Page 18 of Rookie Days

Janet took her across the street to a small café where she enjoyed luxuriating in her endorphins following a challenging swim. The owner of the place, an elderly Italian man with a weathered face, snow-white hair, and smiling black eyes, raised his hand in hello as they walked in.

“Hi, Joe. Two Ocean Specials, please.”

“Coming right up, mia bella,” he answered.

“What’s an Ocean Special?” Ellie asked as Janet directed her to a booth next to the window.

“Joe named it after us, hungry swimmers, because we all go for the same thing apparently: Italian coffee, a stack of blueberry waffles, and a pitcher of maple syrup.”

“Mmm. A whole pitcher? Great.”

Ellie’s stomach growled, prompting Janet to chuckle.

“It is pretty wonderful, yes, and I’m glad you approve. Why did you skip breakfast? Were you still feeling woozy from the painkillers?”

“No, I just didn’t fancy cold pizza from the night before.”

“Oh, dear. Yes, I don’t blame you for that.”

Janet decided to skip the lecture on nutrition, and she kept her eyes discreetly on her as Ellie glanced around the small café.She watched her take note of the emergency exit in the back and check out the few other customers. A young couple engrossed in each other, enjoying a lazy morning. A guy in a smart business suit drinking espresso and reading the Lewiston Times. An old grizzly surfer with a ZZ Top beard, warming up over toast and a traditional café au lait. Ellie assessed the room like a well-trained cop before looking back at her.

“Nice place.”

“Nice company,” Janet nodded.

She could have missed the flicker of heat in Ellie’s cool grey eyes, but she was paying attention, and looking for a reaction. It pleased her to see this one. Sent her heart racing a bit in a way she had not felt in a long time. No one but Quinn actually knew this, but since her wedding to Lia, Janet’s lively personal life had more or less ground to a halt. Being able to witness true love, up close and personal between her two friends, shone a merciless light on the lack of intimacy in her own relationships. Simply the fact that Janet used the plural form of the word was a glaring red flag in itself. Not wrong, of course. She’d been enjoying herself, did not have any regrets. But watching Quinn and Lia together still made her yearn for more than her standard encounters with other women, no matter how satisfying or even thrilling. For this reason alone, she did not continue flirting with Ellie. Just this one remark was enough. The detective had been tense and wary when she was treating her, and still now, Janet could sense it. It may just be the cop in her, always alert and ready. Or something else... Whatever the case, Janet did not want to make her feel uncomfortable.

“So, you run, yes?” she prompted.

“Yes, it’s always been my thing.”

“What’s your favorite distance?”

“10K. Longer is fun, but 10K doesn’t take as much time, and it keeps me fit for the job. That’s the most important thing. Same for you with your swimming?”

“Yes. Forty minutes going at a decent pace is all I need for a healthy workout. Both mental and physical. Then I focus on the important stuff.”

“Your career?”

“You got it.”

They smiled at each other and Ellie finally seemed to relax a bit more, as if reassured to find herself in the presence of a like-minded workaholic. Then she flexed her fingers, and a shadow passed across her face. Janet nodded in sympathy.

“On a scale of one to ten, how sore does it feel today?”

She half expected an evasive answer, but Ellie surprised her with the truth and a sheepish smile.

“A big fat ten.”

Encouraged by her openness, Janet reached across the small table to take her fingers. There, again, if only for a milli-second; she spied a softening in her eyes.

“Squeeze my hand,” she instructed. “Good.”

“Good?” Ellie groaned. “That’s pathetic.”

“No, it isn’t…”

“Yes. I have no grip. And it hurts.”

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