Chapter Eight: Rose
I left one bubble of sweltering heat and entered another. A double one. See, it wasn’t fair for people—men, specifically, to just walk around looking like…like them.
I thought Alex was enough, with his dapper aura and fucking perfect jawline. Then came Max and Nate. Like…I didn’t have any more comparisons left for that night. I was exhausted.
Max had muscles worthy of any magazine, and the face to match. A soft face with a heart shaped jaw and full pink, kissable lips. His hair was deliciously dark and wavy, and his eyes a bright blue I could just fly away in. And then Nate was just a teddy bear. But with muscles and bright gray eyes, different from Alex in their own way. He was bigger and a few inches shorter than them both; I mean I was a little afraid of being crushed.
Well, I was getting ahead of myself. They were just taking me home, right? I just kept thinking that they didn’t all have to take me home, yet they all volunteered so quickly. We were walking out to the parking lot and I had my own little entourage. I wanted to say something, but I couldn’t bring myself to. If I thought I was nervous around Alex, I hadn’t seen anything yet.
“You look like fucking Sherlock Holmes, man.” Nate teased Alex. I couldn’t help but giggle. The way they interacted, it was obvious they were close friends.
“Up your ass, man.” Alex opened my door and laughed.
Just before I got in the back, Nate leaned over the top of the car on the opposite side. “No thanks, I only do that to my women.” He looked right at me and winked, and I swear I had to stop my jaw from dropping.
I just got in the car and tried to contain myself when Nate climbed in to the small space next to me. I felt the heat radiate off him, and then he reached over me, and I stifled a gasp.
“Buckle up, doll.” He handed me my seatbelt and I did so.
His voice had this permanent tone to it, like he was never completely serious. It was kind of nice, and in complete contrast to Alex.
“Where do you live?” Alex glanced in the rearview mirror at me.
“Just go to that old building two blocks from the crime scene.” I answered.
I felt a shift in the mood, and Max even glanced at me.
“Are you okay going home there?” Max asked.
“Yeah. I’ll be fine. It’s just weird. I had only ever seen that ugly yellow tape in movies. I mean I see cops all the time at work, but this is a little much. This isn’t a robbery or a car accident. This is a freaking murder. Sorry, I’m rambling.” I murmured.
I felt my entire face heat at the sound of their chuckles, but it really didn’t seem like they were laughing at me. I wrung my fingers together nervously and twisted my lip.
“That’s okay. It’s a little cute.” Nate untwisted my fingers and then rested his hand on my knee. It was a heavy, hot, and large hand and I stared at it for a good while before I could manage to glance at him. His gaze was hot and his smirk permanent.
I looked away and realized what was really going on. But still, I kept thinking there was no way.
“That’s what Alex said,” I said mostly to myself, but they all heard. Great.
“So, are the scrubs part of some role play or are you a nurse or something?” Nate asked me, with his hand still on my leg. He didn’t plan on moving it any time soon.
“I’m an ER nurse.”
“Sounds intense.” Alex made a sharp turn and I wondered where the hell he got his license. It shifted me farther in the seat, closer to Nate. I guess I didn’t mind. He smelled like fresh laundry and a shower.
“Sometimes. Only when we get a bunch of cops in there. Or firefighters. Any of those types really.” I cleared my throat.
“That’s understandable. Do you like it though?” Max asked. It sounded like they actually wanted to get to know me.
“I do. I love my job. Most people don’t get to say that so I’m grateful. Um, do you guys like your jobs?” I swallowed back more nerves. Sure, it was intimidating but I was comfortable around them, in this odd and interesting way.
“We do. But Alex over here had to sell out.” Nate teased. I giggled a bit.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Well, we’ve all been on the force for the same amount of time. But I took the promotion exam and became a detective. The ceremony was actually earlier today.” Alex explained.
“Yeah. We just didn’t want that paperwork to deal with. I respond mostly to missing and exploited children cases, Nate has his own thing.” Max added.
