Last Night Jules
Chapter 1: Tom Blair Confusion
Background: Post Shules breakup, set somewhere between Dead Air and Nip and Suck it
Summary: What should have been a simple dinner between ex-lovers should have ended with Shawn driving Juliet home. Instead, Juliet has a hangover, no recollection of the rest of the night, and to top it all off, her missing purse and badge is sitting next to Lassiter's latest murder victim. Post break-up Shules. Juliet whump.
"Jules you are not giving me money," Shawn rolled his eyes as Juliet trapped his hand underneath the check as he tried to slide it off the table and pay. "I'm the man, you are my date."
"This isn't a date Shawn," Juliet reminded him. "This is dinner between friends."
"At Mario's," he pointed out with a smirk. "One of the most romantic date spots in Santa Barbara."
"I told you we could have just gone to get Chinese or something Shawn," she protested.
"Oh but what is the fun of wooing you at a Chinese restaurant," he said.
"Shawn," Juliet warned but Shawn was hearing none of it. Instead, he took the hand that was trapping his and pressed a kiss to it.
"I'm wooing you milady, whether you like it or not," Shawn tried to speak in a British accent, but it came out as it always did. Horribly. However, it did its job. Juliet giggled and released her grip on the check ever so slightly so Shawn could take it.
"Shawn!"
"You win some, you lose some Jules," he placed a credit card into the check and flagged down their waiter before Juliet could protest. She sighed and took the last sip of her wine, admiring her ex-boyfriend. When he was truly trying and not mindlessly flirting, Shawn did an excellent job at wooing. That's how they ended up having a one night stand that eventually turned into sleepovers almost three nights a week. That is how she was Shawn's date to Henry's house for lunch. That is how she was learning to trust him a little more every day.
He was truly trying to woo her. He had, what he knows is her favorite Axe spray, on. His hair was laying flawlessly as always and he was a dark green color shirt that made his eyes not only stand out but contrast a lot when they would darken to almost black when he looked at her in lust.
"Thank you," she huffed.
"No thanks needed," Shawn beamed. "Since this is not a date, it is my appreciation for you putting up with all of my antics, particularly the past month." He turned serious. "I never want you to have to lie for me again Juliet, you don't deserve the guilt or anything that I make you do because of my lie. This is for you putting up with me, just as a friend." Juliet's breath caught in her throat.
How did this man know how to say the right thing at the right time, always?
It would be insufferable if only Juliet didn't find it so endearing. Especially since she sensed it in his voice and saw it in his eyes that he was telling the truth and meant every word. Now that his secret was out, Juliet was a lot more perceptive to when Shawn was lying or not. And even before the break up happened she considered herself an expert on the man's emotions and how he displayed them.
And right now, he was practically baring his heart to her in not so many words. Just by appeasing her.
She was going to have a lot to think about in the upcoming days.
"Now," Shawn said, smiling. "I was thinking a quiet stroll on the beach is in order, you can drop your car off at home and we can take a cruise down-" She didn't hear the rest of his plans for the night, she was too caught up in her thought process. Even now, as Shawn's plans headed towards the romantic track again, Juliet was entranced.
She was almost tempted to take him up on the offer.
"So what do you think Jules?" Shawn raised an eyebrow.
"As lovely as that sounds Shawn, I think we better call it a night," Juliet made a move to stand up but Shawn was quick, moving to help her stand and Juliet blushed, feeling like a silly teenager giddy about her first date. Shawn's behavior tonight was certainly making her giddy. And making her seriously reconsider dating him again.
"Whatever you wish Jules," if possible, her admiration for him grew. She could feel the disappointment radiating off of him, but he wasn't about to push and mess up every small step forward they had made. Shawn offered her his arm and he escorted her to her car. "Goodnight Jules."
"Goodnight Shawn," Juliet took a risk and reached up to cup his cheek before kissing it gently. She stroked her thumb over the spot she just kissed, feeling Shawn's lips curve up in a smile. They had gone a lot further than this since their breakup, but this kiss felt different. It felt healing. And both Shawn and Juliet could feel it.
"Drive safe," Shawn shut her door for her as she climbed in. He didn't drive off on his motorcycle until the last second Juliet could see him in her rear view mirror.
"Maybe next time I'll take you up on that offer," Juliet said to herself, positively happy with the outcome of tonight.
The ringing of her cell phone was the last thing Juliet wanted to hear as suddenly she became more aware of her surroundings. Groggily her eyes opened and she groaned as the sunlight hit her face. With a grunt she pushed herself into a sitting position and immediately felt the world spin around her.
