„Lieutenant Curtis." Sofia looked up.
"Mister Schmeichel." A smile appeared on her face. "What can I do for you?"
"I wanted to thank you."
"All I did was my job." Sofia had finished her case today. Mister Schmeichel was one of the most successful and richest people in Fresno and in the last night somebody broke into his villa and stole a lot of his jewels and some of the original paintings he had in his house. Sofia had found the burglar within the day and Mr. Schmeichel would get all his belongings back as soon as possible.
"You found all my jewels, my paintings are there, nothing is destroyed, I'd say you did a very good job."
"That's why I'm a lieutenant."
"Really." Mr. Schmeichel sat in front of Sofia's desk and observed her. He was in his late fifties, grey hair, stinging green eyes.
"Really."
"Tell me, how much do you earn as a lieutenant?"
"Not as much as you do." Sofia smiled. Probably the man brought in week more home than Sofia in a year.
"Would you like to earn more?"
"I don't think I'll get a boost in pay in the next few weeks." Everybody wanted to earn more money, that was no question. If it was realistic to believe you'd get some, was another thing. Sofia knew, it would take some time until she was due for a pay rise. She had one last fall when she became a lieutenant.
"You could."
"Rather unlikely."
"You could work for me."
"I've got a job, Mr. Schmeichel."
"I offer you a better one."
"As what?" Not that she was really interested in the job, she asked more to be polite.
"Security."
"Security?" Sofia was a lieutenant not a bodyguard. She had never thought of changing jobs. The one time she had been forced to do something else was enough. She had had enough problems with the decision of the Sheriff when he made a csi. The one thing she had learnt was, she should stick to the thing she had learnt, she wanted to do.
"Yes. I could use a bodyguard. You'd be around me the whole time, would go with me on my business trips. You'd see the the country, travel the world. I've got appointments all over the planet, it would be very interesting for you."
"You've got a bodyguard as far as I know." She had seen the guy a few times when Mr. Schmeichel had been to public arrangements. The business man got never attacked, nothing ever happened to him so far, his bodyguard couldn't be bad.
"I'd prefer to have you by my side." The eyes of the business man were stuck on Sofia, not on her eyes, they were running all over her body. Sofia had noticed that before while she was in his villa, working on the case. The man hadn't done anything that had given her a reason to tell him off, to say something. She was used to that men were checking her out, usually they stopped after a few seconds, her badge was a good help for that. It seems like Mr. Schmeichel didn't care about her badge.
"Let's say I'd take your offer…"
"You wouldn't regret it. As I say I'll pay you twice the money you earn now. It's less hours, I'd pay for all the travel costs and you'll get a great bonus for staying away for a few days."
"Your bodyguard stays in the same hotel you do?"
"Of course, otherwise there would be no protection."
"In the same suite?"
"Again, of course otherwise it wouldn't be a protection."
"And of which part of your body would you want me to take special care of, Mister Schmeichel?" Sofia asked sweet as sugar.
"I'm sure we'll find a way to work that out." The man was smiling thinly. He understand exactly what Sofia was talking about. They were finally on the same level.
"Of course there's a bonus for special employees."
"And how much do you pay your whores usually?" Sofia's voice was still sweet when the face of the man dropped.
"I beg your pardon?"
"You got me right. You don't have protection on your mind like your bodyguard at the moment does, you're looking for some closer…employment so I wonder how much you usually pay these women."
"What do you dare to say?"
"I'm saying what you were suggesting."
"You're saying I'm trying to buy you."
Offering her a job with twice the money plus bonus, yes he was trying to buy her.
"Having me in your suite is a thing that's ordinary for a bodyguard, yes, talking about the special protection of special parts of your body isn't. That's sexual harassment, Mister Schmeichel. I'll say no to your offer and we'll forget this conversation, I'd suggest."
"You might regret this one day."
"Maybe. Money isn't everything."
"It can get you everything." Mr. Schmeichel got up and left the room without any further words.
"Seems like there're still some things you can't buy." She mumbled. Giving up the police force to become a private security person was one thing, becoming a toy girl for an old business man was something else. Nothing Sofia wanted to do or to be.
"Am I interrupting anything?"
"Sara!" Sofia jumped out of her chair. The investigator was leaning at the door frame to the other office. Did she hear what Sofia and Mr. Schmeichel were talking about?
"No. No, I…"
"Your guest just left."
"Yes." Something was wrong. Sofia could feel it. Something wasn't as it was supposed to be. Sara kept the distance, didn't try to come closer to Sofia.
