Page 54 of Just Friends

“I don’t like you driving all that way by yourself.”

“Yeah, I know, you’ve mentioned that.” Rebecca sat down and worked to seal the final side down to look presentable.

Weasel folded his long legs and rested beside her. “I was never any good at wrapping.”

“This is awful wrapping,” she snorted. “Don’t ask why I didn’t get a bag.”

“It’s not so bad. I didn’t even try.” Holding a blue velvet rectangle box in front of her.

Rebecca gasped. “You shouldn’t have.” Somehow, she took the package.

“Well, they repeatedly told me, that a deer was not an acceptable gift for a beautiful woman.”

Rebecca laughed. He could always make her smile no matter what. As horrifying as the deer incident had been, she realized that it came from his heart. “From you, it was perfect.”

Weasel smiled and nodded toward the box she held. Inside revealed a silver butterfly pendant and chain. The silver outline of the butterfly had emerald green stones on the tip of each wing, and a matching stone at the center of the body and delicate filigree wings. The breath caught in her chest. “It’s gorgeous,” she whispered. She removed the necklace and admired it. “It’s handmade?”

“I know a girl, Gwen, who makes jewelry at Llewellyn’s on the square. I’d seen the butterfly art on your walls and requested her to make one.”

Rebecca had walked past Llewellyn Gallery many times, it was on the opposite end from Ellis Diner, but she’d only glanced at the items in the window. The company had four artists in residence, a glassblower, a painter, a woodworker, and a jewelry maker. And they displayed things from a wide variety of artists of which all were local and most of the work had an East Tennessee theme to appeal to tourists. The pieces exhibited were amazing, and this butterfly was no exception.

Rebecca fastened the chain; it hung midway to her breastbone. “What do you think?”

Weasel looked at her boobs and grinned. “Perfect.”

“I meant the necklace.”

“Oh yeah, that’s nice too.”

Smiling, she shook her head. “It’s so pretty. Thank you.” Rebecca crawled into his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck she planted a sweet little kiss.

“You like it?” he asked, voice raspy.

“Love it.” She kissed him again; this time it wasn’t sweet.

He broke off the kiss. “Hang on.” Weasel shifted and pulled out his badge and service weapon from the holster, removing the clip, he sat them on the coffee table. “Now, do with me what you wish.”

???

Weasel strolled into the morning meeting twenty minutes late, wearing the same thing from yesterday. He’d spent the night with Rebecca and saw her off when she left for Chicago. It was worth it. At some point, he’d gotten too old for sex on the floor. Thinking nothing of it then, but now soreness radiated through his back. Nick took one look at him and laughed.

Chief Matheson stared at him, shaking his head he growled, “Anderson, you’re late.”

“Sorry Chief.”

“You better have a damn good explanation.”

“I, uh… had a personal matter to attend to.”

Nick howled with laughter earning a scathing glare from the Chief. There were a few muffled snickers among the department, but mostly you could hear a pin drop.

“Dude, your hair is awesome,” Nick whispered.

Shit. Weasel ran his hand through the mess that was on the wrong side of his last haircut. With another frown from Ed, he continued with the briefing going over a breakdown and updates on the open cases. Weasel earned both kudos on the meth bust and a scowl in the same sentence.

After he adjourned the meeting, Matheson called out. “Anderson, my office.”

Weasel stopped by the coffee pot and poured a cup of the high-octane sludge on the way to the chief’s office.

---