It was the end of another stressful day in Fenchurch East CID and, as usual, the team had headed to Luigi's to relax and drink away some of their cares. Alex and Gene sat at their regular table, playing idly with glasses of wine and scotch, sometimes taking part in conversations with their colleagues, sometimes talking with each other, sometimes happy to just sit together in a companionable silence.
Lately, Gene had felt his relationship with Alex had grown closer. They still argued – probably more than ever – but when they weren't rowing they seemed to have reached a peaceful equilibrium. She appeared to be coming closer to understanding him and what made him tick. She could read his thoughts and predict his actions, often before he knew himself what he was planning to do.
And he was certain of something else now: she definitely wasn't unaffected by him. She'd denied it on many occasions, but Gene sensed she was finally beginning to succumb to his undoubted charms. He grinned to himself; she might be a posh, mouthy tart but underneath that she was just a woman, and what woman could resist the Gene Genie?
Alex noticed Gene's smirk and raised her eyebrows in question. "What's running through that alarming mind of yours now, Guv?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?" he replied with a grin. It made him pause. Would she like to know? Should he be honest with her? What would she say if he told her that he was thinking about the two of them together, wearing very few clothes and making imaginative use of his desk back at the office?
He reached for the bottle, refilling her glass with the better-than-average red he'd splashed out on that evening. Alex picked up the glass immediately, taking a hearty swallow – none of the delicate, feminine sips that suited the other women he'd known. She was different from the other women in so many ways. Headstrong, hard-drinking, tough-talking, funny, difficult, angry, sad, intelligent and utterly, infinitely desirable.
He'd wanted her from the moment he'd seen her sail into Luigi's that first night she'd joined the team. She'd looked sexy and dirty in her hooker's outfit – he couldn't think of that red dress without breaking out into a cold sweat – but she'd looked beautiful as she'd wondered towards Luigi's bar, casually dressed in a white leather jacket and tight blue jeans, and he'd known right then that he was sunk. He'd been fighting his attraction to her ever since, believing it would never come to anything. He'd hinted a few times that he'd be interested in taking things further with her but he'd never told her explicitly how he felt. It was a good job he hadn't, he reckoned, as so far she'd always laughed off his come-ons, and by keeping things vague he'd managed to retain a bit of pride and self respect.
But he thought things might be different now. She seemed warmer to him, was even flirting with him slightly, leaving her hand on his arm longer than she needed to, holding his eye contact, stealing the odd quick glance at his lips before looking away. Perhaps tonight was the night?
Gene leaned in towards his DI, not allowing himself the time for second thoughts. His mouth was inches from her ear; he didn't want the team to overhear his next comments. "I'm wondering whether you'd like to take this conversation upstairs. Just the two of us. I could get some food from Luigi, another bottle of plonk – the good stuff, not the usual rubbish." He paused, suddenly uncertain. "Or not, if you don't want. S'up to you."
He held his breath, awaiting her reply. Christ, how did she have the power to make him feel like a pocky teenager again? He found he couldn't meet her eyes and stared unseeing at the table top instead. Had he buggered it up? It frustrated him that it mattered so much.
Alex took a deep breath. Surely Gene knew she wasn't serious in her flirtations? He was hardly her type. She liked men who respected her opinions, who could stimulate her brain as well as her body, who recognised her as their equal and treated her that way. Certainly not men like Gene Hunt. Gene was a relic from another era, with views so outdated they belonged in a museum and a lifestyle that would see him keel over at 50.
Yes, she knew that they'd been growing closer in recent weeks. He'd begun to seek her views on cases where the psychology of the crime was an issue. He'd even actually acted on her advice once or twice, not always with disastrous consequences.
And she'd noticed that his behaviour around her had changed slightly. It was subtle but once she started looking for it she spotted it more and more. When they were alone he would act – there was no other word for it – tenderly towards her. He would check she was okay, or that her workload wasn't putting her under pressure, or that she got home safely after a night out.
If she was honest, she would admit that she was beginning to enjoy his company. She found herself looking forward to talking over the day's events with him at Luigi's. These chats had shown her that Gene wasn't the one-dimensional caricature that she'd initially taken him to be; he'd demonstrated unsuspected depths, complexities and subtleties of character that she'd previously never realised.
But none of this changed her fundamental view. Gene Hunt couldn't possibly be for her. She turned her face slightly towards his and said softly, "Sorry, Gene. Clothes to iron, hair to wash. You know how it is." She slipped off her chair and disappeared up the stairs to her flat, leaving Gene sitting uncomfortably in her wake.
