Tristan reached for the pea coat but paused remembering he needed to text Hope. Spinning around, he grabbed his phone and sent off a text. The reply was quick and flirty. Trying not to let his smile go beyond the corner of his mouth, Tristan took the pea coat down and slid his arms into it. The coat was like an old wine, only growing better with age.

Pocketing his wallet, he headed downstairs. The soft inflection of voices came from the kitchen. As he reached for the door, his sisters called out to him.

"Remember if you see red dots on your chest, drop," Elliot said.

"Know that we can forgive you for whatever you're being blackmailed for," Cece said. "Well, within reason. If you ate my ice cream we're done."

"I'll keep it in mind," Tristan said.

Outside the night was cool but winter had yet to lay claim to the city. Freckles of stars dusted the sky's face. Street lamps glowed, dispersing the darkness. As Tristan made his way through the center of the city, noise crashed around him.

Doorways were flung open as men and women converged, huddling together for warmth and a sense of camaraderie. The smell of pizza, alcohol and cigarette smoke wafted through the air. It was a smell of good times and lively conversations.

Tristan stopped before a gray building that was smashed in with others just like as if they were a couple of school girls giggling together. As he went to buzz Hope's apartment, someone stepped out and he decided to slip in.

Climbing the bowed wooden stairs, he felt a sense of nerves creep in. Annoyed with the weakness, he forcefully shoved them away and straightened his shoulders. He knocked and then waited.

Behind the door, someone called out and a second later it was opened by a girl with brown hair in a pair of leg warmers, tights, and a loose shirt. When she saw Tristan, she blinked once in shock. Sensing her growing excitement, Tristan offered her a small reassuring smile. It did not work in his favor.

"Oh my gosh you're Tristan McKenzie," she said, her voice rising in volume with each word. "I mean like the real Tristan McKenzie."

"Yes," he said. "Unfortunately, my doppelgänger was unavailable for this evening."

The girl just stared at him stunned, like she was still trying to wonder how Tristan was standing at her door.

"You would send a doppelgänger to our date?" Hope asked, appearing behind her roommate.

Tristan had to smile, she looked beautiful. Her black hair fell over her shoulders in loose curls, her light makeup accented her face and she wore an outfit that reminded a person that she was truly a woman. At the smile, Hope gave a flirty wink.

"You know what they say," she said, "dress to impress."

"Impressed," Tristan said.

Hope's roommate seemed to come to her senses then and glanced between the two of them.

"This is your date?!" she squeaked.

Humming in agreement, Hope put on her coat, collected purse and slipped out into the hallway. She smiled up at Tristan.

"Shall we?" she asked.

He held out his elbow and she took it.

"We shall," he said. He glanced back at her roommate. "It was a pleasure."

As they headed down the stairs, Hope chuckled.

"I highly doubt it was a pleasure, but you're a gentleman for saying so."

They stepped out into the whirl of the city. The air was crisp and though autumn was in full force the night was only pleasantly cool. Heated lamps burned on sidewalks, warming the patrons who had chosen to sit outside. Steam curled from meals and words curled from lips as friends chatted with each other, sharing what hours of freedom they had.

"Where are you taking me?" Hope asked as they headed towards the wealthier apartments.

"On an adventure," Tristan said.

Hope let out a delighted laugh. "I would expect nothing less from Tristan McKenzie."

A man in a trim uniform opened the door for them and they entered a ritzy apartment building. The foyer was minimalistic but still held the touch of wealth in the gleaming glass table tops, polished floors, and tailored uniforms. Without stopping at the concierge's desk, Tristan led Hope to the elevator and pressed the penthouse button.

"My curiosity is truly piqued," she said.

Tristan grinned. "Good."

The door slid open and only a single door lay before them. The pulse of heavy music, cut with voices, slipped from beneath the door. The floor thrummed beneath their feet. Hope lifted an eyebrow.

"Tristan McKenzie going to a party," she said, astounded. "This is news. I heard you never frequented such events."

"Maybe for you, I'm making an exception."

Tristan reached out and rang the bell. Despite the noise inside someone managed to hear and the door was opened. A guy with bronze skin, a good looking face, and warm brown eyes smiled at Tristan.

"The world must be ending," he said. "Tristan McKenzie is actually here, at my party."

"You're welcome, Ryan," Tristan said.

Ryan broke down into laughter, the sound inviting.

"And who is this?" Ryan asked.

Tristan motioned to Hope. "This is Boston Ballet's newest star, Hope."

Taking her hand, Ryan bowed his head over it. "A pleasure. Now come in and let's have some fun."

Before the couple could enter, a redhead darted forward and slipped her hand around Ryan's arm. She beamed at him, but the look vanished when she spotted Tristan.

"Tristan McKenzie," she said, her lips curling in annoyance. "Did you honestly come to this party? After what you did to me?"

"You two know each other?" Ryan asked.

The girl placed a hand on her hip, scowling. "We do indeed. Tristan created a dance for my company. His notes to me were sloppy point and needs to actually try to dance with feeling."

