Today was the day
"It had to happen today. No buts about it, today or no day at all" muttered Jerry as he walked into the office. The first person he saw across the room was Traci – her head down, leaning across the desk squinting at something on the computer screen that was obviously making her think, hard. Walking over, he laid a hand on her shoulder making her jump.
"What the hell?... You scared me witless – I thought you were Andy" she said as she swung round. "Just look at this – how can it fail? " Jerry took in the soft lights, the small intimate tables, the unpretentious waiting staff and smiled at the thought of taking Traci there in the future – maybe.
"I booked the table for 8pm in his name – you have still got a hold of his phone haven't you?" She asked.
Jerry patted his pocket "Safe and sound, and last time I checked she'd made four calls to him and left two texts..." He smiled down at her and shook his head slowly "I only hope he remembers his credit card – he thinks we're going out on the town so shouldn't be a problem"
Oliver and Noelle arrived back at the barn and their first port of call was the D's office where they could shut the door and enter the huddle that was already snugly sat in there. "Ok Gail – what exactly did you put on the note?" Gail smiled and glanced at Chris who after all had composed it. SHE had only written it, being the best forger amongst them and the best at copying Sam's spider scrawl.
Chris checked around to see who might be looking through the glass partition at the six of them squashed into Jerry's office like some kind of convention. Adopting a hushed tone, he leaned forward and whispering, told them what had taken him a full two days to compose 'Andy, meet me tonight at The Starlight Bistro on Yong, at 8pm – dress smart and tell no one. S'. Sitting back he took a breath pleased at the simplicity and ambiguity of the note. "Do you really think she'll show?" asked Noelle, raising an eyebrow in speculation – "I know I wouldn't if that was all I got in a note".
"Yea, bound too". Oliver jumped in, having known Sam the longest and priding himself on having spent the most time riding with Andy – other than Sam of course, who they all knew, jealously guarded partnering his ex-rookie. Even if he wouldn't admit it to himself, the guy was gone on her and she was mad for him, whilst denying it to anyone that would stand still long enough to listen.
"She better "growled Jerry. " I called in a big favour with the Maitre D on this one – even got nice little table 6, at the back, in the alcove and since he's in on this, he knows how to treat Sam when he arrives. I just hope he don't feel the need to slug the guy or throw a vase of flowers over one of the waiters".
"How long before Dov brings her back in?" asked Chris, but before anyone could answer Traci leapt up and tugged at Noelle's arm "Swarek alert!" "He's here – what's the betting he's looking for his lost phone". "Looks like he's heading to the locker room to look there first"
They scattered leaving Jerry to get suddenly very busy looking through the papers on his desk – some of which were upside down and which luckily he realised and corrected before Sam came breezing in. "Hey Jerry man, seen my phone?" "I could have sworn that I had it last night at poker, but I emptied the truck looking for it, and can't seem to find it anywhere – do you think Oliver put it somewhere stupid, just to annoy the hell out of me?"
"Uh, not sure Sammie – Ollie is around here somewhere – just got back in I think – you wanna go find him and see what he says?" Jerry tried to look busy, even picking up the phone and casting a wary eye at Sam as if to say "Scat, I am real busy right now". Sam took the hint and turned on his heel to leave.
Before he went through the door, he turned "What time are you picking me up?" "Oh around 7.30" Jerry breezed – "Don't forget, this Casino is smart dress and bring your credit card!" Sam smiled and raised his eyebrow at Jerry "Not really my kind of place, but I'll come and keep you company whilst you lose all your money". With that he swung out through the door, his eyes scanning the room in search of Oliver and his missing phone.
Whilst this was unfolding in the D's office, Gail had slipped into the woman's locker room and called Dov on his cell.
"Hi, is me. Can you keep her out another half hour? He's here, hunting up his phone – did you know she already called him four times today?"
"Uh ha – yes, sure, I am aware of that" said Dov carefully into his phone, trying to affect an air of annoyance. "Well we'll just have the check the place again then if you're sure someone was seen inside..."
He carried on for the benefit of Andy who was leaning against the cruiser, looking board and annoyed. "Yea, we'll be back in a half hour after we have another walk through". Dov ended the conversation.
