‘chelle commented sheepishly. "Fishypoofs are a little messy."

Then they noted that Michael was also covered with the orange substance and immediately turned all their efforts to removing every speck from his clothing. How did it get stuck in his zipper?

Eventually the group pulled Michael and Enjoue` into the living room and begged to hear the story of where she had been and how Michael managed to find her.

"She was holed up in her bedroom," Michael began. Enjoue` hung her head in embarassmsent as he continued. "She was watching J’en Suis - well, the first few minutes, anyway - over and over until she had attained a state of self-hypnosis."

"No," said Jane. Highly perceptive and sensitive, Jane had been out in the woods communing with nature and trancing in an attempt to feel something about Enjoue`’s whereabouts. Now, thanks to this elevated sensitivity, she could smell a rat. "I don’t believe it."

"You’re right," Zzoo chimed in. "She’s got little kids. They don’t leave her alone long enough to hypnotize a fruit fly. Something’s goldfishy here and I want the truth. Don’t make me go get my bazooka!"

The room was thick with tension, broken suddenly by a loud racket from the basement. Scoo’s muffled shouts could be heard, the tone of outrage plain even though they couldn’t make out the words.

Everyone laughed then and Enjoue` threw her hands up in surrender. "OK, OK, I’ll tell the real story. But you all must SWEAR not to repeat it to my husband."

"That’s right," Michael said warningly. "Anybody who breaks will never, ever see the inside of Time Out again. Ever."

A chorus of willing promises were made, and everyone settled around to hear The Real Story of How Michael Found Enjoue`……..

Michael watched from his hiding place as her husband pulled the Explorer out of the garage and drove away down the quiet street. He smiled slightly to himself as he thought of how easy it had been to get Norma to tell him Enjoue`’s address. Norma would never make a good operative - all he’d had to do was kiss the back of her neck as she was loading the washing machine and she had collapsed to the floor, gibbering. After that it had been the work of but a few seconds to extract from her all the information he’d needed. He smirked a little in self-satisfaction; God he loved the effect he had on women.

Traveling furtively from cover to cover, he quickly made his way to the back garage service door and picked the lock. Within moments he had entered the silent house and stood holding his breath, all senses on alert. Suddenly a plaintive meow broke the silence; he bent down to caress the long-haired brown cat that wound itself around his ankles. "Hello, Gracie," he addressed the cat. "Where’s your mom?"

Gracie looked at him in the inscrutable way of cats, then departed abruptly, giving away nothing. Michael searched the house quickly and efficiently. Dust rhinos were behind the doors. Laundry and dishes were piled to the ceiling. Toys were everywhere. Clearly, Daddy was on his own in this house and it didn’t take an expert spyguy to figure that out.

After seeing Norma, Michael had paid a similar visit to Zzoo, but had found her to be somewhat less forthcoming with information. Indeed, all she seemed to want to do was sit on his lap - not the preferred position for a truly intimidating interrogation. She had, however, admitted to an email exchange that might have included some hint as to Enjoue`’s whereabouts. Birkoff was working on it now, but Enjoue`’s ISP was so small-time that even Birkoff might not be able to coax out those old email records. Michael sighed. Life was so much easier when people used the proper technology. Meanwhile, he’d have to look for clues the old-fashioned way.

Finishing his search of the house, he returned to linger in the bedroom closet, something besides her bunny slippers niggling at the back of his mind. He turned a slow circle, trying to keep his mental antennae on ‘receive’. There! A Club Med hat! He darted out into the bedroom and tore open dresser drawers. Bathing suits all gone. Underwear all left behind (even the flotation device). Suddenly he knew where she had gone. Pulling out his cell phone he quickly dialed Birkoff and set him searching reservation databases - hoping she had used her real name….

Meanwhile, on a beach far, far away……

Enjoue` sighed in satisfaction. Without opening her eyes she reached out her hand and was instantly rewarded with the feel of an icy bottle against her palm. She squinted lazily at the semi-circle of admiring young men seated around her lounge chair. "Thank you, Araño", she breathed. They all began to chatter in different languages and Enjoue` gave another sigh of delight. Dance contests with Erick. Trapeze with Vladimir. Dinner with Jova. Beach olympics with Hendel. Club Med G.O.’s were everything one could want in a man. This was life as it should be. She took a deep swig of the limed Corona before putting it down and rolling over for another little nap (older women need naps to keep up with younger men, after all). Quiet descended around her and she smiled appreciatively to herself at their respectful silence.

Suddenly she smelled the delicious scent of sunscreen and felt strong hands on her back, pushing aside her hair and massaging the sun-warmed oil into her soft skin. She corrected her earlier observation…THIS was the life. "Ca va, cheri?" a voice whispered in her ear.

"Bien, et toi?" she murmured in reply. Something familiar about that voice…

Suddenly the hand was flat between her shoulder blades, pinning her to the chair. "I have been looking for you."

With a sinking feeling, Enjoue` glanced up into the green eyes leaning down from above. She gave him a look that could have fused sand into glass. "I’m not going back," she whispered furiously. "You can’t make me. I have a reservation here through next Monday."

The hand lightened and began to caress her back once more. "You must go back. Everyone is looking for you. You were a naughty girl to disappear like that."

Gritting her teeth in defiance, Enjoue` rolled over gingerly on the chair, trying not to fall out of her bathing suit. "You’re just mad because Norma killed you, Penny subjected you to indemnity and Zzoo took your sister away - not to mention your favorite painting."

He shrugged. "Well, yes, there is that. Even my own sweet petite haricot vert has been hard on me. For my own selfish reasons I'd like you to come back and give me some happy endings." He looked away thoughtfully for a moment. "Another few days off in Ireland would be nice, or another little trip to the Caribbean. I could use the rest before I go back to Time Out."

Enjoue` gave an unladylike snort. "Oh - so that’s what this is really all about!" Her eyes narrowed. "Has ‘chelle been working you too hard again lately? Or was it Lorraine, oh-so-conveniently sending Ron to China that did it? Hmmm?"

Then a calculating look came into her eye. She signaled over his shoulder to Tom the bartender, then turned back to Michael wearing a seductive expression. "I have a much better idea," she purred.

"Oh?" Michael replied, one eyebrow raised inquiringly.

A fresh Corona appeared at his elbow. Enjoue` tapped her bottle to his intimately and looked closely into his eyes. "You *could* tell them you found me on The Cliff, but I have a better plan: We stay here til my reservation runs out. Then I’ll go back with you and we tell everyone that I was holed up in my room watching J’en Suis. They’ll all believe that without any trouble." She licked her upper lip discreetly. "And it will explain away any slips I might make pertaining to familiarity with your…body parts."

"Familiarity?" Michael said faintly. He looked at her, considering the options for a picosecond. "Yes, " he said. "That’s the story we’ll tell." He stretched out on the lounge chair next to her, took a long pull from his Corona and looked around at the disappointed faces lurking nearby (‘lurkers everywhere I go,’ he thought). The Caribbean sun shone warmly on them as they lay contentedly side by side.

….."and that’s what really happened," Enjoue` finished. Everyone sighed in satisfaction. This group loved a vicarious thrill.

Michael stood up then and encompassed the gathering with a stern look. "Now that storytime is over, we have some business to discuss. I need your help with an assignment from Madeline. It has to be done without Operations’ knowledge, so I can’t use any of our regular operatives. Can I count on you?"

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