It was a rare occasion, to have them all together, in the same room. It was even rarer that the three of them could get a moment of peace, away from their demanding jobs. The waitress comes up to them, and takes their orders. When she gets to the third person at the table, the other two turn to look at her.
"Just water," Olivia answers.
The waitress nods, and leaves.
"Just water? We're having girls night out, and you just ordered water?" Casey raises an eyebrow.
"Yes," Olivia nods.
"Why didn't you invite your new partner?" Alex questions.
"I should have thought twice, before coming out with two lawyers. I feel like I'm being interrogated," Olivia responds.
"You're the cop. Seriously, though, why just water?" Casey follows-up.
"I am sure that before the night is over I'll be called into work, and I don't want to be hung-over," she answers.
Alex tries to gauge her facial expression, "I don't buy it, you're lying."
"You don't trust her, do you?" Casey quizzes, focusing on Olivia.
"Trust who?" Olivia furrows her brow.
"Rollins," Alex supplies.
"It's not that," Olivia argues.
"You just don't want to be too welcoming," Casey suggests.
"I thought that we weren't going to talk about work," Olivia replies.
"Have you spoken to Elliott, lately?" Casey wonders, as the waitress arrives with their drinks.
Olivia watches as the waitress places their drinks in front of them. A beer, for Casey, a lager, no surprise. A white wine, for Alex, again, no surprise, although Olivia had on, occasion, seen Alex drink hard liquor. Last, but not least, a water.
She could have attempted to be more discreet, but she was too tired to care. She was tired, of keeping secrets. Her whole life, had been a secret, from the time that she was conceived. She was tired of all the secrets, and lies, that filled her daily life. Just once she wanted to be honest, with others, but mostly, with herself.
"Have you?" Alex wonders.
Olivia looks up at her, she makes eye contact. She glances at Casey, who sips her beer. She answers, innocently, enough.
"Yeah," Olivia nods.
"That's it?" Casey interrogates.
"I talked to him a couple of months ago," Olivia admits.
"On the phone?" Alex furthers the conversation.
"In person," Olivia clarifies, "I saw him out, one night."
"One night?" This peaks Casey's suspicions, "So, what happened?"
Olivia shrugs, "What do you mean, what happened? Nothing. We were partners, for over a decade. We talked, and that was it."
"He's finally divorced, and all you did was talk?" Casey probes.
"What?!" Alex turns, and looks at her.
"It sounds like you've talked to him, since I have," Olivia points out.
"I bumped into him, when I was picking up coffee, one morning," Casey admits.
"I didn't know that he was divorced, he didn't mention that. He said that he and Kathy were having problems, but that was nothing new," Olivia adds.
"He told me that she filed for divorce. He called me for advice. I think that the divorce is almost settled," Casey reveals.
"And how would you know that?" Alex inquires.
"It sounds like you know more of the story, than either of us. Is there something, that you're leaving out?" Olivia questions.
"I am his lawyer," Casey admits.
"Since when do you divorces?" Olivia wonders.
"I volunteered," Casey adds.
"What is the straw that finally broke the camels back? I mean, they always had a rocky marriage," Alex quizzes.
"The fact that he's off the force?" Olivia guesses.
Casey shakes her head, "He is working as a private contractor. He makes more money doing that, than he did as a detective," she answers.
"So, what, then?" Olivia raises an eyebrow.
"She was tired of being lied to. She was tired of looking the other way," Casey replies.
"What are you talking about?" Olivia furrows her brow.
"His affairs," Casey exhales.
"Affairs? As in more than one?" Alex asks, in surprise.
"Apparently, there have been quite a few," Casey tells them.
Alex turns to Olivia, but says nothing, to her. She looks at her drink. "I am sure that the fact that he didn't love her, anymore had something to do with it, too," Alex suggests.
"He stopped loving her a long time ago," Casey agrees, "I think that he was consumed by the fact that the one person he did love, and did want, he couldn't have."
Olivia looks at the two of them, "What? Who?"
Alex looks at Casey. Then they both turn to Olivia, "You," they tell her, in unison.
"Me?"
"What really happened?" Casey pries.
Olivia says nothing. She takes a sip of her drink.
Alex turns to Casey. "She's drinking water. She saw Elliott a couple of months ago. It sounds to me, as if something happened."
Casey nods, "I agree. Something that turned a beer drinker into someone who chooses water."
Olivia reaches for her coat, "I should go."
"Come on," Casey begs.
"I don't want to talk about it," Olivia replies.
"Then maybe you should just listen," Alex suggests.
"To what?" Olivia furrows her brow.
"Let's order a couple more rounds, and see what we can come up with," Casey answers her.
"You're not the only person who has secrets," Alex reminds her.
"We all do," Casey adds.
"Just stay. We don't get the chance to hang out, as human beings, very often," Alex insists.
"No, we spend most of our time together, in capes, as super-heroes, in a court room," Casey jokes.
Olivia nearly smiles.