Mark
It’s been a week since that day at the gun range, and I haven’t been able to get the events of that night out of my head. Work has been fairly busy, and I haven’t been able to talk to my captain yet. Toni and I both agreed to keep our relationship quiet until I can figure something out. House rules are no personal relationships with partners or superiors. I’ve never had a problem with that until now. I’ve also never had a female partner. Joe has been my captain for that last three years, so there’s that.
We’ve been meeting at my place after work, although I haven’t been able to convince her to stay the night. She says she’s fine with it, but I can tell she’s lying. Last night we had dinner and watched a movie. When it was over, she stood and stretched before telling me she was tired and needed to go. All I got was a quick kiss before she slipped away.
I hate lying, but I need to figure out what I want to do. I don’t want to lose her, but I also don’t want to lose my job. If I leave willingly, I can still keep my pension. Dev has called me no less than three times over the last week asking me about joining his firm. The more he pitches it, the better it sounds.
After the cold reception I received when I sat down at my desk this morning, I’m thinking I should hear him out more. “I’m taking the afternoon off,” I shoved back from my desk and logged off my computer. Toni didn’t even look up, but nodded that she heard me. “Wanna grab a drink at The Rusty Nail tonight?” I stopped by her desk. Still no verbal response. “Hey,” I tapped her chair leg with my foot. Her head lifted slowly as a scowl formed.
“Did you need something?” she narrowed her eyes at me.
“Drinks?” I leaned down so no one would hear me. “I’d rather have something else, but I’m not about to talk about that here.”
She sucked in a deep breath before closing her eyes and slowly releasing it. She seemed tense, and when I placed my hand on her back, she jumped slightly. “I’m not into being someone’s ‘dirty little secret’. It’s been a week, Mark.”
“You’re not a dirty little secret. We talked about this and decided…” she glared at me, causing me to stop mid-sentence.
“You decided, Mark, you… not me,” she gritted the words out as she tapped away at her keyboard. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do,” she scooted forward, causing my hand to fall from her back.
“So that’s a ‘no’ to the bar?” I half joked. I wanted her to lighten up, but it didn’t look like it was going to happen.
Her head snapped up as she shoved back from her desk. I thought she was coming over to hit me, or maybe drag me outside and kiss me, but I was wrong. She holstered her service weapon and slipped her badge around her neck before breezing past me.
“Hey, where are you going?” I rushed after her as she stormed out of the precinct, heading for her cruiser.
“Running down a lead,” she waved me off before glaring one last time, and slipping behind the wheel.
I stood there stunned as she drove off. What the hell was that? We’d been having amazing sex for a week now. We actually took the time to get to know each other first, and now she acted like she couldn’t stand to be in the same room as me. Was I missing something?
ooooooooo
On my way to see Dev, I kept replaying what had just happened with Toni at the station. Why was she so mad at me, and was I really ready to leave my career for her? She was too perfect to walk away from, that much I knew. I’d never met a woman like her, and I didn’t want to let her slip away. If we were going to really date and build something real, I knew I needed to find other work. The sneaking around bothered me too, and I didn’t want us to start out that way. Little did I know, I really had my work cut out for me.
Ford Stevenson Securities was housed in a small brick building right on the edge of town. Dev had wanted to stay close to downtown, but the rent for office space was ridiculous in Chicago. When he’d found the space, he and Jase jumped on it…literally. I parked in one of the three open spaces along the street.
I climbed off my bike, removed my helmet, and jogged up the steps. When I opened the door, I came face to face with a young woman sitting behind a desk twice her size. “How can I help you?” she smiled up at me.
“Is Devlin in?” I leaned around the doorway to my left and attempted to see if I could spot Dev or Jase. I’d never been inside the office before, only driven by, so I wasn’t sure where he might be.
“Do you have an appointment?” her brow furrowed as she flipped through a notepad in front of her and then proceeded to click a few keys on the computer in front of her.
“Do I need one? I mean, they’re not that busy, are they? The place just opened like six months ago,” I waved my hand in the air just as Dev stepped through the door. He was dressed in dark jeans and a black t-shirt.
“What are you doing here?” he narrowed his eyes on me before looking at his watch, “at two in the afternoon?”
“Can’t I come and see the place?” I flung my arms out to my side. “What’s with the third degree?”
“I’m sorry,” the young woman at the desk cowered away from me.
“Don’t apologize for doing your job, Jenni,” Dev smiled at her. “Especially to this asshole.”
“Jenni,” I tapped my lip.
“This is Mason’s sister, Jen. She’s been helping us out with the front desk and trying to get our books organized,” Dev sighed. “Come on. I’ll show you around,” he motioned for me to go ahead of him.
“We’ve been pretty slow today, Jen. Why don’t you head out for the day? I’ll see you tomorrow,” Dev called as he moved to follow me.
“Sure thing,” she returned. “See you tomorrow.”
“So things have been going well?” I sidled up to him as we rounded a corner, and stepped through a door leading to a room that had to be his office.
“Things are going great. We have several accounts that we provide security for weekly, and then Jase has managed to convince the summer concert tours to consider a contract. I’m looking at hiring two new guys.”
