Page 74 of Rookie Days

“Yeah,” Ellie chuckled. “Wow again.”

Face flushed, and grinning, Janet retreated to the other end of the couch.

“Stay where you are, Officer,” she warned as she watched her with simmering eyes. “No matter how tempting you make it, this is enough for now.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Ellie teased. “I was just saying hello.”

“Like hell you were!” Janet laughed. “Or at least, I wasn’t. But I’ll stick to my guns.” She did move closer despite her own warning, to rest one arm around her shoulders and caress a soft finger over her lips. “Not doing this now. Not with you, Ellie.”

“Why not with me?”

“Because you’re too important to rush it on my office couch. Next time I lay my hands on you, I am going to make it special for both of us.”

Ellie swallowed around the sudden lump in her throat that the casual comment provoked. She wondered if Janet had any idea of what this really meant to her.

“Thank you,” she murmured.

“Hey…” With a gentle knuckle under her chin, Janet tilted her head back up when she looked down. “You look tired, babe. Are you okay?”

I have the biggest crush on you… and when you call me babe and talk to me like this, it makes me want to cry.Ellie pushed that down firmly, and just flashed a smile and a light shrug.

“Yes, I’m fine. But I spent the day reading through case files and I feel like my eyes are about to fall off.”

Janet eyed her closely.

“What time do you clock off today?”

“About an hour ago. But I’m not done yet. You?”

“The exact same thing. Tell you what, though: how about I forget this pitiful salad I just bought and treat us to a proper meal? We can grab spaghetti bolognese at the Italian across the street if you like. It won’t take long and you’ll feel much better for it.”

Ellie could not remember lunch, and realized it was because she hadn’t had any. Her stomach rumbled at the thought of real Italian bolognese, and her heart also gave a nice flutter, since a proper meal would mean a bit more time with Janet.

“Okay, let’s do it,” she approved. “I’d like to run some case-related stuff past you as well.”

“Dinner first,” Janet decided. “I think you need a break and so do I.”

Holding hands as they ran across the street to a small Italian bistro felt like the height of freedom to Ellie. They weaved across three lanes of busy traffic, got yelled at by a taxi, to which Janet responded with a proud finger, and just made it to the eatery asthe heavens opened. Indeed, Ellie floated close to paradise when Janet pushed her against the wall and out of the rain under a welcoming green, white, and red awning, and proceeded to kiss her again like she was her only source of oxygen.

“Sorry,” the beautiful surgeon chuckled. “Just can’t seem to help myself when you’re around.”

“You won’t hear me protest.”

“Good.”

The owner of the restaurant, a woman with light olive skin, curly black hair, and matching dark eyes, greeted Janet with a dramatic hug and a torrent of Italian. Ellie enjoyed watching the transformation when Janet hit her native stride and retaliated in kind. And she liked the fact that she never let go of her hand during the exchange, despite a flurry of gestures with her free one, or when the restaurateur led them to an inviting booth at the back of the room. This was, Ellie reflected, all very nice.

“I’m going for spaghetti bolognese and a lemonade,” Janet announced.

“Cool, I’ll have the same.”

“Due bolognesi e limonata, per favore.”

Ordering for me,Ellie noticed, amused. Very nice, indeed.

“So, do you know every Italian in Lewiston?” she inquired after the woman took their order and left.

“I try,” Janet chuckled. “We are a tight community.”

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