Sam Nixon looked around the almost empty CID office. In the side room she was completely alone: Neil had taken ten days unpaid leave to be able to spend Christmas and New Year in Spain with Jake.
In the main office, things weren't much better. Terry had taken Helen and the children away for New Year, and Jo had gotten in traffic on her way back from spending Christmas in Manchester with her family.
Zain, Kezia, Phil and Mickey were huddled around Phil's computer grinning wildly. As Sam emerged from her office, all four of them panicked and dispersed, leaving Phil sat alone looking startled.
'It's ok,' she said. 'It's not like there's anything else to be getting on with. It looks like every crim in Sun Hill has gone to spend Christmas elsewhere. All we're left with is the 'D and Ds'. 'What's so interesting anyway?' she asked, nodding towards Phil's monitor.
Everyone looked towards Phil sheepishly, hoping he'd take the blame for their distraction. After a long pause, he eventually spoke.
'Jo's sent us all her pictures from back home' he explained quietly not making full eye contact through fear of being reprimanded. 'Oh, ok. Can I see?' she asked warily.
Since being made D.I she no longer felt a part of the team. It was as if they didn't see her as the same person anymore, but as far as she could see, she hadn't changed.
'Er, sure' he replied, pulling across a spare chair. The space around Phil's desk was limited, and there was minimal space between their bodies as they leant in to see the screen.
Phil brought up each photo one by one and waited for Sam's signal, usually a smile or a nod of the head, before closing it and opening the next one.
As he opened one particular photo they both smiled. Jo was sat beside a girl of about twenty five, with blonde curly hair and a transfixing smile.
'Isn't it a shame, all the good girls are taken or gay. Or both' Zain commented as he walked by.
'Yeah,' Phil replied. 'Or just not interested' he added quietly. Sam looked up and caught his eye. 'For your information', she announced to everyone, 'that is Jo's sister Katie. She smiled as Zain, Mickey and Phil all leant forward eagerly. They were all interested again now they knew she wasn't Jo's new girlfriend.
'What else do you know?' asked Mickey, sounding as though he was interviewing a suspect. Sam, playing along with the situation, spilled her information.
'Well, like I said, she's called Katie, she's twenty seven, she's got a degree in journalism, and works for one of the nationals. '
'Brains as well as beauty' sighed Mickey. 'Is Jo bringing her back down here? He asked, trying to sound casual, but failing miserably.
'No, no' Sam said earnestly. 'She's staying at home. With her girlfriend. 'She emphasised that last word, knowing she had shattered the hopes of three 'thirty-something' men in one breath.
They all grumbled quietly about sexuality being genetic, before Mickey and Zain decided to follow Kezia's example and view Jo's pictures at their own desks.
As Phil reached the end of Jo's photos, Sam stood up to leave. The tension between them had been building over the last twenty minutes and, even though they'd been sat in silence, Sam had picked up so many messages from Phil. He had barely been able to sit still because he couldn't handle the close proximity, and his body arched away from her so strongly, she could tell he couldn't wait to get away from her.
'Looking at these pictures had really put me on a downer' he said, stretching his legs forwards.
'Why, what do you mean?' She asked, concerned as to what had upset him.'
'Well, seeing all those people having fun makes me feel the need to party. Do you know how many parties I've been invited to on New Year's Eve? Two. That's two. Count with me, one, two…' He held up one finger on each hand and moved towards her to stress his point. For a moment the bad feelings between them were forgotten. All the mistrust and betrayal and heartbreak were forgotten, and for that short period it was like the old times.
'Yes Phil.' Sam spoke, breaking that moment slightly. 'I am well aware of the concept of numbers, and I'd just like to sat 'two' is two more than the number of parties I've been invited to.'
'But you don't understand. One is a "family" party', he added air quotes for more effect, 'and by family I don't mean my family. I mean a party at one oh my neighbours' houses, for families with kids, and probably pets too. And the other one is going to be full of couples. How boring and middle-aged is that? Couples and families." He mocked shuddering at the thought of it.
'Well why don't you do something about it?' she said simply.
'What, just conjure up a family in 24 hours, and take them to a party with me. That's a bit extreme, not to mention impossible.'
'That's not what I meant and you know it. Why don't you have your own party?'
'Aah, I see,' he said, finally cottoning on. 'What a good idea, that's why I love you.' Before he could stop himself the words toppled out of his mouth and his face flushed a deep purple colour. He tried so hard to cover it up, but he knew she'd heard it. Her chin went down to her chest, as she tried to avoid eye contact with him.
'What do you think, everyone?' He turned to everyone else in the office, hoping they'd carry on with the conversation and help her, and himself, forget what he had just said, even if it was only temporarily.
'What's that?' Kezia asked, trying to hide the fact they'd just witnessed Phil Hunter practically declare his undying love for Samantha Nixon.
'Party, my place, tomorrow night, eight o'clock.' Rather than wait for a reaction, he strode across the office in a business-like manner.
'I'll just call Jo and tell her to be there.'