Chapter 9: Eric
Your lips are still burning when you pull into your parking space at the crime lab. You desperately want to kiss her again, but ever since the two of you left the bus station, she had seemed distant and preoccupied, so you had tried to give her some space. But you know that being distant is her way of covering up her nervousness, so you stop yourself from touching her more than what you deem absolutely necessary. You had been disappointed when she revealed that she wouldn't be staying at your apartment, but you grudgingly admit to yourself that it's for the best. You're not ready for that, for the implications of sleeping in the same apartment, because you know that inevitably, you wouldn't be able to stop yourself from moving to the bed if you take the couch, or the couch if you take the bed. You need this to be slow.
Standing just outside the Miami-Dade crime lab, Calleigh looks up at the building with an unreadable look on her face.
"Hey, you okay?" you ask, studying her carefully.
She nods, but reveals nothing. "Yeah. Let's go," she replies, her voice jammed in neutral.
You walk beside her, up the steps and through the door, into a building that over ten years, you have grown to love. Little has changed here in the past four, and you can tell that Calleigh recognizes her surroundings. You sense her uncertainty, so you give her a minute to compose herself.
The receptionist behind the counter notices you and smiles. "Officer Palmero, right?"
Even though you do not need to clear reception, you take a few steps toward her, and Calleigh follows. "No, Delko," you reply.
"Oh." She flips absentmindedly though a package of papers and turns to Calleigh. "I haven't seen you before."
"Calleigh Duquesne, Boston crime lab." She pulls out her badge, which she apparently hasn't returned yet, and shows it to her.
"Okay, here," the receptionist says, handing her a stack of papers. "Fill out this form so I can give you a temporary visitor's pass."
Calleigh gives you a strange look. You turn back to the receptionist. "She's a CSI," you say. When the girl stares dumbly at you, you sigh. "So she doesn't need a visitor's pass," you explain slowly.
"Are you sure about that?" she asks, fumbling through her documents, no doubt for a handbook.
"Yes," you reply impatiently, pulling Calleigh toward the elevators.
"Where on Earth do they find these people?" she asks once the two of you are no longer within earshot.
"I don't know." You smile. "She's new," you supply.
"Yeah, I figured that much," she replies with a soft chuckle.
Once in the elevator, Calleigh smiles at you. "So does this Palmero look anything like you?" she asks softly.
"I don't know," you reply with a short laugh. "I've never met him before. Probably works patrol."
"Well," she whispers, leaning in slightly, "if he looks anything like you, I'd be worried."
Her suggestive tone sends shivers down your spine. "Yeah? Why's that?" you manage, feeling your pulse quicken.
She smiles, but says nothing, which only gives way to your imagination.
Fortunately, the elevator reaches the second floor, and the two of you step out. Before you take two steps, however, a voice calls out to her.
"Calleigh."
She turns to the voice, and you follow her gaze. Horatio is standing a few feet away. The two of you approach him, and he acknowledges you with a nod.
"Eric," he greets.
"H," you reply.
Horatio turns back to Calleigh and smiles. "Welcome back."
"Thank you," she replies, smiling back.
"I don't mean to turn this reunion into a matter of business, but I spoke to your superior in Boston, and she tells me you resigned." Horatio looks at Calleigh expectantly.
"Yeah," she replies, nodding. You sense her hesitation. "I'm thinking of moving back here."
"Well, you know," he says slowly, "this lab always welcomes your services."
At that, she smiles, but her smile disappears quickly when she realizes that she's been here before. "What about—" She trails off and glances at you.
Horatio seems to understand. "You know what? Life is too short to waste time away from loved ones. Don't you agree?"
"What changed?" you demand, speaking a little too loudly. Horatio and Calleigh turn to look at you, neither looking surprise at your outburst, only uncomfortable. "Between now and four years ago?" you clarify, lowering your voice.
"I saw the effects first-hand," he replies simply, looking at you.
That angers you, for a million different reasons, but before you can say anything, Natalia notices Calleigh as she passes by the three of you, and her eyes widen.
"Calleigh?" she asks, her voice a squeak.
Calleigh smiles and approaches Natalia, who envelopes her in a warm hug. The two women become occupied with their own conversation, so you take this moment to speak to Horatio alone.
"I don't mean to be disrespectful, but why didn't you say something about this earlier? Why didn't you tell me you were okay with—" You swallow. "—us," you hiss.
"I—" He looks down and smiles tightly. "I was trying to protect you," he replies, looking up again.
