"Hey, " Jamie greeted the desk officer as he handed over a form barely heard over other conversations. Officers walked past the desk talking in low whispers so not to be overheard by their new sergeant. The desk officer handed Jamie back his paper with a signature and slight nod.
Quietly giving his thanks Jamie started back to his office looking around his new precinct, a definite change from the 12th. Though lots of officers milled the hallway to transport perps or coming back from finishing their own paperwork not one even glanced Jamie.
He let out a breath hoping the dynamics would change like at the 12th where officers had at least respect for their bosses.
He turned into an open office occupied by higher ranking officers, captains, lieutenants and other sergeants going straight to the desk. "Here you go boss," Jamie handed over the paper to his boss with a smile.
"Hey Reagan you have a visitor and she's very pretty," Sergeant Luke Yoi walked up behind him, placing a hand over his shoulder with a folder. "She's right outside the door waiting for you."
Jamie turned towards the door mumbling a thanks under his breath on his way to meet Eddie with a deep breath. Although he was always happy to see her coming in and possibly risking others finding out when was already not very popular it might make the officers turn on Eddie"Hey, sorry it's really busy. What brings you down here I wasn't expecting you."
They walked down only several steps to an empty room so they could talk privately. "Yeah, I wanted to surprise you since after today you work midnights for awhile and may not see each other a lot. Plus I brought egg plant parm from our place in the old neighborhood."
"Thanks Eddie," Jamie took the bag from her , looking inside immediately filled with the scent of freshly baked eggplant with melted cheese.
Eddie studied him, taking a seat in an empty chair looking up at him. "So how is everything going here? You doing okay, adjusting and everything?"
"Yeah, just busy you know how it is here much different than the 12th. "
A knock tapping the window forced Jamie to quickly away from Eddie silently relieved for the interruption. He waved the officer he'd called in for a chat and looked at Eddie.
"I should let you go. Thank you for understanding sir I will remember that." Smiling, she passed him side gazing the officer on her way by letting Jamie get back to work.
The next few days brought more chaos with Jamie working midnights and Eddie on morning duty making it hard for them to spend time together other then a few hours cuddling together while they slept. In order to see her Jamie would wake up at five with her allowing some time together.
Their heads rested against each other while catching their breaths entangled in each other's arms. "Be safe out there today," Jamie broke the silence, his breath hot and musky.
"Yes sir," Eddie moved her head back to give him a smile finding him staring intently back. "Jamie, relax I'll be fine. Besides the fact I'm a good cop you taught me well. You are working a mid night so be careful sergeant the area isn't safe."
He breathed out, dropping his hands from around her quietly "I will. You have a tour soon I'll make breakfast and coffee so you won't be late. Don't want you to get a black mark for lateness. " He rolled over heading into the kitchen to make coffee with breakfast. They sat at the table quietly eating looking across at each other.
"So I did some research and there are a few houses in the area that are up for sale. Do you know how long you'll be on midnight tour," Eddie said then took a bite of egg off her fork.
"Whenever the bad guys get a nine to five job," Jamie gave a smile with his hand curled around the coffee cup. "Think I'm off on Thursday we can go check it out and find out what they're asking for it if you don't tour."
Her blue eyes sparkled at him in amusement, "You know whether or not I have tour boss. If I do can I ask for a personal day?"
"Maybe if you ask nicely," Jamie returned smirking back. "So we can check out the house then maybe stop for lunch after since we both have off. It's been really chaotic lately having different schedules ."
She finished quickly having time to change, say goodbye to Jamie and head over to the 2-9 for tour. Unable to fall back asleep Jamie washed the breakfast dishes and sat down at the table with his cold cup of coffee staring at the empty chair across from him.
He worked around the house while able to stopping anytime his phone vibrated with a message. He smiled at the last one from Eddie, Hey, so I was thinking are you up for a game of mini golf on Thursday after house hunting on Thursday, the one by the water?
His fingers quickly typed a response, Yeah definitely up for it. How's tour going so far? He set the phone down to continue folding laundry waiting for her response. When time passed without hearing back from her Jamie checked every couple of minutes holding his breath hoping she would write back.
