"You know you're falling in love when the feeling of falling actually feels like you're floating."
- Rashida Rowe
Monday starts early, but that floaty, flirty feeling still lingers when she wakes up. She knows it won't be the same this week - they'll both be busy with work, they won't have the benefit of time on their hands. But he - and yes, his more than nice smile - was her first thought this morning. It feels like a good start to the week.
She stops for coffee on her way in, texting Kristen for her order as well as OA's and Jubal's, which she isn't shocked to find Kristen knows by heart. Ordering coffees and not adding in Jay's usual drink feels weird and makes her miss home for a moment. She lets herself feel sad until the barista calls her name, and then she smiles her thanks and heads back out onto the street.
She delivers coffees and settles in before pulling out her phone to tap out a quick text before the morning debrief.
19 days.
Kristen comes over then, OA hot on her heels, and she pockets her phone, and before she knows it, the quick debrief is over and she and OA are on their way to do surveillance on a suspect in a double murder.
It's about as thrilling as it is in Chicago, except the time in the back of the van is filled with small talk and the back and forth of getting to know OA, instead of the easy peace she's developed with Jay.
"What would you and Maggie be talking about if she was here?
"Maggie?" He asks, and the way he says it makes her smile, like he's happy just to talk about her. "Honestly? Probably nothing, or what she wanted for lunch if she was hungry. She's pretty private for the most part."
"Maybe she and I are more alike than I thought," she says. "It takes me a while to open up."
He smiles, "Hadn't noticed. But Maggie. She… lost her husband suddenly not too long ago. I get the idea she wasn't always so private."
"That's horrible. I can't even imagine."
She thinks about Garrett, and how awful that had been, and about Jay, and the fear that had spiked in her stomach seeing him laid out under an overpass.
"I know," he says quietly. "She's tough as hell though." He sounds proud, and worried, and maybe a little wistful.
She gets it. "You miss her."
He nods. "More than I thought I would. It's just not knowing where she is or what she's involved in. I mean, you have a partner. You know."
She does. She thinks about Jay, abducted and chained up, and the sound that cracked through the air when the gun went off, so different than any other gunfire she'd ever heard. "Yeah. I know."
And like he's got a sixth sense tuned just for her, her phone vibrates in her pocket. She knows it's him before she even pulls it out, glancing apologetically at OA as she swipes the message open.
What if it was 5 days instead? You, me, Saturday sightseeing?
Her smile is immediate, and noticeable, because OA is smiling when she glances up.
"Good news?"
She nods. "Yeah. It is."
Wouldn't be mad about it.
Good. Details later. Kick FBI ass.
His reply is immediate, and it's enough to get her through the next couple hours of surveillance, that flirty, floaty feeling propelling her along.
—
Except, that quick text exchange is kind of the highlight of her day. The case they're working is turning into a bigger deal than anyone initially thought, and even OA seems a little out of his element, surprises around every corner.
By the time she leaves the office that night, it's an hour later than usual and she's mentally exhausted.
Jay calls as she's stepping off the elevator on her floor, and she smiles seeing that he's already just assumed it'll turn into a FaceTime call.
His smile is bright and relaxed when she picks up, but it fades a little when he sees her face.
"You okay?"
She nods, opens the hotel room door, and unceremoniously drops her bags.
"Yeah," she says, slipping out of her shoes and shaking her hair out of its ponytail. She hangs her suit jacket in the closet and walks over to the bed, letting herself fall back against the pillows. "I'm better now. Just one of those cases."
"I'm sorry. Wanna talk about it?"
She shakes her head. "Not now. Tell me more about this sightseeing on Saturday. Might be all that gets me through this case."
He smiles, and it's like the tension eases off her shoulders a little like he's taking some of the load off her, like he always manages.
"I mean, you're the New Yorker now. I'm gonna expect the grand tour."
She laughs. "High expectations. Hope you like my daily route to the office and the bodega down the block, because those are the only places I've managed to get to more than once."
"I don't care what we do, Hailey. The tour could start and end with your hotel room and I'd be happy."
She raises her eyebrows and he laughs.
"I actually did not mean that how it sounded. I just mean, I'm coming to see you, the city is just a bonus."
She smiles. "Okay."
"You can thank drunk Kev for my visit, by the way."
"Oh? He's probably having a rough day. Shot down last night and hungover on a Monday," she laughs.
"He was dragging this morning, for sure. Last night after you hung up, he said, 'I miss Hailey, she's like the exact right amount of caring and kinda scary.' And I agreed, obviously. And when I woke up this morning, I still missed you. But I realized I didn't have to."
"That's a pretty good compliment, makes me sound like a badass. Maybe you should follow Kevin's lead on flirting."
"Hailey, you are a badass. But his bar tab last night cost more than the airfare I'm looking at right now."
She laughs. "Well, that's probably excessive. Don't take advice from Kevin. You can flirt with me for the low price of airfare and a TSA search."
"Worth it. So, you're sure you want me to come visit? My ticket is refundable, but my hurt feelings won't be."
He's smiling though, and she just takes a moment to watch him. She should be concerned that her day has been so rapidly improved just from his face, but she isn't.
"Jay. Buy the damn ticket."
"Yeah?"
"Before I change my mind, yeah," but it's an empty threat and they both know it.
"Okay." Except he doesn't do anything but watch her.
Her stomach growls audibly and he grins.
"Shut up," she smiles. "We worked through lunch."
"No big takeout budget for the Feds? Even Voight springs for pizza every once in a while," he says.
"They're less concerned with me eating than they are catching murderers. Shocking, I know,"
"Well, yeah. Clearly, they don't know how hangry you get. I'd worry more about that than some murderers."
"Hey, remember how I said to buy the ticket before I changed my mind? Better get on that."
"Jeez, don't get hangry at me, Hailey. I'm not there to make sure you get food."
"Shh. Go buy your ticket. I need to shower this day away before I can even think about going to find food. Might even take a long, hot bath first."
He grins. "You know, your iPhone is waterproof. Feel free to keep FaceTiming me through that whole process."
She rolls her eyes. "Your impending visit has made you very cocky."
He smiles. "Not cocky. Just very, very hopeful."
"Mhmm," she says. "I'm going. Text me your flight info."
"Will do," he says.
"And Jay?" She stands and starts unbuttoning her dress shirt one-handed, watching the way his smile quirks into a surprised laugh. "Keep that hope alive." She stops just at the edge of her bra and laughs at the small groan he lets out.
"C'mon, that's just rude."
"Sorry," she says, laughing. "Guess you'll just have to hop on a plane or something."
"Yeah, yeah. Go relax, Hailey."
"Bye." She waves and ends the call, heading off to start the bath.
—
Her phone buzzes a while later and she dries her hand on a towel at the edge of the tub before reaching for it.
It's not Jay, though, and she frowns.
It's OA, telling her Jubal wants them in earlier tomorrow. She groans and lets herself sink under into the hot water for a few moments. The water is relaxing, and she reminds herself that overall, today was a good day.
It's a day that could be the start of something, something really good, and she holds onto that feeling as she tells OA she'll see him bright and early.
(She's not proud of it, but by the time she drags herself out of the tub, the idea of going to find a healthier dinner option is scrapped in favor of chips from the vending machine down the hall.
So she'll be hangry in the morning. Maybe she can channel it into solving their case.)
Jay sends a screenshot of his flight info a little while later as she's scarfing down chips in front of the TV.
It's the best part of her day.
—