Hi everyone, thank so much again for your reviews.

A very special thanks again to Sweepeaspatch for helping with the grammer and spelling mistakes! I did come up with some new inspiration while posting so some mistakes might have made it's way into here anyway...

And also a special thanks to the guests for leaving their kind reviews! I wish I could sent you a message back but that's not possible... Thanks for taking the time to review.

Thanks to all you other reviewers, I'll be sending you a message.

Chapter 6

Beach

Ow, how he hated the sand! Did that woman just have to choose to sit in the middle of it? Richard walked towards detective Milano with his heart hammering loud in his chest. He cleared his throat when he stood next to her.

Kris looked up from her sitting position in the surf. "Richard?" She asked surprised.

"Uh yes, well, er hello." Richard mumbled. This was a bad idea. He could still hear Dwayne telling him that he should ask Kris. Because she had trained undercover operatives. She might help.

Kris stood up.

His eyes darted to her colorful rash guard. The short sleeves were a mix of pink and purple and the body was some sort of orange. He might need sunglasses to protect himself before those bright colors would hurt his eyes.

"It protects me from the sun. Too much and I'll turn into a lobster in minutes." Kris answered his thoughts when she saw where his eyes darted to.

"O.." Richard said quickly. "I know what you mean." He nodded. No need to explain to him about the sun and it's horrible effects...

"So..." Kris began as she put her hands to her sides and looked behind him as if expecting a second person. "You ditched your other half?" She quipped.

"My other half?" He asked baffled.

"Camille?"

"O... That half.. I wouldn't exactly call her my other ha-..." He stopped talking when he saw the smile on her face and the twinkle of amusement in her dark eyes. "Yes... Er..." He looked behind himself as well. "Yes... In a manner of speaking... I suppose I have..." Or she did. Ditch me...

"Is everything all right?"

"O you know..." Richard looked around the beach. "I was just having a walk." He shrugged and tried to act carefree.

Kris laughed at that. "On the beach?" She looked at his neat shoes, covered in sand now. That couldn't be the truth..."I can see how you're enjoying yourself."

"Yes, well... I kind of... Have a... Situation... And Dwayne..." O how he hated this... Asking for help. Talking about something like this with someone else. With a woman of all people! An attractive woman! But she seemed the best person for this job. For his questions... He couldn't ask Camille, or heaven forbid: Catherine. Who else was there? He looked around. "This... I really can't talk or concentrate with this blazing sun, and sand everywhere..."

"O I wouldn't want to bother you." Kris said as she took her board from the ground. She thought it was his way of telling her he wanted to leave. That he had no time for chit chat. "You probably have lots of work to do." She turned towards the sea again.

"No...!" Where was she going?! He took a step towards her. "I... Er... I meant... I would like... I wanted to ask... A word maybe?" Richard stammered as he stepped back clumsily when he saw how the water was coming dangerously close to his shoes. His face scrunched up as he cursed the sea.

"O..." Kris said surprised. "You want to talk to me?" She looked from the sea back to him as she lowered the board again. Surprise filled her. What on earth could this man ever want to talk about with her?! "I thought you wanted to leave."

"Yes I er... I would prefer... Maybe..." He remembered how she liked his beach shack. "I was planning on going home, for... Work... And... I wanted to ask..." He stopped talking. It was like his tongue was glued to the rest of his mouth and nothing he did would ever solve that problem again. Also his throat was dry and no sound would come anymore. Dozens of ways how she could reject him went through his mind in a flash. Would she laugh at him? No, she wasn't like that. He thought...

"Yes?" Kris encouraged him softly. She could read off his posture that he had trouble with expressing himself. The poor man just stood there, like a statue. A British statue, suit and all, between all the half naked people in bathing suits, splashing and playing around him. The contrast couldn't be any bigger. Suddenly Kris understood better how this man tried to keep control. How he held on to his suit, his ways. Because maybe that was the last thing he had to hold on to, in this different country. With it's different ways. With it's relaxed ways.

Richard swallowed. He took a handkerchief from his pocket. He was glad to find that his hand and arm would still do as he wanted. "-Your opinion if you don't mind..." He managed to press out. He sighed and dabbed his forehead.

