Chapter 28
When Jay walked into the bar he quickly spotted Danny sitting at a table, two beer bottles sitting in front of him. Jay walked over to him, taking the seat across from him.
"Thanks for coming," Danny said when he sat down. "Got you a beer, figured it was a safe bet."
"Yeah, that's great, thanks," Jay said, taking a swig. "So what's up?"
Danny shrugged his shoulders. "I just wanted to meet the guy who didn't run as soon as things popped off with my dad. I told you this morning that we've never met any of Hailey's boyfriends before so it's strange enough to be sitting here with one, but especially after what happened yesterday. If that didn't scare you off, I figure Hailey's probably told you about him which is enough for me to know that things are clearly serious between you."
Jay nodded, taking another sip of his beer. "I know some, I'm sure not everything," he replied. "But yeah, it's serious. I love Hailey." Historically it would be strange for Jay to admit his feelings to someone else but he had no qualms now about admitting to his love for Hailey.
"Glad to hear it," Danny said with a smile, taking a sip of his beer. "Now that we've got all that intentions bullshit out of the way, tell me about yourself. Obviously you're also a cop?"
"Yeah I'm a detective with Intelligence, same as Hailey," Jay said. "I've been in the unit about eight years. Hailey came in about four years ago and we've been partners ever since."
"So how long have you been dating then?" Danny asked. He had only seen them together this morning but he could see how comfortable they were with each other, and he clearly knew his way around Hailey's apartment.
"Only a few months," Jay replied. "We were friends for a few years first. We've both dated people we worked with before and it didn't work out for either of us so we didn't want to rush into anything."
Danny was surprised. He would have guessed they'd been together at least a year.
"Alright, so is your family as messed up as ours?" Danny asked.
"Ugh, I think that kind of thing is a bit subjective, but all I have left is a brother. He's a year older than me and an ER doctor at Med. We have a pretty good relationship in recent years. Our dad died a couple years ago after a building fire and our mom died about ten years ago now with cancer," Jay summed his family life up in a nutshell.
"Sorry to hear that," Danny apologized.
"Thanks," Jay said. "It was actually after my dad died that Hailey and I really got close. We had been partners for about a year so we worked well together, but after that we really became friends. She was really there for me. It wasn't too long after that Hailey first started telling me about her dad. Just small things here and there over drinks after work. She's still pretty private about it though."
"Yeah, it's a rough thing to deal with," Danny said. "Hailey and I were really close when we were kids. Our older brother Michael was a few years older than me so he tried to be out of the house for the most part. Hailey and I were left at home so we kind of became each other's rocks." Danny was quiet for a minute, taking a swig of his drink. "Leaving Hailey was the hardest part about moving out. I just couldn't stay there anymore. I would've taken Hailey with me but I was eighteen and could barely take care of myself. She always said she understood, but we were never as close after that. She was the last one left, alone at home with him. She never really talked to me about it after that, what she went through with him without me or Michael around. She was gone as soon as she turned eighteen too and she never really came back. I've hardly talked to Hailey the past few years."
"Yeah, she said you'd all kind of lost touch," Jay said.
"Yeah, last time I actually saw Hailey was about three years ago at my son's first birthday party," Danny told him. "We'll text or call here and there but that's pretty much it. I lived in Indiana for a while when Hailey was in college and then the academy. That's where I met my wife. We moved back when we had our son. Hailey came by a bit then and I thought we were getting back on the right track, but then I invited my dad to the birthday party. It was the first time Hailey had been around him in a while. I don't know what happened but I saw them talking for a few minutes and the next thing she left and she never came back."
"Well, maybe we can change that," Jay said. "I don't think she wants to be around her dad, but that doesn't mean she doesn't want to be around you and your family."
"I really hope that's true," Danny said. "Peter always asks about his aunt Hailey. And I haven't even told Hailey yet but we've got another kid on the way."
"That's great, congrats," Jay offered. "I can't speak for Hailey but I'm sure she'll be really happy too. Maybe we can visit some time. So where are you living now? I know your parents are in Greektown right?"
"Yeah, they are," Danny replied. "We live in La Grange."
"Wow, nice," Jay said, knowing it was a nice area. "Glad to hear you're on the south side. I know Hailey said you guys were originally in Lake Forest."
Danny laughed. "Yeah, I'm a south sider at heart, and so's my wife. She's a Catholic school girl from West Lawn."
"Oh nice, I grew up in Canaryville," Jay said. "And I went to Mount Carmel."
"Oh you guys will get along great then," Danny joked. "She went to Queen of Peace."
They chatted about small things like that for another two beers; south side life, sports (they both golfed), avoiding any further mention of the Upton patriarch. They got along very well. Jay found that he really liked Danny and they had a lot in common, the most important being their love for Hailey. Finally, nearing ten o'clock, Danny announced that he should be heading home. They stood up, heading outside the bar to the parking lot.
"Thanks for coming, Jay," Danny said as they stood by their cars.
"Yeah, thanks for asking me," Jay said. "We should do this again some time or dinner or something. I know Hailey misses you."
"Yeah I miss her, too," Danny said. "You're definitely on for golf some time. I'll try to drag Michael along, too."
