Author Note: Thanks to all who read or reviewed my first story (Driving with Danny, from last February). I didn't know how to respond to reviews at the time, so those who reviewed didn't get the individual thanks they deserved.

This story is complete, and chapters will be posted over the next week or so. I had planned to have it published months ago, but it always wanted one more scene. Reviews are always appreciated!

Laura L.

ONE YEAR

MARCH 27, 2008

"This. Guy. Likes. To. Hear. Himself. Talk." Jamie Reagan, Harvard Law student, looked down at lone note he'd typed during the first half hour of today's Global Governance class. The guest lecturer the regular professor had brought in wasn't holding his attention. What did grab his attention was the little flashing icon on his laptop screen indicating a new e-mail had arrived. Jamie opened the e-mail program and clicked open the message.

... ... ...
To: Jamie Reagan
From: Joe Reagan
Subject: Roomie?

Hey, Harvard, since you'll be clerking in NYC this summer, want to room with me? My roommate just got hitched and moved out so I could use a hand with the rent. You'll have your own room, but the bathroom is shared. Let me know ASAP, because if you don't want it, there's a waiting list.

Det. Joe
... ... ...

Jamie tried not to smile, which would have given away that he wasn't paying attention to the dreadfully dull lecture. Rooming with Joey, or with Mom, Dad and Grandpa? There wasn't a lot of debate. He hit the reply button.

... ... ...
To: Joe Regan
From: Jamie Reagan
Subject: Re: Roomie?

Sure. It'll be just like when we were sharing a room at home! But what about your girlfriend?

Jamie

... ... ...

To: Jamie Reagan
From: Joe Reagan
Subject: Re: Re: Roomie?

You have to get your own girlfriend. I'm not sharing.

Joe
... ... ...

Jamie glanced at Sydney Davenport, sitting in the next row forward and a few seats to his left, apparently completely caught up in the lecture. One strand of dark hair was tucked behind her ear, giving him a clear view of the side of her face: dark eye, soft cheek, lips turned down in a slight frown as she typed some notes on whatever point the guest speaker was making. Smart, sexy and sure of herself. Perfect girlfriend material, if only she wasn't dating some big-shot attorney from her hometown. Although he'd heard some rumors that relationship had hit a rough patch. Maybe he still had a chance! He pulled his attention back to his computer before his thoughts wandered too far off course.

... ... ...

To: Joe Regan
From: Jamie Reagan
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Roomie?

I'm working on the girlfriend issue. You want me to draw up a lease? I've got some samples we could use, from my Property class. I think the 65 page one would work nicely.

Jamie

... ... ...

To: Jamie Regan
From: Joe Reagan
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Roomie?

Write up a lease if you want. I'll have my attorney review it. You probably know her – smartypants by the name of Erin Reagan Boyle. I know she'll give me good legal advice, because I'm her favorite brother and she likes me best.

... ... ...

To: Joe Regan
From: Jamie Reagan
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Roomie?

Does not. She likes me best because I'm the cute little baby brother.

... ... ...

To: Jamie Regan
From: Joe Reagan
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Roomie?

Does too like me best. I was the original baby brother.

... ... ...

To: Joe Regan
From: Jamie Reagan
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Roomie?

Does not.

... ... ...

To: Jamie Regan
From: Joe Reagan
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Roomie?

Does too.

But we can finish that debate when you move in. I've got to go to work. Criminals to track down, brother to argue with. Same as usual.

See you soon, kiddo.

Detective Joe

... ... ...

Jamie tried to contain a smile. He and Joe were going to have a great summer!

"Mr. Reagan!" The professor's voice rang across the room.

Jamie jumped to his feet. Apparently he hadn't been successful in hiding his lack of attention to the lecturer.

"Perhaps you would you like to tell us what point our guest speaker just made?"

"Yes, sir." Jamie swallowed hard. Beside him, his friend, Spencer Croft, cleared his throat, and Jamie glanced at the words Spencer was typing on his computer. "Somalia. The lack of rule of law in that country," he read off Spencer's screen. "And… sir," he finished awkwardly, as he realized the rest of Spencer's note wasn't meant to be read aloud. And pay attention, Jame-o!, it read.

