I'm ten seconds away from making Price pull over. She's driving like my great-grandmother, and I have somewhere to be. It's lunchtime, and she's waiting for me.
Just the thought of her makes me smile. A text message from her makes my heart beat a little bit faster. We spend most of our free time together. Just hanging out at her place, going to dinner, and even going to the batting cages a couple of times. I don't know what she's done to me, but I feel lighter somehow. More comfortable in my skin. I don't have to pretend to be someone I'm not, and not once has she asked me to change. She accepts my faults and all. These last seven months have been different but great.
Our Disney Princess is talking a mile a minute, and all I want is to get to the morgue already. I wish Chloe drove as fast as she talked. In the past, I would have already bitten Chloe's head off and demanded silence. But to my surprise and all my friends, I've been different these past few months. Not as closed off, not so easily annoyed; I'm even smiling more. All my friends and brother have pointed it out in some way or another, and when they ask me what's putting me in such a good mood, I just shrug my shoulders like I don't know and smile.
I know the reason why I've been different lately. The reason has a name, Holly Stewart.
She's changing me little by little, and I'm okay with it. I think I'm changing for the better. Since we met, she's been nothing less than my best friend. She looks after me when I get hurt. She listens to me when I have a particularly rough day. I think she's becoming my safe place. She's there without me even having to ask. I don't know if I can function without her anymore.
I think I'm falling for her. Like really falling. What I felt for any of my ex's pales in comparison to what I feel for her. I'm in unknown territory. I'm terrified that I'm going to ruin everything. I don't want to lose her. I need her in my life in whatever capacity she wants. I think she might be attracted to me. I've caught her giving me some looks that make my heart skip a beat, but she always looks away and starts rambling about something.
Chloe brings me out of my thoughts when she asks, "Are you going in?"
I shake my head to try to clear my thoughts and notice that we were finally at the morgue. I look at my watch and frown. I only have 40 minutes left for lunch. I grab the bag of food from the back and say, "Pick me up in 40 minutes, Price."
"I'll be here," Chloe says as I get out of the patrol car. As soon as I shut the door, she's off. She is going to find her Prince Charming. They're having lunch at the precinct.
Since I'm running late, I don't go to her lab. I know that she'll be waiting for me at her office. I make my way there quickly and knock on the door and wait.
"Come in, Gail," Holly calls out.
I smile and open the door. Holly sniffs the air and gives me that lopsided grin I love so much, "Italian?"
"It's your favorite, right?" I proudly say as I take in her appearance. She's wearing her usual work outfit with her hair pulled back in a loose ponytail. Grey slacks and suit jacket with a button-down shirt. I never thought that someone could make that simple ensemble hot. I think it's the shirt. It's dark burgundy, and the first three buttons are undone. It just enhances that tan skin so beautifully. I believe she's slowly driving me crazy. It's like she's teasing me and damn if she doesn't know it.
"Yes, but you didn't have to go through all that trouble, Gail," Holly says as she begins to unpack the bag.
"I was in the neighborhood, so it was no trouble at all," I lie. Okay, so I had to go out of my way to get her that. I had to call it in an hour and a half before pickup. But I don't care. That doesn't matter. What is important is that lopsided grin. Just seeing that once makes my whole day great.
"What did you get for yourself?" Holly asks as she looks at the containers and she begins to frown.
"Spaghetti Alfredo."
"Maybe this isn't a good idea," Holly says biting her lip.
"Why not? It doesn't have any tomato. I'll be fine," I say confidently. I'm sure I know why she's frowning. Two months ago, I bought food from that place and ate the same thing, but I had an allergic reaction. It turns out there was cross contamination of some sort. I don't know. All I know is that she freaked out and that I was taken to the hospital.
A few weeks later, I went to the same place again to get Holly her favorite, and when the workers saw me, they got terribly nervous, and one poor girl got pale. It turns out that a couple of days after I got out of the hospital, Holly went over there and read them the riot act. Something about being irresponsible in preparing food and promising that if it happens again, nobody will find their remains for centuries. So now our food takes twice as long to prepare since they make mine from scratch.
I can see her wheels spinning. She keeps looking at my food, and now she's scowling. I put my hand over hers and say, "Come on, Hol. We need to eat. My lunch hour is almost over. It'll be okay. Even if it isn't, you have one of my epi pens in your desk, at your house, in your car. Don't you think you are overreacting a little?"
"Anybody else wouldn't say I was overreacting. I'm just cautious. Besides, that little episode scared the hell out of me. Seeing your best friend gasping for air and covered in hives would make anybody cautious. It didn't have to happen. You told them about your allergy. They could have killed you," Holly quietly says as she looks down.
Damn it; I hate that she worries about me so much. I squeeze her hand and say, "I wish you wouldn't worry so much. I'll be okay. Besides, I think you put the fear of God in them. My order is made from scratch. No cross contamination. No tomatoes."