"Yeah sure," Jay agreed. He was always down for some golf.
They said their goodbyes and loaded into their cars, pulling off in opposite directions, Danny back towards La Grange and Jay making the short drive to Hailey's apartment.
He unlocked the door to Hailey's apartment, feeling a little strange using the key, usually always arriving with Hailey. It was dark inside but Jay could make out the couch and could tell there was no one on it. Wondering if Mrs. Upton had left, he crossed the room to Hailey's bedroom door. The door was open as he approached and right away he saw two bodies on the bed. He stopped in his tracks, not wanting to disturb the two sleeping women. The tv was on in the room so Jay assumed they had fallen asleep watching a movie. He slipped quietly out of the room, deferring to the couch for the night.
Intelligence was off the next day after finishing their case so Jay stayed lounging on the couch in the morning when he woke up. Hailey and her mother were still asleep and he didn't want to wake them by making noise out in the living room. He scrolled through his phone for a while before getting bored and deciding he needed coffee. He brewed himself a cup and then returned to his spot on the couch, turning on the tv and muting it quickly. He flipped to a sports channel, not really caring what it was.
Hailey came out of the bedroom a few minutes later, smiling when she saw Jay on the couch. She walked over to him, sitting down on the couch alongside him. "You should have woke me when you got home," Hailey said.
Jay shrugged. "You and your mom looked comfortable," Jay explained. "Your couch is nice enough, but it's not a bed."
"Yeah, we're gonna have to figure that out if she's gonna keep staying here," Hailey said. "Maybe I'll get an air mattress to set up in the office for her."
"Yeah we can look for something today," Jay said. "I could always stay at my place for a while until she figures out her next step."
"No, I want you here," Hailey said, resting her hand on his leg.
Mrs. Upton emerged from the bedroom a moment later.
"Jay, I'm so sorry for stealing your spot last night," Mrs. Upton said upon seeing him on the couch. "I was thinking of starting to look for an apartment today to get out of your hair."
"Mom, can you even afford that?" Hailey asked, surprised as it was the first time she was hearing this.
"Well the restaurant is half mine so I should be getting half the profits," Mrs. Upton said.
"Yeah, but that would mean talking to dad, and I'm sure he won't just be willing to start cutting you a check so you can live away from him," Hailey argued. "Mom, that's probably going to take a lawyer and some time before you get enough money to be able to live on your own."
"Well then I'll have to go stay with one of your brothers," Mrs. Upton said. "Michael has a guest room."
"Yeah and he also sees dad the most," Hailey said. "Mom, you can't stay with him."
"Well I can't keep sleeping on your couch or taking up your bed either, Hailey," Mrs. Upton said. "I don't have a lot of options."
"You could stay at my place," Jay suddenly suggested, the idea popping into his head. Hailey whipped around to look at him, her hair just missing his eye. "I mean, I never stay there but I'm still paying the rent for the next few months. It's fully furnished and nearby. Someone might as well get some use out of it. I mean, we could get an air mattress or futon or something more comfortable for the office if you want to stay here and that's fine too. But if you wanted your own space, it's all yours."
Mrs. Upton seemed shocked by his offer but recovered quickly. "No, I couldn't do that cause I wouldn't be able to pay the rent right now, like Hailey said."
"I wouldn't want any money, Mrs. Upton," Jay corrected. "Seriously, it's just sitting there empty right now. I'm locked into paying the rent for the next few months anyway so someone might as well get use out of it."
Hailey had recovered as well from the surprise of his offer. "It's actually kind of perfect, Mom," she said. "Like he said, only if you want your own space. Otherwise you're welcome to stay and we'll get you something a little more comfortable."
Mrs. Upton seemed to be debating things.
"Tell you what, why don't we check it out today and then you can decide," Jay suggested. "I haven't been back there in a while."
Mrs. Upton seemed agreeable to this so they continued on with their morning, drinking coffee and watching the news. Jay headed off to take a shower and change after he had finished his coffee and when he emerged he found Hailey and her mom had also changed and were ready to head out.
Hailey opted to drive since her Jeep was easier for her mom to climb into than Jay's big truck. They were outside Jay's apartment building in about fifteen minutes and Jay unlocked the door to let them in.
The apartment was pretty much bare bones, but it was clean. Jay showed her the small living space and kitchen and then the bedroom. The closet and dresser were almost entirely empty, the only clothes remaining being items Jay hadn't worn in years and probably should have gotten rid of.
"It's not very nicely decorated like Hailey's place, but it's yours if you want it," Jay said. The only decorative items he had in the apartment were a picture of him and Hailey on the nightstand and an old family picture on the wall in the living room.
"It's perfect for me, if you're really sure you don't mind," Mrs. Upton finally agreed.
"Not at all," Jay said. "Like I said, I'm happy if you can get some use out of it instead of it just sitting here empty."
"Well, I'll be happy to give you back your space," Mrs. Upton said. "Just until I figure out my next step."
"Take your time," Jay said. "Like I said, I've got the lease for another few months so there's no rush."