I looked to Nate, hoping he would explain. He nodded, and his smile faded for about a millisecond.
“I have one of those TV worthy stories.”
“Really?” I looked at him.
I wanted to touch his hand so badly, but I wasn’t sure what to really do. I was attracted to them, all of them. And I didn’t understand it. I also didn’t know if they were all really into me. I mean, sometimes guys just like to be…guys, I guess. Sure, the sexual tension in the car could be shredded with a knife. But I didn’t want to make the wrong move and have them fighting with each other. How shallow of me. But I also had no idea how to…make a move, I suppose.
“Yeah. I was eighteen, stopping at the gas station to try and score beer. Anyway, the place was getting robbed and the owner got shot. I kind of hid out and called 911, more or less neutralizing the situation. But, now every time I go there, the owner gives me free beer.” He grinned like he wasn’t sure of himself, though I couldn’t imagine why.
“Wow. You saved his life.” Alex took another sharp turn, and Max punched him in the arm.
“Yeah, maybe. But, that’s enough about me. Any crazy story about being a nurse?”
“Uh, nope. Just kind of fell into it.” I lied. He gave me a look, but didn’t pry. I enjoyed them being so open, but I just wasn’t wired that way.
“Tell us how you know about guns so well,” Alex asked. We were stuck in a traffic neck in the city.
“Um. My dad taught me. He was in the Army, so sometimes he forgot I wasn’t one of his troops.” They all gave me weird looks. “He wasn’t like, abusive or anything. I mean the cool stuff like shining shoes and pressure points.” I giggled slightly at the memory.
“That’s pretty sweet. Maybe that’s why we all got to be friends eh, dead beat dads?” Nate laughed.
“Probably so.” Alex sighed.
We were silent for a while. Not even the radio was on. But it was nice, the silence with them. Though it was weird, in a way.
“Um, are you guys really going to keep watch over me?” I asked cautiously.
“Yeah. Our shifts aren’t the same, so we can take turns. We don’t mind.” Alex answered.
“Okay. I just don’t want to impose. None of us really asked for all this. I was just walking my dog and all of a sudden, I’m in the middle of a James Patterson novel. Parker is all jumpy because he thinks he is working again.”
“Working?” Max asked.
“Oh. Yeah. He was a troop in Afghanistan. My good black Lab, Parker.” I smiled to myself. Damn, did I love that dog. I mean really; besides Dina and Martha, he was my only friend. A very loyal, good dog. They were hard to come by, but I appreciated it.
“That’s fucking cool, Rose. How did you happen to get him? If you don’t mind my asking,” Alex asked me.
“Parker was the only thing my dad had left to leave to me when he died. But Parker is kind of famous, in a way. Sometimes the guys from his old squad stop by and see him. I think I’ve dated at least all of them, kind of weird. I have no idea why I said that out loud.” I started laughing, but I realized it could have been my subconscious hinting that I was okay with…whatever I was feeling between the three of them.
“I like your candidness, people berate me for mine all the time.” Nate sighed like he was actually hurt, making me laugh. He was very funny.
And his hand was still burning a hole in my thigh. I wondered if he would be at all offended by me not touching his thigh back. Or touching him in some place.
“How old is Parker?” Max asked.
“Uh, I don’t really know. I never met him until…until he was given to me. I might ask the vet the next time I go. Do you guys have pets?”
“Besides women, no.” Nate deadpanned. I couldn’t hold back my gasp and I turned to look at him.
Alex and Max were laughing. “I’m joking,” Nate clarified. I visibly relaxed and also started laughing.
It was almost the ride of my life. I had never been glad to live so far away. But we were finally about ten minutes out.
“So, with this case, could it really be a serial killer? I mean, what if people are just being targeted and have no idea. It honestly didn’t look like the victim had done anything wrong. It was almost like he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Maybe a robbery or something, probably why he was dressed so nice. Was his wallet on him?” I realized I had gone off on another tangent, but I couldn’t help it at this point. Besides, they thought it was cute. I didn’t have to apologize for it anymore.
