Chapter 7
I slam my car door shut and nervously make my way through the car park. I don't know why I'm feeling so nervous, it's not like I haven't done this countless times before. Except this time it is different. At one point I didn't think I'd ever return, but here I am back at work and despite the nerves it feels good.
I walk through the door and enter the precinct. Much to my embarrassment I'm met with clapping and cheering from my colleagues as they welcome me back like a hero. I suddenly feel self-conscious as I walk along the corridor in my full dress uniform. It's with relief that I see the familiar face of Jim Brass, smiling at me from the doorway of his office.
"Welcome back Detective," he says as he ushers me into his sanctuary.
"Good to be back," I say.
"So, how are you feeling?" he asks.
"I just want to get back to normal," I reply.
"That's understandable. Well, it's good to have you back. Look, you're not going to like this but you'll be stuck on desk duty until the Department are satisfied that you can go back into the field."
"Yeah you're right, I don't like it, but I understand," I say.
Truth is, I don't mind that much, I think it's better to ease into things first.
"Okay, go get changed, quite a caseload has built up since you've been gone," Jim winks.
I make my way over to the locker room. I'm relieved to find it's empty despite the recent shift switchover. I arrive at my locker and unlock it. It's exactly as I left it; a photo stuck to the inside door of me as a kid with my parents on vacation, a spare outfit including shoes neatly folded on the bottom shelf, various cosmetics and a hair brush on the top shelf. One by one I pick up each item and slowly study them, trying to remember the last time I used them. Eventually I begin to change out of my uniform into the familiar gray slacks and blue button-down shirt. It's good to be back. I smile to myself.
I open the door to the women's locker room and take a peek inside. I quickly see that it's empty except for her. I enter and gently close the door behind me. Leaning against it now I stand there motionless taking in the view. Sofia is standing at her locker in full dress uniform. It's her first day back at work and she's fresh from an award ceremony at City Hall in her honor. The city awarded her with the medal of valor for her actions that day at the Fischer scene. She saved my life and nearly lost hers in return. I didn't think it was possible but that act of utter selflessness has made me love her more than ever. The past few months have been filled with worry, heartbreak, relief, frustration, hope, despair, happiness. It took a strange twist of fate to bring us together and the time spent by her hospital bed has been one of the most enriching experiences of my life. We explored every facet of each other's being, we've gotten to know each other like no-one else and despite all that she still wants to be with me! So here I am, standing in the women's locker room, watching her get ready for her first day back at work. I take in the sight of her in her uniform, she looks beautiful with her hair gathered up in a bun. She removes her jacket and shirt and I can see her toned muscles ripple as she bends and flexes to remove her uniform pants. I draw my breath at the sight, her body is amazing, so beautiful. I can see a small scar near her left shoulder blade where the first bullet hit. It's still quite pink but is healing nicely. I study her bronzed skin, toned legs, her slender but curvy frame. Although her back is facing me my pulse quickens as I take in her full beauty.
I stand there for a few more moments, silently watching her as she lets her hair out of her bun, brushes it through and puts on her work shirt before eventually announcing my presence by clearing my throat. She swivels round suddenly, initially startled by my presence. But her look of surprise is quickly replaced by a broad smile when she registers that it's me.
"Hey Honey!" she says.
"Hey yourself!" I reply grinning. "How are they treating you so far?"
"Oh fine. It's a little weird being back, but it's great too. I'm just looking forward to getting settled back in at my desk."
"Confined to desk duty, huh? Oh well, I guess that was to be expected. I'm sure you'll be back on the streets in no time."
Nick closes the gap between us as we talk until he's standing beside me. I have turned around so that I'm facing him now. Nick places one hand behind my head and the other hand round the small of my back and pulls me in for a long, slow kiss. I reciprocate, allowing a small moan to escape from my lips and I can feel him grin through the kiss. After a while he breaks off and looks deep into my eyes. Then he shifts his gaze to the scar on my shoulder. He asks for permission with his eyes and I agree with a small nod. Gently Nick slips my bra strap off my shoulder and kisses the scar left by the bullet wound. I tremble under his touch and my pulse quickens. He continues to caress my scar with butterfly kisses for a few more moments. Then he begins to move down my abdomen until he reaches my second wound. It receives the same treatment. The effect is overwhelming, my breath catches and my legs weaken. I'm powerless against his touch, he could do anything to me right now and I'd have no defense. He continues to focus his attention on my lower abdomen for several more minutes. I'm disappointed when he suddenly breaks off and stands up once more to meet my gaze.
