Not long after leaving Eddie's, Jamie arrives at Connolly's. It seems to be a favorite for Danny, which is fine with him since it is close to Eddie's apartment. His brother is already waiting for him at the bar, and as soon as he sits down beside him, the bartender is sliding an Irish whiskey in his direction.
Jake slinks in a few minutes later and smiles to himself as he finds an open stool at the bar occupied by Jamie and Danny, and he sits down just a few spaces over. It is still early, so the pub isn't crowded or too loud, and Jake is close enough to hear everything that is said between them.
He is hoping to figure out what they were fighting about and learn everything he can about Eddie's boyfriend, starting with his name.
Danny's elbows are propped against the smooth mahogany surface of the bar when Jamie grabs the drink that was passed to him.
"Glad you could join me, it's been a while," he says, as he offers a sly smirk in his brother's direction, and Jamie just rolls his eyes.
"Yeah, well, I'm not staying too late," he says.
"Ball and chain got you tied down good huh," Danny says to him, and Jamie shakes his head at his brother.
"Whatever, she's not like that," he tells him.
Danny just smiles. Anyone can tell his brother is whipped, and by his own choice. Jamie is head over heels for her, and it is obvious. They are all just waiting for the youngest Reagan to make it official. They know it won't be much longer.
"So, heard you're getting an award at the charity gala next weekend," Danny says as he takes a long swig of his second IPA.
"Erin is on a roll today," Jamie murmurs as he leans against the back of his stool.
"Yeah, well, you didn't tell anyone, so she did it for you," Danny says, staring at his little brother.
Even though he gives the kid grief every chance he gets, he is still proud of him.
Jake is listening intently, trying to figure out what they are talking about. He hears award and charity gala, but still nothing he can use yet. He orders a drink of his own and continues to eavesdrop, unbeknownst to the brothers a few spots down.
"So what award is it," Danny asks.
He is familiar with the event, he has been a few times himself. Jamie exhales a deep sigh, he doesn't like the attention things like this brings to him.
"It's the Hemmerdinger Award," he answers, taking another sip.
This still means nothing to Jake, but he is taking plenty of mental notes.
"Wow, man. Congrats," Danny says as he slaps his brother on the back. "That's huge."
Of course, Danny would think that. He likes the spotlight much more than his little brother.
"It's not that big a deal Danny, I'm not even going to go," he says as he motions to the bartender for one more whiskey, and Danny cuts eyes at him like he is crazy for saying that.
"Why the hell not? That is something to be proud of. You really should go, you deserve it."
Jamie is sort of surprised to hear that. It isn't too often his brother says things like that to him.
"Yeah, Eddie said the same thing."
Danny is knocking back the longneck bottles quickly and motions for a third.
"Well, she's right. You should listen to her," he says, as he grabs the beer and points a commanding finger towards Jamie. It's time for a heart-to-heart between brothers as Jamie opens up to Danny.
"I just don't like these things," he says softly as he takes another sip.
"Syd dragged me to one after the other for years, and I would be ok if I never step foot in one again," he admits to his brother.
"Well, Eddie is not Sydney. She loves you and she is proud of you. Syd only ever loved herself," Danny finishes as he gulps down another swallow from his bottle.
"You and Eddie should go. You know it will be different with her."
Jamie figures his brother is probably right as he nods in his direction.
"Besides," Danny says as he reaches for the bowl of mixed nuts between them, "you're a Sergeant in the NYPD, what do you think it would look like if you weren't present to accept an award from the Police Commissioner?"
He emphasizes the last two words to Jamie and slaps him on the back again.
"I guess you are right," Jamie says as he finishes the last of his glass. "Maybe we will go."
A cop, Eddie's little boy toy is a freaking cop, great, Jake thinks to himself as he slings his second drink. He didn't see that coming, but he wonders about this gala that is next weekend. He needs to find out more about that.
