Chapter 21.
I was going to do more edits, but damn it the People deserve their chapter! We had some action last chapter that some people were scratching their heads over. Rest assure this is a comedy. Here's a GAIL POV. YAY! (Insert excited Yuri anime character cheering)
Up coming chapters...
Next: softball practice 22. Chloe POV 23. Holly POV 24.
Gail POV. "Pursuit of Happiness"
The sun beams through sheer curtains bearing down on my position in bed. I absorb its heat like a reptile warming for the day. I smirk, I'm exactly a reptile. My ears begin to ring, I thoughtlessly smack the side of my head like a stalled computer. Nothing helps. I fish beneath the covers disturbing the loose pills scattered among the sheets. It seems I've slept in sleeping pills. I find one stuck to my thigh and swallow it dry, then lay back and wait for it to take hold.
Hours later I'm awoken by the sounds of footsteps outside my room, but no one disturbs me. The purgatory of the experience makes me both punch-drunk and morosely sober. I check the bandage on my neck, scratching it to make sure it's real. It's real. Then find a questionably clean Hanes V-neck and some black sweats. There's a hole in my shirt, I stab my finger through it to investigate. One of the side effects of living with Chloe was gaining weight, presently my older clothes hardly fit. What they say is true, happiness makes you fat. When you're happy you go on dates which ups the amount of food consumed. It's all horribly romantic until it isn't, and that's when you go on a diet. The weight gain is like love itself, it's in constant flux.
Being in a fragile state of mind I decided to forgo socks. Socks, and their matching pairs are the only article of clothing with a soul mate. I wiggle my toes. It's too deep a concept to wear on my feet. As I leave the threshold of my room, I'm inundated with tenderness, yearning, and some guilt. My arms get goosebumps wandering barefoot through the upstairs. In the distance I hear Glenn Miller's "Moonlight Serenade" faintly playing and follow it to my mother's bureau. She always listens to Glenn Miller when pouring over the enormous map on her wall.
I quietly let myself in watching from the doorway as she hums the tune.
She greets me with a chipper smile.
"You're not working." I blurt out.
She pauses to sharpen her pencil. "It would seem not."
"Oh."
I watch as she measures an exact angle with a triangle-shaped ruler.
She remains focused on her work. "Looks like were going to cancel tomorrow's practice."
"Why?" I ask though I could list a million reasons.
She arches her eyebrow and gives me a look that says, You know why.
"Did you find anything out about the accident?" I feel my resolve flatter as I delve into the uncomfortable.
"I've got the best people working on the investigation."
"The investigation," I muse softly. "How's that going?"
She grants me an empathic smile. "Gail we are going to find out who did this. I'm going to personally find them. We can't have officers targeted in the line of duty." She points to the large map on the wall. "There isn't a part of this city I don't know. So count your cuts Gail. Count them carefully because each one equates to a prison sentence."
After observing my mother Map a bit longer, we head downstairs for a late lunch. She pulls out bread, sunflower mayo, turkey, gluten-free cookies while I boil a pot of Earl Gray. We eat, listening to the Rosemary Clooney hour on a radio station that plays Jazz Standards.
As I clean our dishes, my mother sets up a game of Mancala. When the song "Tenderly" comes on the radio, I feel myself flush with thoughts of Holly. I accidentally drop a stone in the wrong cup causing a turnover in gameplay. My mother capitalizes on the opportunity by getting most the stones on her side of the board.
"When you told me you were planning on proposing to Chloe I ran a full background check on her."
She drops stones down the line of cups in front of her.
"You don't know it yet, but our family is the middle of great change."
My eyes follow her movements as she scores.
"Yeah." Is the only response I can muster.
"Gail your Godfather is leaving the department to run for Mayor. The City Council plans to elect me the next Chief of Police. This is why we pulled you off the streets after your YouTube manifesto. From here on out there will be a lot more public scrutiny shouldered by your godfather and myself. There is also an opening at Division 22 for new Staff Sargent, Steve has applied. I would like you to consider applying for a Detective Rotation at that site."
Fortunately, the sleeping pills have made my reaction-time a beat off.
