Eddie spent the rest of the weekend wondering why Erin was so insistent that Jamie was unavailable. It really bothered her. He clearly wasn't seeing anyone else, at least she didn't get that impression from him on their date, and she wondered if it had to with Jamie's daughter.
She eventually came to the conclusion that is what it must be and decided not to worry about it for now. She was getting ready for another trial and needed to stay focused on that. Maybe she would ask Erin about it later, or maybe Jamie already told Erin they had gone out, who knows, but for today, work would be her focus.
She spent the next few days deep in concentration of her ongoing trial. She did talk to Jamie a few times, but their conversations were brief, lasting just long enough to ask one another about their day. Both were busy that week, so each call was short, and both were looking forward to their second date.
On Thursday, Jamie was hoping he and Eddie could meet up for a quick mid-week lunch. He didn't want to wait until Saturday to see her again. She had graciously accepted his offer to meet at the diner down the street from her office since she was done at the courthouse for the day and would be heading back that way just after noon.
They didn't have long, but they did enjoy their lunch together and Jamie insisted on walking her back to her office before he went back on tour. She didn't object. She loved every second she spent with him.
Walking back to Eddie's office, they chat about the upcoming weekend, but Jamie will not tell her what he has planned. He wants to surprise her. She thinks that is sweet but really prefers to know what they are doing. She doesn't push for more details; although she wishes he would give her a hint, at least so she will know what to wear.
As they walk, they end up closer together than they realize, and Jamie reaches for her hand. She gladly accepts the gesture and smiles at the feel of his hand around hers. Sooner than either had hoped, they reach the front steps of Eddie's office building, and Jamie leans in to kiss her sweetly on the cheek before telling her he will see her Saturday.
Neither of them notices that Erin is standing at the top of the steps witnessing the encounter, and she quickly steps inside the door before they have a chance to see her.
Erin wasn't sure what to think. She had told Eddie several weeks ago that Jamie was unavailable. She truly believed he was. She knew her brother had no interest in dating anyone, and now she was wondering what the two of them were doing together outside the building just then.
Jamie hadn't mentioned anything to her about seeing anyone, especially Eddie, and Eddie certainly hadn't said anything to her about dating her brother. She was confused, and she wasn't sure she trusted Eddie completely, at least not with her brother's sensitive situation.
She didn't know anything about Eddie's past, not that it was much business to her, but it did bother her that anytime she would bring it up, Eddie was quick to brush it off and change the subject. She was afraid there was something Eddie was either hiding from, or running from, and she didn't want her brother to get caught up in the drama, or worse, end up with another broken heart.
Eddie has no idea that Erin had seen her with Jamie earlier, so when she stops by Erin's office to drop off some paperwork and give her a debriefing of her latest trial, she is taken back by the insolent tone she receives when she steps inside her boss's office.
Erin cuts straight to the point. She wants an explanation, not that she deserves one, it isn't her business, but she is offended and feels like Eddie has no regard for her at all.
"I thought I told you my brother was unavailable," Erin says harshly, meeting Eddie's eyes directly, with a look that tells her what was coming next.
Eddie knows she should have mentioned it sooner, at least out of respect, she should have told Erin she was dating her brother, but she honestly hasn't had the opportunity. The timing just hasn't been right. Now she isn't sure how to react since Erin is obviously upset about it. She sets the file she is holding slowly down on her desk and mentally prepares herself for the conversion that is about to unfold. Erin maintains eye contact with her and is expecting a response.
"Yes…you did," is all she can think to say, but she can see that isn't good enough.
Erin's eyebrows are raised, and they seem to be stuck that way, silently urging her for a better explanation.
"Why did you say that," Eddie asks?
She knows that probably isn't the best response, but she is getting defensive now and kind of aggravated.
"Are you dating him," Erin asks bluntly, avoiding Eddie's question as she drops her pen down on her desk and crosses her arms over her chest, fully invested in the conversation.
So this is how they're going to play this. They are both going to fight off questions with more questions. Eddie knows she is going to have to give in first.
"Yes," she says directly. "Why is that a problem for you?" Eddie asks her softly.
She truly wants to know why it seems to be such a concern for her. Erin finally breaks eye contact and looks down. She isn't sure how to answer Eddie's question. She doesn't really have an answer for her. Eddie sits down in the chair across from her desk, and she can't help the smile that forms on her face.
"Erin, I really like him," she tells her boss with sincerity.
Erin looks back up at her, and Eddie can see a bit of fear in her eyes.
"Did he tell you he has a daughter," Erin asks directly, and she knows she crossed a line, and Jamie is going to be pissed when he finds out. It isn't her business to tell anyone that, but she really is concerned for her brother and it's too late now. She already said it.