Although he worked a midnight Jamie went in early to pick up paperwork hoping to catch Eddie for dinner at the end of her tour. "Hey Sarg," Jamie greeted the desk sergeant briefly pausing to take the files he needed for the reports. "How's it going today, been busy?"
Sergeant Robyn Sanchez looked up above her square glasses at him shrugging her shoulders. "It's always busy Reagan, you'll see soon enough. Thought you were on mid night tour?"
"I am wanted to grab some papers and have dinner up here before. I wanted to ask how are the officers I brought in from the 12th doing? I know Officer Janko and Morales are on tour today from the morning."
"Oh yeah Morales is a good cop with a good attitude he's really going to be a great cop here especially for the younger ones. Janko she's tough as they come. Already brought in a felony collar, got a gun off the street and stopped a domestic," Sanchez smiled approvingly.
"You just missed them they finished up processing their collars and went back out."
Papers in hand Jamie went into his office putting his phone on the desk while starting some paperwork that was never finished. Officer's conversations leaked in from the open door through his open door allowing him to hear any news from the streets.
He worked quietly with short breaks in between to hand in forms and check whether Eddie returned as her tour finished. "Hey Sarg do me a favor when Officer Janko returns tell her to come into my office please."
Sighing, he searched the hallway ignoring officers looking away from him all the way back to his office
He plopped back in his chair trying to focus but his eyes wouldn't leave the silent phone on the desk next to him. A knock on his window made Jamie jump a mile nearly knocking the chair over. When he looked up his heart jumped five beats seeing Eddie waiting outside the office door. "You wanted to see me Sergeant?"
"Yeah, come in Officer," Jamie collected himself, getting to his feet. He looked around voice dropped, "I left you messages Eddie why didn't you reply? I thought something happened on patrol."
"It was busy and I didn't get a chance sorry. Hey, I didn't mean to scare you but you know how it is and this neighborhood is busier then the 12th. I thought you were working a midnight tonight it's only five thirty."
Jamie blinked his eyes at her, dull with relief she was safe. "I am but I was worried so I came here hoping that if it did I would hear faster. Want to meet for dinner before I go on tour tonight? There's a dinner up on 23rd that's really good and I know you must be starving."
"Yeah, let me change and I'll meet you in half an hour." Eddie gave a smile slyly walking to the woman's locker room. Chuckling under his breath Jamie sat in the chair able to relax and finish the paperwork knowing Eddie would take longer then a half hour.
Forty five minutes later they sat across from each other eating Eddie a cheeseburger and Jamie a chicken salad, ignoring Eddie's faces at the rabbit food. "So, I ran into Morales today and he's surprised at how the precinct is."
"Yeah it gets really busy but he'll get used to it, it just takes time to adjust coming from another precinct. How about you, are you adjusting okay?"
Eddie's eyes dropped to her plate, stabbing a fry into the ketchup on the side. "Yeah, I'm fine Jamie."
He dropped the fork and reached over holding her hand with the engagement ring facing him eyeing her. "Ugh it's like dating a lie detector," Eddie pulled her hand away picking up the fry he made her drop out of the ketchup.
"More like your engaged to a lie detector. Eddie, are you adjusting okay? Is anyone giving you a hard time?"
Before she answered Eddie put the fry in her mouth buying time before having to give the truth. "Like you said it's adjustment but I think I'm doing okay. A few guys have said stuff to me but nothing that I can't handle."
"Saying stuff like what? Do you know the guys who are razzing you Eddie, their names and shield numbers?"
"No, Jamie just drop it okay? I can handle myself it's nothing really that's why I didn't want to say anything to you."
The conversation changed quickly to other matters Jamie only hoping this would be the last time this conversation would happen. They hung out until Jamie had tour parting ways after Eddie promised she'd text once she got inside.
Night roll call followed the same as day, safety check, assignments and going over what happened last tour with news officers should look out for. Tonight he had papers to finish before rolling around the neighborhood on patrol too silently praying for a quiet night.