"Thai or Sushi?"
What? Sharon didn't know who had invaded her personal space with an odd question, but she wasn't amused. She had hoped with everyone finished for the evening, that she could catch up on some long overdue paperwork. The past few weeks dealing with Rusty had meant she had fallen behind with her Administrative paperwork, and one less meeting with Chief Taylor was always a good thing, in her estimation. She didn't know how she would excuse her normal efficiency with family drama anyway. It would do more harm than good, and give Taylor even more reason to think her unqualified for the job.
Looking up, she saw Andrea Hobbs leaning in her doorframe, holding her briefcase in one hand and ready to dial her phone in the other. She looked every bit as tired as Sharon felt.
"Excuse me?" Sharon asked, as politely as she could.
"Thai or Sushi. I figured you weren't the Burger or Pizza type, and if we're both working late anyway, we might as well share the misery."
Sharon took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes, then ushered Andrea in with a gesture and leaned back in her seat. "Do you remember the good old days? The days we marched for a Woman's Right to equal employment and good daycare and the right to wear terribly uncomfortable versions of men's suits, proving that we were just as good as any man?"
Laughing tiredly, Andrea collapsed into the chair on the opposite side of the desk and smiled. "Yeah, we were going to have a better life than our mothers and grandmothers. We were going to kick ass, name names, and break that glass ceiling."
"I think I have shards of glass in my fist from that ceiling."
"You and me both." Andrea groaned in response. "What happened?"
"Damned if I know. It seemed way more fun when I was 20."
"Tell me about it. We were going to change the world, bad hair and all."
Sharon giggled. "Maybe Edit Bunker had it right after all."
"Bite your tongue," Andrea cut her eyes, and Sharon's giggle because a full out laugh.
"Thai."
"Pardon me?"
"Thai. You asked. Something with shrimp and rice."
"Sounds perfect. Green or Red curry? I'm partial to Green myself."
"Works for me, at this point the less I have to think about anything, the better it is."
Nodding her agreement, Andrea made short work of the order, and put her phone in her pocket.
"I am curious though," Sharon began, "what brings you to my neck of the woods on a Friday night? Have you been assigned to anything?"
"Didn't you get the memo?" Andrea asked, the sarcasm belying the fact that no physical memo actually existed. "I'm been assigned to everything."
"What? I don't understand."
"Well, it seems my Superiors and your Superiors have decided we work well together, so rather than having a random ADA turn up in your Murder Room whenever you have need of us, I alone will have that privilege."
"Huh, I see... so... which of us is being punished?" Sharon asked with a straight face and a twinkle in her eye.
"Bitch!" Andrea sneered.
"My, my, such language." Sharon giggled again.
"Like I care, it's after hours. If I had my way, I'd be curled up at home with a good book or some bad TV, forgetting the things I've seen just this week alone."
"Mmm... I can relate. So I guess that means you have to catch up on all our open cases as well as be able to prepare deals for our new ones. That should be fun."
Chuckling, Andrea stretched out her legs and slouched in her chair a little further. "Yup. Perry Mason made legal work look much more interesting."
"Yeah, but he had Della. Somehow a laptop just isn't the same."
"Hear, hear! Everyone needs a Della." Silence hung in the air for a moment, then Andrea's phone rang. "Delivery's here, but the front desk won't let him up. Back in a few." With that Andrea left and Sharon went to clear her work table for the food.
"You don't want to eat in the Break Room?" Andrea asked curiously when she returned.
"Nope. Perry Mason might have had Della Street to help him, but I've got something much better." With dramatic flare, Sharon pulled a small key out of her pocked and opened one of the doors in her credenza.
"Where did you get that?" Andrea asked in amazement, when she saw the shelves stocked with alcohol bottles of all sorts, red and white wines, and glasses to go with them.
"Mmm, one of the perks of being IA for all those years. We routinely searched lockers and cars, but since the officers weren't actually criminals, we didn't have to register any legal substances we found. There is very little enjoyment to be found when you police the police, so free booze it is. The rest I've added for evenings like this."
"Wow, I didn't know IA did that. I've never heard you mention it before."
"No one knows it's here except you, and I'm swearing you to secrecy. I'd gladly share it with my team, but I don't want to insult Lt. Flynn."
"Why?" Andrea looked at her questioningly, "Do you think he couldn't handle it?"
"Andy? No, he'd be grace itself. I just don't think it's fair to put it in the middle of our workspace. It's no one's business but his, and it's not part of his work so why even make it an issue."
"You're a good boss, Sharon."
"Thanks. Pick your poison"
Andrea pointed to the white wine then set about putting the food on the table while Sharon poured the drinks and put the bottle in the middle of the table. Then both women grabbed their laptops and their working dinner began.