"From what?" you ask, unable to keep the edge out of your voice.
"It was my understanding that Calleigh had moved on," he replies simply, too simply, and you can't help but think that he's acting too nonchalant about this.
"You kept in touch with her?" you ask incredulously.
"No, with her superior," he replies, "and she was convinced that Calleigh was doing well."
"I think that Calleigh should've been the only one who could attest to that," you snap, not caring that he's your boss and that you'll probably regret this later.
Horatio takes a moment to respond. "You know what?" he says softly. "I agree, and I hope you will accept my sincerest apologies."
His apology softens you up and you run your fingers through your hair. "Yeah, I'm just glad she's here," you reply with a tired sigh.
"Okay," he says with a nod, "uh, Eric, I spoke to IAB."
"And?"
Horatio swallows. "And I don't think you're going to be able to avoid probation, but if we play our cards right, you'll only have to stay out of the field for a week or two," he replies, a little regretfully.
You look away and inhale sharply, but he's not finished.
"Here's what we're going to do," Horatio says. "Stetler will want to talk to you. Wait until I'm around before getting into an interrogation room with him. But when he does ask, answer honestly. I will cover the rest, okay, Eric?"
You nod and before you can truly grasp the severity of the situation, Calleigh reappears at your side. She notices your discomfort and looks at you questioningly, but Horatio clears his throat.
"Calleigh, so how about changing your resignation into a transfer?" he asks, trying to divert her immediate attention away from you.
She looks away from you reluctantly and smiles. "I'll need some time to think about this."
Horatio nods. "Take all the time you need," he replies, looking from Calleigh to you, then back to Calleigh. "Now, I'm sure you have a lot more people to see, so I won't be taking up any more of your time."
"Thanks, Horatio," she says with a soft smile. "It's nice seeing you again."
He returns her smile. "Always a pleasure," he replies and walks away.
Immediately, Calleigh turns to you. "What's going on?"
You lead her to a quiet corner, and she gives you a worried look. You sigh. "IAB's probably going to put me on probation."
She frowns. "Why?"
"For my little stunt at the airport," you reply dryly, a little disbelievingly.
"Eric, what exactly did you do?" she asks, crossing her arms over her chest.
"I don't know. I told some girl who worked there that I needed to access your flight info. I don't even really remember what I said to her." You sigh, suddenly feeling very tired. "Something along the lines of 'I'm a cop and I need to know where Calleigh Duquesne is headed before she makes evening news.'" You look at her expectantly, but she offers no reaction. "After she showed me everything, she probably figured out that either I was a fake or that you were dangerous, so I guess she alerted airport security."
She takes a moment to process this. "Am I in trouble?"
"I didn't even think to ask," you reply. "Sorry."
"It's okay," she says. "If it was serious, Horatio probably would've told us."
"Yeah." You take a deep breath and move your hand to her forearm. "I'm sorry I dragged you into this."
She rests her hands on your waistline, which makes you tighten your grip around her arm. She smiles. "Hey," she whispers, "this started because I didn't get on my flight to Miami."
You lean in involuntarily, until your body is a fraction of an inch from hers. She looks down, and her hands are pushing you away, so you pull back and clear your throat.
You chuckle nervously. "The ironic thing is that I could've forgone that step entirely. Talking to her was completely useless."
"Well, I don't think it does you any good to worry about it now," she replies, looking back up at you.
"Yeah, you're right," you say with a nod. You offer a weak smile. "So, where to next?"
"The M.E's office," she replies without hesitation.
"Okay, so why did we come upstairs?" you ask with a light chuckle.
"I don't know," she replies, her voice suddenly strained. Quietly, she heads back to the elevator. You follow close behind, unsure if you should point out her tension. You decide not to, because you're not sure she can explain it herself, so you keep quiet.
When she reaches the door to the medical examiner's office, she stops and looks at you. "I don't know how to explain everything to her," she admits quietly.
"Just tell her everything you told me," you say. She gives you a strange look, and you chuckle. "You know what I mean." You lean in and brush your lips against hers, innocent and reassuring. "It'll be okay."
She nods and takes a deep breath. Giving you another look, she pushes the door open and walks through.
Alexx is standing over a lifeless body, scalpel in hand. She looks up at the sound of the door opening.
"Calleigh? Is that you?" she asks, looking like she's just seen a ghost.
