Chapter Thirty Four
"Jamie," Eddie soothed as Jamie poured over the Times, Post, and Daily News. "Jamie, calm down. It looks worse than it really is. Erin didn't comment, they quoted you as saying the department does not play favorites, honey it's okay."
"It's not, I worked so hard, Eddie," Jamie replied his limp emphasized greatly with the stress of this moment.
"I know you did," Eddie soothed. "I know you worked so hard to protect Erin and your father, the whole family, but things happen sweetheart." Eddie caught her husband and put her arms around him. "Please calm down honey. Please…"
Jamie sighed and let Eddie lead him to the sofa. She put two pillows behind his head and two under his legs. "You cannot get upset like this. I'm going to speak to Erin, get her back to Boston, and get the pressure off. I won't see you suffering like you did with the stroke."
"Just sit with me, Eddie," Jamie replied. "Just sit with me, Erin is already heading out of town with Nikki. I just need you to sit with me okay?"
Eddie nodded and sat on the sofa with Jamie. She held his hand and stroked his head, "You can't go in like this. Let me text Jack that you'll be taking time out today."
Jamie sighed, "I have to do a press conference, address all of this," Jamie sighed. "I really do, I can't just hide in the house, I'm the Commissioner."
"Okay, but rest until your pressure comes down okay?" Eddie sighed. "Let me get some tea and you just rest a little bit."
Jamie agreed and texted his assistant to let her know he'd be late. Eddie sent a text to Jack to help his uncle and run interference for him at the office that day. While the tea brewed Frank came into the kitchen, "Are you okay, Dad?"
"Yes," Frank replied. "I know that Erin made some dumb decisions, but she's innocent. She's finally told her side to officials, the press can sit and spin; it's only a scandal if it's true."
"I wish you'd tell that to Jamie," Eddie sighed. "He's so stressed since he saw the morning papers. It think he really is worried about how you'll take this."
"Don't worry," Frank told Eddie. "Make the tea, we'll all take some before he goes to work."
Eddie brewed her blueberry tea that morning, it was very relaxing and refreshing, it helped Jamie relax a lot.
The three of them drank their tea and Frank gently spoke to Jamie. "It's part of the job you know that, don't let it matter that it's your sister. I never let headlines about you kids affect how I did the job. I know you tried to do that a little differently, son, but now, for this, I think you should use that example."
"At least Erin's gone now and I don't have to worry about that part for now," Jamie replied. "I have to get in the shower and get moving. The sooner we solve this the better."
Jamie headed upstairs to get ready to face the day.
When Jamie arrived at work, the swarm of reporters he expected was not present at 1PP. The path inside was smooth sailing. It wasn't until he got inside the he learned the DCPI and Jack had decided for him that he would hold a press conference to directly address the articles and move onto the next news cycle. "I can't do a press conference like this!" Jamie exploded. "I spilled coffee all over my shirt and…."
"And you have another shirt in the back, Commissioner," Detective Antunes reminded him. "It'll work out well, it really will…" She offered Jamie a smile then went back to her desk so the three men could hammer out Jamie's strategy.
"Oh, Sir, by the way," Jack replied. "Sean filed to compel Dana Rosen to provide fetal tissue samples for a paternity test, you might get a question about that as well as the questions about the boys and girls club."
"Well that's easy," Jamie replied. "We will not compel a pregnant woman to undergo any unnecessary medical procedures, we will compel her to comply with the DNA request on advice of counsel when the child is born. What's next?"
"I'm worried about him, Dad," Eddie sighed. "Jack told me they're holding a press conference, just doing it once and for all. I should be there, I should be by his side, if not in front of the cameras, before and after…"
Frank smiled, "Call Lila, have her come around with my little ones. You go do what you need to do, I feel well today anyway. Jamie needs your focus."
Eddie smiled, she quickly placed the call to Lila and got dressed to stand by her man. While Eddie headed to 1PP, Jamie prepared for his press conference. Detective Antunes brought Jamie his shirt; Jamie changed as quickly as he could before returning to the main office. Detective Antunes smiled as Jamie came around wearing his new shirt and took in a deep breath. "Okay, think I'm ready."
Detective Antunes surveyed Jamie's appearance. "Wait not quite." She moved so she was standing in front of him; she gazed up at Jamie's eyes as she reached up to fix his collar. The Commissioner was handsome no doubting that, the one every girl swooned over even at 62 years old.
Jamie's blue grey eyes sparkled like stars, they were very easy to get lost in. The detective carefully folded Jamie's collar so it hung neatly down and completed the final buttons on the edge of the collar.
"Thanks, my hands I tried." Jamie sighed, frustrated he wasn't able to do simple things like fix his own collar.