"I wasn't that bad," Holly smiles as she looks up.
I laugh and say, "Come on Lunchbox. They get pale when they see me walk in. When they give me the food, they make a point to say that there's no cross-contamination. I bet they didn't know what that meant till you explained it to them. You say I have a death glare; I'm starting to think I have nothing on you."
Holly smiles ruefully and says, "You might be right, but that still doesn't excuse them."
"It was an accident. But let's talk about something else," I say as I pull my hand back and begin to dig in. God, this is so good. Maybe Holly scaring the hell out of them comes with a big perk. Food made from scratch is always tastier than reheated stuff.
"What are you doing on Friday night?" Holly asks as she finally begins to eat her lasagna.
"Not a clue," I ask as I continue to eat.
"How about we go out for dinner?" Holly asks softly. She's biting her lip which means that she's nervous or she's thinking about something important. I think.
"I'd love to. Do you have any place in mind?" I ask as a small, lopsided grin appears. I love when that happens.
"I don't know. How about Vittorio's? My treat," Holly says as a slight blush begins to cover her cheeks. Vittorio's is a three-star Michelin restaurant. She's talked about going there for months. She loves Italian, but she hasn't been able to get a reservation. The blush is throwing me off a little. My immediate reaction is that I love causing it, but I would also like to know what causes it so that I can make it appear at will. I have my suspicions, but I would love it if she would spell it out for me just once. It doesn't matter either way. Seeing it causes a reaction in me.
I swallow hard and softly answered, "Did you get a reservation?"
"Yes, I called in a few favors. So, would you like to go?" Holly asks again, but this time her tone is different. She's nervous. Why? I don't know. There's not a place I wouldn't go with her.
Without thinking, I say, "Sure, I'd go anywhere with you."
"Anywhere?" Holly asks as she meets my gaze and she's doing that head tilt she does. Her eyes are a shade darker and keep going from my lips back to my eyes.
Now, my mouth is parched, and my heart is beating out of my chest. Apparently, the moisture is needed elsewhere. My entire body feels hot and flushed. The way she's looking at me is making my body react in a way that's never happened before. Not one of my exes has caused me to react this way by just a look. I'm starting to think that I can lose myself in those chocolate colored eyes.
All I can do is nod because my mouth doesn't seem to be functioning. That causes a smirk to come to Holly's lips. I'm very familiar with it. It means she either caught me staring or worse impeded my ability to speak in complete sentences. That's one thing I have in common with the "Captain of Universe." When we become, nervous or flustered, we start stuttering. Steven, has it way worse than me; it rarely happens to me, but when it does it just sucks. And as of late it's happening more and more. The reason again has a name, Holly Stewart.
It feels like she's casting a spell on me. I keep staring at her lips and when I see her tongue come out to moisten them just makes me want to feel them pressed against mine. I don't know how many "wet" dreams she's been the star in the last few months. Now I'm living one, and it's becoming more and more difficult for me to maintain control.
All I want is to reach across and pull her to me, but just as I'm finally beginning to feel brave, my alarm goes off, and it breaks her spell. She breaks eye contact and asks, "I'm sorry for taking up so much of our lunchtime being silly. Did you eat enough, Gail?"
I swallow hard one last time while cussing out my phone in my head as I say, "I got enough. No worries."
"Umm, so are we on for Friday? I mean you don't have to go if you don't want to. We can do something else or go for dinner to some other restaurant. Or we can..."
I interrupt and say, "Holly, stop. I'd love to go check out the restaurant. Feels like I already know the place from what you've told me. But I'd like to split it with you. It's an expensive place."
There's the lopsided grin. I love the way it lights up her eyes. My stupid phone goes off before she can answer me. This time its Price. Damn Disney Princess. She's waiting for me outside. As soon as Holly hears the phone go off, she asks still grinning, "Chloe, right?"
"Yeah," I say shyly. If I didn't know better, I'd think Holly was asking me out. That's what it feels like, but I don't want to assume, and I don't want to ask because I'm afraid of the answer.
So instead, I bite my lip, avoid eye contact, and state the obvious, "I guess I better get going."
"Umm, yeah. So, we're on for Friday?" Holly asks as she fidgets with her hands. Okay, that's a sign of her being nervous. I'm either imagining things, or she's asking me out on a date. I see no other reason for her to be nervous around me.
"Sure."
That makes her stop fidgeting, and her face relax. She smiles again and says, "Great. Call me later. Maybe we can go out for drinks."
I shyly nod and walk out. Just as I'm about to reach the morgue's entrance, I realize that I didn't have an important piece of information. I curse myself and jog back to Holly's office. As I'm about to knock on her door, I hear her talking to someone. She has someone on speaker phone.
"So did she say yes?"
"She said yes, Rachel," Holly says.
She's talking to her buddy Rachel. She's okay. It's "boob-job" that I can't stand.
"Does she know it's a date?"
"It's not a date, okay. We're just two friends going out to dinner." Holly argues.
