AN: Thank you for all the kind words you shared, especially those who posted guest reviews that I can't reply to. This is the last of the ready made/finished stories to share. I will be taking a break from writing after this. Peace out, and enjoy this last offering.
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Hank pulled up to the scene, parking behind one of the uniform's patrol cars. Nick took a last sip of his coffee and set it in the cup holder and got out. They were in downtown Portland, not too far from Adalind's office, investigating a robbery/homicide at a popular eatery.
Nick followed Hank, spotting a few familiar faces among the uniforms, Wu's specifically, and paused to get the run down from him. They spent the next thirty minutes going over the crime scene, before splitting off to interview some witnesses. Nick made some notes on his black leather bound note pad, listening attentively as one of the witnesses, a woman in her late sixties, described a frightening encounter with the robber. He glanced up at the woman as she tearfully tried to recall details about the perpetrator, his eyes naturally glancing around him as he listened, observing his surroundings carefully when he caught sight of a fabulous pair of legs. They were shapely and lightly tanned in their designer four-inch spikes and his eyes travelled upwards languidly, noting with interest the rest of the figure before they landed on the face of a beautiful and familiar petite blonde.
Adalind caught his eye, pulling her attention away from an attractive male companion she was conversing with. The guy beside her was dressed immaculately in what had to be a designer suit, tailored made to his exact specifications, and standing a little bit too close to Adalind for Nick's taste, and Nick's eyes narrowed dangerously as he tried to determine if he had ever seen him before. Either a client, or perhaps a new lawyer in the firm? Of course, her firm employed several hundred people, lawyers, paralegals and assistants, so not like he had met everyone that worked there in the two plus years they'd been together and the dozen or so visits and handful of office parties he attended with her, not to mention the Wesen employees who actively avoided him.
Adalind flashed a smile at Nick before the guy next to her said something and she turned her attention back to him.
Nick had to pull his own attention back to the matter at hand when he realized the woman whose statement he had been taking was now sobbing loudly. Another woman, her daughter-in-law, Nick recalled, stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her mother and looked at Nick accusingly.
"Do you need anything else, or can I take her home? This has been a lot for her to deal with today," she added coldly, trying to soothe the older woman and Nick shook his head.
"Not at this time. We have your contact information, and we'll be in touch if we need anything further." The woman nodded shortly and guided her mother away from Nick and the crime scene, and Nick glanced at Adalind again, still locked in conversation with the man beside her, tapping his notepad absently against his palm as he debated. He looked for Hank, over on his side of the scene, busy taking statements, and Nick realized he had run out of his own witnesses to interview. He supposed he should give direction for the remaining aspects of the crime scene still left to process, but Wu knew what to do, he reasoned—and was probably already doing it—and the decision was made for him. He glanced again at Hank, still occupied, and strode over to where Adalind was standing fifty feet away.
"Hey," he said, eyes flicking to the guy who paused in his conversation at the intrusion, a perfectly arched eyebrow raised.
"Hey," Adalind said, smiling brightly.
"What are you doing here?" Nick asked her, eyeing two pedestrians who cut in-between them with a cool, distracted look before resuming his focus on his wife.
"Eric and I were on our way to grab a bite of lunch here and we came upon this," Adalind said, indicating the mess behind him.
Eric. Nick transferred his gaze to Eric, cataloguing everything he saw there now that he had an up close view of him. Late thirties to early forties, tall—taller than Nick, probably 6'1" or 6'2"-sandy brown hair gelled or moussed to carefully tousled perfection, dark brown eyes, medium build, but muscular, indicating he worked out regularly, enough to stay fit. His suit was black with a blue pinstripe running through it, and he accessorized it with a coordinating shirt and a flamboyant tie, probably meant to show he was trendy or hip. He had an angular jaw, sharp cheekbones and dimples when he smiled at Adalind as she referred to him and Nick disliked him immediately.
"Someone was murdered?" she asked Nick, and Nick nodded after a moment, pulling his attention back to the matter he was supposed to be investigating, registering the Coroner's van parked haphazardly against the curb, and crime scene tape cordoning off the area as the techs combed through the site, and Hank clearly searching for his partner's whereabouts. Nick turned his head away and back to Adalind before Hank spotted him, but it was only a matter of time, he supposed, before Hank recognized her and reasoned out where his wayward partner was.
"Looks like a robbery gone bad," Nick said to Adalind, glancing at Eric as he hovered near Adalind's elbow.
"How terrible," Eric said in a well-educated British accent, clicking his tongue against his teeth, a protective arm trying to guide Adalind away from the disturbing concept of a dead person. She stepped forward, neatly avoiding him, and ran her hands over Nick's jacket, smoothing down the fabric and Nick smirked inwardly when he saw Eric's eyes narrow and finally take note of Nick and the attention Adalind was giving him.
"Oh, I see you're acquainted. How do you two know each other?" Eric asked, eyes running down Nick, casually disinterested, though his gaze lingered on the badge and the gun on Nick's belt, before he turned to Adalind, eyebrows raised in polite curiosity.
"I'm sorry," Adalind said, glancing at her companion apologetically. "This is-" she gestured to Nick, intending to make her introduction when Nick interrupted.
"Detective Burkhardt, Portland P.D." Nick introduced coolly. "You are?"
"Eric Strohm," Eric replied.