"Do you have spare sheets, Jay?" Hailey asked, thinking of the last time they had been here.
"Yeah, here," Jay walked out to a small closet in the living room that seemed to be half coat closet (empty except for an old army jacket) and half linen closet (a couple of towels and a spare set of sheets). Hailey stripped the bed as Jay carried back the fresh sheets and they quickly made it up. They headed back out to the living area and Jay showed Mrs. Upton the TV controls, telling her she was free to watch Netflix or Hulu if she wanted. She was happy to see he had a normal coffee maker, unlike the fancy Keurig at Hailey's.
"We'll have to get you some groceries, Mom," Hailey said, looking through the fridge and cabinets. "Jay never had much to begin with, but now there's really nothing here."
"Well, I can do that," Mrs. Upton said. "It's your day off, you two should enjoy it. I've taken up enough of your time and space."
"Mom, how many times do we have to tell you that it's fine," Hailey said, exasperated.
"Well, I hope that's true, but I still want you to enjoy your day off, just the two of you," Mrs. Upton argued.
"Fine," Hailey said in defeat. "Your car is still at my place though so do you want to come back and get it now? If not we can bring it back later."
"Oh, I should come get it now," Mrs. Upton said, forgetting all about it. "Then I can get my bags as well, and stop for some groceries."
Jay was in the kitchen, scribbling on a notepad again when he realized they were staring at him from the door.
"What are you doing?" Hailey asked.
"I just jotted down the address in case you forget or wanted to order something," Jay said, hanging the note up on the fridge. "And my number again in case anything comes up while you're here."
"Oh, Jay do you have another key?" Hailey asked. She had one that Jay had given her when he had gotten shot last year, but figured it would be better if he had another spare so she could also get in to check on her mother if Jay wasn't around.
"Oh, yeah," Jay said, rifling through the small key table drawer and fishing one out. "It's the big key for the downstairs door and then the regular key for the apartment door."
"Got it, thank you," Mrs. Upton said, sticking the key in her purse.
The trip back to Hailey's was quicker, and Hailey made sure her mother paid attention to how to get there. Mrs. Upton didn't stick around very long when they got back. Jay carried the two duffel bags of clothes Danny had brought for her down to her car and loaded them in before returning just as Hailey was hugging her mother goodbye.
"Thank you very much, Jay," Mrs. Upton said, leaning in for a quick hug with him as well. Jay gladly reciprocated.
"Of course, no problem," Jay said quickly. "And again, call me if anything comes up at the apartment or if you need anything. Like I said, there's not much there."
"It has everything I need," Mrs. Upton said with a smile.
"Mom, do you need some cash for groceries?" Hailey asked, walking over to grab her wallet.
"No, no, I have some," Mrs. Upton quickly shook her head.
Hailey handed her a few bills anyway. "Just take it, just in case," Hailey insisted, knowing how her dad had been growing up in limiting the cash he gave his wife. Mrs. Upton made to argue again but the look in Hailey's eye made her stop and simply accept the cash with a word of thanks.
"Alright, enjoy your day off," Mrs. Upton said, opening the door. "And thank you again for everything."
"Of course, Mom," Hailey said, walking to stand in the door. "Let me know if you need anything and don't tell Dad you left here."
"I won't," Mrs. Upton promised.
"Okay, I'll call you later, once you get settled in, maybe we can do dinner," Hailey said.
"No, no, you two need a day to yourselves," Mrs. Upton argued. "You'll be back to work tomorrow and I don't need to be babysat. We can have dinner tomorrow or another day if work allows."
"Okay, if you're sure," Hailey said, not sounding convinced.
"Quite," Mrs. Upton insisted. "I'll get some groceries and make myself a home-cooked meal and I'll be fine."
"Alright, I'll talk to you later then," Hailey said, giving her mother one last hug and watching her walk down the hall and get in the elevator. As the elevator doors slid closed, Hailey locked up the apartment and turned to face Jay with a small smile. He was sitting at the counter, studying her.
"What?" Jay asked as she continued to smile and walked over to him.
"You," Hailey said, her hands going up around his neck as she stood between his legs. "I can't believe you just gave my mom your apartment like that."
"Well, like I said, it's not like I'm using it," Jay said, wrapping his arms around her tiny waist.
"Still," Hailey said. "Not a lot of guys I know would just offer up their apartment to their girlfriend's mother who they just met."
"Well, I'm not most guys, and I love you," Jay said with a smile, leaning in to kiss her. He could feel her smile against his lips. He pulled back from her again, mischievous look in his eye now. "Plus, there are other benefits to your mom staying at my place."
Hailey's laugh was quickly muffled as Jay's mouth found hers again and deepened the kiss quickly.
Yes, there were certainly benefits to having the apartment to themselves, Hailey thought as Jay carried her into the bedroom, his lips never breaking contact with hers.
A/N: Sorry it's been a while since my last update. I've been trying to alternate postings between this and my other story Becoming Family. Hope you guys like this chapter and as always let me know what you think. I'm kind of running out of ideas for this story so if you've got anything you'd like to see let me know. Otherwise, I think there might only be a few chapters left. Thanks for sticking with me so far. R&R.