She is looking up at Eddie expecting to see shock and anger in her eyes and instead, she is met with an earnest smile. In that moment, Erin realizes that Jamie has shared that information with Eddie already, and now she is more hurt than anything that she has been kept in the dark by both her brother and her friend.
"Erin, I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, it really wasn't intentional."
Eddie knew that wasn't the entire truth, but it wasn't a total lie either. She wanted to talk to Erin about it, she just didn't know how to approach her, so she took advantage of being busy and put that conversation off as long as she could.
They would come to an understanding before Eddie left today, though, out of respect for both Jamie and her boss, she didn't want there to be any bad blood between any of them.
"I just don't want to see my brother get hurt again…or my niece," Erin tells her firmly.
"I understand," Eddie replies sincerely.
The reality is, though, she didn't understand, and now she is curious. She realizes that Jamie hasn't told her anything about that part of his life. Not that she should expect it, they haven't even gone on their official second date yet, but they have had a few long conversations. She wonders if it is something she should ask Jamie about, or wait for him to tell her when he is ready.
She will wait. There are things in her past she doesn't want people to know about, especially not Jamie, at least not yet, so she will respect his privacy.
Eddie assured Erin that her relationship with Jamie, if you could even call it that yet, was new and she didn't know where it was headed, but she had no intentions of hurting him or his daughter, and offered to buy her a drink that night to tell her all about what a gentleman her little brother was.
They went to a bar on Erin's side of town as soon as they were done for the day and as promised, Eddie gave Erin the entire scoop on her and Jamie up to this point. Erin could easily tell how smitten Eddie was over her little brother, and they both left that night feeling much better.
Eddie has just gotten home from drinks with Erin and is now snuggled on her couch in her silk pajamas, long pants that rest just above her hipbone and a chemise-like top with thin shoulder straps that land just above the waistline of her pajama bottoms, revealing a thin strip of her golden stomach. It is still summer, but she loves how cool the silk feels on her skin.
There is a movie playing on her screen, but she is thinking about Jamie. It seems like he is all she thinks about these days. Everything is happening so fast, but she is happy. She really likes him. She especially likes how comfortable she is around him and how safe she feels. She hasn't felt that in a long time, and she wasn't sure she would ever feel it again.
Jamie is working late tonight, and he hasn't had a chance to call Eddie. He wants to, just to hear her voice, maybe thank her again for going to lunch with him earlier, and when he finally has a break, he realizes he isn't that far from her apartment.
A thought creeps in, he is not sure if it is a good idea or not, but he is beyond attempting to tame his emotions at this point, and he decides to go with it.
Eddie is still deep in thought, ignoring her movie when a tap at her door startles her, and she jolts. She hates that. Just when she thinks she is moving on from her past, something small like this reminds her that it is still very fresh, at least a part of it anyway.
She stands from her restful position, shaking the tingling feeling from her legs, and attempts to clear her thoughts, even if just momentarily. She tries to stay calm. She isn't expecting anyone.
"Who is it," she asks softly as she approaches her door cautiously.
She doesn't make it there before the voice on the other side answers back.
"The police, ma'am."
She halts, wondering why the police are at her door when she thinks to herself, the voice sounds suspiciously like Jamie. She isn't sure though, so she is slow to continue.
Jamie is on the other side of her door, and he is standing there, patiently waiting with a wide grin. He can't believe what he is about to do, but he can't stop himself either. She looks through the hole in the door to see him standing there smiling.
Eddie opens her door slowly for Jamie and smiles back at him with a grin that he can't help but love.
"How can I help you, officer," she asks him teasingly, trying to keep her facade.
She isn't sure what game he is playing right now, but she tries to play along. He looks so sexy in that uniform, and she is certainly welcoming this visit. Wherever it leads.
"Responding to a noise complaint, ma'am," he tries to say with a serious tone, but he can't stop grinning at her.
She isn't sure if she can play along anymore, this is new territory for her. There is a look in his eyes that tells her he isn't playing anymore either as he reaches out for her.
He is nervous but he hides it well. He wants to seem confident right now. He needs to. His arms circle her waist and his fingers graze the soft skin of her mid-section that is peaking from her pajamas.
He pulls her to him in one swift motion and his lips meet hers. She welcomes the embrace as her arms dart around his neck, and she kisses him back. This is the last thing she expected tonight, but she loves every second of it. Her body melts into his and she opens her lips slightly, giving him more access.
