Hi everyone, this chapter was fabulously written by That-Hamster-Wheel and BlueBlood82. I had to have hand/wrist surgery for a injury that I sustained during the middle of my season. I asked if they could guest write a chapter for me since I am currently down to one hand. I hope you all love the chapter. I am stoked for you guys to read it, as always I love reviews!
Jamie rolled out of bed one Saturday morning to the rich smell of coffee. Eddie had worked later than him but was still up and making their morning cup of joe. She was such a blessing to him and to the entire family really.
He got up, pulled on a tee shirt and padded to the kitchen. Eddie gave him a mock glare. "You have totally been holding out on me, Reagan," Eddie declared. "We live literally in walking distance from Chinatown one of the best culinary experiences in New York and we have never gone there?"
Jamie shrugged, "We get take out from Hop Sing's like five times a week," he pointed out.
"So, that is not the Chinatown experience, Reagan, You need to give me the Chinatown experience. " Eddie cozied up to him. "Come on, we're off today, it's perfect weather, there's even a place the does dim sum tonight. "
Jamie playfully feigned annoyance. He knew she had a rough week so he agreed. He stretched his arms over his head. "Oh okay, I guess we can go to Chinatown." Jamie pulled his arm around to stretch.
"That shoulder bothering you again?" Eddie asked. She walked over and started to rub his shoulder gently. "My hip is still really sore, hey, what if we got a couple's massage first? Then we can walk and get lunch, I want to get a silk coin purse."
"Okay, okay, down girl," Jamie laughed. "You go get showered and I will make us an appointment." Jamie couldn't resist kissing her on the lips before letting her go get dressed.
They left in matching NYPD sweatshirts, jeans, and sneakers. Jamie took Eddie's hand and kissed it before walking around the street. It was about three blocks to Chinatown proper. They had couple's massage appointments at 11 am. Eddie was not really one for getting massages or even pedicures. She didn't like people messing with her body parts but there was an element of romance to having a massage with the person you loved by your side.
Jamie checked them in and they waited to be taken back to their room. The parlor smelled like vanilla, menthol, and oatmeal. The music they were playing was traditional Chinese. Eddie leaned into Jamie's side until they were called.
They each undressed and laid on the side by side tables. The masseuses came in and found their clients waiting. They instructed them to start face up.
As the massage began Jamie shut his eyes. He wished it were Eddie's hands running over his back and shoulders. This was a bonding experience, though, time to be together and enjoy each other.
Jamie was jolted out of his thoughts when the therapist hit a sore spot. He hissed in pain and bit down. Eddie turned her head quickly in concern,
"You need to get that checked by a doctor," she said firmly. "Old injury or not I don't like that it's flared up."
"I know honey, it's okay they'll get the knot out and I'll feel better. Don't get worried about it, you are right this is our day to have fun." Jamie reached his hand across the gap between the tables and caught Eddie's hand. He squeezed it gently and met her blue eyes.
They communicated with their eyes how much they loved each other. Jamie was never happier with his decision to ask Eddie to marry him or happier that she said yes. It was the small things like this, which made their relationship great and made it special. "What are you thinking about?" Eddie asked watching his eyes glisten.
"How lucky I am," he replied. "How lucky we are to have found each other and to have realized that we loved one another. We wasted time but now… everything is right. It's all right."
Eddie felt herself tear up. "Jamie…"
He knew how to make her heart flutter. He was the most romantic and sweet boyfriend she ever had, to have him as her fiancé was sometimes still unbelievable.
The masseuse working on Eddie told her to turn over and she worked on her hip. It was Eddie's turn to hiss. "Did you fall?" The masseuse asked.
"Yes, I got wacked with a pole," Eddie replied. "It will heal…" They both took their fair share of punishment from their job.
The masseuse lessened the pressure a bit and working with a softer touch to remove the tension, "You do it too," The masseuse told Jamie. "It's good for you, massage. Make your girl happy. Take care your pretty girl, and she will take care of you." Eddie felt her entire body blush, "She takes excellent care of me." There was a hint of desire, a dash longing, and heaping cup of love in his voice.