"Was he happy?"
"We found all his valuables, thanks to your perfect work." Sara was the csi on scene. It was Christmas, she was the only one on duty of the csi office, the other colleagues were on call, but she hadn't contacted them.
"He thanked you."
"Did you hear everything?" Why playing something if they could go straight to the point.
"Something. I left while you were talking and came back when he left."
"He…" Sofia's phone rang. "Sorry." She answered the phone. Was that the first taste of what she'd regret? Did Mr. Schmeichel already talk to her boss?
No, it was a call from colleague regards the case. He needed some details from Sofia's file. When she looked up again, Sara was gone.
"Damn it." Sofia closed her eyes. That didn't look good.
"I think we have to talk." Now it was Sofia who was leaning against the door frame. This time it wasn't in the department, it was at their home, in the kitchen. She arrived home a few seconds ago, had met Tobey in the garden, spent some time with him and went inside.
"I can talk and cook, so go on." Sara was preparing the dinner. At least that's what she was pretending to do. Sofia could clearly see how her lover only cut already small pieces of vegetables to have something to do and not to look at her.
Why did she treat Sofia like she had done something wrong? Why did she punish her? What for? Sofia had no idea what she had done wrong. Why had women all the time to play drama queen? Couldn't they just say what was bothering them? Hell, they talked usually all the time, most of the time it was senseless shit, when it came to something important, they shut up and expected everybody to read their mind. No wonder that Sofia preferred to work with guys, they were easier to handle.
She could try the understanding way, but Sofia didn't feel like that. She made sure Sara hadn't turn on the oven so far, was of course not the case was. Sara didn't have any idea when Sofia was back, starting cooking would have destroyed her being busy picture.
With a few long strides Sofia was behind Sara, grabbed ruggedly her shoulders, so that Sara dropped the knife surprised, spun her around, pushing her in front of the fridge and pinned her between the fridge and herself while her mouth found Sara's mouth. A hard long kiss let Sofia's anger vanish – at least a little bit.
"If you stupid bitch want to punish me for something stop playing bloody drama queen. Tell me what the fuck is going on straight to my face. Maybe we can get the shit out of the way before dinner."
"What…"
"Wrong start, honey." Sofia interrupted Sara's sentence. "You won't fucking start with a question word, you'll cut through the shit and come straight to the point. Now!" Sofia's eyes burned with anger. Maybe the anger hadn't vanished, it just got started.
"Boost of money."
"Don't make me forcing you. I swear I'll get you talking if you don't talk voluntary. What is it with boost of money?" Her voice was as angry as her eyes were.
"Private protection, a boost of money, traveling the world."
"Okay, that's enough, shut up." Sofia hold Sara's hand with her own hands pinned to the fridge, her face only a few inches away from the investigators.
"Look me in the eyes, Sara."
Sara looked away. Of course, stubborn bitch.
"Fuck that, Sara! Look. Me. In. The. Eyes! Now!"
"Or what? You'll slap me? Punch me in the guts? Kick me through the kitchen? Go ahead, I know how a scene like that looks. I know how that feels. You won't do anything I don't know already." Sara's voice was soundless.
"Fuck." Sofia let Sara's hand lose and dropped on the floor. Tears suddenly flooded out of her eyes and she started to tremble. Something that made her angry. Why couldn't she get a grip? Why did she have to break down? She had to be mad at Sara, she wanted to yell at her, tell her off, make her feel sorry for treating Sofia like she did something wrong. Instead of that she broke down after the first real sentences the investigator had said.
Sara crawled next to Sofia, took her arms around her and pulled her as close as possible to herself.
"I'm sorry." Without seeing it Sofia knew Sara was crying too. "I'm so sorry, Sofia. I really am. That was stupid of me. All of it. How I behaved and what I just said to you. Especially what I just said to you. Please. Don't cry. Sofia." Sara's voice was trembling. What did happen? How could they end up like this?
"I'd never slap you, would never punch you, would never kick you."
"I know, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that, that was so stupid."
"I love you, I'd never hurt you…"
"I know, I know that honey." Sara kissed Sofia's tears away or at least she tried. The blonde was still crying, new tears appeared on her face in seconds.
"Never. No matter how angry I am."
"I know." Sara tried to get Sofia closer to herself and was for a second afraid, she'd break the rips of both of them if she'd pull closer.