"You work with Adalind?" Nick asked him and he heard Adalind heave a quiet sigh. He caught the roll of her eyes when he glanced at her.
"Yes, we've worked for the same firm for about a decade, but this is the first time I've had the pleasure of working beside her. Much prettier in person than on a grainy web conference."
Adalind chuckled politely. "Eric just transferred from the London office a few weeks ago. We've been tasked with the Edelson bankruptcy," Adalind told Nick.
"How do you know our Addie?" Eric asked him smoothly, turning to Nick after another dimpled grin at Adalind.
"I'm her husband," Nick replied in turn and Adalind fixed Nick with a flat look, perhaps recognizing the pissing contest that was happening in front of her. Eric cast another, longer, look at Nick in surprise.
"Wait, aren't you the chap from the calendar on her file cabinet?"
"And the chap from the picture on top of it," Nick retorted, referring to a photo Adalind had of Nick, Diana, and Kelly.
"So this is the guy you have the baby with?" Eric asked her, and Adalind smiled, giving Nick a warning look, and nodded.
"Yup, this is Nick," she said and Eric did a double take.
"This is Nick? Nick from the stories at the office?" Eric said disbelievingly and Adalind transferred her cool gaze to Eric.
"What stories?" she asked suspiciously and Nick smirked. He was aware of most of the stories, circulated by a number of Adalind's admiring female coworkers about the dark-headed homicide detective. How he had oh-so-romantically declared his devotion to her in her office one day (not quite how it happened, but he supposed from the windows it looked that way), how he had rescued her from her kidnapper (actually, Adalind had managed to escape from Louis herself coinciding with Nick and the rest of police descending on his location at roughly the same time), how-
"Weren't you the one who told Berman to go screw himself?"
Yes, how he told Adalind's boss to basically go jump off a cliff when Berman had gotten drunk and boisterous and a little condescending to Nick. After putting up with his obnoxiousness uncomplainingly through a couple of office parties, he felt he was justified.
"Nick didn't mean that, I think that was taken a little bit out of context," Adalind interjected with a nervous titter.
"I said it nicer," Nick agreed.
"Didn't he throw a punch at you?" Eric continued, looking at Nick calculatingly.
"He tried," Nick said blandly, placing his hands on hip and holster. Adalind rolled her eyes again. "I'm more dangerous than I look," Nick added ominously, and Adalind rolled her head this time and gave him another look. She stepped forward again and patted his shoulder with a little more force than necessary.
"Ohh-kay, well, I can see you're busy," Adalind said with another hard look at Nick and he stared back with an innocent expression, not bothering to hide the slight grin. "I didn't mean to interrupt your work," she added and Nick became aware of Hank approaching them in his peripheral vision.
"You're not," Nick said.
"We should really continue with our lunch," Eric told her in his polished accent, "though I guess we'll have to find someplace else."
"You can just step around the body, we're almost done," Nick told him and Adalind gave him another irritated glare. "The meatball special's really good."
"We can grab something at one of the street vendors and take it back to the office, I suppose," she said to Eric and Eric nodded, arm reaching around Adalind again, to try to guide her away.
"Nick," Hank called to him, and Nick turned slightly to Hank in acknowledgment. "You done taking witness statements?"
"Just about," Nick called in return. "What was your name again?" he asked, opening his notebook. Eric paused in confusion.
"Strohm, Eric Strohm."
"How do you spell that," he asked and registered Adalind's indignant huff.
"S-T-R-O-H-M." Nick nodded as Hank strode up beside him, disbelieving sigh. He looked at Nick as though he was well aware what Nick was doing wasn't anything remotely related to what he should be doing. Still, Nick felt it wise to keep up appearances.
"And you?" Nick said, turning to Adalind, ignoring the slight shake of Hank's head.
"Adalind," she said brusquely, not amused. "Spelled D-I-V-O-R-C-E." Nick glanced up and met her irritated gaze and Hank glanced between them with another long-suffering sigh, before getting back to business.
"CSU is finishing up and they're getting ready to load the body up to take it down to the morgue."
"Ah, see? Cleanup does a great job. I'll bet you'll never even know somebody died in there," Nick shared brightly, and Hank eyed him confusedly before transferring his look to Adalind and the tall English fop beside her.
"Adalind," Hank said in greeting, eyes darting back to Nick with a look of understanding Nick didn't like.
"Hank," Adalind managed stiffly.
"We should head back to the station," Hank said to Nick, offering Adalind an apologetic look, and that irritated Nick further since Nick didn't think Hank was trying to apologize for them having to do their jobs.
"Of course," Eric said, sounding relieved to be rid of them soon. "Pleasure meeting you," Eric said formally.
"Oh, the pleasure's all mine," Nick replied and Adalind gave him another narrowed-eyed look. "I'll see you at home," Nick said to her, stepping forward and bending down to place a kiss on her lips.
"Mm-hmm," she said turning her head just slightly to where he brushed against her cheek at the last minute instead. He pulled away and received a short glare before Adalind forced a smile at Eric.
"Well," she said, looking at Hank, "we'll leave you to it."
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"Just what was that?" Adalind demanded an hour later when he picked up his phone.
"What was what?" Nick replied,
"Why were you so rude to Eric?" she demanded.
"I wasn't rude," Nick retorted. "I was a paradigm of politeness," he said and caught Hank looking at him.