Beside you, Calleigh tenses up, and your hand finds the small of her back. She relaxes slightly at your touch and allows you to lead her toward the table behind which Alexx is standing. Alexx removes her gloves and tosses them aside, walking around the table to stand in front of Calleigh.
"Alexx, I—"
"Oh, Calleigh baby," Alexx whispers, bringing her hands up to cup Calleigh's cheeks. "I never thought I'd see you again."
"Alexx, I'm sorry I didn't say anything when I left. I just—"
"Don't worry about that now," Alexx interrupts. "Forgotten and forgiven." She pauses to take a good look at Calleigh. "I'd hug you, but I'm pretty sure John Doe here secreted something on my nice, clean gown," she says, motioning toward the various stains littering her outfit. Then, she frowns. "Girl, what did you do to your hair?"
Calleigh smiles and runs her fingers through her hair. "You don't like it?"
"Well, you know I can't tell you how long to keep your hair," Alexx replies.
"I'm growing it back, Alexx," Calleigh says with a soft laugh.
"Good girl." Alexx smiles. "How long are you going to be here?"
Calleigh takes a quick look at you. "Maybe indefinitely," she replies with a quick nod.
"Oh, that's great! Will you come to dinner this weekend?" Alexx asks. "To catch up." She looks past Calleigh at you. "Eric, you too." She raises an eyebrow and lowers her voice. "Did you arrange this?"
"None of this was arranged," you reply, smiling, "but yeah, I guess you could say that."
Alexx nods. "I have to return to my post, but Calleigh, why don't you call me and we'll work out the details." She turns to you. "Eric, give the lady my number, will you?"
"Of course, Alexx," you reply.
Alexx gives Calleigh one final look before returning to her table. You and Calleigh leave the M.E.'s office, and Calleigh looks happier, much to your own delight.
Back in the elevator, you catch her eye.
"So Alexx's opinion trumps mine, huh?" you ask playfully.
She turns to look at you. "About what?"
"Your hair," you reply, smiling.
"Eric, I was going to grow it back anyway," she says, trying to hide her smile.
"Well, I like it like this," you reply stubbornly, reaching over to touch her hair.
"Why's that?" she asks, eyeing your hand dangerously.
"You look really pretty," you say quietly.
She looks away and smiles, but before she can respond, the elevator doors open and she steps out. "Let's go visit Valera."
You take a hold of her arm and pull her toward you. "You look really pretty," you repeat, resisting the urge to push her against a wall, lab techs be damned.
She smiles at you and leans in. "You can't sweet-talk me out of growing my hair out, Eric," she whispers, her voice low.
You swallow, unable to even think clearly, never mind make up a coherent reply. She smiles, satisfied by your reaction, and heads toward the labs.
You take a deep breath to clear your head, cursing the effect that she has on you. By the time you look up, she's already several steps ahead of you, so you take a few quick steps to catch up to her. You follow her all the way into the DNA lab.
"Valera?" she asks tentatively.
"Calleigh!" Valera stops what she's doing and removes her gloves. She moves toward Calleigh and pulls her into a light embrace. "I love your haircut!"
Calleigh smiles. "I'm growing it back."
"Don't!" Valera protests.
"That's what I keep telling her," you pipe up.
Calleigh smiles and throws you a dirty look. "Well, neither of you get to vote."
"She gave Alexx a vote," you inform Valera.
Valera gasps in mock hurt. "You wound me, Calleigh."
"That's because Alexx agrees with me," Calleigh replies.
"Democracy at its finest," Valera says sarcastically.
"The length of my hair is not up for debate," she complains.
You and Valera give each other knowing looks.
"Oh! Are you here for my key?" Valera asks suddenly, turning to Calleigh.
"No," Calleigh declines politely, "I'll wait around until your shift is over."
"Alright, well, why don't I call you when I'm done here?" Valera asks. "Actually, I don't have your number, but it's probably long distance, so I'll just call Eric."
"That would be great," Calleigh replies. She turns to you and smiles, and you can tell that she's no longer worried about how everyone else will react. "I'll see you later, Valera."
Valera nods. "And Calleigh?" She smiles warmly. "We really, really miss having you around."
"I really, really miss being around," Calleigh replies softly, and you sense that she means those words a lot more than she's letting on. Even though you're barely touching her, you know that she is tense and slightly uncomfortable.
"Hey, Valera, have you seen Ryan?" you ask, partly to bring her attention away from Calleigh and partly because you know that's who Calleigh will want to see next.
