It was clear by the tone of his voice, the tension in his handsome features that he saw her as idiotic. Connie's lips compressed, her jaw clenched as frustration sparkled in her expressive eyes and her fair cheeks heated to a color not too far from the vivid hue of her hair. "I think keeping eyes on a threat is something, and it's not like they even notice I'm gone. Last time I tried to help on a case Jackson groped me and then slapped my ass after he asked for a coffee." The anger from that moment flustered her all over again, as if she were nothing more than eye candy, as if she had no thought in her head. It hadn't been like that during the war.<br/><br/>Oh she hadn't been on the frontlines like Peggy, or like Trevor even, but she had been the head of a team that worked on deciphering codes, and creating them. During the war she had earned another three degrees, and she was so often the most intelligent academically in any room but none of the men at the office listened to her input on anything.<br/><br/>The only reason she hadn't been sacked from this job or turned into a receptionist for it was due to the fact that she knew too many classified secrets. And they still used her to translate or decode; but more like they would use a tool than as a part of the team. He spoke as if she had a reputation, as if the office respected her, but that was a lie. Perhaps he had to tell himself that for his own peace of mind, just as much on the fringe as she was in terms of being treated as part of the office team.<br/><br/>When Trevor insisted she leave Veronika alone she snorted, "Norman, his name is Norman and he's a spy killer." Though sometimes it was really hard to remember that, Veronika was like sunshine, sweet and bright, and so gorgeous. The redhead forced her thoughts back on focus, inhaling to try and find patience.<br/><br/>"Look, if you want me to give it up then give me one night where you are my partner, where you help me investigate. I don't have the field experience you do. If you help me, with an open mind, then if we find nothing I'll give it up. That's how sure I am that this is a real lead." Desperation was part of what had her offering up the deal, but also confidence. The intel was good, she had cracked the damn message herself about Norman fleeing to Hollywood. If he would just give it a chance, look at it with an open mind surely there would be something that pointed to the truth.<br/>