Kris smiled. "And you would love to do that right here on the beach..." She teased in a serious tone. She now understood why Camille loved pushing and teasing this man. He had something endearing, something disarming. "We can sit on my blanket?" She offered as she tried not to laugh. Teasing him would challenge him in a way, making it even more fun to keep teasing, showing more of what was underneath there. Kris liked how she began to understand Camille's stories about Richard better now. How she now actually got the live version of his behavior, and of Camille's own behavior. The chemistry they had. Things Kris couldn't have picked up through the phone or through an email or phone message.

"O God please no..." He uttered instantly.

Kris laughed. "I already figured that. What do you propose inspector?"

"Richard please. If you're a friend of Camille's I guess... Well..."

"I'm a friend of yours too?" She filled in playfully.

Richard cleared his throat. "I wouldn't go that far."

She laughed again. "I thought so. I was just teasing. I can't wait to find out what you want my opinion on." Would it be on Camille? This was getting interesting! "I can meet you at your place?"

"Would you have time... Now? It's rather urgent."

Kris looked at her bright blue watch. "I can't now, I'm meeting someone in a few minutes. But I can stop by before supper tonight?" She proposed.

Richard nodded. "Yes.. Please." Whatever it took...

Beach before supper

"Camille?" Kris said somewhat surprised as she walked up to Camille who was sitting in the sand.

"Can I sit?" She asked.

Camille looked up and nodded as she looked back at the sea.

"Is something the matter?" Kris asked sweetly.

Camille shrugged. "Yes." She admitted.

'Do you want to talk about it?" Kris asked.

"Non." She always sought out the sea when she was feeling awful. It soothed her in many ways. Just staring at the sky, the clouds, the water, the surf.

"Okay." Kris said as she caressed Camille's elbow briefly with two fingers and then looked at the sea and stretched her long legs out in front of her. "It's getting kind of chilly." She concluded as she closed her blue short coat.

Camille stared at the small waves that lapsed onto the shore. Kris always had this way, this sweet way with her little touches, as if she always knew what someone needed. It made you feel at ease with her. As if everything would be all right. It would be all right if she talked, and it would be all right if she didn't. That was very nice. "We went to a terrace, Richard and me, far away from my mother." Camille snapped in a dark voice. "Don't let me get started on what she would do if she saw us together... She'd probably make me crazy! So I'm trying to touch Richard, but he can't even stand it when I put my arm around him. Can you imagine that?!" Camille asked as she gestured wildly at Kris.

Kris thought about the stiff English man for a moment.

"I told him to pretend and cuddle a bit. That's what's needed to look like a married couple that's happily in love, isn't it? He said it didn't feel right because his heart wasn't in it!" Camille stopped again and put her fists in the sand. A tear ran down her cheek. She felt so humiliated!

"O Camille." Kris said softly in a compassionate voice.

"It's not like I care!" Camille barked at Kris as she crossed her arms in front her chest angrily. "I don't care!" She snapped again as if she was having a heavy internal dialog with herself now. She shrugged. "Why should I?"

Then came a string of French curses even Kris didn't understand. She could talk a bit French, but not extremely fluently. So the swearing words, followed up so quickly like it was one string all together eluded her...

There was silence for a moment. Kris waited patiently. Knowing full well that Camille still had a lot on her mind and wasn't finished yet.

"He's not attracted to me. That's what he said." Camille spat as she looked at the dark color of the sea. She'd switched back to English again, with her French accent especially heavy now. "That annoying man. As if I am attracted to him?! It's a job! Nothing more. It's not real life. He acts like he really has to play my lover. Stupid man! Merde!" Why for crying out loud would I ever be attracted to a man like that? A man that isn't romantic, and most possible not even passionate!

"I'm sorry it's so difficult. I can understand that that doesn't help with focusing on the job. It makes it more difficult."