At the next table, Shaz sat with Chris and a couple of their colleagues. Ray had moved to the bar, sniffing round a group of women on a girls' night out. Chris and the others were inventing new names for cocktails. Only Shaz noticed the sudden intensity of the conversation between DI Drake and the Guv, then her departure and the bleakness of his expression as she left. Shaz rolled her eyes. Everyone knew how the Guv felt about DI Drake, but did Drake know how she felt about the Guv? Seemed not, as she'd just turned him down once again. It was hopeless – at this rate they'd both be grey and old before they acted on their feelings for each other. They needed a gentle prod to help them in the right direction.
xxxxx
Twenty-four hours later, and a similar scene was playing out in Luigi's once more. "Jesus", thought Alex to herself, "is my imagination so limited that I can't find anything more exciting to do in my fantasy world than get wasted in the company of a pile of polyester-wearing coppers and Gene bloody Hunt? Apparently not," she answered her own question, and took another swig from her glass of rioja.
Gene had gone to the bar to pick up another bottle, having helped her finish the first already. Alex took the opportunity to freshen up and headed to the bathroom.
Waiting at the bar, Gene reflected on yesterday's conversation with Alex. "That's it," he thought to himself, "I'm not making a fool of myself over her any more." He knew that Ray already thought he was under Alex's thumb and he couldn't risk the rest of his team thinking he'd gone soft. "Anyway," he continued to himself, "I've given her plenty of opportunities to show that she's interested in acting on this thing between us, but she's turned me down every time. A man's got to have pride. From now on, our relationship will be just business." Decision made, he caught Luigi's eye and gestured towards the empty bottle in front of him.
Luigi had just finished uncorking a new bottle of rioja when Gene sensed someone's eyes upon him. Turning to his left, he caught the eye of a woman sitting on a stool close to his. She was smiling up at him, a look of unmistakable interest in her heavily made-up eyes.
Gene glanced her up and down, taking in her mature curves, her short blonde hair and her close-fitting, one-shouldered dress. She wasn't bad looking for an older bird – a bit too thick around the middle, maybe, and a slightly careworn face, but she was not far off his type and, more importantly, she was definitely in his league.
She gave him a flirtatious smile and leaned in towards him. "Hi. I'm Linda," she told him.
"Gene," he replied confidently, turning to give her his full attention. "Can I get you a drink?"
"Thank you," she giggled. "I'll have a vodka tonic, please."
"Right you are. I'll just get rid of this," he said, holding up the bottle in his hand. "Be right back."
Gene turned back to the table he'd been sharing with Alex, only to see that it was empty. Bloody typical; she'd buggered off without even saying goodbye. Only went to show that he'd made the right decision about her earlier. He set the bottle in the middle of the table and headed back towards the bar. He'd concentrate on Linda for now and worry about Alex in the morning. He retook his stool next to Linda's and ordered the drink he'd promised her.
Alex returned from the bathroom and poured herself a glass from the bottle left on the table. She looked around for Gene, thinking he'd be at one of the tables occupied by other members of the team, but she couldn't see him. Widening her gaze, she finally spotted him at the bar. Not alone.
She caught her breath in surprise. Gene had one hand on a glass of scotch and the other wrapped around the waist of a short, blonde woman who Alex was fairly sure was not his long-lost sister.
Alex's brows drew together in confusion. She tapped her finger on the side of her glass, trying to identify her response to this unexpected development. She acknowledged that she was fond of Gene and therefore she should be happy if he was happy. She looked over at him again. Did he seem happy? Well, he was leaning closer to that woman and whispering something evidently hilarious in her ear; the woman laughed enthusiastically and placed her hand on Gene's upper thigh. That probably counted for happy as far as Gene Hunt was concerned. So she should be happy for him, right? Except she wasn't.
Alex tried to rationalise her feelings. A quick glance at the mystery woman showed up several physical flaws: she was at least the Guv's own age and had the lines to prove it, she had brassy, dyed hair and she carried a few more pounds than was good for her. The Guv deserved better, surely, somebody his equal in the looks department. Perhaps that's why the sight of this unknown woman pressing herself closer to the Guv's body, to his clear satisfaction, was so uncomfortable to her.
Yes, that must be it. As Gene's friend – good friend – she watched his back, looked out for him, tried to stop him making stupid mistakes. And entertaining that woman would be a huge mistake. Definitely. He'd regret it in the morning. But what could she do about it?
