Chapter 2
She wasn't exactly surprised to see him waiting for her. If she really admitted it, she gave him a key two weeks ago just hoping for days like this. Days when she needed help getting over nights like tonight. She didn't respond right away… but she instantly felt safe. This had to be what Traci and Oliver meant when they talked about 'having someone to come home to." It did make a difference. Somehow everything, the job, the stress, the danger, it all seemed worth it. She never got it with Luke, but now, standing here in her living room, looking at him, it just felt right.
"Normal" was the first response that came to her mind.
"Normal? You call having a gun fired at your girlfriend normal? That's not the 'normal' I had in mind." There was tension in Sam's voice…not anger, but concern.
Andy slipped out from under his arms and made her way to the kitchen. She dropped her bag on the floor, walked to the fridge and pulled out two beers. This may take a while. "We talked about this. I'm not your girlfriend when I'm on the job. Heck, I'm not even your partner. I'm just another copper from 15."
He stood, looking at her from across the bar, shaking his head. Man, could she frustrate the hell out of him, but he was willing to put up with it because it was so much better than sitting at home alone wondering what she was doing when she wasn't with him.
"I know we said that and I was just fine with that agreement. In fact I think I was doing a pretty damn good job… until I heard the gun go off with you in the room and no radio contact…which by the way, was not cool."
Andy walked back into the room…handed him the beer and continued. "Sorry but the man was freaking out." Sam sat down on the couch but Andy walked right past him and into the bedroom. He had this puzzled look on his face as if he wasn't quite sure if she was going to return. She changed into a t-shirt and yoga pants and picked up where she left off as she returned to the room. He should know better. Andy McNally never just let things go. She continued, "The last thing I needed was cops talking back and forth on the radio. Besides, Oliver was right outside the door."
"McNally…"
And with that, she'd had enough. After all, this 'bringing the job home with you' was precisely the reason why it took them two years to get to this point. She walked over, grabbed his beer, put it down on the table and straddled his lap, never breaking eye contact. "Remember that agreement?"
"Yeah…" he responded, not sure of where she was taking this.
"Well if we keep talking about work, then then I'm going to remain McNally (she mocked his tone in his use of her last name) your very-capable (she added with a smirk) co-worker and you will remain my bad ass former T.O. who can't just admit that I did a great job today saving that guy and his family."
"But," she leaned in for emphasis, stopping just short of his lips, "if you drop it, then I can be Andy, your incredibly hot girlfriend…" she paused, then leaned in to whisper in his ear, lightly grazing the lobe, "who is just about to take a long hot shower…" then she moved to the other ear, whispering, teasing, "and slide into her nice warm bed…..naked."
And just like that the conversation was over. Sam sat there, mouth open, silent, stunned. His first thought was, he was an idiot. How many times did he climb into his truck after one of their shifts together, just wishing they were heading home together for a moment like this, and instead of lying in bed enjoying every inch of her and making up for lost time, he was talking about work. No wonder she almost married Callahan. I'll bet he didn't spend time at the fishing cabin talking about some stupid case.
Andy couldn't quite read his expression, but just then he looked up at her. She recognized that look. It was the same one he gave her the night she followed him to his cover apartment…when she so politely refused his offer of a cab back to the station.
She knew he wasn't leaving, but she couldn't refuse one more jab. She stopped just short of his lips, and whispered, "Now who's overthinking?"