MAY 15, 2008

Bzzzzzz. Bzzzzz. Jamie pushed the buzzer on his brother's apartment building. "Joe, let me in already," he griped to himself. He checked his watch again. 3:00 p.m. Right when he was scheduled to arrive to move in with Joe for the summer. Bzzzzzzzzzzzz. He leaned on the buzzer.

"Well, what do we have here?" a familiar voice asked from behind him.

He started to turn around, then found himself pushed against the wall. "Danny, what the hell?"

Joe's voice interrupted him. "Looks like one of those disreputable lawyer types. We'd better search him."

"Okay, punk, hands on the wall, feet apart," Danny barked.

Jamie recognized the game and decided to play along. "Can I bribe you with this sixer of beer, Officer?" he asked, holding the six-pack he'd brought with him out to his side.

Danny took the beers out of his hand. "Well, Detective Reagan. Looks like the lawyer punk brought the good stuff. Think we should let him go?"

"I don't know, Detective Reagan. If we run him in, we'll have more beer to divide between the two of us." Joe teased. "And your wife did ask us to delay him for at least fifteen minutes. It's only been ten."

Jamie felt himself being spun around, then caught in a tight hug from Danny. "Welcome home, kid."

Joe was right behind Danny with another hug. "Welcome back, almost-a-lawyer. So you're a senior now?"

"Rising 3L." Jamie replied. "See, once next semester starts, we'll be third years – 3L's. But between now, when the 3L's have graduated and then, we're called 'rising' 3L's."

"In other words, Joe, he's a year away from being done with school," Danny cut in. "Harvard, less talking, more hauling bags upstairs so we can get to this beer."

"Fine. Give me my beer back, and you can carry my suitcase."

"No way, baby brother. You're not responsible enough to be trusted with adult beverages."

"Am too! Give it back!"

"Danny, the door's open. Run for it!" Joe called to his brother.

Danny ducked into the door, followed by Joe. Both of them ran for the staircase.

"Hey!" Jamie grabbed the small suitcase he'd pulled out of his car and managed to squeeze in the door as it was closing. "Get back here with my beer. Hey!" He ran up the stairs after his older brothers, then down the hall to Joe's third-floor apartment. He pushed open the door and…

"Surprise!" Most of his family called out from inside the apartment at what was clearly a welcome-back party.

"Aaaaagh!" Jamie yelped and stumbled backward over his own feet, landing on his behind on the floor.

Danny and Joe both doubled over in laughter. "See, kid, I told you you couldn't be trusted with adult beverages. Think of how bad it would be if you been holding that beer when we scared you," Danny told him.

Joe walked over to Jamie and extended a hand to help him up. Once he was back on his feet, Joe handed his brother one of the beers. "Here you go, kiddo. Thanks for bringing refreshments to your own party."

MAY 22, 2008

"Mr. McKinney, may I introduce Jameson Reagan, one of our Harvard clerks." Matthew Harris said to one of the founding partners of the redoubtable law firm of Baker McKinney. "You may recognize the name. He's the son of our new police commissioner."

Jamie forced a smile onto his face and extended his hand to Mr. McKinney. "Pleased to meet you, sir."

"Police Commissioner? Is that so?"

"No sir, my father is police commissioner," Jamie joked. It went over like a lead balloon, like he thought it would. But after three hours of this meet and greet party for the summer associates, he was already tired of being introduced as Jameson 'Son of the Police Commissioner' Reagan.

"Well, I'm sure he'll do a better job than our last commissioner," McKinney said. "Let me tell you about the last time I had to deal with him."

Jamie tried to feign interest in the man's story. He was the senior partner, and therefore his boss for the summer. But, good lord, was he a bore. Just like so many of the other attorneys he'd met tonight. As soon as the man concluded his tale, Jamie politely excused himself, saying he needed a refill of his wine.

