Chapter 2- Tonight's Gonna Be a Good Night
"What color dress are you wearing?" Jay asked over the phone. It was two weeks before the wedding and Jay wanted to get a tie to match her dress.
"Burgundy." she replied as she was cooking dinner. "Hmmm. that tastes good." she murmured to herself, but loud enough that Jay heard her. "What are you cooking?" he asked jealously, he was planning on eating out for the third night in a row. Without Erin, he had taken to eating alone after shift save for the few times Will had time off or the occasions when the Intelligence Unit would end up at Mollys.
"Tacos." Kim answered happily, noting that she had heard a hint of jealousy in his voice. "Do you want to come over? I have plenty." She offered, it would be better than eating alone for the third night in a row. "Bring your ties and you can see the dress." She reminded him. "Plus I can pick out what shoes to wear."
"I'll be there in twenty minutes." Jay replied eagerly which made her laugh, but both were happy with the arrangement. And that's how Taco Tuesday was born, alternating between Jay and Kim's apartment, with Kim teaching Jay how to make taco meat and guacamole and salsa. They made enough leftovers for work the next day and had gotten strange looks from their team when they were both eating tacos for lunch every Wednesday. Well the team that wasn't Adam or Erin.
He wasn't kidding when he said twenty minutes as he rang the doorbell at exactly 7:20. "Smells great, Kim." he complimented her as he entered her apartment for the first time. "Thanks for having me." He said grateful for company and homemade food. It was the first time in her apartment but it wasn't going to be the last.
"Hey Kim." Jay greeted when she picked up her phone. She was out, busy picking up some items for Trudy's bridal shower coming up. "What's up? Calling me on a weekend, Halstead?" she teased him. Their friendship had been growing steadily in the last few weeks.
They had gotten drinks after work a couple of times, breakfast after a long night of a case sometimes but today they were both finally off the clock.
He could have kicked himself, she might have plans or be with someone or any other possible scenarios that he might have just interrupted. "I'm sorry I shouldn't have bothered you on a weekend…" He apologized, but she took pity on him.
"It's fine. I'm just busting you. I'm out running errands for Platt's wedding. Is it terrible to say that I would rather be working?" She asked as she put more packages in the back seat of her car. "Can I help you with something?" She inquired in her typical helpful Burgess manner.
"Any idea of what I should get Trudy and Mouch for the wedding or should I just do straight cash?" Jay wondered a bit out of his league on this one. "Usually Erin would take care of these things…" he admitted, trailing off, giving Kim a hint that he was a bit uncomfortable. "Or do we go in on a gift?" He suggested hopefully, knowing his track record with buying meaningful gifts was pretty lousy.
"Do you mind finishing some errands with me and then we can go shopping for a gift? I would like the company and the help carrying the packages." Kim offered a compromise hopefully.
"That would be great, thanks Kim." Jay said relieved. He did not want to walk into the mall alone. "I'll pick you up in about thirty minutes if that works for you?" Kim suggested as they finished making plans.
"NIce car Burgess." He admired the Mercedes and the pristine condition she kept it in. But knowing her personality, he shouldn't have been surprised. Her desk was always the neatest desk in the bullpen.
"You do straight cash when you don't know the people getting married, but when it's Platt you gotta put in some effort." Kim advised him as he buckled himself into her car. "I mean, unless you have a death wish." She joked, looking at him sideways.
"That's why I called you." He declared seriously. "Platt loves you obviously, and I do not want to screw this up." Kim liked how his eyes lit up when he was teasing, she wasn't used to this side of Jay Halstead. And for his part, he never realized how funny Kim Burgess was until they started hanging out.
"Are all weddings this stressful? Or just Trudy Platt weddings?" He wondered both joking and also terrified. Even though he had been married once before, a drunken one night stand with a fellow Army Ranger, they never obviously reached this level of wedding madness. He didn't think anyone else could match this kind of wedding madness.
"Nicole's wedding was a hot mess." Kim admitted as they strolled through the mall. "She had 8 bridesmaids plus me, they were all of her sorority sisters and Jordan had 8 groomsmen plus his brother was his best man, and they were his fraternity brothers."
