Author's Note: Here is another chapter! This is a continuation from the last chapter. Enjoy! :D
Previously on "Beauty and the Beast"
The physically fit man with the military-styled buzzcut searched around and noticed that there were a few windows by the sofa. He hastily ran to a window, turned the latches, slid it open, and jumped out without looking back.
The remaining two beings just stared at the now-opened windows as they couldn't believe what happened. Without moving her head, Tess muttered, "Do you see that, J.T.?" The pudgy man acknowledged, "Yes, I did. That is most definitely Vincent! I am 100% about it."
CHAPTER 8
The couple kept staring at the open window for a while as they couldn't believe what just happened. The enigmatic person who was just standing in the living room a brief while ago, retelling his tale of the events before his encounter with Tess in the park, just left by leaping out a window with no fear. It was something only that Vincent would do.
Vincent!
J.T. and Tess turned their heads towards each other as each one acknowledged silently that they found him at last! However, their so-called Vincent had fled and blended in with the everyday crowded streets of New York City.
"Oh shit, that was Vincent but he is gone," the long haired brunette began to speak in a slight anger tone as she approached the open window and looked down at the streets below, hoping to spot their would-be friend.
With no signs of his appearance, she swiftly turned towards her boyfriend, questioning him bitterly, "How could we let him escape? What did you say or do to have Vincent run away like that?" She blew out an annoyed breath as the good-looking detective return to the huge couch that Vincent took a seat at before he escaped. She sat down in a position with a elbow propped up on the top edge of the sofa and her right cheek leaning against her fingers.
How could they let him escape? After all those months of grueling investigating with false leads and dead ends, they finally found him. But, how they let him escape so easily was a mystery yet to be solved.
"Hey, what the hell do you mean? Do you think it was my fault?" the nerdy guy with glasses enquired with hot nerves. He plodding loudly with heavy footsteps as he took a seat next to her. "We don't know what happened. It COULD be your fault. You were asking too many "in depth questions" for the first encounter. You were all like "Trust me, big guy. I am a detective on a police force, I have seen pretty crazy things from time to time." If I was in Vincent's shoes and I never knew you before today, I would give you zero points in the trust department." Tess shot back quickly, "Well, I didn't entice the stranger with a story about my colleagues. Is that how you gain someone's trust; just tell them a story about your bizarre colleagues. Great going there, buddy."
She noticed something particular around J.T.'s face. Wait, was that sweat?
God damn it, J.T.!
Leave it to him to mess things up because of his careless actions like sweating profusely because he was nervous for what-so-ever reason. She loved this fumbling idiot most of the time, just not at this moment. Even she, someone who was recently pulled into this secret club of knowing about beast all thanks to her best friend's suspicious love life, knew that Vincent had a heightened senses. He must've seen the sweat and heard J.T.'s heart pounding at an unusual fast pace to determine that J.T. was either lying about his intentions or hiding something from him.
Damn, that idiot.
"Hey J.T., why in the heck are you sweating profusely? You couldn't be nervous about meeting a guy you seen countless times before?" Tess inquired with a teasing edge in her voice. The chubby professor grabbed the now warm Budweiser beer that he had started drinking during the hockey match. He tilted the bottle's opening to his lips and resumed drinking. He would need an ample amount of beer to face the woman in front of him with the truth. Tess was a great woman but sometimes scary when it came to sensing the truth or a lie with her police instincts. He lightly sighed, he better come clean with her or face the worse.
He took a giant swig of the drink and sat the bottle down. "To tell you truth, I was a bit nervous," he explained as Tess shot a dark glare at him, "Oh ok, ok! I was very nervous. How would you feel if you were approached by a figure who you thought was your friend but doesn't know who you or I am? I was scared that if I said the wrong words, I would lose my best friend again. I didn't want that to happen." He took a pause to realized what his actions did involuntary.
"Do you think it's because of my nerves that Vincent ran away," J.T. asked. Tess simply nodded a yes as J.T.'s eyes just widen at the realization that it was all his fault, he caused his "best friend" to run away. "Oh shit. We have to do something. And fast!" he exclaimed as he jumped up from the couch, trying to figure out what to do. Tess didn't notice how insane J.T. looked right now as she approached the situation in a chilled manner. She coolly replied, "Relax big guy. Knowing that this so-called Vincent has no memory whatsoever of his life before being in a laboratory, my suspicions are that he is heading towards the only place he currently knows; Riverside Park. And since there is a big investigation going on with my precinct, he has to approach the scene carefully or he might be noticed.
Let's take this plan of action: you and me go to Riverside Park in my car. While I am finishing up the day with the examination of that jogger's death, you can do your own secret sleuthing. Just don't get in the New York Police Department's way or I will hear it from Gabe Lowen during the daily briefing. Do you understand?" J.T. agreed with Tess' plans as his face scrawled an angry look at the mention of Gabe's name. It was that damn beast's fault that Vincent was kidnapped. If he didn't lure his best friend into his manor, then they wouldn't be in such a bind. If only!
Tess stood up from her seat and went to her belongings. As soon as she picked up her phone, it started to beep. She looked down at the phone and noticed that there was a message from Gabe. It read: "Meet me in my office in thirty minutes. You cannot be late. We have to discuss about the findings at the park today. Thanks, Gabe." She cursed mentally at the text. She put the phone in her pocket and turned to look at her boyfriend with a annoyed look. "Oh great. Gabe wants a big pow-wow in his office in thirty minutes. Since I spent the majority of the day playing a friend for that stranger, I barely had time to comb through the crime scene. Hopefully someone else can cover my ass when I get there," she rambled on as she put her arms around J.T.'s squared shoulders, "It looks like you have to do this alone, partner. Sorry to ditch you like this. I will try to join you as soon as the "suave" ADA sets us free. Remember, make sure that Catherine gets no word of this. We cannot have her putting her nose in a dangerous situation just yet. We just found Vincent but he doesn't know who we are. We can't risk Catherine's fragile heart to be broken again." She apologized even further with a chaste kiss on the lips.
The kiss was brief as the two broke contact a second after they met. Her fumbling, nerdy man of science looked at her with a tender gazed as he replied, "That's ok, do what you got to do. I got this! I will call and text you if anything comes up. Speaking of anything, you know I was only offering that Vincent could stay with us in this apartment. It's big enough for you, me, and my best friend. We could have a ton of people living here but I would only care about being with you". He reaffirmed his feelings for her with a quick kiss on the nose as his lovely lady slowly retracted her arms back to her sides.
"Sure you do, buddy. I love you too. See you later for dinner. It's ok to go out to dinner again tonight? Last night was sweetly romantic and I was hoping to repeat the same thing, if are willing to do so. I'll text you where I want to go to dinner if you are up to it, buster," Tess grinned as she gathered her belongings and began walking towards the door. The professor waved back at her as he watched her exit the apartment.
He didn't mind her dine-out request because it meant that they got a chance to spend quality time together. Maybe tonight will be the first night where she could spend living together with him. J.T. smiled at the idea as he began cleaning up his apartment and get ready to search for his best friend.