Alex put aside her glass of red and instead picked up the tumbler of scotch Gene had left on the table when he'd gone to go to the bar. She took a swig of the fiery liquid, grimacing as she swallowed it down. Her mouth twisted into a determined scowl and she was considering her options when she noticed Shaz hovering nervously at her table.
"Hello, Ma'am," Shaz began cautiously. "You're on your own."
"So it would seem."
"Mind if I join you?"
Alex waved a hand at one of the empty chairs. She didn't really feel like company but perhaps Shaz's good humour would cheer her up a little.
Shaz sat down and nodded over to Gene at the bar. "Looks like the Guv's found a new friend."
Alex wasn't sure what to say, so limited herself to a non-committal grunt.
"It's nice to see him happy, though, isn't it, Ma'am?" Shaz continued, oblivious of Alex's discomfort.
"Does he look happy to you, then, Shaz?"
Alex and Shaz looked across at Gene and the woman. She was feeding him peanuts and olives from the bar and he was sneaking unsubtle glances down her cleavage. He certainly seemed to be enjoying himself.
"Well," began Shaz uncertainly, "it does look like the Guv's having a nice time with that lady."
"Lady," laughed Alex. "Is that what you'd call her?"
Shaz threw a knowing look in Alex's direction. "I don't think there's anything to worry about there, Ma'am, if you don't mind my saying so."
Alex's eyebrows drew together in a frown. "What do you mean, nothing to worry about?"
"Oh, you know…" Shaz began. She knew she had to get the words right if she was to navigate the difficult path between getting her point across and not offending her DI. "I'm sure the Guv doesn't mean anything by it. It's just a bit of harmless fun."
Alex stared stonily towards the bar. The woman seemed to have glued herself to Gene's side and was in the process of loosening his tie.
"Doesn't look all that harmless to me, Shaz," Alex muttered.
Shaz shrugged. "Well, I don't know," she replied. She screwed up her courage. Here went nothing. "But I'm sure you've got nothing to be jealous of, Ma'am."
It was unfortunate that Alex had just taken a slug from her wineglass as she nearly spluttered the mouthful across the table. "Jealous! What on earth do you mean, jealous? That's ridiculous."
"Of course, Ma'am," Shaz replied softly. She waited to see whether Alex would continue with her protests. She wasn't disappointed.
"Why would I be jealous of that woman? DCI Hunt is a free agent, he can do what he likes. With whomever he likes. Even women like that," she spat, unable to hide her disdain.
"Right," Shaz drawled, "I see." But she allowed her face to show her scepticism, hoping this would elicit more confidences from her DI.
Alex's eyes narrowed dangerously. "What DCI Hunt does in his own time is no business of mine. Or yours either for that matter." Alex noticed that her words had hurt her colleague and she felt badly about it. She hadn't meant to speak so sharply to her. But really, Shaz was being absurd. The only reason she would be jealous of Gene's behaviour with that bloody woman would be if she wanted Gene for herself. And obviously that wasn't the case.
Shaz shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "I'm sorry, Ma'am," she mumbled. "I just thought, you know, with you and the Guv being so – well – close, that you might need someone to reassure you about how he feels about you."
Alex laughed mirthlessly. "I have no idea how the Guv feels about me," she admitted. She'd thought he'd grown grudgingly to respect her professional opinions and she was fairly sure he found her physically attractive but beyond that she had no clue. Suddenly she realised that this bothered her.
Shaz leaned closer to Alex and smiled gently. "I suppose that's not surprising, really, is it Ma'am? After all, the Guv's not really one to advertise his feelings. He's a real man's man. Scared of showing his emotions, you know what he's like. Not like you, Ma'am. You always know what you're feeling and you're not afraid to tell people."
A frown began working its way across Alex's features as she figured where this conversation was heading. Shaz's next words feel between them like dead weights. "I'm sure you've told the Guv how you feel about him, haven't you Ma'am?"
Alex looked away. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Gene, his mystery lady now wrapped closely around him, her cleavage pressed intimately against his arm. Alex sighed.
"I'm sure DCI Hunt knows that I've come to respect his ability to get results, if not always the way he goes about getting them," she responded primly. Both she and Shaz knew this wasn't what Shaz had meant.
"But Ma'am," Shaz pressed on. "What about – you know – how you really feel about him? I mean, I know it seems obvious to the rest of us, but the Guv – well, he's a bit slow to pick up on this sort of thing, isn't he?"