He headed toward the wine service table. A smile spread across his face as he spotted Sydney Davenport, his classmate from Harvard who was also clerking at Baker. They'd taken the Global Governance class together last semester, and despite his best efforts, he hadn't been able to make the move from law school friend to boyfriend. It looked like she was also getting a new glass of wine. "Hello, Sydney."

"Jamie! God, I am glad to see you. These lawyers are such pretentious bores," she gushed, hooking one arm through his.

"And you want to be one?"

Sydney laughed. "Not like them. I want to be pretentious, but not boring."

"Not possible," Jamie retorted. "Boring, but not pretentious; that's possible. But I don't think it works the other way."

"Jamie!" Sydney giggled again, leaning against him. "Are you saying I'm boring?"

"Never, Syd." He handed her a glass of ginger ale, since it appeared she'd already had plenty of wine. "Come on, let go sit down over here and discuss you pretentiousness." He led her across the balcony to a bench on the edge of the party.

As soon as they sat down, Sydney took a sip of the beverage Jamie had handed her, and nearly choked on it. "Ginger ale? What?"

"Sydney, you seem kind of buzzed," Jamie stated.

"No, 'm not." Sydney frowned, then slumped against him. "I can't be. Davenports do not get drunk in public."

"Well, I think you might have done it."

"I missed dinner. Ms. Anderson had a lot of work she needed my help with. And lunch was a long time ago. And the waiters are too attentive here," she babbled on. "I lost track. I was going to limit myself to one, maybe two glasses, but I lost count."

"It's okay. Drink the ginger ale."

Sydney curled closer against him. "Jamie, the partners can't know I'm drunk. They'll think I'm a lush. They'll lose all respect for me, and I won't get any good assignments, and I'll never get hired. I've got to get out of here." She started to stand up.

Jamie wrapped an arm around Sydney's shoulders to hold her down. "Wait. You're not too steady on your feet. Let's think of a plan." Damn, it was hard to think with the girl he'd wanted to date for the past year curled against his side with her head resting on his shoulder, her dark hair cascading around her face, her long eyelashes fluttering against her cheeks, her soft lips only inches from his… "Kiss me."

"What?" Sydney managed to raise her head from his shoulder.

Oh god, did I say that out loud? "Kiss me," Jamie repeated quietly as he tried to think of a plan where that statement would make sense. "If we make out for a few minutes, anyone that sees us leave will think we're just going somewhere to… um, to be alone. And when we're leaving, you can lean on me without anyone thinking you're drunk."

Those beautiful lips spread into a smile. "Reagan, I like the way you think," Sydney whispered. She leaned over and pressed her lips to his.

Jamie wrapped his other arm around her waist and returned the kiss. He tried to keep a hold on his emotions as fireworks began going off inside his brain. It's not real. It's not real. But it felt real. He had to stop before things got entirely out of hand. He pulled away from the kiss. "Syd, you ready to go?"

Sydney pouted. "I guess so."

Is it possible she actually wants me to keep kissing her? Jamie smiled at the thought. "Come on. Let's get you back to your place." He stood up, then pulled Sydney off the bench and into a hug, to cover any unsteadiness. With her leaning against him and his arm wrapped firmly around her waist, the two of them slowly walked out of the party.

Jamie arrived back at Joe's apartment two hours later. Joe turned away from the late, late show on the television to greet him. "Kind of late for a school night, kiddo."

"Yes, father." Jamie joked. "I had to escort Sydney back to her place. We stopped for a snack on the way."

"Sydney. You're really besotted with her."

"Besotted? Where'd you dig up that word? And I'm not."

"It was in a book Angie left here. And yes you are. Your get this goofy little smile whenever you say her name. Just like with Katie."

Jamie laughed weakly. "No I don't. Syd and I are friends. That's all."

"Right. It's about time you had a real girlfriend. It's been a while. Since you and Katie broke up after your freshman year at Harvard, right?"

"There's been other girls since then," Jamie protested. "I dated in college."

"Not seriously, kid. So, are you and Sydney an item now?