"You were an asshole," she retorted. "A not-so-subtle asshole, but I'm not sure how much he noticed, but still. I noticed."
"Maybe you're just being paranoid," Nick said and he heard Adalind squawk indignantly.
"I don't think so," she replied hotly, "since I think Hank noticed it as well." Nick glanced at Hank again, concentrating hard on his computer monitor as he attempted to get some work done through their lunch on their case and ignore the conversation happening to the left of him.
"That's absurd," Nick said and Adalind snorted indelicately.
"You took his name. Did you run his background or something?"
"No, of course not," Nick said. He needed a date of birth to run an effective, and complete background, and he hadn't asked for it. Although, after poking around the Berman, Rautbort, and Associates website, he had managed to narrow the information down based on the biography on the webpage and Nick's approximation of Eric's age. So far what he'd managed to piece together had turned up nothing, not even a parking ticket, which made Nick doubly suspicious.
"Uh-huh. What, are you jealous or something?"
"What?" he exclaimed indignantly. "Hardly," he said with his own snort of derision.
"Uh-huh," she said again. "You don't have anything to be jealous of," she continued. "You know that I am married to you."
"Of course I know that. Does he?" Nick asked bitingly, thinking of Eric's rather presumptive nature.
"Of course, why would you say that?"
"Oh, no reason," Nick replied. "Why would you ask if I was jealous?" He caught Hank's eye when it flicked to him and Nick glared at him.
"Because you're still acting like an asshole," she said.
"How unfortunate you married one then."
She sighed. "Honestly, Nick," she said patiently. "There is no one I love more than you, even when you're acting like a stereotypical jealous husband."
"I am not!"
"Really? So what is it about Eric that bothers you so much then?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
He didn't know why Eric bothered him so. He was cultured, refined, educated—all the things Nick wasn't, though Nick was hardly an idiot—and basically exactly the kind of guy Adalind would be interested in. That she had been interested in. In fact, there was a long line of men with precisely Eric's pedigree that she had laid waste to.
Though to be fair she hadn't shown anything but polite interest in anything Eric said or did, at least in the brief fifteen-minute span Nick had observed them, and he knew, intellectually at least, that Adalind was in love with and wholly devoted to Nick.
It still didn't change the fact that there was something he found irritating about Eric.
"I mean, what the hell do I have to be jealous of? His artistically over-styled hair?"
"You're an idiot," she said, and hung up on him. He stared at the phone in irritation before setting it down on his desk with a loud clatter.
"You are so jealous," Hank said a minute later in the ensuing silence.
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He arrived home after a modestly productive day at work, most of the productivity due to Hank's focused diligence. While Hank made some headway on surveillance captured at the scene, Nick fumed silently, mulling over his behavior, and after a few hours of some grudging self-honesty and reflection, came away with the perception he might not have come off as mature and unaffected as he was meaning to.
He spotted Adalind seated on a barstool in the kitchen, work spread out over the counter, and what appeared to be dinner sautéing on the stove across from her.
"Hey," he said hesitantly. Adalind swiveled on her barstool to look at him and then went back to her work with a frown.
"Hello," she said coolly.
"How was the rest of your day?" he asked in the uncomfortable silence that followed her greeting and she flicked a look at him. She picked up a glass of wine in front of her and took a sip.
"Busy. How was yours?" she returned. Nick shrugged.
"Made some headway on surveillance from the crime scene," Nick told her, peering at the pan on the stove with interest. He poked at the food with the spatula he found next to it, mostly to avoid the penetrating stare he could feel being levelled at him.
"That's good," Adalind said politely after a moment and returned to her legal documents. Nick watched her for a moment, moving on from the stove and grabbing a beer out of the fridge. He flicked the cap off and into the sink and turned back to his lovely wife, soundly ignoring him.
So she was mad at him. Not to be unexpected, he supposed; she did hang up on him after all. He reckoned he should apologize, though for what exactly he wasn't sure. Perhaps he could offer a blanket apology for upsetting her.
"I'm sorry about earlier," he tried, and Adalind glanced up from her work with a raised eyebrow.
"For your ridiculous behavior?" she asked him, and he felt a flash of irritation.
"For upsetting you," he said.
"With your ridiculous behavior?" she clarified, taking another sip of her wine.
"For not coming off as…gracious as I could have," he said instead.
"Hmm," she replied still looking at him without expression. He turned away abruptly, annoyed with himself and her, and went through the mail.
"Where are the kids?"
"Playing outside," she nodded to the window beyond her where she had a clear view of Diana tying Kelly up with what appeared to be jump ropes.
"What is she doing?" Nick asked in curiosity.
"Preparing to offer him as sacrifice to the god Ra. Or Shemanu, I'm not sure what the god is called," Adalind. "It's one of those Egyptian or African sacrifices."
"What!" Nick said, taking a step closer to the patio door. He rapped loudly on the glass and both kids' heads turned to the sound. "No sacrificing your brother!" he called and Diana acted like she didn't hear him and Kelly grinned widely at the sight of his father, and, perhaps heartened by what he perceived as his imminent rescue. Diana continued with the ritual, stuffing a rather large twig and some other greenery among the ropes and said something to Kelly. He jumped down off the platform he was standing on, an overturned crate Nick recognized as having come from inside the shed and maneuvered awkwardly among his bindings. Nick turned away from the window to find Adalind watching him with a suppressed grin.