"When I broke my leg, she and my sister took such good care of me."
Eddie smiled at him, "That's what partners do." She looked at him as he relaxed into the touch of his masseuse, she was glad that he was getting some relief. It would only make the rest of their day better.
The rest of the hour went by quickly. When they stood up Eddie was unsteady on her feet. Jamie grabbed a glass of water and handed it to her. "Drink a little, massages can sometimes stirs up toxins in your body. If you drink some, it will help."
Eddie took the cup, "No, it's just that they worked on my legs so much, they feel like jelly. It feels good though."
They still had not put their clothes on all the way. Jamie pulled her close to him and stroked her back, the skin was soft and slick from the massage oil. "You sure you don't want to just go home and…" He kissed her neck. "Spend quality time…" He kissed down her throat while running his hands through her hair, his blood pressure up from the stimulation of the massage and having Eddie so close to him.
"In the house." Eddie relished in his kisses and ran her nails lightly over his back, "There's time for that later," she replied. "There is always time for that. I'm getting hungry." She meant that in more ways than one but her growling stomach made him laugh.
"Okay, let's feed you." Jamie replied as he started to redress.
He put their session on his bank card then took Eddie under his arm instead of by the hand. They found their favorite take out place and ordered some lunch. They sat on a bench and people watched. "You know usually when I am on a New York City bench people watching like this it's for bingo bags," Eddie laughed.
"Remember that one crazy lady that wanted to save the stuff in the bag of when the world ended…we get some really interesting perps doing that…." She noticed Jamie had shut down.
"Jamie?" she reached over and touched his arm. "Jamie, what is it, lambchop?"
He took a breath, "You see that alley there? When Joe died and I joined up, the day of my graduation I was approached by the FBI, to pick up where he left off infiltrating and exposing the Blue Templar. I was hesitant, I didn't even understand all the way what that was."
Eddie rubbed his arm up and down, "You were greener than grass then, of course you didn't."
"A few months later," Jamie continued his voice stoic and even, "I was walking through here, and met one of the agents in that alley. Not long after I witnessed a male Asian assaulting a young Chinese woman. I chased him down, identified myself, he was hit by a car. My first IA investigation…It was so hard, I was exonerated but it was so much stress on top of still grieving for my brother and breaking up with Syd."
"Hold on, she broke up with you in the middle of the IA investigation that was really low." Eddie didn't like Sydney for hurting Jamie to begin with but now that she learned she had essentially abandoned him in a very difficult time of his life she felt anger all over again.
"She tried her best, I shut her out. I guess I knew we weren't going to make it and I started protecting myself. I lost my mom and Joe inside a couple years, I didn't think I could handle losing someone else without some kind of armor so I started building walls. I guess she got tired of busting them down." Jamie's voice still had the far away, husky quality to it. It pulled at Eddie's heart strings.
"Jamie, look at me." She turned his head so he was looking her in the eye. "I promise you if you build any walls with me, I will hammer them for eternity if it means being able to help you. I love you so much."
Jamie tilted his head and kissed Eddie softly. "I love you too Eddie."
"Are you going to be okay?" Eddie asked him. "Do you want to go?"
Jamie shook his head, "No, I just remember Joe a lot when I come around here. I remember the meeting and it brings back memories of him. It's time to make memories with you."
"I want to make memories with you too Jamie!" Eddie exclaimed. "I want to make so many wonderful memories, that you won't have time to be sad." Eddie said with a smile.
They finished their lunches and chatted more about Chinatown before moving on to shopping. Eddie had wanted to buy a nice silk coinpurse and they decided to go looking for one. It didn't take long before they found a lady selling beautiful coinpurses. Eddie found one she liked in blue with bamboo on it.
"Jamie I am going to buy this one." Eddie said and pulled out some money from her wallet to buy it. She was so happy with her purchase and so in love with the design and color.
