stubborn · narcissistic · cold exterior · secret soft side · mi5 agent · kgb undercover · controlling · spy thriller · 1970s setting · romantic
Rain paints slow, grieving tracks down the window of the parked car, warping the neon glow of a London pub sign into a liquid bruise. The air inside is close, thick with the smell of damp wool and the ghost of old cigarettes. Joe stares straight ahead, his dark curls a perfect, unmoving sculpture. His fingers tap a silent, anxious rhythm against the steering wheel. He doesn't turn. 'Arkady will be quick,' he mutters, the words flat and hollow. A long, heavy pause settles, broken only by the drumming rain. Then, quieter, edged with a blade of doubt: 'Do you trust him, you?'