Cory quietly wheeled her bike out of the firehouse that afternoon hoping to get away without talking to anyone.
In her books, it hadn't been a very good day at all. Everyone was giving her strange looks.
Victor was still teasing her supposed 'great night out' that unbeknownst to him was actually true.
Chris was giving her the third degree about what happened on Wednesday night after she's left them and Tc was questioning her about the badge swap.
Only Lieutenant Palermo was blissfully unaware of anything going on. Or at least, he hadn't said nor done anything differently.
And then there was Alastair. On more than one occasion throughout the day she had spied him watching her. And once, when Palermo had called her up into his office, she's seen Alastair go over to her desk and check through some papers there. For someone who'd made love to her so passionately two nights ago, he was really giving her the cold shoulder today.
Cory put on her helmet, mounted her bike and rode carefully through the parking lot.
So far so good, she thought as she looked back at the door. No one had come out yet.
'Cory!' She heard a voice call her.
She looked ahead of her. Alastair was standing beside his car waiting for her. She rolled her eyes and pulled the bike to a stop behind the car.
Alastair moved closer to her. 'I was wondering if I could talk to you?'
'Oh? Do you need help with your case?' She inquired innocently.
He shook his head and folded his arms across his chest. 'Why didn't you tell me you're a cop?'
'You're very direct aren't you?' She said, smiling sweetly.
'Why?' He asked her again.
'And when exactly was I supposed to tell you? When you invited yourself to have a drink with me? Or when I was drunk? Or when we were in bed together?'
'You could have told me.'
She shrugged. 'What difference does it make?'
'The difference is Office McNamara is that on Wednesday night I was under the impression that I could date you. Now I know that it is completely off the cards.'
Cory rolled her eyes. 'You know, cops like going on dates too. And besides, we can date as long as we don't work together.'
'We are working together. I've been transferred her indefinitely until I get this case solved.'
She threw her hands in the air. 'You could have told me that on Wednesday.'
'Well considering I didn't know you were a cop I didn't think you needed to know.' Alastair looked around. This conversation was getting quite heated and he hoped no one was going to leaving the firehouse soon.
'Whatever.' Cory said and went to ride off.
Alastair grabbed her handlebars. 'I don't think you realise just how big a deal this is. I've already got Palermo breathing down my neck wanting to know what the hell is going on as well as your officer buddies looking at me as if I've grown horns.'
'Well you did do a good job of keeping this quiet.' She said sarcastically.
'What is that supposed to mean?'
'It means, you could have found a more discreet way to give me my badge back.'
Alastair was about to protest when Tc came out of the firehouse. He stopped when he saw them watching him.
Cory gave one last glare at Alastair and rode away.
Cory was wandering through the grocery store pushing her cart when Victor ran up beside her and purposely pushed his cart into hers.
'Victor, what are you doing?' She said rather annoyed.
'Sorry, I just came to say hello. You seemed a bit down on yourself.'
'Of course I'm down on myself. It's Friday night and I'm grocery shopping.' She picked up a box of cereal and started reading the nutritional section.
'Ah, you see I thought you would be out on another hot date with Detective Maguire.' Victor whispered Alastair's name.
'Oh grow up Victor. Just because I talk to a guy does not mean I am involved with him. Besides, he's an idiot.' She said waving the cereal box in the air.
'Really? He doesn't seem that bad to me.'
'He just…he just annoys me. He irritates me. I mean why is he even here? Why can't he work on his case in the city.'
Victor reached in her cart and pulled out the potato chips. 'Yikes, you are in a bad way.'
Cory snatched them off him and put them back in the cart. 'I'm serious Victor. I don't like the guy. I mean, he treats me like I'm a liar. I'm a cop and he treats me like a criminal.' She sighed. 'I don't know what to do.'
'Well, you could always do what my mother told me to do.'
'What's that?'
'Ignore him.'
Cory laughed. 'That never works.'
'Not in school but maybe now. Think about it Cory, he's a big shot detective whose father is the chief of police. A guy like him thrives on attention. You take away the attention, it's like taking the fuel from a fire.'
She looked at him sceptically.
'Trust me, you can do it.'
She steered his cart towards the checkout.