"It's really pretty Eddie. You have great taste." Jamie complimented with a smile.
The pair kept browsing until they found another booth that sold fashion scarves. Eddie wasn't sure but browsed anyways. Jamie spotted one he liked that was an Aztec pattern in brown and pale tan. (Link: /listing/196861696/aztec-tribal-print-large-light-beach?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=aztec%20print%20scarf%20brown&ref=sr_gallery_29#)
He caught Eddie by surprise when he looped the scarf around her neck. She turned to look in a mirror at the stand and admired Jamie's choice. It was simple but beautiful. "I know you so well, that you only buy things you can use in multiple places. This is my treat to you because you look so beautiful in it and also because it will go well with many things in your wardrobe." Jamie commented.
"I love it but are you sure? I can buy my own things." Eddie said hurriedly.
"You deserve nice things Eddie and I want to buy them for you." Jamie insisted. He pulled out cash and paid for the fashion scarf.
The scarf sort of went with outfit so she kept it on. They walked hand in hand a little more before stopping at a tea booth. "Want to get some tea lambchop?" Eddie asked.
"They don't have Joe's favorite vanilla and cinnamon tea here but the polish deli has it. Remind me to take you. Let's get some relaxing oolong and maybe some peach tea. They sell the best here. " Jamie said.
They pay for the tea and then keep walking for a while. Another booth sells braided leather bracelets. Eddie buys one in Jamie's size and one in hers and places Jamie's on his wrist. She puts her on and proudly declares "Now we can be matching even at work." happily.
They start getting hungry again and it is close to 5pm. They make the trek back to Hop Sing's and wait for a table once inside. The wait was only 5 minutes before being seated at a table for two. The waitress brought them water and asked what they wanted to order. "Can we have a dim-sum order sheet?" Jamie asked.
"Here you go, just give them the sheet to mark when you take something from the carts." The waitress replied.
The first cart came a few minutes later. They ordered shrimp dumplings and pork dumplings. The person marked their card and they started eating. Eddie dipped a dumpling in red vinegar and ate it in one bite. Jamie did the same thing and are it in one bite too. "These pork dumplings are so tasty." Eddie commented.
"I like the shrimp ones better. But they are both good." Jamie said.
The next cart came a few minutes later and they took some stir fried noodles and fried taro dumplings. They also took some long rice noodles filled with mushrooms and drizzled in sweet soy sauce. They stated eating and then another cart came with deep fried squid legs. They ordered some and got the hot sauce to dip them in. They started eating and enjoyed all the different things. "Taro dumplings are Joe's favorite. Try one!" Jamie said.
Eddie tried one and she loved it. "This is really good Jamie. Try some of the rice noodle with mushroom." Eddie commented.
Jamie tried the rice noodle and really liked it. "Everything is so good." Jamie said.
"Yes it is." Eddie offered after a bite of squid leg.
They got a plate of simple fried rice and started eating that. Everything was finished off really fast and Eddie was so full after. Jamie managed to eat more dumplings than Eddie which was a surprise to both of them. "Wow you ate even more dumplings than me!" Eddie exclaimed.
"That was surprising because normally you always eat more then me." Jamie said with a chuckle.
They went to the front and paid for their bill and then they left for their walk home.
The sky was clear that night and they were able to get a glance at a few of the stars that were too often hidden by clouds and the city lights. Eddie stopped and started to trace them with her finger. "What are you doing?"
"Spelling our names in the stars, I bet we could do it really well if we went to the country for a weekend or something like that. Maybe we can do that in the fall before it get too cold for a picnic in the middle of nowhere."
Jamie smiled at her as one of the stars, or perhaps it was an airplane, but he didn't care, started to shoot out of the sky. "Quick, Eddie, make a wish." He shut his eyes to wish but felt her gaze fixated on him.
"Why didn't you wish? Even if it wasn't a shooting star…" Eddie stopped him with a kiss.
"I don't need to wish, I already have everything I could ever want right here."