"Barry Snow?" Andrea asked, as she flipped through the file on her lap.
"Way before my time, I'll have to look that one up." Sharon said, as she speared a large shrimp on her plate, then proceeded to top up their wine glasses.
"Tom Derricks?" Andrea asked again, taking a drink.
"Sounds vaguely familiar, but I don't remember why."
"Okay, how about Janice Bellows?"
"You know," Sharon said as she leaned against the back of her chair, "this is a better conversation to have with Lt. Provenza. He'd know all these names."
"Good idea," Andrea replied, and put the files back in her bag. "So what do you have that I can help with?"
"Overtime, Sick Leave, Personal Time, Expenses, all the fun parts of running a department. It's mostly matching receipts to claims, and making sure I can justify it to Chief Taylor," Sharon sighed.
"Della!" Andrea yelled into the air, and both women dissolved into fits of laughter.
"Wine's done. We need something stronger than this for what you've got." Andrea announced and went to the hidden liquor cabinet. Vodka? Tequila? Rye? Any of that or do you trust me to make Martinis?"
"Mix away," came Sharon's snickering reply.
"Martinis it is. Gin or Vodka?"
"Vodka"
Returning to the table, Andrea placed a large jug of the mixed drinks on the table and cleared away the remnants of their dinner.
"Well, you expect us to be here awhile," Sharon smirked.
"Lawyer remember, we survive on coffee and booze. How much can you handle anyway?"
"Irish Catholic," Sharon replied as she held her glass high.
"Cheers" Andrea toasted, and the two clinked their glasses, then Sharon spread out her paperwork.
"What can I do?" Andrea asked, putting the glass down.
"Um... how about you match receipts to claims. When my kids were little, they used to help with that part. It was fun for them." Sharon confided.
"My girls used to enjoy helping me attach the colour stickers to the files," Andrea nodded her understanding. "Such mundane tasks, but they knew helping Mommy was important."
"Tell me about them," Sharon asked, quickly glancing up from her keyboard to take another drink."
"They're twins, but you'd never know it. Chloe is the athlete, hoping to get into UCLA on a Tennis scholarship in a year or two. Straight-A student, takes everything in life far too seriously."
"My son, Tanner is like that. I guess it doesn't take much imagination to see where they get that drive."
Andrea raised her eyebrow in understanding, and reached for her glass. "You've one of each, right?"
Sharon nodded. "Yes, Missy, Melissa, is in Europe now, Germany or Austria, can't remember this week. Anyway she's working for UNFPA. She's helping the International Schools develop programs to teach the Millennium Development Goals. I don't know if she'll ever finish her medical training because she's having far too much fun teaching and traveling."
"Lofty work. Sasha, my other daughter, is only into clothes, boys and parties. I wish she'd show interest in something as noble."
"Give it time, my kids have ten years on yours, and weren't anywhere near as pro-social then as they are now."
"Good to know. By the way, why does Sanchez have a claim here for physiotherapy?"
"Oh, he bruised his foot when he kicked the hell out of Amy's attacker. He said he was fine, but the doctor wanted him to work on it anyway."
"He should have kicked the guy a little more."
"Agreed - off the record of course," Sharon looked up pointedly, then finished her drink and reached for a refill. "Does Sasha design or only wear her clothing obsession?"
"Designs a little. Flynn has a series of parking violations, I see. Doesn't he have a sign for his window?"
"Yes, but Parking Enforcement doesn't believe that car would have a real sign, so they ticket him anyway."
"Let me deal with this, I'll shove the law so far up their ass they'll never look at his car again."
"Be my guest," Sharon said, then passed Andrea a disturbingly thick folder.
"Seriously?"
"Mmmm..."
"Okay, this will take another round. Still good with the Vodka or do you want to move on."
Sharon looked over her shoulder. "Long Islands?"
"Sharon Raydor, you are my kind of girl," Andrea laughed, mixing the drinks with less coordination then she had before. It took two hands to return the new jug to the table.
"Oh, this is good," Sharon complimented her. "Tanner would be laughing at me right now."
"What's he like?"
"Tanner? If you had a picture of the 1950's All American Boy, that would be Tanner. Sometimes it amazes me that he's still the kid who used to spill juice on the carpet and trip over his shoelaces. He's currently reading Law at Oxford."
"Oxford? That's two in Europe, you must miss them."
"I do, but technology is a beautiful thing. Damn, I forgot about Provenza's ex-dog."
"Provenza's ex-dog? I thought that was all dealt with."
"The case was, but the dog needs specially medicated foods apparently, so Liz Provenza, the Lt's ex-wife, billed the department. I haven't got the heart to tell Lt. Provenza about this, he'd be so embarrassed."
