CHARISMATIC

BOOK – 1

Chapter 1

“You’ve got to be kidding me; you’re not giving me that promotion, why not?”  Lalena Sims yelled at her Captain.

“Jackson is just a better choice for this new assignment.”  Captain Henry Case told her.

“How, he’s been on the force less time than me.  I’m tired of this bullshit, every time something good comes up you pass me over.”  She was angry and hurt.  She’d been a cop, and a good one, for the past 10 years.  Each time a great assignment came up she would be passed over for one reason or another.

“Look we may need some new people to help protect the mayor soon; I’ll try to get you on that squad.”  Captain Case stated.  “No promises though, but I’ll try and pull a few strings.”  He put his hands up in defense.

“Fine, but you know I can go and do private security and get paid just as much, and with a lot less hassle.”  Lalena stood up to walk out of the office.  “But I really do love my job and would hate to leave.  But come on Captain, you know as well as I do, I was more qualified than Jackson for this one.”  She added.

“The choice wasn’t mine Swan.  If it had been I would have picked you.  But I told you my hands were tied on this one.”  He stated.

She shook her head and left the office.  Lalena went to the bathroom to compose herself, she didn’t want to walk out in the main room and still be upset.  She was sure that some of the guys had heard her yelling in the Captain’s office.  They all knew how she felt, some of them agreed, but others thought she was wrong.

During her years on the force she had heard many times, “You’re too hot to be a cop, really you should be a stripper.  You’d make a ton of money too.”  This had been said by many of her co-workers.  They were the men who often looked down on her, and wouldn’t see that she was a good cop, even though she was also good looking. 

Lalena couldn’t help it she was born looking the way she did.  She looked at her reflection in the mirror.  Her blonde hair was up in a bun, but it was long when down, it hung below her shoulders about half way down her back.  Her piercing blue eyes would catch many people off guard as well.  She was petite but strong; she had caught a few men off guard during her police training.  She laughed at the memories of long ago.

But she hated being stuck in the same job day in and day out, when she tried for promotions, turn downs were the normal thing.  So she had instead tried to try for new assignments. 

“Maybe this mayor thing will come through.”  She pumped herself up and tried to get her thoughts out of the funk.  She really did love the idea of being a police woman, and the differences she could make.

“Guarding the mayor?”  She wondered out loud.  She thought about the things she knew about their great mayor, Rico Zess.  “He’s definitely a ladies man for sure.”  She laughed.

Lalena had seen more than one picture of the dashing mayor in the paper.  He always had a new lady on his arm, never the same one in a row.  But the mayor was also very handsome. 

“Hey Swan, how’s it going?”  Dan Murphy asked her as she walked over to her desk. 

She looked over at Dan; he was a decent guy, but just not her type.  He had asked her out a few times, and eventually she had gone out.  Their personalities hadn’t mixed, and thankfully they both could tell.  She shivered at thinking what a bad office romance would have done for her job.

“I got passed over; they gave the job to Jackson.”  She shook her head as she whispered the information to him.

“What, Jackson?  Isn’t that some serious bullshit?”  Dan commented.

“I know I let the Cap know how I felt about it too.”  She stated.

“Yeah I could hear you.”  He stated.

“Oh shit, so how many people heard it do you think?”  She asked.

“Enough, you’ll hear a few things I’m sure later on in the night.  Just wait though; Jackson will be the biggest prick about it, if he hears.”  Dan said.

“He’s a prick anytime of the day.  He doesn’t need to get a promotion to be that way.  Fucking Jackson as the communication liaison with the woman’s hospital though, how fucked up is that shit?”  She laughed.

“Right, I think he’ll piss someone off on his first day on the new job.”  Dan laughed.

“Hell yeah, he’ll make some sort of racist and sexist remark for sure.  I don’t think I’ve ever heard him go a full hour without something being said that was wrong.”  She commented.

“Oh I know I can’t believe the Cap could even keep a straight face telling you he was picked over you.  I mean what better person for the job then a woman?  Nothing sexist meant by it, okay, so don’t go chopping my head off.”  Dan held up his hands in defense.

“I agree with you Dan, don’t worry, I’m not going to hurt you.  If they didn’t pick me though, why him, that’s such a slap in my face.  I really might go to a private security place.  I mean it.   One more time and I’m out of here.”  She promised.

“Oh don’t say that, I’m sure sooner or later something good will come up and you’ll get it.”  Dan tried to cheer her up.

“Well the Cap did say something about a new assignment for the mayor; he might be able to get me on it.”  She informed him.

“Guard duty isn’t all that fun, but with the mayor it might be quite the challenge.  You know he’s pissed off groups of people during his time in office.”  Dan stated.

“Right, plus the fact that he is pretty sexy wouldn’t hurt either!”  She commented.

“Oh look who’s being all sexist now.  Plus he’s quite the playboy would you really want to be with him?”  He laughed.

“I’m just saying what everyone else says.  You have to admit even as a guy the mayor is sexy.  Just because he’s sexy doesn’t mean I’ll fall into bed with him.”  She laughed.

“Never will I admit another guy is sexy.  Maybe he is good looking, but sexy, never. I can’t see you even going near him with the amount of women he’s been connected with.”  Dan laughed.

“That Spanish heritage sure has helped his looks a lot.  I tell you what just give me two minutes in a room looking at him and I’d be happy.  I didn’t say I would sleep with him, but maybe, you never know!”  She commented.

“Sounds like someone might have a bit of a crush on the mayor.”  He said.

“I just appreciate men who are good looking.  Why do you think I still talk to you all the time?”  She stated.

“But you didn’t say I was sexy, just good looking, there is a difference!”  He stated.

“Dan you know we just aren’t good as a couple.  But you are a really great friend.”  She stated.

“I know it just sucks being stuck in the friend zone.”  He admitted.

Lalena shook her head, she didn’t have to have this conversation with him often, but sometimes it was such a pain.  “I’m sorry Dan, but we tried and you know it just wasn’t something that was going to work.”  She commented.

“I would have changed to please you.  I swear no one would ever love you as much as I do.”  Dan said.

“Please Dan; let’s not do this, not today.  It’s been a really bad day for me so far, and I just don’t want any more drama.”  She pleaded.

“Fine, we don’t have to do it now.  But you still owe me the time to give my side of the argument.”  He added.

“Some other day, okay?”  She said.

He shook his head and finally said, “Yeah that’s fine.  Sorry about the job.”  He said and went back to his paper work.

Lalena was happy that he let it go so easily.  Perhaps it was the look on her face that warned him, she wasn’t sure, but it was nice nonetheless.

She hoped that the Captain would come through on the other assignment and that it might be soon.  At least if she was out of the precinct Dan wouldn’t see her all the time, and that distance might do him some good.