"Congratulations." I say weakly.
"I know a promotion generally means more paperwork. But we're not just protecting the public, we're also protecting the infrastructure that serves it. Ego aside, it takes a great deal of compassion to do the job. That's why I've been so..."
"... Hard." I finish for her.
"Exactly."
My head feels dizzy the ringing starts, I stuff fingers in my ears.
Her face softens. "I'm making you a doctors appointment."
"It's actually a lot better than it was..."
I'm interrupted by my phone, the caller I.D reads it's work. My mother nods for me to pick it up, watching as I struggle to keep it brief. I hang up the phone unable to read her countenance.
"I'm going to work tomorrow. It will probably be a desk duty." I inform her.
She picks up her spoon, gently stirring sugar into her tea, then simply says, "Okay."
I pick up my open spooning mirroring her posture. My voice cracks. "Are you sure?"
She brings her cup to her lips but doesn't drink. Her eyes bore into me. "I'm fine with it."
I nod, my acceptance as my thoughts turn back to practice. "Who are we playing this week?"
She settles back into her chair. "The Preacher Teachers."
"Oh Geez, Why aren't we practicing?"
The Preacher Teachers, are a staff of All-Girl Catholic boarding school teachers. Hence, they are a force to be reckoned with. Every year they roast our asses in the worst possible way. My mother, god bless her soul always makes a wager with their coach. Last year we made a team wager, the losers would have to participate in the dare of the winning team's choice. We got out of the dare when Kenly literally took one for the team by hooking up with their coach. This year I doubt we'll be so lucky
My mother sighs into her tea. "Gail your taste in women. What is it?"
I blush a little. "Not sure, I've only dated one girl."
"Right, so you have no idea."
"I guess you can say that."
"Hilary Clinton. Helen Mirren as the Queen. Jessica Lange." She lists them on her fingers. "I think that's my type of, you know..." Her voice drops an octave, "woman."
It takes all my maturity, not to laugh.
My mother narrows her eyes at me as I chew my grin.
"The coach of the Preacher Teachers."
"Dolores." I offer.
"Yes, Do-Lor-Es," she breathlessly draws out.
"You okay there Ma?"
She sits up straighter. "She's just so, sculpted."
I give her a brow raise. "You like her?"
"She has a very practical haircut."
"I've never seen her without a visor."
"Her haircut is very functional in a visor."
"I think someone has a crush."
She gives the thought an absent wave, though her mind is clearly still on the visor.
"Oh gosh, I love your Father."
"Relax Mom, I was just teasing you. Besides, you don't need to explain it to me."
Her eyes widen. "Oh dear, I fear I may have been too candid."
"No, it's nice talking like this..." We look around the room, then back at each other.
"If you ever want to talk to me about these types of things, it'd be fine."
Her eyes gloss over with emotion, we stare out the window.
"We should rent the Queen."
She smirks. "I'm not ready to ogle women with my daughter."
"Yeah, that would be crossing a line."
"Perhaps we'd best prepare for our duel against the Preacher Teachers."
"Yes, missing practice this week would be crazy."
Her eyes find mine. "I just did not want to stress you with everything that happened."
"It's okay, I'm okay. Being with the girls will help me get me back on track. "
"I'll let everyone know practice is on for tomorrow."
Next Day
My mother lets me borrow her old champagne colored Lincoln, Cadillac for work. Upon opening the door, I'm greeted by the smell of bubblegum scented air freshener. As children, Steve and I loved going to the car wash with my mother. We begged her to buy the bubble gum scent freshener, and now all I smell is bubble gum. The memory hugs me as I drive to work on a day I could use one.
Frank is doling out assignments, as I enter the parade room. He stops to welcome me back, I'm met with applauds for being alive. The room is packed with officers from other shifts working doubles. Dov is sitting tilted on the back legs of his chair, gripping Chloe's chair for support. My blood pressure rises when I see their matching coffee cups.
I march up to them fuming at their coffee drinking ways. Dov makes no attempt to unblock the space between myself and Chloe.
"Hi Gail." He greets with unease.
I grab the back of his chair tilting it further off kilter.