"Uh-huh, it's a date for you even if she doesn't know it. I can't believe that your Officer is this dense or dumb. From what you told me, your invitation screamed date. Does she even know it's your birthday?"
It wasn't just me. It did sound like a date invitation. I have a date with Holly Stewart. An actual date with the woman I think about all day and dream about every night. Now my jaw drops to the floor. It's her birthday. Damn, how could I have not known that?
"I don't want to pressure her into anything. Just going anywhere with her will make the day special," Holly answers softly.
"Come on, Holly. You're attracted to her. You want more from her than friendship, and from the little you've shared with me, I think she might want more too. I bet the poor woman is confused half the time because you back off. Be direct and let her decide," Rachel says.
Attracted. I just heard Rachel say that Holly Stewart is attracted to me. Holly wants more than friendship. My legs have turned to jelly, and I think I need to sit down.
"I care about her, Rachel. She means the world to me. But I refuse to do anything that will make her feel uncomfortable. I don't want to pressure her into anything. If anything happens between us, it's because she takes the first step. I need her in my life in whatever capacity she wants."
Where have I heard that before? She said I mean the world to her. Me. Gail "The Ice Queen" Peck. It's unbelievable. I never thought I'd ever see one, but this might qualify as a miracle. What am I going to do?
"Holly, I just want you to be happy. Gail Peck obviously makes you happy. All I'm saying is that you at least give it a shot. If she's not interested, then you keep your best friend. But if she is, then you get a lot more. Just think about it," Rachel says.
"I've been thinking about it from the first day I met her," Holly mumbles.
"Fine, then don't think, act," Rachel counters.
"Look, I got to go. I'll call you later," Holly says.
That brought me back to the moment. I got to get the hell out of here before I get caught eavesdropping. I jog out of the hallway and then briskly walk to the entrance.
I get in the patrol car and say, "Just drive Price."
I know that I'm flushed and that I don't look right. But to Price's credit, she doesn't ask me one question, and the rest of the day is spent in silence.
15th Precinct - 30 minutes before shift change
I pretend to be writing reports, but that's the last thing on my mind. I keep twirling my pen between my thumb and forefinger while thinking about my lunch with Holly and the conversation I overheard.
I still couldn't believe it. I have a date with Holly Stewart. Holly said I meant the world to her. The world. Nobody has ever said anything remotely close to that about me. That might even mean that she loves me. Love me, me of all people. That's not a far leap, right? I'm used to men pursuing me for the most part. If I wanted something to happen, then they wouldn't require much prodding.
But Holly is different. She already means so much to me. I mean, I think I might already love her. I want more too, but I don't want to lose her. What if I ruin it? What if she realizes that she can do better? Because she can do way better than me. I don't know what to do.
"Gail."
Damn, she just made me jump. I hate when she does that.
"Jesus, Tracy don't do that."
Tracy just smiles, as she sits on the corner of my desk, she asks, "Anything wrong, Gail?"
"Nope," I lie.
Tracy shakes her head and says, "That's not what Price said. Did something happen with Holly?"
"Damn Disney Princess," I mutter under my breath.
Tracy just smiles and asks again, "Come on, Gail. What's wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong. I'm all right, Nash."
"Uh huh, so that's why you haven't done a thing since you sat down at your desk. Price said you started acting funny after your lunch with Holly. What happened? Maybe I can help," Tracy prods.
I lean back in my chair and sigh in defeat. Tracy's right, I do need to talk. Maybe she can help. "Not here. Why don't you meet me at the Frat house after work? Diaz and Epstein won't be there."
"Okay, I'll see you then."
With that, she left.
Frat House - 2 hours later
There she is. At least she's prompt. I open the door and say, "Come in."
As she sits on the couch, she says, "Okay, Gail, you got 45 minutes. I'm meeting your brother at the Penny. What's going on?"
I sit down, avoid her gaze and, as my leg nervously bounces up and down, I mumble, "Umm, well...see...umm...I...I...I think...umm...I'm falling for Holly."
"Well duh, but that's nothing new. What's wrong?" Tracy says.
That makes my head pop up, and I ask surprised, "What the hell do you mean duh and that's nothing new?"
Tracy laughs and says, "Oh come on, Gail. She makes you happy. You smile more; you're more open with us. You even have more patience. Then there's the small little fact that whenever you even get a glimpse of Holly, your face lights up like a freaking Christmas tree. It's written all over your face and hers too, by the way. We even have a pool going."
"You got a pool going? You're all dead. Just wait till I get my hands-on Steven, Diaz, and Epstein," I threaten. God, I feel hot. I can't believe I'm a fucking open book. Unbelievable.
Tracy just continues to laugh and say, "Listen, we are all happy for you. It's obvious Holly makes you happy. You deserve to be happy, Gail."
"Oh shut up, Tracy. What's the pool up to and what are you guys betting on?"