"Relax. She's not actually sacrificing your son. She's doing some sort of magic trick with him."
"She's not using her powers outside, is she?" Nick said, looking outside again, and then in concern at his son, now hoisted some twenty feet in the air and Nick hurriedly set his beer on the counter and ran outside to his son.
"Hi Daddy! Watch!" Diana called brightly and he heard Kelly call a greeting as well.
"Diana!" he snapped. "Put your brother down this instant!" She frowned in insult and Kelly dropped from the sky like a stone a second later. Nick dove reflexively for him, catching him neatly before he hit the ground and Diana pursed her lips sulkily. Kelly laughed, thoroughly entertained as though the whole maneuver had been perfectly planned and executed, and Nick breathed a sigh of relief he was okay. He fixed his eyes on his daughter who stared back defiantly.
"What do you mean just dropping your brother like that? You could have hurt him."
"You told me to. And I wouldn't have let him go splat," she replied sulkily and Nick took a deep breath.
"What have I told you about using your powers outside?" Diana looked away and mumbled something.
"What?"
"We were just playing!" she said louder and more distinctly. "Kelly likes it," she added. He set Kelly down on his feet and watched him wiggle some more awkwardly before losing his balance.
"Take those off him," Nick commanded and Diana gave him another defiant look, but complied after a moment. A second later and the ropes popped away telekinetically. Kelly pushed away from the ground, still giggling.
"Dee-dee, again!" he demanded and Diana gave Nick a pointed look.
"Mommy said it was okay," she added, eyes fading from their purple glow, and Nick turned back to find Adalind standing in the doorway, watching. He looked at Adalind incredulously.
Adalind shrugged. "They're just playing."
"What about the neighbors?" Nick asked, waving his hand.
"The neighbors next door and behind us are gone for the week," she said. "And there's no clear line of sight to the backyard from the other side. No one can see her, and they were playing well together, for once," she said pointedly. She stepped back from the door and waved her arm. "Come on guys, it's almost time for dinner. Come inside and get ready."
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Adalind left the cleanup to Nick as she readied the children for bed and went about her own nightly routine and by the time Nick finished she had called it an early night, leaving Nick uncertain as to where they stood.
He joined her a couple of hours later, pausing at the threshold to their bedroom to look at her. She was curled up on her side, blonde hair fanned out over her pillow, looking sweet and as lovely as ever, and Nick tiptoed in and quietly readied himself for bed.
He slipped under the covers beside her, leaning on his side looking at her once more, and debated on trying his luck. He scooted over so that he could spoon against her and wrapped his arm around her waist. He was heartened when she seemed to press back against him with a contented sigh and he pressed a kiss against her shoulder blade and the back of her neck, and closed his eyes.
"You're still an idiot," she said and Nick opened his eyes.
"I can go sleep on the couch if that would make you happy," he said, but he didn't move.
"No, you're my idiot," she replied with a sigh. "It's so hard to be mad at you when you're so adorably threatened by Eric it's actually kind of cute."
"I am not threatened by Eric," Nick said huffily. "What do I have to be worried about from him?" he asked derisively. I could beat him senseless with just my shoelace, Nick thought.
"Exactly. What do you have to be worried about? Nothing," Adalind agreed, turning on her back to look at him. "I am one hundred percent, head over heels in love with you," she said, running a hand over his cheek and Nick looked at her. "So maybe the next time you see him you can act like the man I married instead of a childish imbecile. He was nothing but polite to you."
Nick rolled his eyes. Adalind brought her other hand up to cup his face and reached up to kiss him. "I love you. Do I really have to prove it?"
"I'm not convinced," Nick replied, latching onto the idea of a little late night nookie.
"Mm-hmm," she said, kissing him again, and Nick pressed his tongue against her mouth and deepened the kiss when she parted her lips. He positioned his body over hers and felt her slide her hand down his back. She breathed a sigh. "You're lucky I love you."
That was true, he was.
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Nick stood with Adalind in the parking garage of her building, waiting for the elevator to arrive. As a rule, he didn't leave her alone until he was sure she was safely on it, or inside the building, or, ideally, on her floor, the memory of Louis kidnapping her from this very level still fresh in his mind, even after a year.
He had taken her to lunch, more silent apology on his part for his bad behavior with Eric, and they had spent an enjoyable hour dining in each other's company. Adalind offered a token complaint, as she did every time, when he insisted on walking her through the parking garage, pointing out that she arrived here and left here by herself most days without him, but she gave him that soft smile that let him know she was secretly pleased and touched by the gesture, one that made him want to duck his head and shuffle his feet, and allowed him to escort her to the elevator doors without further comment.
They stood closely as they waited, Nick's arm around her waist as Adalind leaned into him, talking quietly when a familiar and unwelcome English accent broke the silence around them.
"Addie! Ah, and your detective fellow, pleasure to see you again. Addie, I was looking for you earlier. I was going to ask you to lunch."
"Sorry, I had a lunch date with my husband," Adalind said, not sounding overly apologetic. Eric came to stand on the other side of Adalind, looking dandy and dapper in a sleek black suit. He was wearing a crisp white shirt, fitted tight around his torso, and Nick thought he might want to go up a size or the buttons straining across his chiseled chest might pop off if he inhaled too deep. He had on a shiny black belt and shiny black shoes and another flamboyant tie, this one a bright pink. Nick looked sloppy in comparison, untucked button down shirt, dark denim blue jeans, dark gray lightweight jacket and his scuffed and muddy work boots. He and Hank had been traipsing through the park that morning looking for evidence and he hadn't had a chance to clean them properly yet, hastily trying to hold up his end of his lunch offer and pick her up on time.