"That was the barn – they have another report of someone in that abandoned building that we checked earlier – so called 'suspicious activity' – asked us to check it out again, before going back in. Ok with you?"
Andy kicked off from the car and sighed rather loudly. What had she done to get saddled with Dov on Sam's day off? Usually, she and Sam shared the same days off, but she had taken a personal day earlier in the week to take her father to a retirement lunch and ended up swopping days off to accommodate it. She'd learnt her lesson hard that day. Did he ever stop gabbing? He even talked all through lunch when his mouth was full! It was like working with a manic windup doll – he just kept on and on.
Thinking of Sam, she again, she checked her phone. Odd that, no message, no call all day -only the mysterious note left in her locker earlier in the day. She knew he could pick locks –hell she taught him, after her daddy had taught her, so it was no surprise in some ways, that he had invaded her private space with the help of some lock picks – he had done it before, leaving her a small box of cookies after a particularly crappy day, and fetching her a spare tee shirt the day they got covered in paint arresting a street artist.
She shook her head to clear it, drew her weapon and followed Dov back into the building to resume the fruitless search for 'suspicious activity', whatever that might mean. Only an hour until shift end, then she could escape Dov's insane chatter, grab a shower and maybe try Sam's phone again. She hadn't really made up her mind about whether she would meet him or not – seemed a little odd and not at all his usual style, but she couldn't shake the possibility that he was going back undercover, so guessed she'd go along with it and see what happened.
She was sure as hell going to give him a good ear ache if he'd agreed to anything without including her; after all, they were partners weren't they? No, he wouldn't do it to her, she tried to convince herself. He would have said something, he wouldn't leave her high and dry or to the mercy of Dov as a long term partner, - no surely he wouldn't do that to her, would he?
Back at the barn, the gang seemed quite pleased with themselves as things were going along according to plan. Chris had composed the text that they would send from Andy's phone to Sam's later that day and Jerry was on standby to load it in, delete all Andy's other texts and messages sent to him during the day and then offer Sam back his phone.
Noelle was down in the canteen taking bets on the outcome and Jerry was in for $50 if it turned out good. Either way, they'd either work it out or come to blows and maybe some of the pent up frustration would surface and when the mad mist cleared, perhaps they would see what was so obvious to everyone here but them. Sam and Andy were one and the same. They belonged together and after all the angst and heartache that both had been through in their lives, their friends had only one wish for them – to shut the hell up, act like adults and actually admit their love.
Andy and Dov arrived back at the barn and immediately started their wind up paperwork, which since the day had passed off quietly, would take no more than 30 minutes. Traci swung by their desk and asked Andy if she would be going to The Penny later.
"Not sure, tonight Trac – there is something I need to see too, but I might be along later – depends really" Andy edged round the subject and was suitably vague when Traci tried to push her on what was so important, as to keep her away from her friends.
Dov swallowing a splutter, had to leave the desk, before he exploded with the keeping of the secret after receiving a hard stare from Oliver who was sitting to Andy's other side also doing paperwork before shift end. The gang had their doubts about Dov's ability to keep things quiet as he had a habit of things being in his mind, then slipping out of his mouth. But, he along with the others, so wanted to see an end to this constant dancing around their obvious attraction, that he wanted in.' In all the way' he'd said, in setting up McSawarek on a blind date.
There was a secret hero worship thing going down with him as far as Sam was concerned – had he been a kid, he would have wanted to grow up just like officer Swarek, but that was something that he made sure did not slip from his brain to his mouth anytime!
When Andy headed to the locker room, Traci was not far behind. The two chatted and as soon as Andy left for her shower, Traci dived into her locker for her phone and hurried out to find Jerry.
"You've got about 3 minutes before she comes back, so get it done!" she told him. Jerry slipped into Interview 1, found Sam's number in Andy's phone and copied the text that Chris had scribbled on a piece of paper...tapping it in with more than his usual care.