"What the hell happened last night?" she moaned as suddenly her head felt like it had been bashed in with a sledge hammer. Her hand ran through her hair as she squinted, looking around for the source of the constant ringing. "Ugh," she reached for it, on her bedside table, but it stopped ringing before she had it in her hand.
Seeking the comfort of her bed she let herself flop back onto her pillows.
What did happen last night?
The last thing she remembers is driving past her house and heading to Tom Blair's. She needed to seriously think through her relationship with Shawn and decided that the best place to do that was somewhere that wouldn't remind her of him as much as her, or rather their house did. Secretly she chose Tom Blair's in hopes that Shawn would show up too.
The fact that she was alone in bed meant he did not, and thankfully it meant that she hadn't picked up someone else in her obvious drunken state.
The odd part is, Juliet couldn't even remember drinking that much. All she remembers is having a beer and shooting down a guy or two.
How did she get this hammered?
Her phone started to ring again and Juliet snatched it quickly.
"Hello," she mumbled.
"O'Hara!" she winced at the harshness and loudness of Carlton's voice. "Where the hell are you?" Her eyes widened and she shifted her gaze to the alarm clock. She must have not set it last night and she was… an hour late for work!
"Not so loud Carlton," she grumbled rolling off the side of the bed carefully. She looked at herself in the mirror. There were circles under her bloodshot eyes, her hair was sticking out in odd directions, and she looked like she got hit by a truck.
"Are you hungover?" he asked gruffly. "Never mind," he hissed. "Chief is livid, we have a case and we were supposed to be at the scene a half an hour ago! At this point Spencer will hear about it and be there before us!"
"Calm down Carlton, I'll handle the chief, go to the scene I will be there as soon as I can, just text me the address," Juliet sighed and hung up her phone, unapologetic at the abrupt ending. His voice was increasing the intensity of her headache.
"Ok Juliet," she talked to herself in the mirror. "Get yourself together." This was completely unlike her, the last time she felt like this was her and Shawn's last anniversary where they celebrated just as they had in Canada when they got together. Drinks, sex, and a lot of it. They hadn't been sober or out of bed for the whole day; completely forgetting about their dinner reservations at 8.
She popped a few Advil's, grabbed a water bottle, put on her pantsuit, and decided to throw her hair up in a messy bun to not have to deal with it for the day.
Now if only she could find her keys.
Did she even drive home last night?
"Where is my car!" Jules exclaimed looking out the front window. Her car was missing, along with her keys; and to think about it she hadn't seen her purse, which had her badge in it, anywhere.
"I need to find out what happened," she sighed, giving up and calling a cab because she was sure Gus and Shawn were already at the scene. Besides, she didn't want Shawn to see her like this.
Juliet waited desperately for the Advil to kick in as the cab picked her up and she told him where to take her, he eyed her suspiciously when she got out at the crime scene but she didn't have time to explain. It's not like she had her badge to prove she was a cop. She prayed that she would find it all in her car whenever she found her car. Juliet was just thankful she hadn't taken her gun and it was secured at her side.
Luckily McNab was at the crime scene tape so he lifted it for her.
"I'd be careful Detective O'Hara," he warned. "Detective Lassiter isn't in a good mood."
"I have no one to blame but myself for that unfortunately," Jules sighed and stepped up to the crime scene, reaching in her pocket to pull out her gloves, but something made her stop before she finished putting them on.
"Oh my god," she whispered as the victim's face came into view.
She knew him, she didn't know how, but she did…
"How much do I owe you?" Juliet asked as the bartender approached after she finished her beer.
"It's been taken care of by that gentleman over there," he informed her, pointing across the bar to a man who had a handsome face, but he was no Shawn. The man flashed a smile at her before getting up and walking over to sit next to her.
"I find it sad that a pretty girl could be sitting all alone with no one to buy her drink for her," he flirted.
"I'm sorry but I have a boyfriend," Juliet didn't regret the words coming out of her mouth, because after tonight, after all her thinking, she was ready to take Shawn back.
"Have one more drink, talk to me, and see if you might think of breaking up with him and going out with me," he said smoothly.
"Fine," Juliet smirked. "Only if you are buying again." There was no way she would choose this man over Shawn, but Shawn was possessive and she wasn't about to give up her last opportunity for a free drink from a stranger.
"My thoughts exactly."
She talked to him last night, she took a drink from him, and now he was lying in the middle of an abandoned parking lot, dead.
So what you think? Please let me know, this is obviously just the first chapter but honestly, the beginning of this chapter is the most calm it will probably be until the end ;) So you are in for a bumpy ride!