Eric noticed them, too.
"Did you go for a hike?" he asked, mouth curling as though what he said was particularly clever. Adalind wrinkled her brow, not understanding what he was referring to until Nick answered.
"Body found in the woods," Nick replied shortly. She looked down at his boot covered feet.
"Ah," Eric said after an awkward moment. "Dreadful. Anyway, I was forced to try to navigate the streets of Portland alone, armed only with my GPS. Alas, I'm afraid it made a mockery of my efforts."
"I can't imagine anything mocking you," Nick said and Adalind turned her head slowly to give him one of her patented looks. Nick shrugged imperceptibly and watched the numbers tick down as the elevator came closer and hoped it got there before he used up all his recently regained goodwill with his wife.
"Anyway," Eric said, unperturbed, "I managed somehow to find my way back to the firm."
"Lucky us," Nick declared.
"That's great!" Adalind said loudly, probably to drown out Nick's voice. "See, I told you Portland's not that hard to get around."
"I still say it would go much smoother if I had you guiding me. I keep getting turned around every time I'm trying to go to the symphony."
"Keep heading west. Until you hit water," Adalind said with a smile.
"Still keep heading west," Nick muttered, and Adalind flashed annoyed eyes at Nick and he looked at her a moment before clearing his throat reluctantly. "Ahem, there's better parking on the other side of the river," he offered.
He tapped his free hand against his thigh impatiently, registering Adalind's glance at him out of the corner of his eye and he summoned a smile for her.
It slid off his face a moment later when Eric said, "Addie, you and your delightful beau should join me at the symphony next week. I've got a client who gave me his box seats. I know a beautiful lady who could join us. We could make an attractive foursome."
"That sounds…lovely." She said when she looked at Nick for agreement and caught sight of his face. "I'm sure Nick would love the chance to get to know you better," Adalind said, turning into Nick and placing a hand on his abdomen. She looked up at Nick with a challenging expression on her face and Nick heaved another quiet sigh.
"Looking forward to it," Nick said with a resigned smile.
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Well, he certainly couldn't fault his taste in women. Mr. Britain was standing across the room in the lobby, near the bar, with a stunning female companion, facing away from Nick and Adalind, as they received their drink order. The woman he was with was tall and slim, raven hair and dark eyes with perfectly arched brows. Creamy caramel skin, perfectly proportioned nose and lips, and a rounded derriere and soft, ample bosom, and when she looked at Nick his heart stopped.
She was exotic and beautiful, and unable to remain unaffected when she turned and met his eyes. She woged, revealing the face of a Bastet underneath. A Bastet he was very familiar with.
"Detective Burkhardt. Long time," she said in surprise and Nick plastered on a polite and friendly smile as everyone looked at him. He shot a warning look at the young woman but it either went over her head, or she just didn't care. She looked him up and down after a minute, regaining her equilibrium and noted the expensive, tailored, suit Adalind had suggested he wear (and had purchased for the charity event he had been strong-armed into participating in), and said with a seductive smile, "You're looking especially fine this evening." He felt Adalind brush against him where they were standing close together, her arm linked with his, as she swiveled her pretty blonde head and narrowed her eyes in on the woman who was looking Nick up and down.
"Ah! We were just ordering drinks," Eric said. "What would you like?"
"Just a water is fine," Adalind replied.
"Scotch on the rocks for me," Nick said to the bartender.
"You two have met?" Eric asked Nick in surprise, getting back to introductions, and he felt Adalind's eyes hone in on him, as well. Nick looked at the woman, who looked at her date and smiled serenely, before catching Nick's eye and ducking her head slightly with a subtle look of her own.
"We have. Persephone. Long time. How's business been treating you?" he said suppressing a smirk as he looked from Eric to Persephone and back again.
"Business has been good, detective. Been a bit slow, but it's been looking up here, recently," she said, taking a sip of her bloody Mary.
"That's good," Nick said, taking a sip of his scotch, and handing Adalind her requested tumbler of water.
"What business are you in?" Adalind asked her, eyes still somehow burning a hole in the side of Nick's head even as she eyed the woman with friendly suspicion.
"Networking and Clienteling," Persephone said.
"Fascinating career," Eric put in.
"Lucrative, too, I hear," Nick said looking at Eric, and Persephone tipped her glass at him and smirked slightly.
"It can be."
"What do you do with that?" Adalind asked, eyes narrowed.
"With the right people in place I can parlay that into all sorts of opportunities, beneficial for both my client and myself."
"You don't say," Adalind said disinterestedly, focusing instead on a topic that did interest her. "How do you know my husband then?"
"Yes, how do you know the detective?" Eric asked curiously and Nick looked at him long and considering, before flicking his eyes back to Persephone with another look. Please be careful what you say and how you say it, he thought.
"Everybody knows the detective," Persephone said with another coy look. "He's broken a thousand hearts easily." Eric looked at him with interest and Adalind frowned. "He's quite famous. He was Justice in June in the Portland Arts Council calendar. He helped raise a lot of money for the arts here in Portland, such as the symphony" she added, indicating the new state of the art theatre they were standing in. "Something that is near and dear to me. Honestly, I'm surprised you don't have more of a following after that spread," she said to Nick.