"I love you…"
"I love you too, Sofia." Sara made the decision to let one arm go, caressed Sofia's cheek, turned the face of the blonde gently to hers and kissed her softly.
"I love you, don't cry anymore. Please. I'm sorry, I didn't want to make you cry."
Sofia buried her face in Sara's hair. Slapping Sara? Punching her? Kicking her? How could she even think of things like that? Sofia loved her, she knew what Sara had been through, she'd never ever consider to hurt her. In no way.
"It's my fault. I threated you and I did hurt you." She could see where her hands had been on Sara's wrists. They had left marks.
"I'm fine."
"I can see the marks of my hands on your wrists." She left bruises on the body of her lover. She wasn't better than Sara's father, punching the crap out of her when she was a child.
"That will be gone in a few minutes, no need to worry about, honey."
"I hurt you." How could she? Why didn't she realize how strong her grip was? Why didn't she think of that?
"You didn't. Come on." Sara dragged Sofia on her feet, leaded her out of the kitchen into the bedroom. Without words she removed the boots of the lieutenant, the holster and pulled her with her under the blankets. Sofia immediately snuggled into Sara's arms.
In silence they lied down, holding each other, kissing tears away.
When none of them was trembling anymore and all tears were kissed away, Sara started talking.
"I'm sorry Sofia."
"Maybe we should try to skip that. We both found out, we're sorry." Sofia tried to laugh.
"I acted like a stupid, jealous bitch. You had every reason to be mad at me."
"You heard what Schmeichel was offering me."
"Yes."
"Did you hear what I answer?"
"No."
"I told him in a nice way to stick his money where the sun's not shinning and to stick to his whores."
"You didn't." Now Sara had to laugh.
"Sure. If he thinks he can buy me with his money, he's wrong. I might use my sex appeal every now and then to get things faster but there's a limit. I'd never sleep with somebody to get a better job, more money or influence. I'm sorry to tell you, Sara, I sleep with you because I love you and there's only you in my life and my bed. I'm afraid you have to learn to live with that, accept that."
"I know that, I mean, my head knows that but he offered you…and it seemed for a moment you'd play his game..I stopped thinking."
"You did, yes. Instead of thinking, a thing you're great in, you started to act like a stupid bitch."
"What you called me."
"I was right, I won't apologize for that."
"You were." Sara kissed Sofia's cheek.
"Good, we've got a base. Now for your record: I'll stay with the police department, I'll bring home shitty money and I'll have sex only with you."
"Sounds like a promise to me."
"It is. And as you know, I keep my promises."
"And I promise not to act like a stupid bitch anymore."
"Good." Sofia got her arm under Sara's neck and took the hands of the brunette in hers to see them better.
"Still there." Sadly she let her index finger run over the marks she left on Sara's wrists.
"Almost gone." Sara got her hands free and rolled on Sofia, smirking. "I promised not to be a stupid bitch anymore, but paypack is a bitch. I'll give you a mark for your marks on my wrists." And with that she placed her lips on Sofia's throat and started to kiss and suck the sensible skin. Sofia would have to wear the next few days a scarfs. Some marks on skin were nice. Were fun for both to get them.
"I guess I like Christmas."
"Really?" Sara looked around the place she once knew as her home. Apparently it was still her home, it just didn't look like it anymore. Christmas decoration was everywhere, a huge Christmas tree was in the living area, faked snow was sprinkled around and on it, dozen of gift boxes placed around it, a Santa Claus hung over the big window, walnuts were on every shelve and the smell of cinnamon came out of every corner. In short: Her home looked like an advertisement for Christmas on tv and it was all Sofia's fault.
"Yeah since I've met you. You brought the spirit of Christmas back into my life." Sofia pulled Sara into her arms. Finally they could enjoy their own little Christmas world.
"I'm not quite sure if it's my pleasure." Sara wondered. To her, the house looked weird.
"It is. And look how happy our baby is, inside, with his food and on his blanket."
"Sorry for keeping you out so long, Tobey." Sara apologized. She had left Tobey out when she came home and started cooking. Then there was this fight or breakdown with Sofia and Tobey had to stay outside for two more hours.
"You must understand, Tobey, make up sex is too great, we couldn't keep that shorter."
"I'm sure he appreciate his sacrifice."
"Sure he does. Especially when we feed him tonight with the rest of our dinner."
"He'll get a lovely bone."
"My girlfriend, the vegetarian, cooked a t-bone steak for me. That's love."
