We are moving along in this little tale, I highly encourage you to look up the songs mentioned in this chapter. If you chose not to there is no harm, it's just to set a mood. Enjoy and thank you for letting me play in my fantasy world :)
It wasn't the first time she left Josie alone with her grandpa, but something felt different about tonight. Maybe because Chris had chosen her outfit for this outing and she felt a little self-conscious? Or maybe because she left her daughter alone to have fun. Was it wrong to prioritize herself tonight? Seeing Chris's smiling face calms her nerves a little, even though she has no idea what her friend has planned for tonight. She can't deny she is looking forward to having some fun on her birthday and usually, Chris found a way to cheer her up.
Sitting in the car she realizes Chris is driving through downtown and finally pulls into a parking structure. "So where are we going? This outfit wasn't meant just for a quiet dinner…" Molly gestures to the risqué flowing top and skintight jeans. "All in good time." Chris smiles at her and reaches for her hand. "We are going to have some fun. Especially you." The slight wiggling in her friend's eyebrows intrigues Molly. And she lets herself being led towards the street.
Still, she can't help feeling self-conscious and voice that. "I don't know Chris. I really don't want to go to a random bar tonight. I want to have some fun with my friends. You." After a little wistful break, she continues "And cuddle Josie."
Suddenly Chris stops walking and spins to face her. "I see you have your priorities straight, but we can't disappoint everyone waiting inside for you."
It takes Molly a second to registers those words and follow Chris's hand gesturing to the darkened windows they are standing in front of. Her eyes wander up to the sign "Denny's". She never had heard of this place before so she couldn't help but still be skeptical.
Chris heads for the door and when it opens Molly can immediately recognize Luca in the back. It makes her wonder "Who else is here?" leaves her mouth in a whisper.
Molly couldn't help but scan the crowd waiting for her. She recognized all of them immediately. Some were colleagues from work but also some SWAT officers were standing around the tables. When she realized even Hondo and Deac were there she couldn't help but wonder where he was. She didn't dare ask though, but Chris voiced it.
"Luca, where did you leave Street?" Chris sounded a little annoyed. And Molly felt torn, she can't deny she had not expected him to be here, or even had the right to expect him to think of her on her birthday. Too much had happened but when she had seen everyone else, even what looked like Tan's girlfriend she had dared to hope he was here too.
"Ah, you know that date he mentioned," Luca explains rolling his eyes.
Molly could see the angry annoyance now. Chris was pissed, but in the end, she just rolled her eyes and shakes her head.
"His loss. Molly's colleagues seem single."
That earns her a collective chuckle at least from the SWAT crowd. And Molly feels a pang in her heart being reminded of the playboy stories Chris had told.
After a round of greeting everyone in attendance Molly finally noticed that she is in a karaoke bar when Tan pulls on Bonnie's hand and asks her to join him in opening the stage.
Hearing the blonde woman protest and refuse until he offers the Grease classic You're the one that I want and seeing her eyes light up was fantastic but also made Molly's heart ache.
She couldn't help but wish she had that, but she was genuinely happy for them. They looked so in tune with each other, and their duet was a hit with the crowd.
Molly moves over to a bar table to chat with some of her friends from work. A couple of them are surprised she knows that many SWAT officers before she explains the situation, but still there remain a few raised eyebrows.
She has fun and makes the deal with herself to not dwell on the past; at least not tonight. She turns to the conversations and even shares more than one laugh until Chris steps to them.
"Are you having fun now?" Chris asks with sparkling eyes. "Yes," Molly can only nod. "Definitely. But you have to tell me how you pulled this off. No one said a word."
"I can be scary!" Chris replies with a wink to the group standing with them and earns a few chuckles. "There is one more thing you have to do though. This is a karaoke bar after all..."
Molly at first looks shocked. "No, I am not going up there." Chris can't help the grin on her face now. "Ah, come on the guys already came up with a fun idea and Tan started us off. He should learn not to bet against Luca. Don't you think he did a good job?"
"That he did. They looked like they had fun. But you can't tell me Tan chose that one on his own." Molly teases. "Grease is Bonnie's favorite movie." Is Chris's simple explanation.
They are still laughing about something when Luca comes over with Tan in tow and a small bowl, paper, and pens.
"We thought we'd make tonight a little more interesting," Luca tells them and hands them the song catalog.
Molly gets slightly suspicious. "How?" she asks with a raised eyebrow.
"Everyone of us has so far put two to three songs in the bowl and then we mix all of that and you pull one out to sing," Luca explains.
"Oh, that's a good idea. I am in." Chris exclaims and grabs a couple of pieces of paper. After she is finished Molly feels her press the pen in her hands.
Slowly she starts thumbing through the song catalog and writes down a few of her favorites.
Chris pulls out two random-looking pieces of paper and drags Molly to the front close to the pseudo stage and leans on the bar until her name and song are being called.
Molly leans on the bar and Chris locks eyes with her. The song is not her usual style, and Molly is surprised to see Chris smile at her. She would've thought Chris would protest or make her sing but when the music starts Molly can't help but sway and listen to every word. The eye contact her friend keeps with her just makes the lyrics of The One Direction number 'What makes you beautiful' so much more. It feels almost like her friend is trying to tell her something. And so, it comes when the song is over that Molly pulls Chris into a big hug and whispers "Thank you. I guess I needed that. But how did you manage that?" in her ear.