A crowded place, a lot of people drinking. A lot of cops drinking. Probably the last place anyone would expect anything to happen. No one would be stupid enough to try anything in a room full of cops, so their guards should be down. This could be the perfect opportunity, he thinks. He sits back against the stool and continues to listen.
"You want to know what else I'm right about," Danny asks Jamie with a cheeky smile, as he motions to the bartender to bring them each another drink.
"Do I?" Jamie questions.
He isn't sure he wants to hear what his brother has to say next.
"You're whipped, little brother," and Danny can't stop chuckling.
"Whatever," Jamie says as he waves off the third drink his brother just ordered for him.
"See, you just proved my point," Danny says, laughing as he reaches for his full bottle.
Jamie shakes his head, so what if I am, he thinks to himself.
"I'm going to ask her to marry me," Jamie says, with a grin from ear to ear.
Before Danny can respond, they both hear the clatter of a glass falling to the bar a few feet down. They can feel the contact vibrate the wood their elbows are resting on as they turn their heads in unison to see a slender, dark-haired man fumbling with the glass he dropped.
Jake sits up straighter as he reaches for a few napkins to clean the mess he just made, and the bartender is reaching across with a rag to take care of it for him.
He can tell Jamie and Danny are staring at him now, or at least at the scene he just caused after hearing what Jamie said, and he is trying his best to avoid looking in their direction. He will seem more inconspicuous that way.
He apologizes to the bartender and asks for another drink as if nothing happened, and Danny and Jamie return to their conversation.
"So, you're going to pop the question, huh," Danny says, sounding happy for his brother.
"Yeah. I am. I love her," Jamie says.
He can't stop smiling and he continues to talk about Eddie.
"She is so great with Gracie, and Gracie really loves her, too," he tells Danny.
"Well, you and your daughter are very blessed to have Eddie in your lives," Danny says, honest and sincere.
Their heads dart in the same direction as before when the man sitting a few spaces down, now seems to be choking on the complimentary peanuts sitting in front of him.
"What is up with this guy," Danny whispers to Jamie mockingly.
Jamie's natural instinct is to act and he is next to Jake in mere seconds. That is just the kind of guy Jamie is, but Jake is able to clear his throat without any assistance from him.
"You alright, man?" Jamie asks him, mildly concerned, reaching out for Jake in case he needs to help him.
"I'm fine," Jake barks, leaning out of Jamie's reach as he tosses enough cash on the bar to cover his tab and he hastily stands from his stool to leave.
A daughter, Jake thinks to himself.
"Eddie is dating a cop with a kid, and he is going to ask her to marry him. This is all just great," he says under his breath as he exits the bar.
Now he has to move quickly, he can't let that happen. Eddie is supposed to be with him, not pretending to be part of some family she found in New York. He has to get her back to California with him fast.
He knows she won't go willingly, but he doesn't care. He will get her back one way or another. He will stop at nothing to make her understand where she really belongs. He knows he has to get into the charity event next weekend. That is where he will make his final move. He will have her to himself by the time the thing is over.
After watching the man awkwardly leave the bar, Jamie returns to his spot, but Danny is motioning to the dartboard.
"One game," Jamie agrees reluctantly.
He really just wants to get back to Eddie's, hoping to make it there before she goes to sleep.
"So, when are you going to do it," Danny asks, as he flings his first dart, huffing as it lands three spaces from his intended target.
"Soon. Maybe next weekend," Jamie answers, as he waits for his turn to throw.
Danny retrieves his darts and turns back to Jamie.
"Wow. Next weekend," he questions.
Danny moves aside for Jamie to go. Shooting his first dart, Jamie smiles cheekily at his brother.
"Yeah, I'm going to pick out a ring this weekend," he says as his dart misses his target as well, but lands closer than Danny's did, and he was proud of that, at least.
Jamie had agreed to just one game, and as soon as it was over, he left. Danny wanted to give him a hard time about it, but he knew his brother just wanted to get back to his girl, and he really was happy for him so he let it be.