"Of course it is." Sara got herself out of Sofia's arms. "I'll fix our dinner. Want to lit the candles on the table?"
"Actually I'd prefer to eat with you on the couch, with you in my arms. You're so far away when we sit on the table."
"Far away like a foot?"
"Yes. That's like twelve inches too far away."
"You're sweet." Sara kissed Sofia and vanished in the kitchen.
Sofia took Sara's answer as a yes and moved everything to the couch. After making the decision she doesn't want to get up to get the presents she brought them to the couch too. Yes, that was the easiest thing, she'd arrange everything around the couch and they could sit in the middle.
"What are you doing?" Sara came accompanied by Tobey out of the kitchen, their dinner on two plates.
"Arranging everything around the couch so we don't have to leave it until we'll got to bed. Give me the chance to keep you in my arms."
"I never planed to be anywhere else than your arms."
"Good." Sofia took her plate and sat next to Sara on the couch.
"How many cookies did you eat while I was in the kitchen?"
"None."
"None?"
"I swear, I only carried them over, I didn't eat them."
"I'm proud of you. Look what I have for you as an entré." She hold a piece of chocolate in her hands. "Swiss stuff."
"The real good thing, as an entré? Why?"
"It's Christmas you deserve something special."
"I've got you, it can't get more special."
"You think, lieutenant."
"I know, supervisor."
"Alright. Let me get this straight: you think, sitting on the couch, having me in your arms, eating dinner is the top? Christmas can't get better."
"Yes." Sofia started to become suspicious. What was Sara talking about? To her this sounded very good. How could she top this perfect evening? An evening that was followed by two free days, two days they could stay in bed, have long walks with Tobey and hours of snuggling on the couch.
"Let me try to prove you wrong." Sara put her plate on the table, took Sofia's left hand with one hand and got a ring out of her pocket with her other hand.
"Sofia Curtis, would you like to marry me?"
"What?" Sofia's mouth stayed open. Did she hear right? Did Sara ask her if she wanted to marry her? Was she serious? Was this a test? A game? Was it reality?
"What is not exactly the answer I was hoping for. I'll try it again, at least it was not a no. Sofia, would you like to marry me?"
"Yes." Sofia dropped her plate, not caring that her food ended up on the carpet and Tobey was more than happy to take care of it. All what counted for Sofia was Sara. She found Sara's lips with hers and kissed her passionately. Of course she wanted to marry Sara. What a stupid question. No, not stupid, a great question, best one somebody ever asked her, but Sara should known what the answer is.
"I love you." Sara whispered. She had no idea how she got that ring on Sofia's finger, but it was there, shinning in gold on the blonde's ring finger.
"I love you too." Great, now Sofia was crying again. Wasn't she the one who was always making fun of the women in movies who started to cry when somebody asked them to marry them. Here she was, crying like a baby because Sara had popped out the question.
"I assume, these are tears of joy." Sara kissed a tear away.
"Of course they are."
"I'm glad to hear that."
"I never expected this question."
"Because I acted like a stupid bitch today?" Sara smiled.
"Well, that was a thing too that didn't give me a hint about this, yes."
"I almost didn't ask because of that."
"Fights belong in a relationship as long as we work it out, grown with them and don't break on them, they're alright. As we found out, making up is a lot of fun. Where the hell is your ring? I want to put a ring on your finger too. An engagement needs two rings."
Sara got the second ring out of her pocket and handed it to Sofia.
"Thanks." Sofia cocked her head. "Does it make sense to ask you if you want to marry me? Or is that not necessary after you asked me. I assume you want to marry me otherwise you wouldn't have asked me."
"If you want you can ask me."
"Sara Sidle, would you give me the honor to become my wife?"
"Yes."
"Yes! Yeah! Thanks." Sofia laughed and put the ring on Sara's finger. "Now we have to tell the state of California to make our promise legal."
"If they don't do it we'll have to make a longer holiday. There are some states that allows the same sex marriage."
"Do we have to move there? I'd leave Fresno to marry you, no question about that, but…"
"I don't know. But after we found out we want to get married, we don't have to rush it. I'll also marry you in a few month, Sofia. All I wanted is to know wif you would consider to stay the rest of your life with me. The marriage can be in a few month, next year, whenever. There's no pressure on it."
"No pressure but I'd like to have you as my legal wife asap. To make it clear to everybody I belong only to you."
"This ring should make it clear."
"It will do – for a start." Sofia grinned. She and Sara would get married. This was a very special Christmas.