"OUI!" Camille barked as she wiped away her tears. She just had to flick a switch. Make sure that she wouldn't find him attractive anymore. Make sure that she wouldn't want him anymore. Wouldn't care about what he'd do or say. She could find someone else. Didn't she deserve better? A man who fought for her? Not a man who insulted her at every turn. But did he really? Insult her at every turn? Not that many times. Just... Now... And it had hurt her deeply. She didn't want to get hurt that deeply.

"How could you practice such a thing? Richard does seem rather clumsy."

"Well he's so good at acting." Camille spat sarcastic in a male's voice. "That's what he said. But he can't act like he likes or loves me because his heart isn't in it. Well it is ACTING. But even that seems..." Her voice broke. "Too much for him." Camille said through a constricted throat.

Kris sighed softly as she eyed her friend who was clearly struggling. "I'm so sorry."

'Well, yes, so am I. I'm just trying to do my job."

Kris nodded. "I know." She said as she put a hand on Camille's lower back to support her.

"It's not like I like him or anything." Camille spat angrily as she avoided making eye-contact.

"No." Kris agreed as she soothed Camille by stroking her back softly.

"It isn't!" Camille snapped again as she now gave Kris a defiant look.

"No, it isn't " Kris said, knowing full well that it was. But that wasn't something she was ready to hear now. Camille was hurt, that was the point now.

Camille shook her head tiredly and looked at the sea again. "So am I not good enough? Not nice enough?" She suddenly asked as she turned towards Kris sadly.

Kris sighed and smiled sadly back. "Someone should really kick him." She said as she put a strand of hair behind Camille's ear lovingly. She'd never seen a man have this much effect on Camille. For her to lose her confidence like this... That meant something. It meant a lot.

"You're one of the nicest, caring, warm women I know." She told Camille sweetly. "You're fierce, strong, smart, interesting and beautiful. And if he can't see that... " She stopped talking. Telling Camille that it would be Richard's loss would be so cliché. And wouldn't help with the hurt in the other woman's heart. How she would love to go to Richard and shake some sense into the stiff man.

Camille wiped a tear away. "It's not like I care really. About what he thinks of me." She stated.

Kris nodded silently. Knowing full well that wasn't true either...

"It's just... Hearing someone say that... I guess it just hurts." It hurts so much... More then she would ever be willing to admit. Even to herself... It's a pain that she doesn't want to feel.

"Yes, I can imagine so." Kris agreed as she wrapped her arms around Camille. "Come here." She whispered as she hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry you're hurt. I'm so sorry." She said soothingly as she caressed Camille's upper back.

Camille sniffed as a shock went through her from the tears she tried to hold back in her body.

"Just let it go. You'll feel a bit better then." Kris whispered encouragingly as Camille cried softly in her arms now. "I'm sorry he was so blunt and said these things." Kris said as she let go of Camille.

"Yes well, I'm fine now." Camille said resolutely. Pushing away her feelings quickly. She wasn't someone who cried easily. Not around other people. Sometimes she could... But only when she had resolved the problem somehow. But there was no solution for this problem it seemed...

"You don't have to push anything away for me you know." Kris reminded her softly.

"What? This is a session?" Camille suddenly snapped as she moved away from Kris, giving her a dark glare.

"What?! No." Kris uttered surprised as she studied her friends face with big, innocent eyes.

"Maybe you should play his wife, he was ogling you after all." Camille spat angrily as she stood up. "You'd get your beach house after all."

"O Camille..." Kris stated emotionally but she had stalked off already. She sighed out loud in frustration as she straightened herself now too. "Great." She muttered. She knew Camille was just lashing out towards her to not face her own pain. But still, it wasn't nice to be on the receiving end. Kris sighed again as she began to walk back to la Kaz slowly.

Beach shack

Camille sighed as she looked up at the beach shack. What had brought her here? She'd been so angry, had lashed out at Kris. And still her feet had brought her to the one person she didn't want to see right now. The walking had helped a bit. And also Kris's sweet words and soothing ways. She sighed again as she remembered that she hadn't been nice to Kris. She should take care of that later.

Camille walked towards the shack. She was a professional. So she would take care of this this evening. She didn't want to go to bed without some sort of closure to this horrible afternoon.

"Richard?" Camille called out.

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