"He's out investigating a homicide in the Gables, I think," Valera replies, pulling out another pair of gloves and slipping them on. "He's been gone a while. Should be back soon."
"Alright, thanks. We'll, uh, we'll leave you with your blood samples now," you say teasingly.
"Ugh, don't even remind me," Valera mumbles, rolling her eyes and turning her attention back to the centrifuge.
Calleigh follows you out of the DNA lab, and immediately, you notice Rick Stetler, talking to two other men clothed in suits. He notices you too, and excuses himself from his company.
"How does he still work here?" Calleigh asks under her breath, watching Stetler approaching.
"I don't know, but I have a feeling he's waiting for me," you reply, trying to keep your voice down. You turn to her. "Hey, will you be alright by yourself?"
She nods. "Yeah, go ahead, Eric. I have to call my Dad anyway."
"Okay, I'll catch up with you later," you say quickly.
Calleigh leaves, heading away from Stetler. He either doesn't recognize her or chooses not to acknowledge her presence at the lab, and for that, you are glad. The last thing you need is Stetler getting on Calleigh's case.
"Officer Delko," he says, acting too arrogant for your liking. "Enjoyed your trip?"
You sigh. "What do you want, Stetler?"
"I want to know where you were yesterday morning, 5 a.m.," he replies.
You recall what Horatio had told you before, so you stall. "Did you talk to Lieutenant Caine?" you ask.
"I'm talking to you," he replies pointedly.
"Well, I have nothing to say," you reply, turning around to leave.
"I suggest you answer my questions, Delko," he says threateningly. "Where were you yesterday at five in the morning?"
You sigh, turning back to face him. You open your mouth to reply, but a voice behind you stops you. "Eric, don't answer that." You are surprised to see Horatio standing close by. He approaches you and Stetler.
Stetler glares at Horatio. "I have every right to question this officer, Horatio," he says, anger evident.
"No doubt you do, Rick, but as I told you earlier, nobody got hurt and I am dealing with the situation," Horatio replies.
Stetler scoffs. "This is my investigation."
"Yes, and you are in my lab. I assume we're done listing the obvious," Horatio replies coolly.
"I don't need your permission to interrogate an officer," Stetler growls back.
Horatio ignores him. "I have a question for you, Rick. Don't you have more serious matters to deal with? I heard there was a police-involved shooting down in Biscayne Park. Shouldn't you be investigating that instead?"
"You don't think the abuse of an officer's badge is serious?" Stetler asks incredulously, almost mockingly.
"There were extenuating circumstances," Horatio replies.
"And you expect me to believe that," Stetler states flatly.
"Do not turn this into a matter of personal vendetta, Rick, because you are going to regret that," Horatio warns.
"This has nothing to do with you."
"And you," Horatio says slowly, echoing Stetler's words from moments ago, "expect me to believe that."
"Either way, I am questioning Eric Delko right now, and even you, Lieutenant, can't do anything about it." Rick turns to you. "Delko, come with me." You turn to Horatio; he nods at you. You sigh, turning to follow Stetler into an interrogation room. Horatio tags along.
Once there, you sit down at the table and Stetler takes a seat across from you. Horatio opts to stand next to the window. The whole thing makes you feel uncomfortable and beyond guilty.
Stetler clears his throat and takes out a small tape recorder. He places it on the table in front of you and presses the record button. "Now, where were you yesterday morning, at 5 a.m.?"
"Morrisville, North Carolina," you reply, tapping your fingers against the table.
"Could you be more specific?" he asks, leaning back in his chair.
"Raleigh-Durham International," you reply.
"Which is a what?" he asks, tilting his head.
"An airport, Stetler," you reply impatiently. "Might want to check an atlas out of your local library." Behind you, Horatio lets out a soft chuckle.
Stetler smiles sourly and points to the tape recorder. "Did you speak to this woman?" he asks, placing a photo of the girl at the airport in front of you.
"Yes."
"Did you tell her that you were a cop?"
"Yes," you repeat, growing impatient.
"She says that you asked her to check travel records for a woman named Calleigh Duquesne." He pauses then and purses his lips. "Hmm, that name sounds familiar," he taunts.
"Get to the point, Rick," Horatio interjects.
Stetler glares at Horatio, but he's looking out the window, so he turns back to you. "Is that correct?"
"Yes."
"Well, why?" he asks, furrowing his brows.
"Why what?" you ask, stalling.