"You know you're not getting that one passed Taylor, don't you?"
Sharon leaned back in her chair and grabbed her drink in one hand, and rubbed her eyes with the other. "Oh I know. I just have to figure out how to pay Liz without Provenza knowing and without her figuring out I foot the bill personally. Ah well," she continued as she took a long drink from her glass, "that's not one I'm solving tonight. Next!"
Now it was Andrea's turn to giggle. "I think we are getting less professional with every round."
"I was hoping we would," Sharon joined in the laughing. "You are really good at mixing drinks. If you're going to be stuck with us anyway, we have to do this more often."
"What would your boys think if they knew their Captain and the ADA were getting drunk in the back office on a regular basis?"
"Oh," Sharon laughed even harder, "they'd probably think I had mental breakdown."
"They have no idea you're like this after hours?"
"None."
Andrea snickered, and refilled both glasses, spilling a small amount on the table. "Oops, I think we need to move some of these papers. You wouldn't be able to explain that to Taylor either."
"Fuck Taylor!" Sharon replied, and both women doubled over with laughter.
Trying to catch her breath and regain her composure, Sharon removed her glasses and rubbed her eyes. "Oh... oh... I've got to get this done, and at this rate I'll be putting the wrong number in the system." But the giggles just wouldn't stop.
"I think the probability of you getting those numbers accurate ended half way through the Martini pitcher. We're way past that," Andrea snickered. "Best we're doing is matching and organizing so you can input once you're sober."
"God, I hate paperwork."
"You? The Note-taking Goddess? Now that's one for the books."
Again the giggles got the better of Sharon. "It's true! This is the worst part of the job. Just look at this," she picked up a series of receipts, "Coffee receipts from Buzz. Every time we're on a scene, the poor guy is stuck on a coffee run. Now how do I explain to Taylor that the guy specially hired by this department to film our investigation is actually picking me up a low-fat Soya Latte at 3 AM? Dog food, coffee, parking tickets, justifying one of my Detectives beating a suspect, that's what I do. Provenza thinks he wants to run the department, but he could never deal with this stuff. That's why I do this and let him run the investigations."
Andrea looked long and hard at Sharon. "You pay it, don't you."
Picking up her drink again, Sharon pointed one finger at Andrea, "That never leaves this office."
"So how do you get approval or pretend that you do?" Andrea asked, pouring the last of the Iced Tea.
"It's all in knowing the law well enough to use it for my team."
"Amen to that" Andrea and Sharon toasted again.
"Time for the real stuff?" Sharon asked as she got to her feet, swayed a little, and went for the Whiskey and shot glasses.
"Why the hell not," Andrea replied. "My girls are with their father this weekend. Where's Rusty?"
"Flynn and Provenza took him to a Hockey game. I told him not to wait up for me."
"How is he doing now that his father signed away custody?"
"We don't call him a 'father', he's known as The Donor. To be honest, I think he's a little sad but he won't admit it. It can't be easy being rejected by both your parents."
"Nope. One of the things I'm grateful for with my ex, is that he never turned away from our girls. He might be a lousy husband, but he is a great father."
"They're lucky."
"Your ex left your kids too?"
"Just separated, for the past 20 years, but yeah... my kids were raised with great uncles and of course Gavin, but no real father." Sharon poured two shots, impressing herself that she didn't spill anything. "So let's drink to the kids who survive in spite of their parents" she announced, and they both knocked it back.
"Is this the good stuff?" Andrea asked, banging her glass on the table.
"Damned if I know. I lost my taste buds four drinks ago," Sharon snickered, and again laughter was heard through the office.
Standing far enough in the shadows to be unseen, Rusty watched Sharon and Andrea drinking shots and laughing together. Flynn could feel the tension in the young man, and put his hand on his shoulder.
"She's drunk" Rusty said.
"Have you ever seen her do this before?" Flynn asked, knowing the answer.
"No."
"Then don't worry about it."
"But she never gets drunk. How am I supposed to deal with this?"
"Listen kid," Andy turned Rusty to look at him so they were looking eye-to-eye. "I'm an alcoholic, and an alcoholic knows an alcoholic. Sharon Raydor is no alcoholic, she's just enjoying the evening with a co-worker, probably blowing off steam. Adults have to do that some times. It doesn't mean anything. You've never seen this before because it hardly ever happens. She wouldn't want you to see it now, and we wouldn't even be here if you weren't so worried about her not being home. You've got to let her be human."
"Flynn's right," Provenza joined in, "and I'm going to really enjoy ribbing her about this one," he chuckled.
Andy shook his head and smiled. "Let's get them home. They are going to hate themselves in the morning."