"Oh, it follows me everywhere, don't worry," Nick replied dryly, with a glance at Adalind. She met his eyes with an unamused expression and Nick choked down his smile and focused on finishing off his drink and ordering another one.
"I had no idea you were such a philanthropist, detective," Eric remarked, eyeing him thoughtfully.
"I'm not. I just did a favor for my wife," Nick said dismissively. "Adalind's responsible for the success of the event." She narrowed her eyes further at him at his blatant attempt at flattery and distraction.
"How did you two meet?" Adalind asked Eric and Persephone and Nick looked back at them, genuinely curious, too.
"I was sitting in the lobby of the Luxe Hotel, waiting on a client to show-who wound up rescheduling-and Eric caught my eye," Persephone said with a smile. "He just had a look about him."
"He's does have a look, doesn't he?" Nick said to Persephone and she smiled again, eyes affecting a dreamy look as she glanced at her date. "I just thought it was because he was British," Nick said and Adalind elbowed him.
"Anyway, we started talking and we found out we both love music, and the arts, and old movies."
"What a coincidence," Adalind said.
"It's providence," Nick replied.
Persephone nodded secretively with another shared look at Eric, and then Nick, one that didn't go unnoticed by Adalind, and took another sip of her bloody Mary. "I suppose I should check my coat before we find our seats," Persephone said to the group. "Do you know where that's at?" she turned to Eric.
"Ah—no, but I can help you look," he offered with a glance at Nick and Adalind. "Do you want me to check yours?" Adalind started to shrug out of her wrap when Nick answered.
"No thanks," Nick said for both of them, and Adalind looked at him in annoyance. "Better hurry, I think the concert's about to start." Persephone gave Nick another coy glance and took the arm Eric held out for her. Nick watched them disappear in the crowd and sipped from his drink, counting the seconds of silence between him and Adalind in the meantime. He got to eleven.
"Networking and clienteling?"
Nick took another sip of his scotch and nodded, looking around the room, namely for his escape.
"She's a hooker," Adalind stated.
"Yup," Nick said, still looking. "An expensive one."
"And how do you know her, exactly?"
"Employed her services once. Or I guess twice, actually."
"You want to elaborate on that?" Adalind asked him stiffly.
"Not much to say, really. Hank and I used her as a CI a couple of times to get close to an accomplice to a murder suspect," Nick said. "She's really good," Nick added.
"And by good you mean?" she said, eyeing him carefully.
"I mean, by the time we were done with our guy, we had enough to book him for twenty-five to life and he thanked us for making his last experience as a free man such a good one. Hank even went to confession afterwards."
"Hank's not catholic."
"I know. Like I said, she's good."
Adalind looked at him disbelievingly. "You're a cop," she said.
"I know," Nick replied mildly, as though she was pointing out the sky was blue or grass was green.
"She's a hooker. So why aren't you arresting her for soliciting and prostitution?"
"I'm off duty. You're always complaining I work too much."
"Nick."
"Besides, I haven't seen or heard her proposition him for sex in exchange for money or payment. Everything I've heard so far is that they're two people who met at a restaurant and decided to go on a date. It's not a crime to ask someone you find attractive out."
He looked at Adalind, eyes roving languidly over her beautiful face and figure. "I find you sexy as hell. I frankly wouldn't mind skipping the whole date portion and just taking you home with me. Kids are with Monroe and Rosalee," Nick added enticingly. She frowned disapprovingly, not taking the bait and Nick turned his attention back to the room with a quiet sigh. "Besides, like I said, I'm off duty."
"He's going to find out she's a prostitute," Adalind said.
"He already knows," Nick snorted and Adalind gaped at him, mouth falling open in shock.
"He does not," she protested.
"Trust me, Persephone's not going to waste her time on someone who's not going to hold up their end—the payment end—of the deal. There's a period where everyone just lays their cards out on the table, so to speak. I'm guessing that period came and went sometime later that evening after they met in the Luxe hotel's restaurant."
"Eric wouldn't hire a hooker—" Adalind began defensively.
"She's very good," Nick interrupted. "And how well do you know Eric?"
"Will you stop saying that like you have personal experience with her," Adalind snapped. "I mean, I worked with him for years…" she trailed off, aware her argument wasn't as strong as she would have preferred.
"Yeah, on video conferences, phone conferences, emails. He fits the type really. Works a lot of hours, doesn't have time or inclination to start or develop a relationship. Prefers quick, meaningless hookups because there's less emotional mess involved. I'm guessing unless it's someone he works closely with, he doesn't spend a lot of time pursuing the opposite sex on his own. I mean, with Persephone he gets someone who's willing to do every freaky thing he ever wanted. For a price and a lot less conversation."
"You ever thought about taking someone like her up on an offer?"
"A hooker? No," Nick said. "Besides, I've spent the last nine years, nearly, involved with someone. Quick and meaningless doesn't really do it for me. There were moments when I was younger," he said, though he'd never been particularly skilled at loving them and leaving them then either. He'd had his share of one night stands, though not a number large enough to brag about.
"More fun and exciting to meet someone and feel that spark, see what develops," he said, glancing at her.