"Did I ever thank you?" he asks huskily.
"No," I reply, my voice hoarse.
"Tonite. I'll pick you up at seven."
Grinning he turns around and walks out of the room leaving me hot and breathless.
I spend the rest of the day burying myself in my work, vainly attempting to push down the fire burning inside me. My mind keeps drifting back to this morning and I can't hide my smile. Eventually I catch myself in my dreamworld and I shake my head to bring myself back to reality. Focussing again I decide to read through my statement of the investigation into my shooting. The two men were picked up in the derelict apartment block behind the scene and I identified them from my hospital bed using mug shots. I wasn't able to attend their trial due to my injuries but it was a pretty open and shut case and they received jail terms of 24 and 32 years without parole. There was also the matter of my shooting of one of the suspects. While in hospital I endured hours of questioning by IA investigators but my testimony was backed up by the evidence and it didn't take long for them to conclude that it was a good shooting. Finally with a satisfied smile I close the data pack and file it away for the last time.
The rest of the day is filled with checking up details from suspect statements of other case files, dates and times, alibis, phone records. It's tedious but it just about keeps me distracted from my impending date.
"Stupid idea Stokes, you should've stuck with the casual look," I mumble to myself as I catch my reflection in a nearby darkened window outside Sofia's complex. Reaching her apartment door I pause to adjust my collar. I'm surprised with how nervous I feel and I'm suddenly very uncomfortable in my sports coat. I'm usually so confident with women, but this time it's different. I guess this must be the Curtis Effect!
Shrugging off my doubts I knock on the door. I hear movement on the other side before it eventually opens and I'm rewarded with the most beautiful sight in the world. Sofia looks radiant in a red sweetheart shaped, knee length dress, matching red heels, hair long and straight with pearl-drop earrings. But even better than that is her warm smile. I can feel the fire growing deep inside me and forgetting my nerves I step through the threshold and grab her in a long, passionate kiss. Her lips part invitingly and I explore the inside of her mouth with my tongue. Very soon my body is aching for more. I close the door behind me with my foot, pick Sofia up turn her around and roughly push her up against the inside of the door. I continue kissing her and she moans with pleasure as my hands explore her body over the outside of her dress. Her moans send me into overdrive and growling I scoop Sofia up into my arms to move her towards the bedroom. Our urgent need threatens to overtake us before we reach our destination, as clothes are shed, bodies crashing together, we hardly notice as we knock against a lamp table, smashing the lamp into small pieces. We ignore it, completely wrapped up in each other. When we eventually reach the bedroom we are naked, breathing heavily, consumed by desire. We spend the next few hours in deep pleasure.
Afterwards my body is spent and I drift into a contented sleep. When I eventually stir, I wake up slowly, taking my time to relive the last few hours, remembering how I felt when Nick kissed me, touched me, pleasured me. My pulse quickens as those feeling stir inside me again and I stretch out my arm to find him. But he's not there, he's gone. My eyes shoot open and I survey the room, hoping that he's still here somewhere, but he's not. Feeling a surge of panic, my mind starts to wonder what happened. Did I do something wrong? Slipping on my dressing gown I make my way out of the bedroom into my open plan apartment. I'm relieved to find Nick pottering in the kitchen, food smells wafting from the galley.
"Hey darlin', you sleep okay?" he asks. "I got some take-out, it was the least I could do since I didn't actually take you to dinner." His brazen smirk makes my cheeks burn.
He serves up dinner and we eat it hungrily. Afterwards we make our way back to the bedroom and spend the rest of the night making love. We spend the following morning relaxing together. As I clean up our coffee mugs I look back towards the living area, watching Nick as he sits there reading the morning papers. I feel like I'm living in a parallel universe, I never could have believed I'd actually be living my dreams.
"Hey Nick, did I ever thank you?" I ask suddenly.
Putting down the papers Nick looks up confused and asks, 'What for Sof?"
"I may well have saved your life, but you saved mine too."
THE END