"One thousand dollars and how long it'll take for either of you to finally make a move," Tracy shrugs.
"You guys all suck," I say red-faced.
Tracy ignores my comment and prods again, "We all care about you. Just tell me what's wrong?"
"Tracy, if you share anything I'm about to say with absolutely anybody, I swear to God I'll never speak to you again."
"I won't say a word, Gail. I promise. What happened?"
I sigh and decide to take a chance. "As the Disney Princess has already reported, I had lunch with Holly. Everything was going fine until she asked if I wanted to go with her to Vittorio's on Friday. You've heard of it, right?"
Now Tracy grins and says, "Yeah, I've heard of it."
"Well, as she was asking me, I got a distinct feeling that she was nervous. She was fidgety, and the way she was looking at me just made my heart beat faster. I can't explain it. Then I lost the fucking ability to speak in complete sentences and then..." I stop because I can feel myself blushing badly. Tracy's stupid grin isn't helping either.
"Don't stop now."
I roll my eyes, take a deep breath, and say, "There was a moment there that I felt like something was pulling us together, but before anything could happen my stupid alarm went off, and it broke the spell."
Tracy just continues to grin and say, "And? For God's sake, don't stop now. What happened next?"
"Nothing, you perv. I mean Holly asked again, I said yes, and then I left. But well...umm...see..." I begin to stutter.
Now Tracy rolls her eyes and says, "It's like I'm seeing Steve right now."
"Hey, no insults are allowed."
"Complete sentences, Gail. What happened next?"
"Just as I was making the morgues exit, I realized that she didn't tell me what time the reservation was for, so I went back to her office to ask," I say as I nervously rub the top of my thighs with my hands.
"What did you do Gail?" Tracy asks cautiously.
"How the hell do you know I did something?" I ask exasperated. Damn it; it's like she can read my mind.
"I'm a detective remember? I pay attention, and it helps that I have my very own Peck to study. What did you do?"
"One more insult and I'm not going to tell you anything," I pout.
"Okay, okay, just tell me what happened."
"I didn't mean to invade her privacy. I didn't. Just as I got to her door, I heard her on the phone. It was on speaker so I could hear both sides of the conversation," I say as I look down.
"Just spit it out, Gail."
"Damn you're bossy. It was a conversation between Holly and her friend Rachel. The gist is that Holly likes me as more than a friend and that she wants to spend her birthday with me. That just spending the day with me would make her day special. Damn it; I didn't even know it was her birthday. She seems to have such high expectations. I don't want to disappoint her, Trace. She's very special. What am I going to do?" I quietly ask.
Tracy laughs and says, "It's not that complicated, Gail. I highly doubt she'll be disappointed with anything you do. The effort alone will make her feel special. It sounds to me like you have a date for Friday night. Since you know it's her birthday, you got to get her a present. After that, you're going to go shopping and buy a dress that will knock her socks off. Then you're going to get all dolled up, pick her up, take her to the restaurant, pay the bill, and then it's up to both of you what happens next."
I roll my eyes and say, "I already knew that. What I meant is how do I make Holly understand that I like her that way too? I've never done this with a woman before, and she matters so much already. I don't want to ruin it, but I do want her to know how I feel about her. What she means to me."
"I think you are making this way more complicated than it needs to be. I know it's different because she's a woman, but I don't believe that it's leaps and bounds different than with a guy," Tracy says.
I bite my lip nervously and say, "So light flirting, facial expressions, and "accidental" touching here and there will give her a clue."
Tracy thinks for a minute and then says, "Well, you guys have been doing all three for a while now, and neither of you has gotten a clue. I have the feeling you might need to be more direct and make the first move. And when I say first move, I mean you must do something that will make your intentions abundantly clear. No mixed signals. Since you've never been with a woman before, she might be worried about pressuring into something you're not ready for."
"Hey, you better not be insinuating anything less than Holly is a total genius, or we are going to have a serious problem," I say defensively. They can think I'm as dumb as a rock and I don't care. But not Holly.
"Easy there, tiger. That's not what I meant. I just mean that a more direct method will probably get you what you want."
"What do I do Tracy?"
"You need to set the tone of the date from the very beginning."
"How the hell do I do that?"
Tracy laughs and says, "It's not that hard, Gail. It looks like we have some planning to do.
15th Precinct - Women's Locker Room - Friday Night - 6:40 PM
"Damn it, Price. I know how to do my makeup. You're going to make me look like Dolly Parton," I say frustrated and nervous as I grab the make-up from Price. I don't think I've ever been this nervous in my life.
"You need more blue, Gail. That will make your eyes pop," Chloe says as she tries to take eye makeup away from me again.
"Relax Gail. Operation Lunchbox is well underway," Tracy grins. From the look in her eyes, she likes what she sees.
"The entire precinct better not know what the hell is going on," I seriously say while batting Chloe's hand away.
"It's only Chloe, Oliver, and me. Don't worry. Everything is going to go off without a hitch," Tracy says confidently.