"Whoa Watcha doin?" He sits up to re-balance himself.
Chloe looks over and chides me to release him, which does nothing for my blood pressure. Years of kicking Steve off furniture have made me an expert.
Chloe puts herself between us. "Gail, Let go."
Feeling Betrayed by her sympathies, I commit to my course of action.
"Bye Dov."
In one smooth move the legs of the chair fall out from under him. Dov screams as he goes flying backward.
"PECK!" Frank's voice fills the room. If looks could kill, his would be a massacre.
Dov clings to the seat part of his chair. "Why does she hate me?"
"Gail doesn't hate you." Chloe aids him back up.
"No, I definitely hate you." I correct her.
"I don't believe in hitting women, but if you throw me from anymore chairs I'll..."
"You'll do what?" I touch the bandage on my neck as my peers gasp at his trashy comment. "Better do it while I'm not a hundred percent." The room is filled with an outpouring of sentiments from co-workers who generally don't like me.
Dov catches Frank's glaring at us and settles back down. I throw an arm around Chloe pulling her away from his vicinity. His jealousy is not lost on me, I could swim laps in it.
Frank loses his edge. "Gail, please find an empty seat."
Chris scrambles to clear off bake goods in the seat next to him. Andy waves for me to join her, but that's the last place my sanity wants to be.
"Peck over here!" Oliver pokes the rookie next to him out of his chair. I park myself next to Oliver doing my best not to attract attention as Frank continues to distribute assignments.
When I don't hear my name called, I approach Frank after dismissal.
"Is there something I can help you with?"
"Ah, sir, I was told to come in today."
He brushes me off without so much as a glance. "See Oliver. He requested you."
"Really?"
I turn to catch Oliver tapping on the glass windows for me to bring the baked goods.
"Thanks Frank."
"Don't thank me, thank Oliver. Oh, and Gail, you insensitive fuck please talk to Chloe."
"Frank did she tell you why we're not talking?"
The way his jaw locks gives it away, he doesn't know.
"She doesn't need to say anything for me to guess she's upset."
My heart sinks, Chloe's kept him in the dark. I walk over to the box of muffins skimming for something that won't set me off.
"If it's over between you two, please let her know that. I know it's a thing to feel entitled but Chloe isn't like that."
To keep from saying something regrettable I stuff a muffin in my mouth. The one I select is twice the size of a normal muffin, and has a weird chewy texture. He waits for me to elaborate. And when I don't. Because I can't he loses his patience. He orders me out of the room, slamming the door on my heels.
I unload the box of muffins on Oliver, popping the lid open to spit back what's in my mouth.
"Eww... Peck, did you have to do that?"
"It had gluten."
"Of course it did. It's a muffin."
Oliver leads me down the hallway toward the main office where we share a desk ominously next to Chloe's. At my work station, there's an adolescent blonde, sitting in my chair, eating the allergen-free snack my mother packed for me. She's wearing a shirt with a pair of breast printed over where her actual boobs should be, and a headband that looks Native American but just isn't. She's paired this with jean shorts that expose the lower quarter of her butt cheeks and flip-flops.
Upon seeing Oliver she squeals with glee.
"Daddy!
Oliver scoops her in his arms doing his best to cover her exposed parts.
"Gail you remember Izzy?"
I don't remember her, but she remembers me. "Auntie Gail!" She jumps into my arms, and what starts off innocently quickly evolves into a feel up.
"Izzy!" Oliver admonishes peeling her off me.
"Nice to see you too Izzy. You've grown."
It's the understatement of the year, the bitch is taller than Holly. Oliver goes onto sugar coat the story of how Izzy got suspended from school.
"Say, you wouldn't have an extra shirt?" He asks, pulling Izzy away from Dov.
"Sorry."
Dov jumps to offer his extra uniform shirt.
"She can have mine."
Izzy snatches the shirt from Dov luring him in closer until Oliver stops her from doing anything crazy.
He puts his body between Izzy and Dov.
"Stay back Epstein, she'll eat you alive."
Oliver turns to me with eyes that would put a teddy-bear to shame.
"Gail, I need someone reliable to take care of my first-born child today."