"Damn. That's a lot of wedding party." He commented wryly.
"Yeah, my mom was not thrilled with the alcohol bill from the bridal shower or bachelorette party or the wedding." Kim stated matter of factly.
"Yeah I can imagine why." Jay agreed, thinking about all those drunk people together in one place. It only took Kim about 10 minutes to exit the highway and end up at the mall.
Kim rolled her eyes as they pulled into a parking spot outside the food court because somebody was too "hungry" and had to eat something before they could shop. At least she would have time to make a plan of action.
"You're real high maintenance Halstead" Kim said with a sigh, as she snatched a fry off his plate.
"Now we're sharing food?" He asked, shocked at her audacity, curious as to her response.
"We're in this deep, now Halstead, real deep." Kim stated seriously. "Eat faster." With a look she must have learned from the master (Platt) herself, he found himself doing so. Also, to keep her from eating too many of his fries.
"What's this place, Things Remembered?" Jay suggested as Kim gave him a tour of the mall he probably hadn't been in for at least 6 years. "Sounds like a good place to remember things, like weddings."
"We are so getting coffee after this." Kim moaned with a shake of her head at his bad joke. "Maybe drinks too." "Maybe we can get something personalized that combines the police and fire." She stated as if he were a child. "Here." She pushed her purse into his hands so she could reach an item off the shelf to determine if it was worthy of Sergeant Trudy Platt.
"You look for Mouch and I'll look for Platt." Kim organized the pair. They were in for a long afternoon, she feared. Though she had to admit, it was a lot more fun than doing it alone. He didn't know how he ended up holding her purse while shopping, but he found he didn't mind. He watched how carefully and thoughtfully she carefully checked out items.
As Jay walked around to the glass section, an employee came up to him. "Looking for something for your wife over there?" The man asked helpfully. Jay began to say no, but instead found himself saying, "Yes actually, it's a surprise. I'm the worst at gifts, I would like for her to not pick out her own gift for once." He continued the charade, enjoying himself.
Friends buy other friends Christmas gifts all the time, right? He thought when he finally made his decision on what to purchase. Kim was such a thoughtful person, that he felt like it would be nice for someone to make her smile for once. Between her break up with Ruzek, and her sister's rape, not to mention her best friend leaving town unexpectedly, Kim had a few rough months.
He thought he and Erin would have married, but her penchant for bad choices gave him pause. His parents had been happily married before his mom died. He wondered about Burgess's family, she never spoke of them much he realized. None of them did really, but at least he knew about Hank, Camille, and Justin, Olive, and Daniel; Al and Meredith, Lexi & Michelle, Antonio and Laura, Ava and Diego; Ruzek and his dad Bob, Erin and Bunny, and all he knew of Kim's family was her sister Nicole and niece Zoe.
He picked out something while she was distracted, and had it wrapped; before bringing over his idea for Mouch and Platt. "Personalized beer pint glasses?" he suggested hopefully.
KIm nodded in approval, "It's a good start Jay, really." He was pleased to have gotten her approval. Why it meant so much to him he couldn't say but it did. "Oh maybe we could get some for the groomsmen as groomsmens gifts. Let me text Hermann."
"Groomsmen's gifts?" Jay asked incredulously. He literally had no idea what weddings looked like from behind the scenes. "Yep." Kim nodded as she typed numbers into her phone. "Not to mention a groom's cake for the reception."
Finally, he understood why Burgess didn't mind helping him. He was doing more work hauling boxes to her car from the mall and from her car to her apartment than she had helping him pick out a present. Wedding present, check. Groomsmen gifts, check. Bridesmaids gifts, check. Kim crossed those off her wedding to do list.
"Want to order something in?" Kim offered to feed him, as a thank you for his help. "There's a great Thai place down the street that I love." She suggested, pulling out the menu out of her very organized, very Kim Burgess like kitchen drawer. He loved Thai as well so it was a quick decision on his part. While they waited, she gave him a tour of her place, he found it to be very warm and cheerful.
And one Kim Burgess gift, check. Jay smiled, as he remembered that special gift he tucked into the glove box of his car as he left Kim's later that night.