"When is the town car coming? We have 9 pm reservations. We can't be late. Did you pick up the roses from the flower shop Disney Princess? Is everything ready at the Penny? I swear to God, Tracy, if the entire precinct is waiting for us in that private room, you're dead. That's no joke, and that goes for you too, Disney Princess," I say both seriously and terrified. I never thought that going on one date with Holly would make me a nervous wreck.
"Will you just relax. Chloe picked up the roses and rose petals from the flower shop. Oliver rented and paid for the Town Car for the entire night. As soon as you take off to pick her up, all three of us will get to the Penny and set everything up. We got this, Gail," Tracy says confidently.
I bite my lip and say, "What if I'm going overboard and I overwhelm her? Or what if she hates everything? Maybe I should have taken a simpler approach."
"Hey, you vetoed the simpler and more direct approach."
"Simpler? You want me to pin her against a wall and kiss the daylights out of her. She probably will freak out, slap me, and tell me to take a hike," I say unhappily.
Tracy rolls her eyes and continues, "I highly doubt that, but that doesn't matter now. Any woman on the planet, straight or gay, would love for someone to do this for them. She's going to love it, Gail. Just relax and remember to breathe. You already know she wants more. You look beautiful. That dress accentuates your best features. She's going to love it. You'll see."
I take a deep breath and pray that she's right.
Holly Stewart's Townhouse - Friday Night - 8:30 pm
She should be here any minute. I don't think my stomach has ever been in so many knots. I'm going out with the woman of my dreams on my birthday. How special is that?
I take another look in the mirror and decide that I look good. I'm wearing a black pencil skirt that hugs all my curves, a gold silk blouse, and black stilettos. The shirt brings out my skin tone. My hair is down and curled because I know that's how Gail likes it. At least, I think it is. When I have it down is when I get the most compliments from her, and I'm wearing my contacts. All I need to do now is to remember to calm down and just enjoy the evening.
There's the door. Gail's here. Okay, Stewart get a grip. It's just your best friend and tonight is going to be a special night. You couldn't ask for a better present than Gail. Answer the door and enjoy yourself.
I knock again and look at my watch. We need to get going or we are going to be late. I look down at my dress for what feels like the millionth time, and I'm happy. The color matches my eyes, and it's a V-neck, sleeveless, short cocktail dress. Makes my ass look good and my legs to look long. The V-neck shows enough cleavage to tease but still be classy. I think I look good and according to Price and Nash I look amazing. You'd think that would help calm my nerves a little.
As I'm about to knock on the door again, it finally opens, and I'm taken aback at how beautiful she looks. I love when she wears her hair down. It curls naturally. That shirt sets her skin tone so beautifully. What wouldn't I do to be able to touch her? Maybe Tracy's direct approach would have been a lot better.
The only reason I stop my ogling is because she softly says, "Hey."
I swallow hard and nervously say as I hand her the rose in my hand, "Hey, this is for you."
As I hand it to her our hands brush and my heart goes into overdrive. She's holding it so carefully and delicately. She brings it to her nose and says, "It's beautiful, Gail. How did you know it's my favorite?"
I smile and proudly say, "You told me."
She smiles and says, "I can't believe you remembered."
God, she looks so happy. It's just a single fire and ice rose, and that simple gesture seems to mean everything to her. Jeez, I got to remember to keep that flower shop on speed dial.
I can feel myself blushing, so I bashfully say, "You look beautiful. That shirt is really great."
"You look pretty amazing yourself. That a new dress?" Holly says as I feel her eyes skating from the top of my head to my feet. Lingering at special spots. Damn, it's getting hot. How am I going to get through the night while not making an ass of myself or jumping her?
I manage to swallow hard and say, "Yeah, it's new. Shall we go? I don't want us to miss our reservation."
She only nods, grabs her coat and clutch, and locks up her apartment. As we walk out of the apartment entrance, she sees the town car. As soon as the driver sees us, he opens the back door, and she stops and asks, "What did you do, Gail?"
"Nothing special," I shrug nonchalantly.
"You didn't have to rent a Town Car. I would have driven us there."
"I just wanted to make tonight special," I say shyly.
She meets my gaze as she says, "All I need is you for it to be special."
In a second my mouth goes completely dry. Holly's eyes have turned to a darker shade, and she's blatantly staring at my lips. My lips feel so dry, I moisten them with the tip of my tongue, and I hear a soft moan leave her lips. Fuck, all I want to do now is to drag her back to her apartment and pin her against the door. I want to know what she feels like pressed up against me. How she tastes. Damn it all; I should have listened to Tracy and gone with plan A.
But it's her birthday and I meant what I said. She deserves a special night and I'm determined to give her one. But it's time I make my intentions clear. I grab her hand, intertwine our fingers and whisper, "Come on, Lunchbox. Your carriage awaits."