Jamie shook his head. "Not yet. She needed help getting home. She'd missed dinner, and then drank too much on an empty stomach."

"Ouch. That's not going to impress the bosses."

"It's okay. We got out of there without anyone knowing. We pretended she was my girlfriend. Kissed for a while, then left together hugging each other."

"You know, that might cause some other problems. It might look like she went home with the first guy she met when she was tipsy; like she's a 'buzz her and bed her' kind of girl, and you're the guy that will take advantage of that opportunity."

"Joey! That's not what I did. I just made sure she got some food and back to her place safely. And Syd's not like that," Jamie argued.

"Not saying she is. Not saying you would. I'm just saying other people might get the wrong idea."

"Well, people shouldn't make that kind of assumption. I'm going to bed." Jamie headed back to his bedroom, hoping Joe was wrong and irked at himself for not thinking his plan all the way through.

Unfortunately, Joe's words proved prophetic. Early the next morning, Jamie was at his desk, reviewing his to-do list, when Rob Winslow, one of his fellow clerks, walked in to their shared office.

"Jamie! Hookin' up with the hottie!" Rob exclaimed. "Didn't know you had it in you, you little Catholic schoolboy, you."

"Rob, what are you talking about?"

"The hot clerk. Sydney. Everyone saw you two leaving the party last night. She was all over you like a rug on the floor. Like paint on a wall. Like tread on a tire. Like…"

"Stop it, Rob. It wasn't like that," Jamie protested. "We know each other from Harvard. She missed dinner, so we went to get a bite."

"Oooh, kinky. Didn't think she had that in her."

"A bite of food. At a restaurant. Nothing happened. She went back to her place, and I went to mine," Jamie protested again.

But the jokes and innuendos continued all morning, and not just from Rob. He could only imagine what Sydney was hearing. Finally, he made the time to stop by the office she shared with two other clerks. Sydney was sitting at her desk, surrounded by law books and printouts of legal cases, trying her best to look busy. "Hey, Syd," Jamie greeted.

Sydney looked up at him with red eyes. "Jamie. Are you sure you want to be seen with the office slut? For what's being said, I'll hook up with anything male." She grabbed a tissue from the box on her desk and dabbed at her eyes. "And they don't even have to get me drunk first."

"From what I hear, I'm not just 'anything male.' I'm The Man. Able to bed hottie clerks after a single drink." Jamie rolled his eyes at the stupidity of it all.

Sydney sniffed in indignation. "That is so completely unfair."

"Yeah, it is." Jamie perched himself on the corner of Sydney's desk. "But, for what it's worth, no one's talking about you drinking too much last night."

"Think I'd rather be the office drunk than the office whore."

"Hey, come on, you're neither of those things." Jamie leaned toward her and lowered his voice. "I have another idea, if you want to hear it."

"What is it?"

"Go out on a real date with me? It'll confuse the heck out of the gossips around here. And I like you," he finished in a rush.

Sydney finally smiled, just a little. "I figured that out last night. That kiss didn't feel faked."

Jamie's smile froze on his face as he tried to think of how to respond. "Sorry," he finally muttered.

"Don't apologize. I liked it. And I like you. But why haven't you said something before? We've had at least two classes together at Harvard."

"It just never seemed like the right time. You were dating that guy, the lawyer from Connecticut, and then you'd just broken up with him."

"Samuel. That snobbish weenie," Sydney commented. "He was my family's choice for the perfect husband."

"Well, I may not be your family's perfect husband, but how about a date? Dinner on Saturday?"

"Okay. Sure." Sydney replied, looking up at him with a much larger smile.

Jamie stood up, took Sydney's hand in his and bowed forward to kiss the back of her hand. "Au revoir, Mademoiselle Davenport." He turned and walked out of Sydney's office. Let them talk about that!

For the rest of the day, Jamie did his best to hide a goofy smile. He was going on a date with the girl he'd been dreaming about dating for the better part of a year. And work-wise, he was getting more interesting assignments this year. And living in Joe's apartment meant he was spending more time than he had in years with his favorite brother. This summer looked to be a great one.