Chapter Eleven
In a building downtown, Eddie walked up the stairs to Jamie's apartment, a heavy messenger bag slung across her back. She was nervous. She was about to knock on his door unannounced, and she wasn't sure how he was going to take what she had to say. She steeled herself, took a deep breath and knocked on his door. After a minute, the door popped open. He was standing there in jeans, a white t-shirt and blue hoodie, surprised to see her.
"Hey," he said, a little concern in his voice.
"Hi, sorry to drop by like this, can I come in?" She asked.
"Of course," he said as he held the door open for her. She walked in and stood there a few feet from the door. She looked around. It was so clean. How did he keep his place looking so neat and tidy? Her place always looked like a disaster.
"I have a confession to make," she said. If she worded it that way, maybe the catholic in him would be more inclined to forgive her?
"Okaaaay," he said, not sure where this was going. He walked past her out of the kitchen, but when she didn't follow, he turned back around to look at her, standing there like a statue.
"Don't hate me. I am only trying to help you," she said, her hands firmly gripping the strap of her bag.
"Uh oh," he said. What had she gotten him into this time?
She opened her bag and pulled out a big book. It looked familiar to Jamie and as she perched it on his countertop, he knew exactly what it was.
"Do you know what that is?" she asked. "I signed you up to take the exam in two weeks. I know you hate it when I make plans for you, but I thought it was now or never, you know? And with me maybe getting a new job, it seemed like the perfect time." She braced for the blowback.
He smiled. "Yeah, I know what it is," he said, and with that he pulled the same book from behind the couch cushions, where he had quickly hidden it the moment there was a knock at the door. They looked at each other, Eddie slightly relieved that she hadn't totally missed the mark with signing him up for the test; Jamie, relieved that he didn't have to keep it from her. Eddie instantly relaxed, removed her bag and made her way to sit with Jamie.
"Two weeks," Jamie said. That timeline was daunting. He had bought the book and planned to take the test, but he hadn't actually signed up yet. He wanted to see what he might be getting himself into before committing to it. There would always be tests later in the year. That was Jamie, slow to make a decision. That was Eddie, ready to make the decision for him.
"You can do it, Harvard," Eddie said with a smile, and a little bump of the shoulder. "Besides, I am here to help."
He now had a study partner. For the next two weeks she would help him study, make practice tests for him, and quiz him on detective jargon and law. It was fun to study again. But it was bittersweet. This would all go away soon too. The thought crossed his mind that he might fail the test on purpose just so that they could do it all over again, but he knew he couldn't do that. He was all in – time to really put all of his NYPD, and Reagan family, experience to the test.