Under any other condition it would be a resounding, "No." But it's Oliver, and he's working a double shift on my behalf.
I sigh my acceptance. "Okay, what am I supposed to do with her?"
He chuckles enjoying my discomfort. "You can give her a tour of the station. You know, show her the jail."
"I'll lock her up."
"Or do that. You have my parental consent."
He calls Izzy back over. "Okay honey, you're going to listen to Gail and do exactly what she says got that?"
"I'm so excited!" She exclaims with a frightening amount of enthusiasm.
Oliver gives me a hearty slap on the back. "You good Gail?"
"Yeah. Just tell her not to call me Auntie Gail."
Awhile later, I'm digging around the office for some games or a magazine for Izzy when I bump into Andy McNally. Or rather I feel her uncomfortable presence hovering inches above my head space, while I'm on my hands and knees searching through a cabinet.
"What is it McNally?" I ask slowly standing to meet her.
She clasps her hands behind her back, giving off an aura of innocence that only heightens my guard.
She throws herself on me.
"I'm just glad your okay."
I take back what I said, about my mother's hugs being awkward and infrequent McNally's are much worse.
I pat her oddly, "thanks McNally."
She gives me an expression that I can only describe as joyous and gaseous.
"It took you being exploded for me to realize... I love you Gail. Not in the literal sense, I love you like I love my gun. I never want to go into a bad situation without it."
This coming from McNally is downright poetry. She moves in for another hug.
I put arms up to stop her. "I'm good, really..."
She smashes into me. I wish I had a whistle because it's like hug rape.
Someone takes a picture of us that ends on Instagram captioned. "Car bomb survivor gets hugged."
The moment is broken by a high pitch shriek which comes from Oliver. I gaze over to find Epstein holding his spare uniform around a topless Izzy. Apparently, when Oliver told her to change she took his instructions literally.
"Epstein get your hands off my daughter!"
"Yes, sir!" He clumsily drops the shirt revealing Izzy's nippleless bra.
"Epstein pull that shirt back up, on-the-double!"
"Right, sir!" He pulls the shirt up with militaristic obedience of an army seal.
"It tickles!" Izzy giggles, at the way the shirt rubs.
Dov tightly clenches the unevenly wrapped shirt around Izzy's shoulders.
"Keep your eyes upstairs Epstein!" Oliver orders in his most severe police voice.
"Will do! I mean..." Dov's face is a tomato as he fumbles to keep Izzy shirt bound.
"But Dad, I was nearly changed until he stop me!" Izzy huffs.
I'm impressed at Izzy's ability to argue. She should be a lawyer for oil companies trying to off shore drill into endangered species habitats. She would win.
"You took off your shirt in front of everyone in the office!" Dov refutes.
Oliver runs a hand over the few hairs left on his poor balding head.
"Please escort my daughter to the locker room, make sure she doesn't leave until she changes." He gives Izzy a stern look. "Get your butt moving young lady or no iPhone." That shuts her right up.
I use the distraction of the scene unfolding before us, to remove myself from McNally's clingy embrace. She doesn't let me go until I promise to work a shift which I do to quickly get her off my back. Chloe enters the office carrying with her a clipboard for her service vehicle safety check.
I shove pass McNally catching the sleeve of Chloe's arm, and whirl her around.
"Can we talk?"
She nods, tentatively allowing me to lead out of the office. I walk us to a quieter hallway, that is not completely private, but it's the best I can do given the circumstances.
"I've missed you." She whispers.
"Me too."
She grabs my face and kisses me. I close my eyes, inhaling the familiarity, it's lovely.
She exhales into my mouth. "Please come home." Her hands gingerly touch my neck as a tears drift down her face. "Don't leave, just come home." People passing by slow to eavesdrop on our conversation making me very conscious.
I use the pad of my thumbs to dry her face. "I'm sorry for being away so long."
She pulls me against her shoulder. Her action gives me courage, "everything has just been so-" What I'm about to say falls flat when I see him.
"Dov. I growl.
She traces her thumb across my cheek. "Dov means absolutely nothing to me. I love you."