Hope bit her lip as she tried to hold back a laugh and Ryan sighed.

"I'm sure he didn't mean it," Ryan said.

"Oh he did," the girl said. "And he is not allowed into this party." She spun on Ryan. "You let him in and we're through."

Ryan looked trapped but finally nodded. Pleased with herself, the girl gave him a quick kiss and walked off.

"Meet you at the fire escape entrance?" Tristan asked.

"Sounds good."

The door closed and Tristan called the elevator.

"Is this normally what occurs for you?"

"I've pissed off enough dancers to never be allowed into any party," Tristan said. "But there are always two ways into a party if I decide I really want to go."

They left and rounded to the back of the building. The alley was dim, only the overflow of light from the surrounding windows giving any illumination. The fire escape ladder hung high up, but Tristan had had enough experience to know how to deal with the situation.

Taking off his coat, he handed it to Hope. He took a couple steps back, raced forward and jumped. His calculations were perfect and he grabbed onto the ladder's lowest rung. Hoisting himself up, he leveraged his weight to bring it down.

Just as if had begun to budge a figure in black darted out from a crossing alleyway. He snatched Hope's purse and took off running. She let out a surprised shriek. Seeing the fleeing man, Tristan dropped to the ground and took off after him.

The hooded figure cut around a corner and Tristan picked up the pace. His feet pounded the pavement, gaining on the man. At a crossroads, the thief hesitated. Tristan seized the moment and tackled him to the ground.

The man let out a grunt of pain. The crowd around the pair gasped in surprise and some started taking videos. Tristan relieved the man of Hope's purse. Before he stood, he quickly popped the man's shoulder from its socket. The man cried out. When Tristan rose, the man rolled onto his back and cradled his arm.

"That was merely a warning," Tristan said. "Try to avoid a life of thievery, it never ends well."

The crowd split as Tristan walked back towards the apartment building. Hope hurried forward to meet him and accepted the offered bag.

"Thank you," she said. "I never imagined anyone would actually chase a purse snatcher for me."

"You said it yourself, I'm a gentleman."

Laughing, Hope tucked her hand into his elbow.

"Do you wish to go to the party?" she asked.

"I actually have a better plan in mind."

"Then by all means lead the way."

As Tristan led them off, they fell into a rhythm of conversation like two old friends. With her, talk wasn't a burden but as easy as pointing out a dancer's flaws. The city seemed to melt into nothing around them. They became the only two people on the streets, walking and sharing what parts of themselves that they wanted to.

By the time they reached the brick house, the night had almost disappeared and the street lay still. Quietly, the two snuck inside. The lights were off and no sound could be heard from above. After Tristan grabbed two spoons and a carton of ice cream, he guided Hope up the stairs and into his room. At this turn of events, her lips quirked into a teasing smile.

"I guess my assumptions of you being a gentleman were wrong then."

Tristan chuckled. "They weren't, we are merely passing through."

He pushed the window up and ducked through onto the fire escape. When he held out a hand, Hope took it and joined him.

"You really do have a thing for fire escapes, don't you."

"They are a handy exit if a scene turns bad," he said. "I was also a cat burglar in a previous life."

Hope gave a dramatic sigh. "I always fall for the bad boy."

"Since it's already been decided I am a gentleman, it means I am one with a heart of gold."

"Don't all bad boys have a heart of gold."

Tristan winked at her. "Only the truly dashing ones."

Smiling, Hope followed him as he climbed to the house roof. The place was bare except for an old table that had been there for years and still managed to be steady. The two settled on the top and gazed out on the city. Most lights were off and the remaining ones looked like fireflies in the darkness. As they sat there the carton got passed back and forth like the topics of conversation.

When they hit the end, Tristan set it aside and took Hope's hand. Her fingers instantly closed around his.

"I must confess something," Tristan said.

"You paid the mugger to take my purse so you could seem brave?"

"No, but I should have thought of that."

She laughed, the sound pulling out Tristan's smile. With the faint light around them, her eyes seemed to glow. A breeze stirred and she shifted closer to him, stealing some of his warmth.

"I almost didn't ask you out today," Tristan said.

A mischievous gleam came to her eyes. Leaning forward, she kissed him. Despite the cold and the ice cream her lips were warm and tasted like mint and chocolate. When she pulled away, she smiled at him.

"I'm glad you made the right decision."

**********************************************************************

Hey!

You reached the end! Tristan found love! All is right with the world! I hope you had a blast reading! I don't know if this is the first ending you've read or the second but I hope you enjoyed the ride! I had a blast creating this!

Thanks for going on the journey and if you want to read more about our wonderful Tristan McKenzie then go check out Mr. Write!

Or if you want to learn how Agents Owens and Keller became who they are then go read A Secret Service then followed by Classified!

Thanks a million for reading! If you feel like it then vote, comment or follow! I appreciate any and all support! Cheers!

Till the next book or the next ending!

As always if you enjoyed this there's more books waiting for you on my profile! I hope to see you around again! ☺️ Later, Noodle!