The lopsided grin I live for appears. I walk Holly to the car, have her go in first, and then we are off. I think tonight might be the beginning.
"So what did you think of the food, Gail?"
"Great. I wish I could always eat this good, but why didn't you order your favorite?" Gail smiles.
The real reason is that I'm hoping to maybe, just maybe get a good night kiss. I'll be damned if it gets ruined because I ate something with a tomato that makes her go into anaphylactic shock. So instead, I laugh and say, "I thought I'd try your favorite. The spaghetti alfredo here is just amazing."
"Are you having a good time, Lunchbox?" Gail asks shyly.
Well, this is new. I mean Gail held my hand the entire car ride over here. She opened every door and took my coat. Then grabbed my hand as we were waiting to be seated. With anybody else, I'd be confident that she likes me the same way I like her. But with Gail, I can't help but be cautious. She's so sweet, and she's making it hard for me to keep my hands to myself.
That new blue dress is really something else. It matches Gail's eyes beautifully. In fact, it just makes her look stunning. Every man here did a double take when we walked into the restaurant. I glared at some of the worst offenders because I just didn't like it. I should be the only one allowed to ogle her. Their open leering made my skin crawl.
She interrupts my thoughts when she somberly asks, "Umm, is something wrong?"
Damn, those blue eyes are filled with worry and something else that I can't put my finger on. I quickly reach for Gail's hand and say, "What? No. Of course, not. I'm having a wonderful time, Gail. I promise."
That made a soft smile appear. Gail's trying so hard to make tonight special. She's so thoughtful and sweet. If I weren't in love with her before, I'd be now.
"After we finish here, what would you like to do?" Gail asks as she continues to hold my hand. The simple contact makes me feel so good.
"Anything you'd like," I smile. This night can't get any better and I don't want it to end.
"How about drinks at the Penny?"
"Sure."
"Great, let me ask for the check and we'll get out of here," Gail says as she tries to get the waiter's attention.
I smile and ask, "You're up to something, aren't you?"
Her eyes dance as she says, "Maybe, maybe not. You'll just have to wait and see."
When the waiter brings the bill, he puts it on Gail's side. I immediately reach for it, but she grabs my hand and says, "My treat."
"But Gail," I begin to argue.
She squeezes my hand and repeats, "My treat. I insist, Holly."
Before I can argue more, she drops some bills on the table and stands up. With a soft smile, she reaches her hand out to me. I pray to God that this isn't one of my dreams again. Because I swear, I'm going to be pissed when I wake up. I grab her hand instinctively and follow her out.
Ten minutes later we're on the way to the Penny.
The night is going great. I'm over the moon. I can't believe it. Now, hopefully, the Penny will go as planned and maybe just maybe I'll get a good night kiss and then I can die happy. And I mean happy.
"Gail."
"Yes," I say as rub my thumb over her knuckles. Who knew hand holding could feel this good?
"Thank you, tonight has been amazing," Holly says softly.
I turn to her and softly say, "I wanted tonight to be special. It's your birthday. You deserve to have a wonderful time this evening."
"How did you know?" Holly asks apparently surprised.
I quickly look down and begin stuttering, "I...umm...well...you...see..."
Fuck, I'm screwed. With all the planning and worrying about every little detail, I forgot to come up with a plausible explanation for knowing it was her birthday. If there's one thing I'm not, is a liar. Shit, this night might end badly after all.
"Gail,"
Still refusing to meet her gaze I mumble the only thing I can. The truth. I mumble, "I, umm, well, I accidentally overheard your conversation with Rachel the other day."
This is not good. Holly's beginning to blush heavily and not in a good way. She's getting upset and I don't blame her. God, I can't believe I managed to ruin this after all.
"So you knew. You knew and you didn't bother to tell me." Holly whispers clearly upset.
"Yes, I knew it was your birthday," I mumble.
"That's not what I meant Gail. You know how I feel about you. You betrayed me. It's like you read my diary. Is that why you're being so nice? Are you trying to let me down easy?" Holly whispers as a couple of tears roll down her cheek.
"No, of course not. Holly, I'm sorry I didn't mean to overhear the conversation. I'm so sorry."
Then the car stops before I can say another word. She immediately goes to the door, and I see her run into the Penny. Now, what I'm going to do?
I run after her. As I enter the bar, I quickly spot her going to the bar and I see Tracy walking towards me. As soon she's close, she asks concerned, "What happened, Gail? You were supposed to come through the other entrance. What's wrong with Holly? She looks really upset."
"I ruined it," I say sadly.
"What happened?" Tracy asks as she turns me to face her.
I look down, and as I try to stop my tears from running down my face, I whisper, "She knows I overheard her conversation with Rachel."
Tracy says, "Damn, no wonder she's upset."
"It ended before it began," I mumble.
"Oh no, you don't Peck. This isn't over by any stretch of the imagination. You broke it; you fix it." Tracy orders.
"How?" I ask hopefully. Maybe Tracy can kick me in the right direction. At this point I'm desperate.