Alex's brows drew together in confusion. "What do you mean, seems obvious to the rest of us? What's obvious?"
"Well, Ma'am. It's obvious that you care about him. More than you would about someone who's just a colleague. And – well – he's a handsome man, isn't he, Ma'am? The way you look at him sometimes. It's obvious that you've noticed."
Luckily for Alex, this uncomfortable line of conversation was interrupted by Chris calling across to Shaz, telling her that he'd invented a new cocktail called Copper's Knob and that he wanted to tell her what was in it. "Sorry, Ma'am," Shaz said softly. "Got to go." She eased herself gently off her chair and went to join the Chris and the others at the next table. Alex was left, chin in hand, pondering the younger woman's words.
Was it possible that Shaz was right? Alex knew she needed to be honest with herself; she feared perhaps she hadn't been so far, had instead opted not to examine her feelings about Gene, to take the easiest path through this world.
She stared across at the man in question. Looking relaxed as he enjoyed the attentions of the blonde, Alex acknowledged that she did find him attractive. His mouth pouted in enjoyment, his arms looked strong and his hands skilful. Alex saw that Gene's hand was laid across the palm of the woman's, his fingers tracing small circles, his thumb gently stroking her inner wrist. Alex's breath caught in her throat. She saw with sudden clarity that it was her own hand she wanted Gene to be caressing with such finesse.
Feeling confused, Alex forced herself to imagine a scenario in which Gene found himself happily involved with another woman, attached to someone else in a comfortable, long-term relationship. Would she mind? Of course she'd bloody mind, she'd be mad as hell! Alex realised that she'd taken Gene's flirtation with her for granted. She'd assumed that he'd always be there for her, waiting for her to change her mind and take him on. She'd never figured that he might get bored of waiting, that he'd choose to find comfort elsewhere. The thought that she might have left it too late was appalling and it galvanised her into action.
Picking up the bottle of rioja, Alex marched up to Gene and his lady friend, standing as close to Gene as it was possible to get without actually touching.
"I think you forgot to pour this for me," Alex said loudly to Gene, waving the bottle dangerously close to his head and pointedly ignoring his companion.
"Er, hang on a minute, Bolly," Gene replied in confusion. Hadn't she gone already? "As it happens, I'm a bit busy here. Meet Linda."
The woman smiled sweetly at Alex. "Pleased to meet you," she said, holding out a hand. Alex ignored it and turned to the bar.
"Luigi, two clean wine glasses, please," she shouted across. Turning back towards Linda, she clarified, "That's two glasses, dear, one for me, one for DCI Hunt. Further company not required."
Gene grabbed her arm and pulled her round towards him. "What do you think you're playing at?" he hissed in her ear. "I'm on to a good thing here. Why don't you just bugger off and leave me alone? Let me get lucky this time, just for once?"
"Is that what you really want, Gene? For me to leave you alone?" Alex didn't bother to lower her voice, unconcerned that Linda could hear every word.
Gene looked up at the ceiling, exasperated. Bloody woman. He'd come to accept that he couldn't have her, but now she was trying to stop him having someone else instead. Jesus. Bloody, bloody woman.
"Right now, Bolls, what I really want is for you to take that bottle of wine and stuff it somewhere –"
"Ahem," interrupted an amused-looking Linda. "I'm clearly not wanted around here, and you two seem to have some unfinished business, so I'll just take myself away and let the pair of you work out whatever it is you need to work out."
"No," mumbled Gene, but it was half-hearted and Linda could tell. In all honesty, Gene was intrigued as to what had wrought this unusual behaviour from Alex. And as pleasant as Linda's charms were, they paled in comparison to Alex's angry, fiery magnificence. He watched as Linda shrugged into a jacket then he bent down to drop a kiss on her cheek as she passed on her way out. He heard rather than saw Alex's intake of breath as he kissed Linda goodbye.
Alex shifted awkwardly as she realised that she'd achieved her objective in removing Linda but this left her alone at the bar with Gene. "So, Bolls," he growled. "Care to explain yourself? Or is ruining my evening something I'm just going to have to get used to?"
"I – er – don't know what you mean, Gene," Alex stammered.
"Come on, Bolly, don't play games with me." Gene turned towards Alex and leaned closer towards her; there was no mistaking the irritation on his features, but it was tempered by curiosity and a seemingly genuine interest in what had prompted Alex's intervention between him and Linda.
"I'm not playing at anything," protested Alex, but Gene wasn't buying.
