Ellie and Alec sat opposite each other in the cafe. She ordered one strong cup of coffee after another while he nursed a weak tea taking sips periodically as if taking a dose of bitter medicine.
Everything hurt now. Ellie had never understood why Alec (call him Hardy, she reminded herself) was such a bundle of misery but now she could feel herself going over to the dark side.
"So, what will you do now?" she repeated, not sure if she asked this aloud or not, but it was something, even in her grief, she felt the need to ask.
"Haven't decided," he replied in a soft voice, so unlike the rough bark she had grown used to.
He twirled the, what must be stone cold, tea in his cup as if trying to read the leaves to find his future, "bit too late in life for a career change."
"Nonsense!" she snapped, her anger at how defeated he seemed overriding her sick heart, "while you still draw breath there's always a chance!"
"May not do that much longer either," he countered, sitting back with a wry smile.
Ellie went silent, playing with her own drink she lost herself staring into the dark liquid, "maybe we should..." she mumbled.
"We should do what?" Hardy asked, his face curled into a familiar frown.
"Go into business for ourselves, open an agency, call ourselves the Former Detectives Club, what do you think?"
She could tell he was scrolling through a myriad of answers to her question, it reminded her of the scene in "Terminator" where the title character had a bunch of obscene responses at hand.
"I think you need to cut back on the coffee, maybe have a few stiff drinks and go to bed," he finally said, "you're obviously not in your right mind."
Feeling normal for the first time in hours she reached across the table and tapped him on the head, "I'll even buy you a Sherlock Holmes cap, and I'll be your Watson."
"Miller..." he cautioned.
"Just think about it before you dismiss the idea," Ellie sighed, "stop being bull-headed and consider it!"
He looked at her with an expression that was both incredulous and if she was correct, mixed with a bit of hope.
"I don't need an answer right now," she concluded, "but don't wait too long, this is a limited time offer."
"I don't wear hats," he countered folding his arms across his chest.
"Hats will be optional."