“Uh…that’s a good question. Blues?” Alex asked Max and Nate. They both shrugged.
“We weren’t first on the scene. But that is something we can consider. What with the similarities in the victims, if it ends up being connected.”
“Why the strangulation though?” Max asked, but Alex gave him a look that kind of shut him up. I realized it was because I was present.
“I understand. You don’t want to scare the civilian. Don’t worry. I won’t get my feelings hurt or anything.”
I leaned back and stared out the window. Nate squeezed my thigh as if in appreciation or something. I continued to stare out the window, and watch the skyscrapers pass by. We were almost to my place, and I already saw some yellow tape coming up.
“Alex do you not have an exciting story to tell me? It could be my bedtime story.” I was tired, and flirting, and unapologetic. But I knew Alex was obviously the quieter of the two, and less animated.
I guess that was the problem. They were all so characteristically different, and physically different too. It made me wonder what the hell I really wanted in a man, to be able to be attracted to three different men. Alex was dark and mysterious, a truly brooding man with delicious muscles to match. And Max was like the level headed, yet fun loving guy with movie star looks and muscles. Nate…he just made me giggly. And he was so delicious too, his face having a permanent stubble on it I could run my fingers through. His body was solid, and his hand pressed on my thigh like it had the greatest purpose known to man. It was running right to my core.
Then I started to wonder what could be wrong with me. I mean, I was thinking about having all three of them in my apartment. That was insane. And exciting. Mostly exciting, but still weird. Oh, and I couldn’t forget the fact that we were in the middle of an unknown crime. It could be a serial killer, it could be an accident, it could be a shit storm the media would spin until they ran dizzy with themselves. So much unknown and I did not have enough space in my head for all of it.
Work wasn’t that taxing, it stayed at work when I left. But I had my own things going on in my head. Everything was just piling on too fast.
“I don’t really have one.”
“Oh, come on. Give me something to think about when I’m in my bed, trying to fall asleep tonight.” I giggled a bit at my forwardness.
I glanced at him in the rearview mirror. God, his eyes were so intense. They ran right to my core, and it was…unnerving.
“I don’t know, Rose. I’m kind of a…chips-fall-where-they-may type of guy. I was doing nothing until I just came across the academy. Then I met dumb and dumber over here…”
“Cry me a river, detective,” Nate teased him. They all laughed, and it was genuinely sweet to see such close friends together.
There wasn’t much of that these days. And I only sort of had that with Dina. In the few years we worked together, I had only seen her outside of work three times. That wasn’t exactly best friend type stuff. And my only other sounding board was Martha; bless her heart she was so sweet.
“You are all very funny.” I giggled.
Alex pulled up outside of my building. “Can you go down to the first door, please.”
He pulled up and found an empty spot to parallel park. Those things were rare. I wouldn’t really know that for sure, since I didn’t have a car. But still.
“Thanks for the ride.” Yeah, I tried my bit at a sultry voice, but it just came out sounding as tired as I was.
“No problem.” They all got out of the car, and I started to feel less intimidated when they were all standing.
They walked me to the front steps, and I turned back nervously. “You don’t have to come up,” I nearly squeaked.
“Course not. Look, I’ll be back in a few minutes. And then I’ll be out here all night. If I knew you lived this close to uh…never mind.” Nate smiled to try and ease me.
“Okay. Well, that’s my window right there.” I pointed to my shitty view of the water tank across the street.
“Hmm. Nice view.” Max winked, and then they all turned to leave.
I didn’t know why, when I was walking up the steps and going to my apartment, I felt so lonely. Parker was right in his crate as always, but he was sound asleep, so I left him alone. He knew when it was just me; if I were an intruder, he would be chomping at the bit.
I cooked a frozen dinner and watched some television until I heard a new engine. I looked out the window, and saw Nate parked in front of my bedroom window.