“Summer concert tours? You mean the Concerts in the Park gig?” I was completely surprised that they’d managed to attract something that big, that fast. The summer concerts usually attracted a few thousand-people, depending on who the act was.
“I was surprised too,” Dev chuckled. “After that mob last fall, I think they realized they didn’t have a company working for them. Jase was there with Tiff when that girl got trampled,” he shook his head as he sighed. “So what brings you by? You’re usually still at the station this time of day.”
“That offer you made me still good?” I gripped the back of my neck as I glanced around.
“To work here?” Dev grinned like he knew I’d come around eventually.
“No, to work down the street. Yes, to work here,” I rolled my eyes. “I need something soon.”
“Un huh,” he nodded as he rounded his desk and sat down. “You fucked her, didn’t you?”
“Excuse me?” I scoffed as I lowered myself in the chair across from him.
“I saw the way you stared at her ass at the bar that night. I know you. I know how you operate. I’m just sad that I owe Stevenson a hundred dollars now.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I muttered. “Besides, I don’t kiss and tell.”
“Since when?” Dev’s head snapped back. “I know about every girl you’ve been with since I met you. You used to talk to us in detail before Amber.”
“I don’t need this job that bad,” I grumbled as I started to stand.
“Oh sit down!” Dev laughed. “I’m having a little fun. I think I owe you that much after all the crap that’s been thrown at me about being a married man. If you want the job, it’s yours, but please make sure you’re taking it for the right reason.”
“I do,” I blew out a breath. “I appreciate it, man. Let me talk to my captain, and I’ll give you a start date.”
“Sounds good. Everything ok? You seem tenser than usual.”
“Just a lot going on. Toni’s mad that we’ve been sneaking around.”
“You didn’t tell her you were trying to leave? I’d be pissed too. You need to find her and explain what you’re doing. She understands the nature of the job, and trust me when I tell you that it will be so much better when you’re here. There’s no hiding here. You can tell her the truth on most jobs. We have a few NDAs for certain clients, but for the most part, it’s open.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll call you tomorrow and let you know, but I’m thinking I can be here by the end of the month,” I waved him off as I stood and moved toward the door. “Later.”
“Later,” he called as he tapped away at his computer.
On my way out the door, Jase was coming up the steps, “What’s up, asshole?”
“Just filing a complaint against one of the owners,” I chuckled.
“I know man, he gets on my nerves too. Guess I better step up my game if I’m flying solo now,” his voice was serious until that last statement. “What are you really doing here?” he turned and faced me from the top of the steps. “Finally decide to stop being a dumbass and come work with us?”
“Maybe,” I shrugged.
“You’re such a girl,” Jase rolled his eyes.
“I am most certainly not a girl. I’d show you, but we’re in public,” I teased. “Oh by the way, you need to go collect your hundred bucks from Ford.”
“You sly dog, you. You closed the deal,” he snickered.
“Was there ever any doubt?” I chuckled. “Now I’m going to go close it again. Later,” I waved as I swung my leg over my bike, and slipped on my helmet.
ooooooooo
As I drove back into the city, I contemplated heading to the station. I was never one to put things off, but I also wanted to really think about what I was going to say. I’d worked really hard to get where I was, and I wasn’t going to take leaving lightly. Instead, I decided to try and make things right with Toni. I stopped by the bakery on the corner, the one where she always grabbed her morning coffee, and bought a bag full of pastries. Next, I grabbed some flowers, and then went to my place. I’d had a busy morning, and wanted to shower before I tracked her down. I also wanted to try and surprise her.
After showering and shaving, I dressed in a pair of khaki shorts and a navy tee. I slipped a black CPD ball cap on backwards, and headed for my car. I set the flowers and pastry bag on the passenger seat and began driving toward her apartment. It was early evening by now, and she should be home. If she wasn’t, I’d start going to our usual haunts. I’d catch her somewhere, I knew that.
When I reached her place, I parked, grabbed my items, and made my way upstairs. I knocked several times, getting no answer before I decided she must have not gotten home yet. All I knew was she’d gone to run down a lead, but we didn’t have an active case, so I had no idea what that lead was. I finally gave up, and turned to leave.
Once I climbed in my car, I saw her. She was standing down the block talking to someone. His hand was waving in the air, and she had hers on his shoulder. She was smiling up at him and nodded, and he was smiling back. Red. All I saw was red at that moment. Some lead. She was out with another man. Here I thought she was upset because we were sneaking around, but she was sneaking around on me. We’d barely started, and she was already moving on.
My blood boiled as I watched them, praying that she was stupid enough to kiss him there in the open. When he bent down to hug her, all I saw was Amber. It was happening again. Why the fuck did I have the ability to pick women that cheated? How could she sleep with me last night, and then turn around and meet him today? “Chasing a lead my ass,” I grumbled as I started the car. “You want to play it that way, fine. Fuck this! I don’t need this shit!” I slammed the car into drive and peeled out of the parking lot, not even glancing back to see if she noticed me.