I grab her by the shoulders and flip her around so that she's facing his direction. He's leaning against the wall with both their go-bags in one hand, and Izzy latched to the other. He gives her a slight smile, "Ready to go?"
She huffs pushing herself off me "This is not over." Then glares hatefully at Dov which doesn't affect him.
He detaches Izzy from his forearm. "She's all yours."
I watch them leave the building together. "Have a good shift!" Chloe twirls around to blow me a giant kiss.
I'm giddy when Izzy the mood killer, snaps me out of it. "Is that your B.A.E?"
"My what?"
She gives my shoulder a suggestive bump. "You know... your B.A.E."
I have no idea what she's talking about so she clarifies. "Your Before Anyone Else dummy."
"Is that what the kids are saying these days?"
"You look way older than her."
I can't help asking, "how old is, old?"
She shotguns my vanity to pieces.
"Thirty."
I tell her I'm twenty-six though it's a lie. I'm twenty-seven.
It turns out Izzy is easy to watch so long as there's internet or a phone in front of her. She spends the day text messaging friends from school who are disturbingly suppose to be in class. She claims to be a vegan-gluten-free-pescaterian, but when I put a muffin on the desk it disappears to where ever deprived people keep them. Around noon Holly shows up with a manilla folder and her coat pockets stuffed with what she says are essentials.
Before I can introduce them Izzy instinctively calls her a milf, and asks if she's my B.A.E as well.
Holly greets Izzy then looks at me. "What's a B.A.E?"
It's not a great conversation to have but I try. "It's an abbreviation thing Millennials do."
Holly cheerfully nods her understanding and gives Izzy a nudge.
"Did you know F-word is an abbreviation for Fornication Under the Consent of the King. Can you imagine having to get patriarchal consent to have sex?"
Izzy looks baffled, then tells Holly to stop hitting on her.
I jostle the top of her head. "I think she's just trying to relate to you."
"She's weird." Izzy rolls her eyes with extra zeal.
"And you're an asshole, but I don't judge."
Holly laughs, as Izzy half-heartedly agrees.
I drag Izzy to Chris's desk and ask him to watch her for a few minutes. He smiles adoringly at Oliver's daughter. "Sure, you know I love kids." He reaches into his desk and produces a magazine with trashy reality stars on the cover. "Thanks Chris." I tell her to wait with Chris while I talk to Holly for Just a moment. Izzy catcalls after us as I follow Holly into an interrogation room.
"Did you get consent from the king?" She yells.
"Got it right here." I flip her off before shutting the door behind me.
Holly's nervous energy is not lost on me. She holds up a folder. "The courier was sick."
I nod pretending to understand the logistics of Forensic mailing, but I don't.
"How's your..." She points at the bandage on my neck.
Her voice is like warm honey.
"Do you mind if I?" She asks.
She reaches into her pocket and pulls out fresh bandages. "How's your hearing?" She peels back the athletic tape, I resist looking at my wound in the reflective glass.
"I've got bouts of ringing and dizziness."
"Sounds about right. Any headaches?"
"Just Izzy."
"I think I might be getting an Izzy headache as well." She gently rubs the new adhesive onto my skin. Then takes a fumbling step backward to appraise her work.
She smiles, I smile back, it's contagious. I cluelessly cut the space between us, suddenly were real close.
"Is there anything you needed from me or did you just come for this?"
"Oh... ummm." She alludes to the folder tucked under her arm.
"Gail we have a problem."
The air around us grows thick as I imagine the various implications behind her words. Holly flips open the folder, revealing loads of black and white photos of Stanley. She taps the photo. "That's Stanley." She drops another photo on the table. She taps this one as well. Her face is beautiful when it's serious.
"Apparently, he's got a nasty habit of going into Traci's purse closet. This last incident was the final straw he was put up for adoption." She blushes when she catches me staring.
"Gail we did this!"
"But he's not in any immediate danger..."
"In the last two days Stanley attacked both an attendant and another dog. His execution has been bumped up. I think it's today. I tried adopting him, but they wouldn't accept my application. Apparently, his taste for blood makes him unadoptable."
"Damn it, that dog is such a jerk."