The pretty blonde put her hands on Jamie's shoulders, "It's okay. That's part of why you have an assistant. Relax, take a breath…"
Eddie has been admitted to 1PP and headed up to Jamie's office. She knew he'd need help getting ready and would be shaky from the stress of the morning. As she approached Jamie's partially open office door, she saw Detective Antunes securing the final buttons on Jamie's collar.
The detective was beautiful, thin, blonde, and not a day over 35. She was a memory of what Eddie used to be, at least in her own mind. That's what Jamie wanted now, he wanted her, just not like she was at present. He wanted the old her, the pretty, healthy her…and slowly and covertly she was being replaced.
Eddie turned and nearly ran out of 1PP, she was crying and barely able to breathe. She knew one thing for sure, if Jamie wanted that other women, he could have her. He would never have to think or worry about her again.
Frank was astonished when Eddie came back home in tears. "Eddie, what is it sweetie?"
Eddie could barely speak, "Jamie…he's…she was putting his shirt on him…they were…"
In her mind's eye, Eddie could see Jamie holding this other woman, snuggling her, caressing her. It broke her heart. Lila had been upstairs changing diapers and came down with two contented babies to a crying mother. "Mom? What happened? Did something happen to Dad?" Lila put her babies down and went to put her arms around Eddie.
"Your mom saw your dad and I suppose his assistant, she was putting his shirt on him," Frank replied. "I'm sure it was just that he had to change or got wrinkled but Mom is upset."
"He's having a love affair with her," Eddie sobbed. "I'm not going to nurse him and cuddle him and love him when he's getting it someplace else!"
Lila sighed, "Oh, Mom, come on now, you know that's not true. You know Dad loves you, he would never do something like that." Lila looked at the look of shock and pain in her mother's eyes, she remembered from social work school that perception was often reality. For now, until she got a good read on things, she would make sure that her mom felt safe. "What do you want to do?"
"I don't want to be here when he comes home," Eddie sobbed. "I'm getting a lawyer…"
"One step at a time honey," Frank tried to soothe. "Cool down then just talk to Jamie and ask him what happened?"
"Why?" Eddie hiccupped. "So he can lie and lie…over and over again!"
"Mom, you don't know yet what happened," Lila sighed. "But I hate to see you so upset. Let's get you packed, you can stay with me a day or two and take a break."
Frank nodded, "That's a good idea, it'll give me a chance to talk to Jamie and get things settled down. Lila, pack the bag, I think it's a good idea if she puts her feet up."
Lila agreed and hurriedly packed a bag for her mother. Frank turned on the news to see his son taking the presses questions, next to him, where Baker always stood for him. There was no question the woman was beautiful, and that she resembled Eddie in her younger years. There was also no question she held a torch for Jamie, her eyes were fixed on him in a way a teenager would fixate on a handsome teacher. Frank didn't get that vibe from Jamie, he saw him focused on the press, doing his job with no idea what awaited him at home.
"Come on, Mom," Lila said a half hour later. "I have clothes, your bath things, and all your meds. You can lie down again at the house, okay?"
Eddie nodded, "I'll come back while Jamie's at work to help you and give you lunch. I love you Frank I just can't look at him. I can't."
"I understand, I'll talk to him. Try to calm down." Frank stood up and held Eddie tight. "I'll just wait here to have a chat with my son."
"You did exceptionally well," Detective Antunes encouraged Jamie.
"Thank you, Brenda," Jamie replied. "I'll have a coffee and sign the requisition forms for those decoy cars then I'm going to head for home."
"Yes, I will take your shirt to the dry cleaner," the detective replied. "You rest up, we have three witnesses come forward in the rape case that wish to join the DA's panel and wish to compel DNA, we also have some suspicious tickets being paid at that 4-1. It seems that an officer is paying the tickets even though they aren't on his car."
Jamie laughed, "Yeah I remember someone doing that when I was on patrol. Turned out he was trying to romance the girl that was parking just anyplace cause she thought he was pulling them. I'll speak to the CO over there."
Brenda nodded, "Have a good night, Commissioner."
Jamie called his detail to head home to Eddie and Frank. The traffic was still light and Jamie made the trip quickly. Jamie got out of the SUV and headed inside, "Hi, honey. I'm home," he called out for Eddie only to receive the greeting of his father's solemn face, "She's gone, Jamie. She's gone from us."
A/N: Please no rotten tomatoes…I do have a method to my and Eddie's madness, this arc only lasts a few chapters so hope you stick with me to see where I go. I'm so grateful for the terrific following and such loyal readers, I promise there is much more of this series to go so I'm not going to do anything to wacky, yet…
Next Update – October 22nd – After taking Frank's news the wrong way, Jamie heads to Lila's. Lila tries not to hurt either parent as the family tries to treat lightly.