Molly pulls back and interlaces her fingers with Chris to pull her to the side and learn which song her friend has in store for her. They slide into a small booth and Molly notices Chris smirk. "Don't tell me you picked Barbie Girl or something equally as embarrassing."
"No," Chris replies and squeezes her hand.
"Why are you grinning like that then," Molly asks confused.
Chris lifts their laced fingers. "Half these idiots over there think we are a couple." Molly turns to see a group of younger guys openly staring at them. "And the problem with that is?"
Chris can't answer her because Molly gets called to sing her song. "Really? The fight song?"
"I want to believe you when you sing that!" Chris tells her and shoves Molly in the direction of the stage area.
The conviction in the lyrics is infectious and it feels good to tell the world she is moving on. It gives her the hope that it might be true and having a friend like Chris at her side is going to be the help she needs. Even if the situation will be very complicated.
After the song is finished Molly feels free and happy. On their way back to the table, they are almost giddy, and yes, she realizes to an outsider it might very well look like they are a new couple. Molly can't exactly care right now. but she freezes in her step when Chris pipes up "Look who managed to show up! Where is that mystery date of yours?"
"Chris stop it. We can make fun of him later." Tan interrupts laughing. "First he has to choose a song to sing." Tan continues waving around the bowl of bunched-up paper in front of Jim. Molly can feel herself getting nervous while Tan explains to a still protesting Jim Street that all the girls chose songs from the list to put in the bowl and that he had to pull one and go sing it.
After a little while of teasing and more protesting Jim Street has no more excuses. He picks one of the crumbled-up paper balls and opens it. He looks up and asks "So, what if I don't know the song?" The smirk on Tan's face says it all. "You still go up there and sing. Luca had to sing "My heart will go on" so you can do whatever you pulled."
Tan turns back to the group when Street makes his way to the front.
"While he is getting in line, Bonnie has a question, and I gotta say I was wondering myself." he continues, and everyone turns to look at Bonnie.
"Thanks, you are making me ask?" his girlfriend stares at him shocked. "Yea, you brought it up."
Bonnie rolls her eyes visibly and Chris chuckles slightly. Molly can't help the amused smile on her face even if she has no idea where this is going.
"You two," Bonnie points at Chris and Molly. "are living together, right?" After nodding in unison with Chris Molly is now convinced where this is going. "And after these two songs and the handholding, I am sorry but are you together?"
"Been there, done that. If I know one woman who shoots down cops quicker than I do, it's her." Chris replies laughing. The laughing intensifies when she sees Molly's shocked expression. "I do not shoot them down quicker than you!" Molly can't help the offended undertones.
Chris raises her eyebrows and Luca pipes in. "I guess Benni would disagree!"
Molly shakes her head laughing. "That was Chris's fault. She dropped my last name into the conversation."
Tan also chuckles. "That was fun to watch. He almost died on the spot."
"You guys were mean and "forgot" to tell him who I am. But see Bonnie, that's my life. Drop my last name and most of LAPD runs for the hills. It is nothing new. Apparently, my dad is scary to these guys."
"So, you two being this close is because you dated in the past?" Bonnie just asks for clarification. "Your dad can't be that scary then." Molly notices Chris fighting a slight blush that is threatening to appear. But her friend stays uncharacteristically quiet.
"Chris? You still with us?" Molly asks in a concerned voice.
"Sorry, yeah. I just remembered how we met. And I guess I can admit that I was interested."
"That much was obvious." Tan throws in laughing. "Why do you think we encouraged Benni..." Molly hears the teasing and joins him in laughing. "The poor guy. Never stood a chance. Molly had an aversion to cops back then. LA even." Chris points out through her own laughter.
"Can we please not talk about that? Isn't it proof enough that I am back, that that is behind me?"
Molly interrupts the teasing, desperate for a change in subject when Bonnie points to the stage.
"I think Street is up. "
All of them turn to the front, waiting for the music to start.
Jim still clutches the little piece of paper in his hand. He recognized the handwriting even if it had been years since he saw it and that alone told him he didn't want to, and probably absolutely shouldn't sing that song, even if had no clue what it really was about. But now standing up here, seeing most of his friends turn to the stage and staring at the opening lyrics, he wants to just walk off.
But he has no choice if he doesn't want to explain himself here in front of everyone.
So, he takes one more deep breath and starts singing.
He follows the lines all the while trying to not break down. Molly showing up back in LA, she had been much more like wind. It had been like a tornado, scrambling his brain and sending shockwaves throughout his life. She is friends with Chris, something he hadn't known before and that made this whole mess not exactly easier.
He tries to find her gaze in the crowd when he reads the line 'Just a fool to believe I have anything she needs', in the hope she will understand how badly he wishes he hadn't screwed up last year. But now it was too late. She had moved on. Had a little beautiful girl and from the sound of it was trying to rebuild her relationship with another man.
When the song is over, he walks back to the group, now trying to avoid Molly as best as he can. He is afraid she could read his feelings immediately. He makes up a silly excuse of being tired to be able to leave, but he can't resist slipping the little box from his jacket into Molly's purse anyway.