"Is that how you'd categorize our relationship? Fun and exciting?"
"Well, certainly the last half of it," he said. "Fun might be a bit of a stretch for the first part of it. Can't say we didn't have a spark though, right from the beginning," Nick said, lips curling slightly, thinking of the jolt he felt when he saw her. The pretty blonde who noticed him checking her out who had smiled at him and laughed. And then woged into a Hexenbiest, providing another jolt. "It's certainly been an interesting ride."
"Hmm," she said, trying to hide a smile, and leaned up to kiss him. The lights flickered twice as a tone chimed.
"I guess we better find our seats. Too bad. I kind of wouldn't mind skipping the concert and going home and trying some freaky things ourselves," Adalind lamented and Nick turned his attention to her interestedly.
"I can have the valet pull our car around," Nick said.
"We have people who invited us."
"Who deserted us," Nick pointed out.
"They went to check their coats. Although, they should be back though by now," Adalind said looking around. "Maybe they already went in?"
"Maybe they're checking more things than their coats," Nick replied with a raised eyebrow. "Maybe we should have done that," he added, and Adalind gave him a yeah, right look. "I haven't had a good time in a coat check in a long time," he said, remembering.
"What good times have you had?" she asked him, trying not to smile at him. She was always amused to hear anecdotes about his past, especially his teens and early twenties when he was still figuring things out.
"Made out with Jennifer Bevins when I worked one as a Junior in high school. She was this pretty cheerleader with a huge—" he cut off abruptly. Adalind raised her eyebrow for him to go on. "Smile," he finished, flashing one of his own.
"Uh-huh," she said, rolling her eyes, looking around for Mr. British Gentility and his high-priced hooker.
"I think she was just trying to make her boyfriend jealous. Or bored," Nick said after a moment. "Or acquaint herself with the new kid at school."
"Probably all three," Adalind said and Nick shrugged. Whatever, he hadn't been overly disappointed to spend ten minutes at the back of the coat check being used. He had thought he had noticed her looking at him, but likely she had noticed him looking at her at school. He had felt like an idiot though, days later, when he had seen her outside in the quad and she had smirked knowingly at him and turned to all her friends laughing and then ignored him for the rest of his time there.
"I guess, maybe, we should go ahead and go in. They'll join us in a few minutes, I suppose."
"Or we could leave," Nick suggested and Adalind fixed him with an exasperated look.
"That would be rude."
"But infinitely more fun," Nick said. "And what do you mean? They're getting off in a coat check while we stand out here like a couple of schmucks."
"Oh—sorry, we got a little turned around on our way to check our coats," Persephone's voice piped up from somewhere behind them. Adalind and Nick turned to her, Eric coming up beside her. He'd done an excellent job or putting himself back to rights, but Persephone—it was barely noticeable, but her hair and makeup seemed slightly mussed.
"That's okay," Adalind said, summoning a smile. "We were just…waiting for you."
"Ah," Eric said, gathering his charm. "Shall we?"
He paused, indicating the direction of the theatre with an arm sweep when Nick's phone went off.
"I'm sorry," Nick said, looking at it and then his companions apologetically. "It's work, I have to take this."
He flashed another apologetic smile at them, noticing Adalind's suspicious glint and stepped off to the side.
"Hank," he said when he picked up.
"It's 8:30; I'm calling as per our agreement," Hank said in a droll voice.
Actually it was 8:35, and Hank was cutting it a little close. Still, he had come through on his end, and Nick had wondered if he would when he had been trying to convince Hank to help him with this.
"A body? Where at?"
"You're ridiculous you know that?" Hank said to him, and Nick could just imagine him rolling his eyes on the other end.
"No, I understand," Nick said, turning back to the group and shaking his head in disappointment. "I guess I can meet you in thirty. I'll drop Adalind off first. Let me make my apologies here," Nick said into the phone.
"She'd better be one hell of a honey you set me up with. And a good cook," he added.
"Rodger that," Nick said, and hung up on him.
"You have to leave?" Eric asked.
"Unfortunately," Nick said. "I'm afraid I have to go in. I'm sorry I have to cut our night short, but you guys should go ahead and enjoy. I'll drop you off at home," he said, turning to his wife and her eyes narrowed.
"That's not necessary," Eric cut in smoothly. "She can stay and enjoy the symphony with us and I can see her home."
"I don't think so," Nick said. "We live way out on the other side of Portland. It's really too far for a cab or you to drive. Sketchy neighborhood, too," he added, though that was more true of when they lived when they lived in the loft. Not to mention he had a particular dislike of anyone outside of maybe Hank, and Wu, and Monroe and Rosalee knowing where they lived.
The lights flickered twice again and people began moving in earnest into the auditorium.
"Ah, you'd better find your seats," Nick said to Persephone, "Sounds like they're getting ready to get started," he said, hearing the symphony start to warm up, and she glanced anxiously at the people filing in and then up at Eric.
"Thank you again for inviting us, maybe we can try again some other time," Nick offered with a fair attempt at sincerity. "My work is always so unpredictable."
"I don't see why your night has to be ruined," Eric said to Adalind and she pulled her eyes from scrutinizing Nick's behavior to him. "It's really no bother to take you home afterwards."
"I…appreciate that," Adalind said, glancing at Persephone, who was standing beside Eric, rather ignored. "But I have an early morning tomorrow and our babysitter charges exorbitant prices," she added and Nick suppressed a smirk at her blatant lie.