"Why did you ask for Ms. Duquesne's flight information?" he elaborates slowly.
You sigh. "Because I was looking for her."
"And why were you looking for Ms. Duquesne?" he asks with the cockiness you have learned to despise.
"She called me and told me that she was at the airport," you reply. "I went to pick her up."
"You went all the way to Raleigh to pick her up?" he asks, almost sardonically.
"Yes, that's what I just said," you say through your teeth. You have to stop yourself from leaping across the table and tightening your fingers around his throat.
He leans in and props his chin up with his arms. "Now why would you do that?" he asks.
"Because I wanted to."
"You know," he says, gesticulating in the air, "if a colleague of mine were seven hundred miles away, I don't think I'd fly over there and pick him or her up."
"We're not colleagues; we're friends. Doubt you'd know anything about that though," you reply, pleased with yourself.
"Don't get smart with me, Delko," he snaps, shooting out of his chair. "Friend or not, it still doesn't explain why you used your badge to get flight information. So why don't you stop fucking—" Stetler takes a deep breath, but when he speaks again, he doesn't sound any more composed than before. "Stop messing around and answer my questions without any of those snippy remarks."
Horatio pipes up. "Rick, you are bordering on maliciousness, and for that, I can request that another agent head this investigation." He smiles. "And guess what? I'm going to do just that. Eric, let's get out of here."
Stetler looks like he's just been handed a bag of maggots, and you have to bite down on your tongue to stop yourself from laughing out loud. He grabs his tape recorder and points at Horatio.
"We are not done," he threatens, his teeth clenched. He storms out of the room.
You turn to Horatio, who has moved to stand beside you. "H, you're a genius," you say. "How did you know he was going to snap like that?"
He looks at you and chuckles. "I happen to know about a certain romantic disappointment that he's recently undergone."
"Ah," you reply, nodding knowingly. "so I guess I got lucky."
Horatio looks at you and turns serious. "But Eric," he says, "you are still looking at probation. I'll keep you posted."
You take a deep breath. "Okay, thanks, H," you reply. "I, uh, I'm going to go find Calleigh."
He nods, and you leave the interrogation room. You fish for your phone, but before you can dial Calleigh's number, she calls you. You pick up immediately, only realizing as an afterthought that it must have seemed too eager.
"Hey, I was just about to call you," you greet, and even before she says anything, a soothing feeling cascades over you.
"Hey, Eric," she says quietly, and you detect a concealed melancholy in the tone of her voice.
"Calleigh, where are you?" you ask, even though what you really want to ask is 'what's wrong?' But you know that she hates it when people ask that, and you doubt that she would answer you over the phone anyway.
"Outside," she replies, her voice slightly shaky. "In the parking lot, leaning against your car."
"I'll be right there," you say. You hang up, pushing yourself through the hallways. You pick up a slow jog, ignoring the disapproving looks people are throwing you. Moments later, you find Calleigh exactly where she had described.
"Hey, is everything okay?" you ask upon arrival.
She looks up at you distractedly, as if surprised that you're standing there. "Yeah, how—" She clears her throat, suddenly aware of how coarse her voice sounds. "How did your chat with Stetler go? I saw him leave; that's why I called."
"He's off my investigation," you reply, studying her carefully.
"Really? Why?" she asks, sounding as distracted as she looks.
"H and I pissed him off pretty badly, and he just snapped," you say with a light chuckle.
She nods, but her reaction tells you that she hasn't really heard you or processed what you've said.
"Calleigh," you say gently, moving your hand to her cheek.
She sighs and leans into your touch. "Sorry." She looks at you but quickly looks away. "I just got off the phone with my Dad."
"How is he?" you ask, but she chuckles mirthlessly, tensing up. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"Not tonight," she whispers, closing her eyes. "Please."
"Okay," you hear yourself saying, even though your worry levels are off the charts. "Rain check?"
"Rain check," she agrees, snaking her arms around your waist and pulling you closer. She breathes into your chest and relaxes a little. She looks up at you. "Are you taking me out to dinner?"
"Of course," you reply, planting a kiss on the corner of her mouth.
Someone nearby clears their throat. You turn to see Ryan standing there a little awkwardly, rolling on the balls of his feet. Calleigh pushes you away and stands up straight. She gives you another quick push, before approaching Ryan.
"Hey! Calleigh," he greets, sticking his hands into his pockets. "Wow, you look great."
