Title: Would you miss me?
Who?: Cole Phelps / OFC
When?: After Cole was demoted to Arson.
Where?: Old Irish pub outside of L.A.
Rating?: PG-13
Summary: Cole Phelps hit the bottom and wasn't ready for everything that is happening around him. He isn't sure if staying in L.A. is a good idea until he find an unlikely friend who shows him that he should never give up.
Cole Phelps was one of the best detective's in the LAPD, but that was until he was caught doing something that he never thought he would do. Apparently he was the only one who was unhappy at home, and he was the last person on earth people thought would be caught cheating on his wife. He could hear the whisper's while he was out with Herschel working on Arson case's. He could see how other detective's saw him differently and even treated him as if he was the scum of the earth.
One day he was on top and the next he was at the bottom of the totem poll over night. He figured someone would rat him out about him and Elsa's relationship, but he didn't expect everything else to happen. What made matter's worse was when Elsa didn't want anything to do with him anymore, and his wife was not allowing him to see his girls anymore either. Now he lives in a decent apartment building with no friends, and even his own family doesn't even talk to him anymore. He could hear the disappointment in his mother's voice when he called so now he doesn't call her at all.
With everything changing around him Cole had to get away and his Chevrolet Fleetmaster 2DR wasn't moving fast enough. In the back seat was a suit case with enough clothes to last him for about two weeks, and he already put in for a vacation days with his boss. Thankfully he was understanding and granted him leave for two weeks, because he knew Cole needed to get out of dodge before it got any worst for him. There was still a few case's that needed to be solved but right now he needed to stay out of sight. He's already stepped on more toes then necessary, and he still needed the job to pay his bills.
As the sign flashed passed him saying good bye from L.A. the stress of everything began to lift of his shoulders. After a few hours he finally found a motel and right across the street was a bar called the Lucky Shamrock. He figured this was a good enough place as any to lay low for a few days, and pulled into the motel place.
For the first few minutes Cole sat there with the car in idle wondering if he was ready to walk into the receptionist office. Inside the sign was glowing red stating there was vacancies and they were open. Inside could be someone who knows all about him, and he was honestly to tired to search even further for another hotel. After taking a deep breath he slowly got out of the car and walked inside. Cole was hit with the smell of cigarette smoke, and cheap perfume. Sitting at the front desk was an older lady who was already in her flower print night gown with a shower cap on her head. Cole thought her choice of clothing was peculiar when you're dealing with customer's but who was he to judge. The older lady, who Cole could read was name Esther on her name tag, looked up from her magazine and gave him a strange look.
This was the moment of truth. This is when Cole was going to find out if he was screwed or not but instead she pulled out a book, and flipped it to the last entry. "How many nights will you be staying?" She asked as she fumbled to put on her glass's.
Cole cleared his throat and nodded his head slowly. "I'm not sure at least a few days if that's okay." Esther looked at him for a few minutes and Cole could feel the sweat pouring down his face. He was waiting for her to say something about L.A, but instead she shrugged her shoulder's and asked for his ID. He handed over his driver's license and watched as she wrote down his name, and a room number he'd be staying at. She mumbled the price of the room and Cole paid for at least four days, and soon he had the key to his room.
He bid her good night and quickly walked outside happy that someone looked at him as a normal person. Cole stopped at his car and looked over at the bar unsure if he should call it a night or maybe get a night cap. He figured it wouldn't kill him, and he carefully crossed the road to the bar. Once inside, Cole saw that it looked like any other bar he's been in. At the bars there were the obvious patrons, and a few tourist that were in the corner looking at maps of California.
He walked up to the bar and noticed something strange. Behind the bar there was an old man who would make drinks occasionally for the people closest to him, but the main bartender was a small petite female in a tank top, and shorts. It wasn't exactly something he was used to but he wasn't complaining either.
He was snapped out of his thoughts when someone snapped their figure's in front of his face.
"Hello, anyone in there?" The girl had a strong southern accent, but it fit her perfectly. She had a tan but the previous farmer's tan was still prominent. She had beautiful brown hair that flowed down her back, and piercing bluish green eyes.
"Yes, sorry. I would take a whiskey on ice." He said, and watched as she poured Jack over ice in a decent size glass.
She placed it in front of him and he was about to pay for it but she stopped him before he could.
"Don't worry about it. You look like you need it." She said as she began to wipe down glass's that were stacked beside her. "So what's your story fella?"
"I'm sure the last thing you want to hear is my story." He said laughing softly as he took a sip of his drink and welcoming the warmth of the alcohol.
"Oh don't be silly. I've heard it all working here, and you'd be amazed at what country folk have done. I've even been to Louisiana a few times, and I promise you the stories out of that state would probably make yours look like a bible story." She said seriously, and Cole could tell she wasn't about to let up so he took a deep breath and sighed softly.
"Alright. I got caught cheating, and got demoted at work. I'm now the laughing stock of L.A. and I'll never be a homicide detective again." He wasn't sure what made him confess all of this to a total stranger, but it was nice to say it out loud, but it also made it more real.
"Oh." She stopped for a few minutes, and Cole waited for her to call him every bad word in the book, but he had a feeling she wasn't any ordinary girl. "Well that's not as a bad as I thought it would be. I mean it happens. It just doesn't seem likely to love one person, or be with one person forever. Also, I'm sure who ever demoted you isn't an angel either, but people are quick to make examples of people. The local sheriff in my town did that to my brother when he wanted to take up stealing, but little did everyone know the Sheriff was actually taking money from the church to support his gambling problem."
Cole looked at her with a completely shocked look on his face, and he couldn't believe that a person of the law would do something like that. He knew what he did was wrong but at least he didn't steal money from anyone. "Wow, so what happened to the Sheriff?"
"My momma found out what he was doin' , you know being a Christian woman that she is, went to the bar and called him out. She said if he didn't pay back the money she was going to make him wish he was in jail."
Cole couldn't help but to laugh as he imagined a woman with the same built as the young girl in front of him raising hell in front of the bar. She began to laugh as well, and he realized he never formally introduced himself. He extended his hand and smiled.
"My name is Cole Phelps, and It's a pleasure to meet you." He said smiling, and slightly blushing at how proper he just sounded. With a firm grip she shook his hand and smiled.
"My name is Joanne, but you can call me Jo." She said softly as she let go of his hand slowly. For the rest of the night they couldn't stop talking to each other. Cole eventually explained his whole story in detail, and she understood where he was coming from. She didn't even judge him for it either, and it was nice to meet someone who didn't automatically hate is guts for what he's done.
By the time it was closing time Cole knew he had to go, but he wasn't about to until he knew he could see her again. She told him there was a diner that she went to every morning, and told him to meet her there in the morning around 10. Being the gentlemen he was he waited until she was finished before walking her to her car. He knew she could defend herself but he wasn't about to take his chances. He waited as he watched her drive away until he walked over to his room. Even though he knew he was going to an empty bed he could help to sleep with a smile on his face.