'Please cum get me - 8pm Starlight Bistro on Yong – rescue me from a crappy date. Please Sam'
Licking his lips, he pressed send and heard an answering ping from Sam's phone lodged in his pocket. He carefully removed it, deleted all of Andy's previous messages and texts from Sam's phone and then switched it off, breathing a sigh of relief. "Hurry up and give it back, I gotta run if I am not gonna get caught" snarled Traci, who snatching the phone, almost collided with Gail in the doorway as she left the room at a run. Smiling to herself Gail wondered if the dynamic duo would be speaking to any of them, come the morning.
Jerry parked the car at the curb outside Sam's house and sauntered up the path. Before he could knock, Sam had opened the door and was smiling brightly his hand held out for his missing phone.
"Thanks pal. Where did you say it was?" "I think it was in the cruiser, - it was handed over at shift change and I offered to drop it off as I was coming to collect you – good job you scrawled your initials on the back man" drawled Jerry, surprised at how easily Sam had accepted his explanation.
Sam dived back into the house to pull on his jacket then hurried down the path to where Jerry was already revving the car. For one awful moment, Jerry had the feeling that Sam was not going to check his phone, when to his relief he heard the familiar ping as it lit up and told Sam that he had a text waiting. Sam's eyes widened when he saw who it was from and Jerry had to look out of the side window, just to keep the smile on his face, from being seen by Sam.
"Jerry, - any chance we could drop by Yong Street for just a minute?" Sam tentatively asked.
"What's up? Something wrong?" asked Jerry, now straight faced and doing his best to seem concerned.
"Yea, no, - look I just need to do a favour for a friend – be right back if you can just park outside?"
Jerry appeared to ponder the request and looking at his watch, reluctantly agreed.
Outside the Starlight Bistro, Oliver and Zoe got out of the cab and walked up the steps to the reception. The Maitre was waiting for them and as soon as Oliver introduced them, he winked and placed them at a table at the side of the restaurant, turning down the table light to a soft glow. "Is she here yet?" whispered Oliver, who was trying to lower the light even further in the hope of not being seen.
"Just arrived and seated at the back in the alcove as requested" The guy winked at Zoe. "So, you are here to pick up the pieces if the deal goes South?" he asked.
"Actually" Zoe admitted "I insisted on being here. I feel partly responsible since the idea was mine in the first place!". "This couple are so in love, but one thing they both are is STUBBORN! Neither will take the chance of admitting their feelings, just in case the other doesn't feel the same way " "It's so frustrating, watching them day after day, wasting time, going home alone, each to their own little bolt hole, neither interested in dating anyone else, or even looking at anyone else for that matter."
"It's driving us all crazy at work too" added Oliver. "You should hear them – bickering like an old married couple, calling each other Pal and Buddy whilst almost undressing each other with their eyes and just don't get me started on what happens, if any outsider tries to hit on either of them – the jealousy erupts into slamming doors, yelling in the locker room, and fighting over who gets to drive, until the other realises that the sudden interest from outside is not reciprocated. Hell, we just need to get things out in the open so that normal life can resume". With that Oliver took a deep breath and shook his head.
Across the room, Andy sat with her back to the door – not her ideal choice of seat, but the damn man put her here and she didn't have the presence of mind to ask to be moved or just to change her seat, once he had laid up the table for two and placed the signature red rose complimentary to the female customers, in a vase at her elbow. She had dressed carefully for this – god knows why – she had no idea why she had even come! It was 8.03 and there was no sign of Sam – what the hell was going on? Cryptic note or not, she was out of here at 8.30 if he was still a no show.
"McNally – where's this date from hell then?" "You want me to go dust him up in the bathroom or something? Not sure if my knuckles are up to anything more but if you will let yourself be sweet-talked in to going on a date with some red necked jerk, don't expect me always to show up and save your ass!"
She swung round, surprise showing on her face, as Sam put his hand on her arm.
At that exact moment, it was almost like he was seeing her for the first time. Her hair was fluffy – yea, fluffy, she had make up on (well more than she did at work and it suited her, suited this place, and suited the dress), Yes, McNally had a dress on! – a little black velvet number off the shoulders with just a hint of cleavage . His eyebrows shot up and his eyes darkened as he drank her in. For a moment, he was speechless and that just gave her enough time to jump in.