"Right," Eric said, disappointment evident.
"You and Persephone will have a wonderful time without us, I'm sure," Adalind added. She flashed him a warm smile and watched Persephone link arms with Eric and proceed into the theatre before rounding on Nick.
"A body? Really?"
"What? Murder doesn't take the night off for the symphony. It happens all the time round here," Nick said, placing a hand on her back and guiding her out of the lobby. He handed his claim ticket to the valet and stuffed his hands in his pants pockets as he waited for them to bring his car around.
"You're telling me there's really a body?" she said, tipping her head back to look up at him.
"No," he said, shaking his head and looking down at his feet. She let out a disgusted breath and turned to head back into the concert hall.
"Adalind, wait," he said, grabbing a hold of her arm. She wrenched it away.
"Honestly, what is your problem with Eric?"
"Besides the fact he buys his women?"
"I don't think that bothered you as much as it amused you," Adalind said.
Nick shrugged and looked around, trying to gauge where his truck was at, not disputing the fact.
"You just ruined a nice night out for me. Seriously, what is your problem with him?"
Nick shrugged, scratching his face. "He rubs me the wrong way. Call it an instinct, I guess."
"What rubs you the wrong way? He's nice, he's polite, he's—"
"Polished, educated, influential. He likes to stand a little too close to you for my taste, too." Nick added, feeling a little stupid. "I mean, really, what's to like?" Nick asked, after an uncomfortably transparent look from Adalind.
"You're jealous," she said. He shook his head and Adalind crossed her arms over her chest, and gave him a knowing look. "Admit it. Your whole behavior when you're around him reeks of it."
"So what if maybe I am. He's clearly after you," Nick replied after a long moment of internal debate. "You're married for god's sake and he's still trying to pursue you."
"He is not trying to pursue me," Adalind cried. "He's just trying to be nice. He's got Persephone, apparently, if he's after something like that."
"To fall back on; he'd rather start something with you."
"According to you, Master Profiler, he wants something quick and emotionless, no strings."
"He's got that with you married to someone else."
"Oh my god, you're being ridiculous."
"Am I? Just what did you think would happen if you decided to stay? He'd find a way to ditch Persephone and then he'd be alone with you. Probably suggest a drink, maybe back at his hotel, or maybe he'd just invite himself into our house."
"I wouldn't take him to our house, and I wouldn't go up for a drink with him at his hotel, Nick. Give me some credit."
He saw the top of his SUV, slowly maneuvering through the lot towards him.
"I know you love me and you would never do anything like that," he said seriously, and some of Adalind's irritation faded. "I trust you. He might, though, and I don't trust him. I think he would push the issue," Nick added and Adalind rolled her eyes in annoyance.
"I can handle myself if he gets too friendly."
"I'm sure you could, I just don't think you should have to," Nick replied meeting her eyes briefly. He turned his attention away when his Land Cruiser pulled to the curb beside them, and Nick stepped over to the passenger door to hold it open for his wife. She stood on the sidewalk, arms still crossed over her chest, conflicting expressions on her face.
"You want to go out? We can still go out. I'll take you some place nice for dinner," Nick offered.
"So there's no body? No crime scene you have to meet Hank at? Was that even Hank on the phone?"
Nick nodded his head.
"You faked a murder to get out of a nice evening?"
"I wanted a nice evening, alone, with you," Nick said. "We hardly ever get a night to ourselves, what with my work, and your work, and the kids."
"You're ridiculous," she said after a moment, but she let her arms fall and stepped around Nick to take a seat in the car. Nick took the driver's seat a moment later and they drove off in silence.
"I can't believe Hank actually agreed to help you with this."
"He's a good partner," Nick said, lights of the city reflecting shadows on their faces.
"What did you promise him in return?" she asked, looking at his profile.
"Nothing extravagant," Nick said dismissively, and she turned away after a moment to look out her side window. "Know anyone at your work who's single and a good cook?"
She snorted and looked at him again.
"I'm not helping you with this."
"It's okay. Hank's not picky," Nick said and Adalind shook her head. "So where do you want to eat?" he asked her in the ensuing silence.
"Oh, you said you're taking me home, so you're taking me home," she replied.
"Let's not let him ruin our night," he said, grabbing a hold of her hand resting in her lap and pulling it to his lips and pressing a kiss to the back of it.
"He didn't ruin my night. You did," she said, snatching her hand back.
"I can take you anywhere you want to go," Nick said.
"Great, take me back to the symphony," she retorted and he suppressed a frown.
"Where Mr. Oxford-Educated English Accent can disrupt the performance every five seconds with pithy anecdotes?"
She rolled her head to look at him, the very picture of annoyance, but Nick thought he detected a smile threatening to surface.
"Honestly, you're so adorable when you're jealous," she said and his frown surfaced. "It's really starting to make me mad," she told him. "I'm trying to be offended, and rightly so," she added, "but then you say or do something like that, and it just makes me want to smile and kiss you."
Nick shook his head but he bit down a smile of his own.
"Take me home," she said with a sigh. "I can see I wasn't successful the other night in convincing you that I only have eyes for you. I'm probably going to have to spend all night convincing you you're the only man for me," she said theatrically. "It's exhausting."
"Maybe the morning, too," he added.
"Don't push it."
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