"You're not talking your way out of this one, Alex. What did you think you were doing? I was definitely getting somewhere with that Linda, till you turned up like some crazy stalker and scared her off." Gene looked wistfully towards the door that Linda had disappeared through a few moments before.
"Oh, for heaven's sake, Gene. Don't blame me for breaking up your little romantic liaison. You could have persuaded her to stay if you'd tried harder. Although," she added under her breath, "God knows why you'd have wanted to…"
"I heard that, Drake," Gene retorted sharply. "For your information, I was having a very pleasant time with the lovely Linda. And if I'm not very much mistaken, she was feeling the same. It may seem inexplicable to you, Mrs Stuffy Knickers, but I generally prefer to spend my time with women who look like they're actually enjoying my company rather than merely enduring it."
"Typical," Alex shot back angrily. "You can't resist the chance to take a dig at me. What, you expect me to drape myself all over you like some cheap tart? Whisper sweet nothings in your ear in full view of the entire squad room? Not all of us are happy being as obvious as your lovely Linda. Some of us like to maintain a level of dignity."
Alex was flushed, anger flashing in her eyes and frustration coursing through her body. Gene eyed her warily. What exactly was her problem? Suddenly it struck him. He almost laughed out loud.
"You're jealous."
"Don't be absurd. That's completely ludicrous. Why on earth would I be jealous of a woman like Linda?" Alex protested loudly but she feared he would probably see straight through her. She couldn't meet his eyes.
Gene leaned in closer. He shouldn't be doing this – shouldn't risk yet another rejection – but she was like a drug to him and he couldn't resist.
"You're jealous of Linda because she's a woman who knows what she wants – in this case, me – and she's not afraid to go out and get it." Angling his head closer to hers, he watched intently as Alex formulated her response.
Alex's heart beat an unsteady rhythm in her chest. Was Gene's accusation true? Was she really afraid to acknowledge her attraction to him? Scared to act on it? Of all the allegations he could throw at her, cowardice was one she would most hotly deny. She hated the idea of hiding her real feelings – had always prided herself on her emotional honesty – but she knew she was on the verge of changing her relationship with Gene forever, and that frightened her.
Alex looked up. His face was so close, just inches away. She could feel the faint trace of his breath on her cheek, smell his masculine scent, feel his latent power and strength. She could no longer deny what she wanted but she knew the first step would be up to her. She chewed her lip uncertainly and heard his breath catch in his throat as he watched her. At a loss, she opted for truth. "I don't want to talk about Linda anymore," she said softly.
Gene's eyes closed in silent agreement. When he looked up again, he saw Alex reaching towards him, her lips capturing his before he realised what was happening. Flame shot through him in response to her kiss. Her arms crept around his neck and her body pressed closely into his, seeking his touch, needing more. Aware she was in danger of loosing control, she pulled reluctantly away. Resting her forehead against his, she laughed wryly. "So much for maintaining some dignity. I think we've just provided the floorshow for the entire team."
Gene looked over to his colleagues and saw half a dozen faces looking agog in his direction. He coughed, still nervous. He wanted her, but didn't want to get knocked back in front of that lot. One last try, then. Please say yes. "So, how about it then, Bolls? Upstairs?"
It wasn't the most romantic proposition she'd been offered in her life but it suited her fine just then. Nodding silently, she threaded her arm through his and led him up to her flat.
xxxxx
The next day, Shaz sat watching with satisfaction as the Guv and DI Drake slunk into the office together, late, slightly shifty and definitely pleased with themselves. She picked up her phone and dialled a familiar number.
"Auntie Linda? It's Shaz."
"Hello, Shaz. How did it go after I left?"
"It worked! They got together last night, and judging by their expressions when they came in, they were still together this morning. I had to prompt her a bit, you know, about being jealous of you, but once she worked it out, there was no stopping her."
"Well, I'm pleased for them. They did seem to make a nice couple. I must say, though, it was no hardship to pretend to seduce your DCI Hunt. I wouldn't have really minded if it had all gone wrong and I'd ended up taking him home with me."
"Auntie Linda!"
"Don't sound so shocked. This was all your idea, after all. Anyway, I'm glad my cosying up to Mr Hunt showed DI Drake the error of her ways. She's a lucky woman."
Shaz sighed in agreement. "She certainly is. Anyway, I'll fill you in properly next time I see you. Thanks for all your help." With that, Shaz hung up and looked happily across at her DI. She was glad that she and her Auntie Linda had been able to help Alex work it out.
The end