"Whoa big guy – what did you just say? You think I'm here on a date?"
"I wouldn't even be here if you hadn't sent that stupid cryptic message. I thought you were maybe going undercover again, and that is the ONLY reason I turned up here tonight, to say goodbye or to offer to water your plants - whatever"
She noted his dress pants, and jacket, and wondered why he smelt so damn good. He was close enough for her to feel the heat radiating off him and she realised that she had at some point, stood up to match him in height and had her hand on his arm. She opened her mouth to continue, whilst he smirked at her obvious discomfort and confusion when she realised they were close, standing way too close and she had her hand on his arm, she was actually stroking his arm to calm him down!
Embarassment clouded her face and whilst Sam was confused, he was also starting to enjoy the view – she glowed, even in the half light of the bistro, he could see her blush spreading across her neck and he realised that he had forgotten to breath. Taking a small step back both started talking at once.
"Uh, guys, you might want to take a seat and simmer down a bit" – Oliver had crossed the room and put his hand on Sam's arm. "I think since you're both here, it might be the right time to have that talk you're always going on about – you know, the one you never get round too" (but the one the rest of the station wish you'd have), he added under his breath. One or two of the nearest diners had stopped eating to take in the scene between the handsome couple both of whom seemed totally dazed and confused.
Sam looked momentarily uncomfortable but took a seat and for the first time, noticed Zoe across the room, almost hidden in the dark side recess of the restaurant. He raised his eyebrow and looked at her quizzically not sure what he had gotten himself into here, but she waved and he threw her a rueful smile.
Meanwhile, Oliver had crossed to the far side of the table and tentatively held out Andy's chair for her to seat herself across from Sam. Andy had that stubborn look on her face and he was wondering what the hell he would do, if she decided just to walk out. She defiantly knew that she was being set up and almost consciously, he watched her weighing up her options – stay or go, run or not. She looked directly at Sam who shrugged his shoulders, resigned to the situation, and meekly took her seat. Oliver, like a retreating matador, backed away.
Jerry caught Sam's eye from the doorway – his arm round Traci's waist and indicated that he would see him in the morning, turned around and away quickly into the night. Sam inclined his head to where Zoe and Oliver were seated across the room to Andy who blushed again and smiled at her two friends. Taking a big breath, she shuffled her chair closer to the table and looked into Sam's eyes, trying to read what was going on in his head. He in turn, tried not to stare at her in the flickering candle light and tried to concentrate on what she was starting to say. A short time into the conversation, the waiter brought them the wine list and menus – and it became evident to everyone, that they were here to stay.
Before long, the two dark heads were leaned across the table, their voices low and if she strained in her seat, Zoe could just about get a view of Sam holding Andy's hand on the top of the table. They were still deep in conversation, but the tension of earlier has completely gone and they seemed relaxed and in tune with each other. Sam was making his points, carefully and slowly and for once, Andy was quiet, thoughtful and completely absorbed in whatever he was saying to her. Zoe felt the relief and smiled at Oliver.
"No time for pudding Oliver – our work here is done" she joked as she waved her fork in the direction of the table in the alcove. Stealing a quick glance, Oliver saw his friend with his arm across the back of the chair that Andy had moved, so that she could sit closer to Sam. They were sitting in quiet contentment now with Andy putting her head on Sam's shoulder as if trying to get as close to him as possible and holding his hand in both of hers. She looked truly happy for the first time in months. Sam looked relaxed, and with his spare hand, threw them a mock salute, and a small smile showing his dimples.
"Yea, well, let's hope that they are still speaking to the rest of us come Monday", Oliver muttered, whilst carefully looking at his watch, noting the time and wondering who would scoop the betting pot on this one."Now let's get out of here before they come to blows over who is picking up the tab for this date!"
Sorry it's a bit light and fluffy, but I am suffering from an overdose of drama (episode 4 looks like it could be a bit heavy on the angst) and felt that perhaps a little gentle humour and happy ending might be acceptable for once. Please review... thanks for taking the time to read. Wend