When she got to the firehouse, Holtz was already there- looking slightly worn from the night before. She grinned tiredly at Erin then immediately frowned.
"What happened?" she asked abruptly, putting down her wrench. Erin's mouth fell open and she thought about feigning innocence but she decided on just being honest. She took a deep breath.
"Phil," she whispered. Holtz shook her head.
"I love you Gilbert but you are an actual wrench," she said, flicking at the wrench on the desk.
"The phrase is a tool, Holtz..."
"I like to be specific." Abby and Patty walked through the door, looking as if they hadn't even slept.
"Did you two even go home?" Erin asked, hoping the conversation would be deflected onto the fragile states of their other two team members. Last night they parted ways at the last bar on the street, Erin was definitely heading home- Holtz had claimed to be but no one really believed her. Abby and Patty said they were going to hit one more bar and then they would head home. It looked like that soon was soon ten.
Patty shook her head and Abby groaned against the refrigerator door.
"We kind of found a college party, they had seen the whole thing and things got a little crazy," Patty told them- she was excited and exhausted in equal measure.
"In other exciting news, Erin slept with Phil," Holtz said without even looking up. Erin fell over her words and looked at her hung-over friends.
"You slept with him!" Abby gasped.
"Uh uh, nope," Patty said, she held up her hands and shook her head.
"I didn't sleep with him..." she mumbled.
"But you thought about it." Suddenly Erin was feeling flushed, heart beating fast and she felt all clammy.
"Jeez, Erin it's okay I know all you did was accept flowers..." Holtz said getting up and embracing Erin in a hug. Erin relaxed slightly into the shorter woman's shoulders. She wondered how Holtz always sussed her out so easily.
"I accepted a date proposition too..." Abby rolled her eyes.
"Do you want me to tell you all the reasons why this is a bad idea?" Abby asked quietly as she took Erin off to the side. Up until then it had been light hearted banter, Erin felt a little uncomfortable sure, but Abby was concerned. Phil wasn't a good guy.
"He wasn't nice to you Erin, he left you when things went a little off path, he didn't believe you, he made you feel this big!" Abby held up her thumb and next finger and made the smallest shape she could. This wasn't news to Erin, she knew all this. But that couldn't stop her looking forward to the evening.
...
Phil waited for her outside of the firehouse, he offered her his arm and Erin gladly took it. She always liked it when he would do old timey stuff. They walked into the restaurant they always used to go too, the owner smiled when he saw Erin.
"Miss Gilbert, your back!" he announced, he hugged her gently and guided the couple over to the best table. Phil pulled a chair out and pushed Erin in. He sat across from her and smiled. The owner came back over and took their order. Phil ordered for the pair of them. Erin stuttered a little as she kind of wanted the pizza Holtz had shown her but Phil had ordered their old usual of pasta. When the food came she tried to push it to the back of her mind and thanked Phil for making a good choice.
After dinner, Phil walked her back to her apartment. He linked his hand around Erin's waist and held her close to her, which if anything just made it kind of difficult to walk. Suddenly a young boy and his father passed them on the street.
"Dad! Dad! It's a Ghostbuster, Dad!" he shouted. Erin spun around and smiled at the boy.
"Can I say hi?" the boy asked. The father shot a look at Erin, Erin peeled herself away from Phil and knelt down in front of the boy.
"Hi," she whispered as she took his hand.
"Hi...my name is Milo," he said.
"I'm Erin," she said quietly.
"I think you're really cool," he told her. Then he flung himself at her and hugged her tightly. Erin fell backwards onto the pavement and hugged him back. His father snapped a few photos and proceeded to tell her about the night the barrier broke.
"Milo wouldn't go to sleep, we have a flat really near where the main battle took place, he watched the whole thing!"
"Yeah, we best get going," said Phil. He put his hand under Erin's armpit and pulled her up. She managed to say a goodbye to Milo and his Dad before Phil dragged her away.
"You're welcome babe," he said once they turned the corner. Erin frowned.
"That must get annoying," he assumed.
"No...not...-"
"So are you going to invite me in?" Phil asked, they had reached Erin's apartment door. He gently pushed Erin up against the door and kissed her.
"I've got work early in the morning, so maybe another time?" Erin said meekly. Phil took a step back, he looked a little hurt. He quickly changed his expression, smiled again and kissed her again. Erin shut the door behind him and sighed. Suddenly, her phone started to ring, it was Holtz.
"Holtz," she said as she began to climb the stairs up to her flat.
"Okay tell me everything!"