As he walked away she heard him mutter. 'Even though I did see you staring at his butt today.'
In her books, it hadn't been a very good day at all. Everyone was giving her strange looks.
Victor was still teasing her supposed 'great night out' that unbeknownst to him was actually true.
Chris was giving her the third degree about what happened on Wednesday night after she's left them and Tc was questioning her about the badge swap.
Only Lieutenant Palermo was blissfully unaware of anything going on. Or at least, he hadn't said nor done anything differently.
And then there was Alastair. On more than one occasion throughout the day she had spied him watching her. And once, when Palermo had called her up into his office, she's seen Alastair go over to her desk and check through some papers there. For someone who'd made love to her so passionately two nights ago, he was really giving her the cold shoulder today.
Cory put on her helmet, mounted her bike and rode carefully through the parking lot.
So far so good, she thought as she looked back at the door. No one had come out yet.
'Cory!' She heard a voice call her.
She looked ahead of her. Alastair was standing beside his car waiting for her. She rolled her eyes and pulled the bike to a stop behind the car.
Alastair moved closer to her. 'I was wondering if I could talk to you?'
'Oh? Do you need help with your case?' She inquired innocently.
He shook his head and folded his arms across his chest. 'Why didn't you tell me you're a cop?'
'You're very direct aren't you?' She said, smiling sweetly.
'Why?' He asked her again.
'And when exactly was I supposed to tell you? When you invited yourself to have a drink with me? Or when I was drunk? Or when we were in bed together?'
'You could have told me.'
She shrugged. 'What difference does it make?'
'The difference is Office McNamara is that on Wednesday night I was under the impression that I could date you. Now I know that it is completely off the cards.'
Cory rolled her eyes. 'You know, cops like going on dates too. And besides, we can date as long as we don't work together.'
'We are working together. I've been transferred her indefinitely until I get this case solved.'
She threw her hands in the air. 'You could have told me that on Wednesday.'
'Well considering I didn't know you were a cop I didn't think you needed to know.' Alastair looked around. This conversation was getting quite heated and he hoped no one was going to leaving the firehouse soon.
'Whatever.' Cory said and went to ride off.
Alastair grabbed her handlebars. 'I don't think you realise just how big a deal this is. I've already got Palermo breathing down my neck wanting to know what the hell is going on as well as your officer buddies looking at me as if I've grown horns.'
'Well you did do a good job of keeping this quiet.' She said sarcastically.
'What is that supposed to mean?'
'It means, you could have found a more discreet way to give me my badge back.'
Alastair was about to protest when Tc came out of the firehouse. He stopped when he saw them watching him.
Cory gave one last glare at Alastair and rode away.
Cory was wandering through the grocery store pushing her cart when Victor ran up beside her and purposely pushed his cart into hers.
'Victor, what are you doing?' She said rather annoyed.
'Sorry, I just came to say hello. You seemed a bit down on yourself.'
'Of course I'm down on myself. It's Friday night and I'm grocery shopping.' She picked up a box of cereal and started reading the nutritional section.
'Ah, you see I thought you would be out on another hot date with Detective Maguire.' Victor whispered Alastair's name.
'Oh grow up Victor. Just because I talk to a guy does not mean I am involved with him. Besides, he's an idiot.' She said waving the cereal box in the air.
'Really? He doesn't seem that bad to me.'
'He just…he just annoys me. He irritates me. I mean why is he even here? Why can't he work on his case in the city.'
Victor reached in her cart and pulled out the potato chips. 'Yikes, you are in a bad way.'
Cory snatched them off him and put them back in the cart. 'I'm serious Victor. I don't like the guy. I mean, he treats me like I'm a liar. I'm a cop and he treats me like a criminal.' She sighed. 'I don't know what to do.'
'Well, you could always do what my mother told me to do.'
'What's that?'
'Ignore him.'
Cory laughed. 'That never works.'
'Not in school but maybe now. Think about it Cory, he's a big shot detective whose father is the chief of police. A guy like him thrives on attention. You take away the attention, it's like taking the fuel from a fire.'
She looked at him sceptically.
'Trust me, you can do it.'
She steered his cart towards the checkout.
As he walked away she heard him mutter. 'Even though I did see you staring at his butt today.'