"Well, she feels exposed. You know exactly how she feels, but she doesn't know how you feel about her. That's why she is so upset. It's time you show her."
Tracy whispers the plan into my ear and, after I nod, she walks towards Holly. I hope this works.
"Hey," I hear someone say from behind. I turn around, and I'm not surprised to find Tracy there. I turn back to the bar and, as I order another Jack and Coke, I say, "Go away, Tracy."
"Talk to me, Holly. I'm your friend too," Tracy says quietly.
I turn around, and as I lean back on the bar, I angrily ask, "Did you know?"
Tracy takes a deep breath and just nods her head.
Fuck, the entire precinct probably knows. This dream is quickly becoming my worst nightmare. "And you call yourself my friend. Does everybody feel sorry for the geeky nerd that has a crush on the hot cop? I bet everybody is saying that the nerd never had a shot anyways. I'm glad I've been able to entertain the entire 15th Precinct."
"Nothing like that is happening. Please, I understand why you are upset, but give Gail a chance to explain and apologize," Tracy implores.
"No, I'm not going to continue to make an ass of myself," I growl. I should just order a fucking bottle.
"Holly, please listen," Tracy pleads.
"What? There's nothing you can say that will fix this," I snap angrily.
"I know that. But Gail can. Just listen please."
Just as I'm about to tell Tracy to leave me the hell alone, I hear her voice. I turn to the small karaoke stage, and there she is. She's looking me straight in the eye, and her eyes seem to be pleading with me. "This song is dedicated to the gorgeous brunette at the bar. I'm sorry for not telling you, and I hope you can forgive me. The song is: "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" by Sleeping at Last.
Then she begins singing:
Though, I've tried before to tell herOf the feelings I have for her in my heartEvery time that I come near herI just lose my nerve as I've done from the start
Every little thing she does is magicEverything she does just turns me onEven though my life before was tragicNow, I know my love for her goes on
I can't seem to be able to look away. My heart seems to be beating for her. It feels like she's pouring herself into the song. It's like she's only singing it to me.
Do I have to tell the storyOf a thousand rainy daysSince we first met?It's a big enough umbrellaBut it's always me that ends up getting wet
Every little thing she does is magicEverything she does just turns me onEven though my life before was tragicNow, I know my love for her goes on
I resolve to call her up a thousand times a dayAnd ask her if she'll marry me in some old fashioned wayBut my silent fears have gripped meLong before I reach the phoneLong before my tongue has tripped meMust I always be alone?
The people around us seem to disappear. It feels like it's just us.
Every little thing she does is magicEverything she does just turns me onEven though my life before was tragicNow, I know my love for her goes on
Every little thing she does is magicEverything she does just turns me onEven though my life before was tragicNow, I know my love for her goes on
The room erupts in applause, catcalls, and requests for another song. But that doesn't seem to matter to her, she just drops the mic and begins to get off the stage. I feel Tracy give me a shove in her direction while softly saying, "Go, Holly. Yes, I know she hurt you, but you can devastate her. Please be gentle with my friend."
I hear every word and manage to nod. At least I think I nod. I'm too busy looking into those beautiful blue eyes. Before I know it, I'm standing in front her. She doesn't say a word. She just grabs my hand and pulls me into a door I've never noticed before. She quickly opens it and pulls me into the room.
When she turns on the light, my jaw drops to the floor again. God, can this woman render me speechless at a drop of a dime? The ceiling and all the walls have white Christmas lights, and they give the room such a beautiful glow. In the center of the room is a small table, with a bouquet of fire and ice roses, rose petals on and off the table with what I assume is a bottle of either wine or champagne.
As I take the room, she stands against the door and softly says, "I'm sorry Holly. I never meant to hurt you."
I turn to her and ask, "You did this for me?"
Gail only nods.
"Why?"
She meets my gaze and whispers, "Because you matter to me."
"What does that mean?"
She looks down and whispers, "It means that I want to be more than just your friend."
I can't believe she said it. She spelled it out for me. God, I don't think I've ever felt this relieved in my entire life. I walk over to where she's at and whisper, "Look at me, Gail."
After a few seconds, she looks up, and I whisper, "I want that too."
She whispers, "Really?"
I nod and as she continues, "Does this mean you forgive me?"
"Yes, I know you never intended to hurt me. But I felt so exposed, you know," I whisper.
"I know, and again I'm so sorry," Gail whispers somberly.
"I know. It's okay now," I whisper back. Gail's so close to me right now. I can feel her warm breath on my skin. The perfume she's wearing is seeping into me. God, she smells so good.
I slowly lean in, giving her the opportunity to stop me at any time. But she doesn't. She meets me halfway. I tentatively press my lips to hers, and it feels so good. She wraps her arms around my middle and pulls me into her making me softly moan. I cup her cheeks in both my hands as I deepen the kiss. I hear a small moan leave her lips as she opens her mouth for me to explore.