This is what she has been craving since last weekend, and she is very happy that he obviously has been too. His hands are roaming now, just underneath her top and the soft moan she elicits is about to undo him. Their tongues are dancing as they go from soft and slow, to hot and passionate.
Jamie has to stop, he knows that. He is on duty and not supposed to be here, but he needs this tonight, they both do. He can't keep going, he wants to, but he can't. He pulls back slowly, and they hold each other's gaze for a second before Eddie speaks.
"Well," she says, winded but smiling. "This is a nice surprise."
Her arms are still around his neck, and his hands are still exploring her backside.
"I'm sorry," he says with a guilty smile. "I just couldn't wait until this weekend to do that," he admits shyly, looking down into her eyes.
"Don't apologize…I'm glad you did," she tells him, still recovering.
His hands move up from her waist to cup both her cheeks and he leans down for another chaste kiss before he tells her he has to get back to work and that he can't wait for Saturday.
He disappears down her hall, leaving her ravished and still standing in the doorway of her apartment. Once he is out of sight, she retreats inside, wondering how the hell she is supposed to go to sleep after that, and wishing she could fast forward to the weekend.
Jamie had called Eddie Friday evening during his break. He told her he was calling to remind her what time to be ready tomorrow, even though he had already done that three times this week, but the truth was, he just wanted to hear her voice again. He loved how soft and sweet and happy she sounded all the time.
He had asked Eddie if she would mind if he picked her up in the early afternoon since his parents couldn't keep Gracie overnight, he wouldn't be able to stay out too late. She had no objections, the sooner she was able to see him, the better.
He still wouldn't tell her where they were going or what they were doing, though. He wanted to surprise her. He was proud of himself for what he had planned, and tomorrow couldn't come soon enough.
She playfully begged him for details, she at least needed to know how to dress, but he wouldn't cave. He was a father after all and knew how to stand his ground, even with pretty girls.
Eddie has a glass of wine and a delivery menu in her hand now, hoping she can eat and drink her Friday night away. She is so anxious for Saturday. She decides on dinner and leans back against her couch, her feet pulled underneath her while she patiently waits for her meal to arrive.
She stares at her phone as if she is willing Jamie to call her again. She wants to call him, but she doesn't. She knows he is on duty, and she really shouldn't bother him, but it is like she has no control over her actions right now, just like she has no control over her emotions.
She decides it will be ok to text him. That way he can respond when it is convenient and she won't feel bad for interrupting him at work. That is what she tells herself.
She unlocks her screen and scrolls to Jamie's name. She will never tell anyone that she added pink and red hearts behind his name after he showed up on her doorstep the night before, leaving her breathless, and if she is honest, a little disappointed.
Eddie: Um…Excuse me, Officer…
She decides to play a little game of her own tonight and hopes she doesn't distract him…too much. She is smiling to herself and patiently waiting for his response. After a few minutes, she gets it.
Jamie: Ma'am?
That is all his message says. He knows she is about to mess with him, and after the other night, he probably deserves it, so he baits her. He'll wait to see where she goes with this.
Eddie: I'd like to file a 'noise complaint.'
She concludes her text with a winking smiley face and hits send. She is proud of herself right now and enjoying this more than she thought she would.
Jamie reads the text and can't help but puff out a laugh. He is really wondering if he can wait until tomorrow to see her. He will have to, he knows he can't leave his sector again tonight, he almost got busted when he did it last night, and they will both appreciate it more tomorrow if he waits.
So, he will text her back instead, but he ends her little game because he is not sure he can let it go much further without actually getting distracted, and a distracted cop is not a good thing.
Jamie: You should go to bed soon, we have a busy day planned tomorrow.
He still hasn't told her where they are going.
Eddie: I would…if I could sleep. But since you insist on keeping tomorrow a surprise, I have no idea what to wear. And I'm going to lose sleep over it.
She ends with another smiley face.
Jamie: Don't.
Eddie: Seriously, Jamie, no hints at all? Just one, please?
She is begging like a child and even through a text, Jamie can sense how adorable she looks on the other end of the phone.
Jamie: Just dress comfortably.
Eddie rolls her eyes at the generic statement of that message as the text comes through, wondering why men don't realize how important it is for a woman to know exactly how she needs to dress for every single occasion.
A few seconds pass, and before Eddie can respond to him again, Jamie is texting her back letting her know that he has a call, and he will see her tomorrow.
She sets the phone aside and is soon welcomed by the sound of the delivery man at her door. She would be a liar if she didn't admit she hoped it was Jamie on the other side of her door again, but she knew it wouldn't be. She would have to wait until tomorrow.
A/N: Again, I really enjoy your reviews of this story. Keep them coming.