She lifts her glasses to rub her eyes."But he's our jerk! We can't hold that against him. We have to believe it's just a character flaw he'll grow out of."
Sensing her weariness I instinctively grab her hands.
"We have to save him Gail."
She drops her eyes to the floor, and now were too close.
I run my hands up her shoulders. "Hey look at me." She shudders when I press my cheek to her ear. "Let's save the damn dog."
The door handles twist open and we jump apart.
Chris the other mood killer, barges into the room.
"Gail, we have a problem."
Chris is not the suave put together man he was moments ago. His shirt is untucked, his hair looks like it's been electrocuted, there's toilet paper leading from his shoe like a party decoration.
"Izzy is gone!"
I gaze between Holly and Chris as Oliver's words play over in my mind. Please take care of my first-born child. He's working a double to find those responsible for the attack and I've failed him. My ears begin ringing again.
"It was crazy man, she took my wallet, your keys, Steve's blue flavored slushy, Dov's trivia cards, Traci's e-cigarette, Marlo's walkie-talkie, Andy's name tag. Man, what a piece of work!"
I shove Chris. "Where were you!"
"Oh, yeah..." He flatters. "She said she had to use the bathroom."
"OH MY GOD! Chris!"
I want to slap him for being naïve but that would be like punishing a bumblebee for flying.
I grab his shoulder mic and radio Marlo with hopes of catching Izzy.
"Izzy this is Gail!" I scream into the mic.
In the background, I hear Izzy fumbling with the walkie which she doesn't know how to use. Then to my utter horror, there's a slamming of a car door.
"She's in the Parking Lot!" Chris and Holly shout.
We race out of the office and down the hallway weaving through navy uniforms like were in pursuit of an actual perp.
Stopping short of the front sliding doors Holly points pass the glass. "Is that her?" I gaze over in time to see my Mother's Cadillac Peeling out of the parking lot.
"IZZZZZYYYY!"
Holly pulls me by the shirt. "Come on!" We run pass the burnt parking spot where the vehicle was inflamed just two days ago.
A cold numbness overtakes my senses. "Gail." She uses her doctor's voice to get my attention. "We need to go."
Holly links her arm through mine, guiding me to where she's parked. "Day just got longer didn't it."
"Yup."
She pulls out her phone absently rubbing my thigh as she texts her intern.
"You rely on Rodney for everything."
She laughs, "He's a good kid. Does everything without question and has the grace to not stare when I wear v-necks." She drops her phone in her lap and puts the key in the ignition.
"Where to?"
I massage the ringing out of my temples. "Find Izzy, save the dog, get to softball practice on time. Holly, I'm going to tell Chloe what happened last week. I'm going to tell her we kissed."
Her mouth drops open as she mutters something inaudible.
"It's the right thing to do."
Holly releases a breath. "Gail. I'm really sorry."
"Me too."
We drive through the boroughs of the city in a weird limbo. The atmosphere in the car remains comfortable, and to my relief I'm not forced to talk about it. The nice thing about Holly is that she never makes things uncomfortable. In that aspect she's the exact opposite of Chloe who will be livid when I tell her about last week.
"My hearts telling me it's the right thing to do, and if we can't move forward from this well then, I've ruined the best relationship I've ever had."
Holly laughs. "She'll forgive you. I'm the one who has to worry. She'll try to burst my other boob. But your right the higher path is always the hardest one. Once again, I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused you. I really care for you and I hope it works out."
"Thanks, that means a lot."
She gives me a half-grin that has a fluttering effect. "Gail Peck. I think your improving my emotional IQ."
"Didn't know there was more than one type of IQ."
"Yeah, I read about it in one of those magazines you got me. There was a test that went with the article. I got Harry Styles."
"Really? I'd like to take that quiz sometimes." I'm about to zing her with a Harry styles joke when my phone rings. It's Chris back at the station, he says Jane Luck has eyes on Izzy, and gives me an address in Little Italy."
"It's time to bring our little girl home." I joke
Holly gushes with excitement. "This is so cool. It's like we're a crime fighting duo. If only we had a siren and some guns."
"And some guns." I repeat, she's a woman after my own heart.