A/N Another really short sucky story. It was just stuck in my head and I had to set it free. I know that not many people read or liked my last story, I am sorry. I told myself that I would stop posting stories after Weep Not. I'm a sucker for punishment apparently…
Coffee
She was not what I had expected. That is saying the very least. She was absolutely nothing like what I had expected. For one thing, she was the one who stayed.
Cicicicici
I had scared off yet another partner. I had been partnered with so many good and not so good detectives in my career that I had lost count. The loss of that partner was not a surprise, but more expected. I was certain that they would let me work in peace for a few weeks before trying to saddle me with another person who would get in my way, and think me odd.
Truth was, and still is, that I am odd. An acquired taste, or so I have been led to believe in recent years. My style works for me, it may not be the most conventional, but then none of the more conservative detectives' boast the same solve rate that I do. Anyway…
We had a new captain in Major Case. James Deakins had just transferred over to us from Homicide in Queens. He was a highly respected captain and we were lucky to get him. Unfortunately for me, he seemed to have developed a 'need' to keep me from working alone, the way I was the most successful.
I was not surprised when I was summoned to his office. I had, after all, just watched my partner of six weeks pack up the desk across from mine and walk out the door, backpack over his shoulder. I knew that it would not work from the first handshake. His hand felt floppy in mine as we shook.
My newest partner was to arrive the next day. A very capable detective, I was told, by the name of Alex Eames. The name Eames was not unfamiliar. There were many of them on the force, and even some with FDNY. Surprisingly, though, I could not place an Alexander Eames. I had just started to run the name on the computer, when I was distracted by a call from my mother's assisted care facility Carmel Ridge.
I spent the evening and most of the night at Carmel Ridge talking to the doctors and making sure that my mom was comfortable. It was a long drive back to the city. I had just enough time to stop for a coffee before I rushed into 1PP, and right into a slight blonde lady who was wearing a pale pink shirt. Naturally my coffee sloshed out of the cup and all over her.
I apologized profusely and aided her to a washroom so that she could clean up. I quickly handed her my card and told her that I would take care of any dry cleaning expenses or replacement costs for her clothing. She looked at my card, smiled, and tucked it away into the pocket of her pants. She told me that she would definitely be talking to me later. Then she did something that really surprised me. She called me Bobby.
The only person to ever call me Bobby was my second grade teacher. We happened to have three Robert's in the class that year, so my teacher started calling me Bobby. I liked it. I liked it so much that I even tried to get my parents to call me by the nickname. They refused. Well, to be fair, Dad really did not care. After all he was the one who called me "hey, boy". But my mother; mom hated nicknames, and 'Bobby' was no exception.
I mused over this for a few moments on the elevator ride to the floor that housed the Major Case Squad. Once in the familiar territory, I poured a new cup of coffee, sat down at my desk, and started working on the pile of papers in front of me.
Presently, I was summoned to Deakin's office, where he told me that my new partner had been held up but would be joining us shortly. It was not looking good for the new guy. Here it was his first day and he was already late. At that point, I gave him to the end of the week, before his desk would be cleared and he would be on his way to another department. Deakin's brought me out of my thoughts with a stern lecture on not scaring my new partner off.
While I had lost count of my partners, apparently the brass had been keeping track. I was to 'play nice' with this partner, as well as take some partnership courses that they were arranging for. This confused me; I had never mistreated a partner. I tried to make it seem like they were helping me.
I went back to my desk and focused in on the remaining papers. About an hour later, I finished my reports then decided to continue with my 'homework' on this mysterious Alex Eames.
I had just started typing when Deakin's voice interrupted me. My partner had arrived and I was to come with him for introductions. I was again reminded to be nice. I plastered what I hoped was an inviting smile on my face and followed the captain into his office.
I froze at the door when I saw who was sitting on the arm of a chair.
"Hi Bobby, I told you we would speak again," said the same young woman that I had dumped coffee on that morning. Only now, she was wearing a blue button down shirt. "I'm Alex, but you can call me Eames. I brought you something." She reached over and picked up a paper coffee cup and handed it to me. "One sugar, no cream, the way you like it."
"H-h-how did y-you k-know how I l-like my c-coffee?" I stammered shocked.
"I wouldn't be much of a detective if I could not figure out how my partner took his coffee, now would I Bobby Goren." She said with a mischievous smile. "C'mon, we have work to do."
I followed her out to our desks, watched as she took a few pictures out of a duffel bag, and put them on the desktop before looking at me. "By the way," I take mine black"
I got up quickly, and poured her a cup of the brew. As I handed it to her, our fingers brushed slightly.
She flashed me that amazing smile again, and said: "This is going to work out just fine. Just fine indeed." With that she took a sip, "But this stuff… this stuff is nasty."
"I'll be right back" I said as I grabbed my coat and hurried down to the coffee shop at the end of the street.
Cicicicici
Every day after that we took turns buying and bringing each other coffee. Whenever one had a problem, we would go for coffee. After five years of sharing coffee, I took the next step. From that day forward, we shared our coffee before we left home, before we even left our bed.