Finally Getting It Right
Chapter 2
Continued...
Alisha's alarm clock went off with a loud beeping noise.
"Shut up," she growled, slamming her hand down on the snooze button.
A groaning noise came from Alisha's right. Confused she looked over to find Ryan just waking up and not happy about it.
"Why did I drink so much yesterday?" he asked no one.
Alisha's head decided at that moment to remind her of how much alcohol she'd had. With a grimace, Alisha slowly sat up, keeping a sheet around her naked body.
"Ryan," she said softly. "What happened last night?"
"Alisha?" he sounded surprised. Then he took in his surroundings. Bare walls and boxes decorated the room. They were lying on just a mattress as Alisha had yet to find a bed.
"How did we get here?" Ryan asked, sitting up. He instantly regretted it as his hangover made itself known again.
"I can't remember. The last thing I remember was dancing with you." Alisha was starting to get nervous. She barely knew this man. What if he turned out like Gary?
The alarm clock went off again. Alisha flinched and turned it off for good.
"I need to get ready for work," she said, needing to say something but not sure what. She didn't move.
"Me too," Ryan said, also not moving.
They sat there for a couple minutes in silence. Finally Alisha got up carefully, keeping the sheet around her and dug around in one of the boxes to find some clothes. The entire time she could feel Ryan watching her.
They didn't speak. Alisha slipped into the bathroom and locked the door.
By the time she got out of the shower, Ryan was gone. The only trace of him that was left was the rumpled sheets on the mattress.
"Alisha Richardson! You're a sight for sore eyes," Brittni Caine called as she walked towards the entrance of the Miami-Dade Crime Lab Headquarters.
"Britters!" Alisha broke into a huge smile at the sight of her old high school friend. "Where's your father?" Alisha asked after the two had hugged.
"He's around here somewhere," Brittni waved her hand dismissively. "I'm so glad Daddy H hired you and you could get away from that creepy Cary. Oh hey Speed."
Alisha turned to find Ryan's friend Speed strolling up the sidewalk towards them. Foreboding played at the edges of Alisha's mind. If Speed worked here, then Ryan…?
At that moment Ryan strolled into view.
Alisha struggled to keep the shock and surprise off her face.
Speed however had no such reservations. "Hey, you're that women that was with Ryan yesterday night," he said, shocked.
Brittni looked from Speed to Alisha. "Alisha, is there something you should be telling me?" she asked.
Ryan had finally reached them and he answered for Alisha. "We met yesterday at the Flamingo. Had a couple drinks, danced. I asked this lovely lady out to dinner tomorrow night and she accepted."
Alisha recovered her voice, thankful Ryan had found a way out of telling everyone what really might have gone on between the two of them.
"That's right. Neither one of us had any idea the other worked here," Alisha said, lying just as smoothly as she had the night before. Brittni and Speed both bought it.
Horatio had assigned Alisha to shadow Ryan for the next couple days till she learned the ropes. They had been assigned a new case.
As they loaded their silver cases into the back of the silver Hummer Ryan said, "So I was serious earlier."
Alisha paused. "Serious about what?"
"Taking you out to dinner tomorrow night."
Alisha didn't answer, just shut the back of the Hummer and walked around to the passenger side.
They were silent as Ryan drove to the crime scene.
Alisha broke the silence. "Are you asking me just because we might have…?" she let her words drift off.
Ryan wanted to turn and look her in the eye when he answered but unfortunately he was driving.
"No, Alisha, I'm not asking you because we might have slept together."
Ryan was impressed. Alisha knew what she doing.
"The perp entered through the back door, took out the dad who was watching TV in the living room and then went upstairs," Alisha theorized, standing in the middle of the kitchen.
Ryan couldn't find any flaws so far so he just nodded, becoming more impressed by the minute that he needed to get to knew this lady.
"Once upstairs he killed the son, tied up the mom and raped her. For some reason he didn't kill her. That's the part I don't understand. Why did he leave a witness alive?" The look of confusion on Alisha's face was adorable. Ryan fell in love with it instantly.
"Well maybe Calleigh can find some of those answers," Ryan replied, even though he knew he didn't have to.
Calleigh Duquesne had gone to the hospital to get what evidence she could off the surviving member of the Rosas family.
Alisha nodded, her expression turning serious.
A cell phone rang. Alisha noted with some amusement that both of them checked their cell phones.
Alisha flipped open the phone and said smartly, "Richardson." Her expression didn't change but she did turn her back to Ryan in an attempt to get some privacy. She would have gone outside but they had yet to process it and she didn't want to destroy evidence.
Ryan tried his hardest to not listen but it was hard. The house was small and sound carried well.
"What do you mean he got out?" Alisha whispered vehemently.
A pause. Ryan wondered who she was talking about.
"That man is crazy. Good behavior my ass. Do you have any idea where he went?" Alisha now sounded worried.
"He knows." The fear in her voice made Ryan want to take her into his arms and make everything OK.
"If you hear anything let me know. I'll be on the lookout." Alisha hung up.
Ryan pretended to examine a window sill. Black fingerprint powder still clung to the grains of wood.
