Page 25 of Screw Christmas
“Then he can come back, and we can trade back.” As I said the words, I knew that wasn’t likely. As much as I wanted to storm into our boss’s office and demand it be reversed, it would look highly unprofessional if I did. I’d come off as some whiny girl cop who couldn’t handle her personal life while he looked like he was trying to rise above our differences. I was sure he had some song and dance for the captain when he persuaded him to allow a partner swap.
As if reading my mind he said, “You want to bother the boss with something like this?” The smugness in his expression made me hate him even more. He’d won and he damned well knew it.
“Fine. But if someone takes a shot at you, you’d better hope God is on your side today cause I won’t be.” Despite saying the words, I knew that was a lie. I was still a cop with a duty and part of that duty was to ensure my partner was safe.
“I trust you.”
My lips turned into a smirk. “Funny, I used to say that about you.”
~*~ TT ~*~
Dylan
Could life get any better? I really didn’t think it could. Maya had just sent me a text letting me know she was about to be dropped off, so I lit the candles on the table and turned on some music. Some nice romantic, easy listening.
“Honey, I’m home,” Maya announced opening the door.
“It sort of feels like I’m the wife and you’re the husband bringing home the bacon,” I teased coming around the corner to meet her just inside the front door. Giving her a slow up and down look I growled stepping into her and pulling her into my arms ignoring how cold and wet she was. “I’ve never wanted to fuck a cop so badly in my life.”
Her body stiffened in my arms a moment before she relaxed and slipped her arms up my chest and laced her fingers behind my neck. “That so?”
“It is.” I eyed her a moment. There was something up. “What’s wrong?”
With a sigh, she rested her head against my chest pressing herself flush against me. “It’s stupid. It’s nothing.”
“Leaning back, I hooked my index finger under her chin forcing her to look up at me. “Tell me, what’s wrong? Bad day at work? You left in a good mood.”
“I was. It’s just the ex.” She took a step out of my embrace and began to shed her jacket and gear.
“What about him?”
“Oh, he just went to our boss and had them switch out the rookie for him as my partner. I had to spend the entire day in the patrol car with that dickhead.”
“That’s insane. Just like that, you didn’t even get consulted?”
“Nope.” She snorted. “He pulled some strings. He said he thought it would be for the best. That I’d prefer to be with him than some rookie.” Walking past me, she went into the kitchen and pulled open the fridge door, grabbing a beer and cracking it open before taking a long drink.
“I’m so sorry, baby.”
“And I’m stuck with him until Travis gets back, thank God it’s only until next week.” She spun around and eyes widened as they set sight on the candlelit dinner I’d set up. “Oh shit. You set this up and here I am ranting and going on.” Her expression softened as she looked up at me.
“Actually, it was for my other girlfriend, but since you’re here,” I shrugged, giving her a cocky grin. “I guess I could eat with you instead. I also went to the grocery store after my audition and grabbed a few things.”
“Thank you. Truly. This is wonderful. After spending the day with him, it’s so nice to come home and feel special, you know?”
Damn, I loved her smile and the look of appreciation in her eyes. It made me fall her for her even harder and made me want to spend every second of my life trying to make her happy so I could see that look every single day. How in the hell I’d fallen so fast or hard was beyond me, but it was happening.
Her eyes widened. “Oh shit! Your audition, how’d it go?”
I brought my fingernails up to my mouth and blew on them before wiping them on my shirt nonchalantly. “Not to gloat or anything, but I think I nailed it.”
“Get out!” She squealed giving me a push backwards. “Why? What happened?”
“I went in. I gave a showstopping performance. And they loved me.”
“What did they say?”
“They said they will be calling me back. It’s for a part as a detective on a crime fiction show. I won’t be the main character, but a co-star. It’s for the first season, maybe more depending on if the writers decide to kill me off or not. The pay will be much better than I anticipated if they take me on as a co-star and don’t just slot me in as a general background actor on the show.”