You approach Calleigh from behind. "Long hair or short hair?" you ask Ryan, using this as another opportunity to touch her hair.
"Long," he replies, and Calleigh beams. "Did I just make someone lose money or something?"
"No," Calleigh replies. She gives you a pointed look. "Dignity, maybe."
You chuckle. "Whatever, Calleigh. Valera agreed with me."
"Valera agreed with you?" Ryan asks, suddenly interested.
"Calleigh is sleeping on her couch tonight," you tease, knowing that'll have its proper effect on Ryan.
His eyes widen. "Valera's couch?" he sputters.
Calleigh looks confused. "What's going on?"
"Ryan, here, is—"
"Shut up, man," Ryan interrupts, raising his voice and sounding like he would very much want to off himself.
You turn to Calleigh. "I'd tell you later, but I think you've already figured it out."
She smiles knowingly. "Don't worry, Ryan, my lips are sealed."
"I don't… like her, okay?" He sighs in frustration.
Suddenly, your phone rings, and caller ID says Valera, so you hold it in front of Ryan tauntingly for a moment before handing the phone to Calleigh. She gives you a disapproving look, but brings the phone to her ear and walks away from the two of you.
"What was that about?" he demands once she's out of hearing range.
You shrug, trying not to laugh. "You have a crush. I thought Calleigh should know."
"Are we in junior high?" he asks in disbelief. "I do not have a crush."
"Okay, not that I care either way," you reply indifferently.
"You—"
"Valera's finished her shift," Calleigh announces, cutting Ryan off. She walks back and returns your phone to you. "She's going to meet us here."
"I'd better go, then," Ryan says, still sending death glares your way.
"We'll catch up with you later, Ryan." She hesitates a moment, before stepping forward and wrapping her arms around him. He struggles awkwardly with his hands, still in his pockets, but manages to return the hug.
It's a little uncomfortable for you to watch, so you look around restlessly and scratch the back of your neck. Thankfully, the embrace doesn't last long, and Ryan leaves quickly.
Almost as soon as he leaves, Valera appears next to you. She motions toward the entrance of the lab. "I just saw Ryan. Is he okay?"
"Yeah, he's just really caught up in something," you reply.
"O—kay," Valera says slowly. She turns to Calleigh. "Let's go."
Calleigh makes no effort to move. "I'll just be a minute," she says.
Valera gives her a strange look, and nearly half a minute passes before she realizes what Calleigh had meant. "Oh! Alone, gotcha. My car's right down there." She points vaguely toward the other end of the parking lot, then heads in that direction.
"Thanks, Valera," Calleigh calls out after her.
You take a step toward Calleigh, and she leans in again. You hold on to her tightly. You don't want to be away from her for several hours, and you sense that she feels the same way. At least she'll have Valera to distract her. You will have the lonely silence of your apartment, perfect for contemplation, the last thing you want. Your mind has been running on turbo, and you're scared that as soon as you let it return to normal, it'll shut down. Looking at her, smelling the subtle aroma of lavender that emanates from her, stroking her soft skin, it reminds you of what you're fighting for. When you can't fill your senses with her, it's a different story.
"I'll pick you up at six-thirty, okay?" you say softly.
"Yeah," she replies with a quick nod.
You lean in and place a gentle kiss on her lips. It's chaste and not enough for either of you, but you leave it at that, because you can still see Valera from the corner of your eye, and you're not sure if that's enough to stop you from going too far.
"I should go," you whisper, but you make no attempt to release her.
She doesn't say anything, only leans in for another kiss. It's anything but chaste this time, as she moves her hands up to stroke the nape of your neck. Her lips are teasing but urgent, and you taste euphoric sweetness on them. Her tongue touches yours, and she sighs, almost inaudibly, so that you feel it rather than hear it. Your hands move to hold her hips in place, but she grinds them against yours, which elicits a groan from you.
You know that if you do not stop now, you will not get another chance, so you pull away and rest your forehead on hers. Her breathing is erratic and hot on your chin.
"I should really go," you breathe.
She nods against your forehead. "Six-thirty. Don't be late," she whispers.
"I wouldn't dream of it," you reply, reluctantly pulling yourself from her.
She walks over to Valera, who is standing there with a goofy grin across her face. You can't make out what they're saying, but you can only imagine what Valera's twisted mind can think up.
Before disappearing behind a row of cars, Calleigh turns around and smiles.
You commit her smile to memory, because that's the only thing you have to pace your thoughts for the next two and a half hours.