Jamie was once again grateful his brother chose Connolly's. The geographical location was beneficial to him, taking just a few minutes to walk back to Eddie's apartment. He let himself in quietly in case she was already sleeping and went to her bedroom.
He stood in the doorway admiring her beauty for a moment. She was a vision, even in an old tee-shirt, no makeup and her reading glasses. A year later, she still took his breath away, and he was thankful she was still awake.
Eddie heard him unlock the front door so she wasn't startled when she saw him standing in the doorway of her room.
"Hey," she says, looking up from her book. "You didn't stay out long."
She was grateful for that, but she wouldn't admit it to him. He sheds his clothes, clad in his boxers now, and crawls in beside her. Reaching for the book in her hand, he tugs it away and sets it on the table beside the bed and smiles mischievously at her.
She smiles back but before she can say anything, he is leaning into her, capturing her lips in his. His hand lands on her face and he cups her cheek in his palms as he urges her lips open wider with his. She loves the way his kiss feels and she welcomes his embrace. She can taste the whiskey on his breath as she kisses him back.
He pulls away and gazes into her eyes.
"I missed you too," she says, giggling a little at him.
"Thank you for being you," he tells her.
She scrunches her eyebrows at him, wondering how much he had to drink tonight. Apparently enough, she thinks, as he takes her hand is his.
"The real reason I didn't want to go to the gala next weekend is because of Sydney," he tells her.
She takes a deep breath, wondering where this is going.
"She used to drag me to them all the time, and it was never for the right reasons. It was always about her, about how she could use them to work her way up the social ladder, and I hated it. I hated every single one of them," he tells her honestly.
Now she kind of feels bad for making such a big deal about it earlier and squeezes his fingers a little tighter.
"But this is different. You are different," he says, as he offers her a loving smile.
She tilts her head slightly at his kind words and fights the tears whaling in her eyes.
"I want to go, and I want you to go with me," he tells her. "Will you go with me?"
His eyes are so sweet, and she hopes he is not just saying this to make her happy.
"Jamie," she says softly. "Of course, I will go with you, but only if you are sure you really want to go," she says.
"I am," he promises as he leans in for another kiss.
He pulls back after a second and grins.
"Just one thing. It's black-tie," he smirks as he leans towards her again.
"It'll be fun," she says seductively, as she pushes him back and slowly climbs on top of him.
He reaches up to gently pull her glasses from her face and sets them beside her book before he pulls her in tighter, and the tee-shirt she is wearing hits the floor.
Jamie laid awake, staring at the ceiling, but Eddie was tucked into his side, using his chest as a pillow. Her head fit there perfectly, and she was sleeping soundly as Jamie's fingertips trailed soft swirls along her bare skin.
His mind was reeling as he thought about the perfect ring, for the perfect girl, and how he was going to come up with the perfect proposal. One thing he knew for sure, he wanted this feeling to last forever, and he wanted her beside him every night for the rest of his life. He had to find a ring before next weekend. He didn't want to wait any longer than that.
Jamie's intentions were not to lounge around Eddie's apartment all weekend. He was anxious to look for a ring, but she had her own intentions the next morning, which did not include leaving the bed any time soon.
She was definitely his weakness, and as much as he wanted to find the perfect diamond that day, he made no effort to leave her alone. After a very relaxing weekend for them both, he finally had to pry himself away from her. He was certainly getting tired of that. Weekends and a few nights here and there during the week just weren't enough anymore.
He only had a few hours on Sunday before he had to pick up his daughter, but fate was on his side that afternoon, and he found an intricate, radiant cut, one-carat diamond. It was perfect for her, and the jeweler just needed a few days to have it set. The only thing left to do was come up with the perfect proposal.
Jake spent the rest of his weekend researching everything he needed to know about the New York Police Foundation Charity Gala and then began to formulate his plan to get Eddie back to his hotel room the night of the event.
