Author's Note: Republic of Doyle and its characters are not mine. Enjoy the story!
"Three minutes, starting now." I turn and walk away, being careful not to look back.
"Thank you," he responds weakly when I'm already halfway down the hallway.
I lean against the wall and watch as Pike asks Brian Harris' sister-in-law a couple of questions. She smiles, disappearing into the hospital room behind Doyle, and Pike writes something on a notepad. He looks up at me and raises his eyebrows questioningly.
I nod towards Brian Harris' room. "What's with Mr. Doyle?" I ask. "He's walking around like he owns the place."
Pike rolls his eyes. "Jake's nothing, Leslie," he says with a shrug. "Don't worry about him."
"He completely disrespected us," I snap, coming off the wall and walking towards him. "Treated you like a youngster and tried to flirt with me after knowing me for all of ten seconds."
"Well, that's Jake for ya," Pike says with another shrug. "He was an officer once and he was even worse back then. You can imagine what a guy like that acted like when he actually had some real authority."
"He's not going to get in the way, is he Pike?" I ask. "Ruin this case for us?"
"Ruin the case? Probably not. Get in the way? Definitely." Pike chuckles and starts to walk away, but I follow him.
"And he just gets away with it? He gets his arrogant arse in people's way and they let him?"
"Yep," Pike says. "He's arrogant, Leslie, but he's also charismatic and he can talk his way out of almost anything. Let's see how you react the first time his arrogant arse gets in your way. I'm willing to bet that you won't do much about it."
"Excuse me," I snap, crossing my arms. I can feel the blood rising to my cheeks.
"Oh please, Leslie. You were checking him out. You know it, I know it, he knows it, the uniforms standing about twenty feet away from us know it. You don't have to deny it. The girls were all over him when he was on the force. He's attractive."
I turn around as Harris' room door swings open. Jake Doyle gets pushed through it, holding his nose and trying to shove his business card through the opening until the door is shut in his face. He winces, still holding his nose like a sook, and walks to the elevator with his head down.
"Yeah," I mutter, turning back to Pike. "Real attractive, right up until he opens his mouth."
Pike rolls his eyes and walks away. This time, I don't follow him. I lean against the wall again and watch the place where Jake Doyle disappeared. I have to admit that he is attractive... very attractive... but I don't care how "charismatic" Pike says he is, I'm not gonna just roll over for Doyle.
And I'm certainly not going to let him get in my way.