Kim looked over her to-do list as she finished her second cup of coffee. In just a few weeks, all her hard work and the harassment from Platt would be over and she could just sit back and enjoy the wedding.
"You in here Kim?" Jay called out as he entered her apartment with the spare key and a pizza. She had taken the day off from work and he knew one of Platt's showery things that Kim was in charge of was coming up soon. She hadn't returned any of his texts and he was slightly worried that she was up to her neck in wedding stuff.
"Jay?" she called out confused. "Did we have plans?" She was sitting on the floor surrounded by wrapped paper and scrap paper and computer paper. There was Burgess on the floor sitting in a position he had never been able to, little scraps of paper and tape clinging to her clothes, leggings and cozy socks, and a messy bun that made her look younger (if that was possible) but still cute.
"Nothing more than our usual Taco Tuesday. Today is Taco Pizza." He placed the pizza down on her counter, took out some plates and beer. He had been to her apartment a couple times now so he felt comfortable going into her cabinets to get what they needed.
Jay turned to reach down to help Kim off the floor. Groaning, she stumbled as both her legs had been asleep. Jay didn't seem to mind holding onto her hands a few extra seconds until she steadied herself. He did notice how tiny they seemed compared to his.
"You have a piece of something…" he broke the still silence, his fingers gently moving a piece of paper off her cheek.
"Oh, thanks…" she replied softly, blushing. One hand gently checked to see if there was more paper stuck to her face when she realized he was still staring. He slowly removed his hand from her face, blushing when he realized he had been staring intently at Kim.
"What in the world are you doing?" Jay asked as he looked into Kim's living room full of fake flowers, ribbons, vases, and several other items he had never seen before in his life.
"Making centerpieces, wrapping party games, gifts, making favors, table cards…" Kim rattled off from her to do list.
"What is the easiest thing I can do to help?" He offered, and Kim Burgess was too smart a woman to turn him down.
"Put five chocolates in each bag and pull it closed." Kim handed over the favors task to her teammate and went back to making the table cards and seating cards. "What songs should the DJ play at Platt's wedding?" Kim opened up a new conversation.
One Tuesday, they mixed up the menu slightly making fajitas instead of the normal tacos, when Kim broached a new subject regarding the wedding. "So a bunch of us were thinking of renting a hummer limo for after the ceremony."
"That sounds fun, let's do it." Jay answered with a grin. The last time he had been in a limo was for a retirement ceremony for his commander in the army but this time it would be more relaxed and he would be surrounded by friends. He was committed to this wedding "date", He would be a good guest, carry on with small talk, dance, the whole nine yards.
"I'll be right out." Kim declared as Jay sat back on the couch with his beer. He was stunned at the sight of Kim in her dress. Or maybe it was the sight of her bare skin in that dress.
"Stand up." Kim pulled Jay off the couch so she could see how tall he was and decide on what shoes to wear. He stood up, not knowing what Kim was doing, shocked when the brunette ended up putting her arms around his neck.
"I'm trying to see what shoes to wear." she explained softly, as Jay's hands lightly landed on her waist. With her black heels she was much closer to his height than usual, she could lean her head on his shoulder if she just moved a few inches…
Suddenly both Jay and Kim's phones buzzed with messages from Voight. "New case, meeting there in 20 minutes." Jay announced, and Kim panicked ; shedding her shoes in the living room, as she ran down the hall, easing the dress off her shoulders before her bedroom door closed behind her.
"Damn." Jay muttered to himself, having witnessed the sexy dress fall slightly off of Kim's slight frame.
She was always a beautiful woman, but he was speechless and oh so glad that he agreed to go with her. And just as glad to witness their sergeant's wedding to her firefighter. The wedding was going to be a good night.
Kim emerged three minutes later in jeans, a black sweater and her boots; trying to straighten her hair with her hands and swiping on a bit of lip gloss, which brought Jay's attention to her lips. He had been distracted all night by Kim, so he forced himself to look away as he twisted his keys in his hands.
"I'll drive." Jay offered as Kim grabbed her go bag and locked the apartment behind them. When they arrived on scene, it was only Kevin who noticed that the two arrived together.