She tastes and feels so good. Not even in my wildest dreams did I imagined it would feel this good. Then I feel her tongue on my lips, and I open for her immediately. I begin to suck on her tongue softly, and she turns the tables on me. Before I know what's happening, she flips us, and now she's pinning me against the door.
When I pull away to get some air, she only moves her kisses down my jaw while my fingers sink into her hair. I moan when she whispers, "God, you feel so good, Holly."
"Fuck baby," I groan as she moves her lips down my neck.
As soon as she heard that, her head popped up. She grins and says, "I like that."
"Mmm..."
"I've been dreaming about this for months," Gail murmurs as she places open mouth kisses down my neck.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah," Gail whispers against my neck.
Fuck, this is so good, I don't want to stop, but I don't want her to think that what I feel her is only lust. Because it's much more than that. So very regrettably, I pull my hands from her hair and gently push against her shoulders as I whisper, "Gail love, we need to stop."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean..." Gail begins, but I interrupt when I peck her lips, wrap my arms around her neck and say, "Baby, I don't want you to think this is just about sex. Because it isn't, it's so much more. And I don't want you to do anything that you're not comfortable with."
She softly smiles and says, "I know it isn't. I want more too. But that doesn't mean I don't want you, Holly."
I can feel my resolve crumbling, but I need to try to keep some control. I whisper back, "I want you too, Gail, but I think we should take it slow. It's a huge change for you. I don't want you to have any regrets."
She leans in close and whispers in my ear, "You've been haunting my dreams for months now, Lunchbox, but I can be patient. You're well worth the wait."
I can't help the small moan that escapes my lips. I lean in and give her a soft kiss. When I pull away, she asks as she bites her lip, "So what does this mean? Are we dating? Are you my girl now? Just dating doesn't necessarily mean that you're my girl, right? I don't want to pressure into something you're not ready for either. But I'm in new territory. You can..."
I stop her rambling when I lean in and capture her lips. After a few minutes of making out, I pull away and say, "Gail baby, let's just take it one step at a time. I don't know how you want to play it at work, but anything you decide is okay with me. I understand this is all new to you. But I'll admit that I wouldn't mind you calling me your girl if I get to brag you're mine too."
She grins and says, "I'm the one that has something to brag about really. As far as work goes, they know. It turns out I'm fucking open book. They even have a pool going."
"Really? What's the pool?" I ask completely surprised.
"According to Tracy, they are betting on when we'll stop dancing around each other and finally admit we have feelings for each other. My little serenade was supposed to be a private affair. So, they all know. In fact, someone should be thrilled right now. The pool is up to $1000 bucks," Gail explains.
"I don't know if I should be insulted or just let it go because Tracy helped tonight," I say frowning a little.
"The Disney Princess and Oliver helped too. Tracy, Price, and Oliver helped me plan this evening. They helped me make this room beautiful. Tracy went shopping with me for the dress, Price picked up the flowers, and Oliver rented the car. I've been a nervous wreck since you asked me out to dinner," Gail says as she blushes a little.
I grin and say, "A nervous wreck, huh? Is that why you've been so standoffish as of late?"
"Yes, I didn't want to ruin it. I didn't know how to tell you that I felt the same about you. I should have listened to Tracy and gone with Plan A."
"And what was that?" I ask curiously.
Gail blushes more and says, "Something about pinning you against a door or something and kissing the daylights out of you with barely a hello."
I giggle and say, "That certainly would have been interesting. Either way, you still have me pinned against a door."
"You haven't made it easy for me, Lunchbox. When I picked you up, it took all my control not to drag you back to your apartment and go with Plan A," Gail grins bashfully.
She leans in and kisses my cheek while she whispers, "I've meant to say this all night; Happy Birthday, Lunchbox."
I just smile and say, "Thank you, baby. I've never had a better birthday.
She pulls back and says, "Let's get out of here."
I manage to nod. Gail gives me one last sweet kiss and pulls away. I grab the doorknob to keep from sliding down the door. Jesus, my legs feel like jelly. I watch her grab the roses and the bottle of alcohol. She turns back to me and with a smirk on her face she says, "You okay there, Lunchbox?"
"Yeah," I say as I peel myself away from the door. I grab the alcohol bottle from her and grab her hand. I then ask, "How do we get out of here?"
Gail grins and pulls me to another side door I've never seen before. Right outside is the town car. I look at Gail and say, "You planned everything, didn't you?"
"I tried," Gail smiles ruefully.
I peck her lips one more time and because I need things to be crystal clear I nervously ask, "You sure you want to be with me?"
"Yes."
I grin and say, "I couldn't have gotten a better birthday present."
A/N: This story is a birthday gift for my wonderful beta, Silvercusa. She chose to share it, so here it is. I hope you like it and for those who are interested, the sequel for "Worn Journal" is in the works. All reviews are very welcomed. They are a great motivator to write. Just saying.