Alisha was silent. Her thoughts tumbled and churned like clothes in a washing machine. What was she going to do? If he came after her…
Ryan sneezed, startling Alisha. "Sorry," he said when he saw her expression.
"I'm going to go start processing outside," Alisha said hastily, grabbing her case.
Ryan was left standing in the middle of the kitchen wondering what was going on.
Brittni found Alisha in an empty lab, examining shoeprints taken from the Rosas house.
"Something you would like to tell me?" she asked, leaning against the table across from Alisha.
"No. Is there something you would like to know?" Alisha replied, not taking her eyes off the shoeprint.
"Ryan talked to me at lunch. Is your stalker out of jail?"
Alisha finally looked up. Brittni was shocked to see tears in Alisha's eyes.
"Don't tell," she whispered hoarsely. Brittni rushed around the table and engulfed her friend in a hug.
"I'm sorry," Brittni murmured against Alisha's hair. "I'm so sorry."
"Am I interrupting anything?" the voice of Lt. Horatio Caine asked from the doorway.
Brittni drew back from Alisha and stood between her and Horatio to give Alisha some time to get her composure back.
"Daddy H, we've got a problem," Brittni said once Alisha was ready to talk.
"I'm listening," Horatio said. He'd already guessed what the problem was. Alisha's stalker was back.
"The guy who stalked Alisha," Brittni stopped to take a deep breath. "He got out of jail."
Horatio looked at Alisha. "I can have a uniform with you at all times," he offered.
Alisha shook her head. "No one knows where he's at. We're not even sure he knows where I'm at. For now I just want to live my life."
Horatio nodded, understanding. "OK. But my offer still stands. Whenever you need it."
Alisha stared at herself in the mirror. Was she ready for this? Was she ready to date again? She thought about Ryan. Alisha grinned. He seemed like a good guy. She got good vibes from him. She could do this.
The door bell rang. Alisha jumped, butterflies flying in her stomach. It took her a moment to realize that it was only Ryan, picking her up for dinner.
"One moment," she called, picking up her purse and slipping her feet into her heels. Making sure she had her cell phone and it was charged along with forty dollars in cash, Alisha opened the door.
Ryan was standing there, a bouquet of white roses in his hand.
"Hi," he said, smiling.
Alisha felt herself smiling back. "Hi yourself."
Ryan held out the roses. "These are for you."
Alisha accepted them with a smile. "Come in while I put them in some water," she invited him.
Ryan looked around while she hunted up a vase to put the roses in. "Nothings really changed since I was here last," he commented.
Alisha, who was in the kitchen and out of Ryan's sight, blushed.
"I've been too busy working the case," Alisha said, even that wasn't entirely true. Alisha had spent last night with Horatio and Brittni, making sure the window and door locks were working properly and would withstand an assault from a crazy stalker.
"Made any headway? Cause I can't figure out what the murder weapon is. The killer must have taken it with him when he left. It's not the house," Ryan inquired.
Alisha appeared in the doorway, drying her hands on a towel. "The shoeprints belong to a brand of Reebok shoe that was sold eight years ago. That's why it took me so long to track down. It's a size 9, men's. Ready to go?"
The car ride to the restaurant was filled with talk about the case. It seemed to be the only comfortable topic for the two of them. Ryan was a gentlemen and opened the door for Alisha when they got the restuarant.
As they walked towards the entrance of the restaurant Ryan spotted Brittni and her boyfriend, Eric Delko, walking towards them.
"What a coincidence," Alisha laughed as the two couples meet at the front doors.
Brittni looked between Eric and Ryan. "You didn't set this up, did you?" she asked suspiciously.
Ryan and Eric both tried to look innocent.
Brittni poked Eric in the side. "You did!" she exclaimed.
Eric couldn't help it. He broke down and confessed. "We did. We made the reservations together and Alisha had already said yes and I knew you wouldn't say no."
Alisha looked up at Ryan. "Why?" she asked.
"I thought that maybe you and Brittni would like to spend time together outside of work," Ryan answered honestly.
Alisha's look softened, "Thanks."
Brittni kissed Eric. "You're the best," she said.
The four walked into the restaurant and were seated within minutes. Alisha was thankful that they had a table that wasn't in the middle of the room. Instead it was tucked into a corner by the window with a commanding view of the ocean.
Alisha found herself relaxing the more they talked.
Brittni, Eric and Ryan all a glass of wine. Alisha, with the threat of Gray hanging over her, choose to have water.
Talk eventually turned to Brittni and Alisha's high school days together.
"I remember when Britters here dyed her hair," Alisha started in response to a story Brittni had told about her.
"Oh god, must you bring that up," Brittni groaned.
"I wanna hear this," Eric laughed.
Alisha giggled at the face Brittni made.
Ryan was watching her as she smiled and laughed and joked with Brittni. He was falling fast for her. He could feel it.
They finished eating desert and then Ryan and Alisha left, leaving Eric teasing Brittni about her purple dye job.
Outside the restaurant, Alisha stopped. "I want to thank you for tonight," she said. "It was really sweet what you and Eric did."
Ryan smiled. "I like seeing you smile."
Alisha rose on her tiptoes and kissed Ryan. The kiss deepened. Finally Alisha broke it off and asked, "You're place or mine?"
"Yours. It's closer."