He had hopes of everything going smoothly for him, and once he got her back, he could make her see where she truly belonged, but deep down, he knew it would not be that easy.
He had waited long enough though, and now knowing that Jamie was about to propose to her, he knew he only had one shot. He had to make it work, and he was prepared to do that at any cost.
Jamie had taken a couple of days off in the middle of the week to finalize his plans for the weekend. He had to pick up his tuxedo for the charity gala on Saturday, and Eddie's engagement ring.
He was going to propose on Sunday in Central Park, at the bench nestled in the trees where they had their second date. That was the first place he realized his true feelings for her, and that is where he wanted to ask her to spend the rest of her life with him.
Eddie's ring was supposed to be ready on Wednesday, but on Jamie's way into the city, the jeweler called to tell him they were running behind.
Jamie was worried that it wouldn't be ready by the weekend, he knew he could wait longer, he just didn't want to, and he needed a distraction. He decided to take Gracie into the city with him for a mid-week visit with Eddie, hoping that would take his mind off the delay.
As they walked through the front door of Eddie's office building, Jamie and Gracie were greeted with the same sweet coos they received every time he brought his little girl in with him. Some of the ladies ogled over Jamie, but he was completely oblivious to them. He usually had a one-track mind when he walked into the DA's office, and today was no different. Even when he was called down by someone else for business purposes, he made sure to sneak into Eddie's office for a quick hello.
The father and daughter toddled down the hallway towards Eddie's office only to find it dark and empty, and Gracie mirrored her father's disappointment. They decided to drop in on Erin, hoping Eddie would be back soon.
The soft tap on Erin's office door, followed by the sweet giggles Gracie can't contain, break Erin's concentration as she looks up from the case file on her desk. It is a welcome disruption as she reaches her arms out for her niece, who is already running to her.
"Hey," she says with mild excitement as she wraps the little girl in her arms. "What are you guys doing here?"
She asks as if she doesn't know the answer, but she knows the only reason Jamie ever comes to her office anymore is to see Eddie. She still enjoys their company when she has it though.
"We came by to see Eddie," Jamie says as he sits down in the chair across from his sister.
His daughter has already made herself comfortable in her aunt's lap, reaching for a piece of paper as Erin hands her a pencil to draw with.
"She was held up in court today," she tells her brother, as she runs her fingers through her niece's soft brown hair, and laughs at the disappointment in his face.
"She is on her way, she will be here any minute," she assures, and Jamie's smile returns.
She shakes her head at how love-struck her little brother is, but she couldn't be happier for him.
"So, what are you two doing today," she asks as she scoots the marker Gracie is asking for to within her reach.
When she looks back at Jamie, he is flashing a thousand-watt smile in her direction.
"Can you keep a secret," he asks her, his grin still plastered on his face.
Even though she told everyone about the award he was receiving, he knew he could trust her with this and didn't give her a chance to answer.
"I'm going to ask Eddie to marry me this weekend."
If it is possible, his grin grows even wider, but the look on his sister's face tells him Danny couldn't keep a secret.
"Seriously," Jamie barks as he flings his hands in the air.
It shouldn't surprise him, really, but it does irk him a little. Erin shrugs her shoulders at him, wondering why her little brother would have expected anything less from Danny.
"Does Eddie know too," Jamie says, and the sarcasm in his voice is beginning to annoy his sister.
"Oh, relax. We're just excited for you Jamie. You deserve to be happy and anyone can see that Eddie makes you happy."
Her attempt to calm him works as the smile returns to his face once again.
"So, how are you going to do it," Erin asks, still entertaining her niece.
She wants all the details before it happens, and Jamie is about to speak when Gracie points to the door behind her father and shouts Eddie's name in a sweet, squeaky voice.
She is wiggling out of her aunt's lap as Eddie walks into the office. Eddie reaches down to meet Gracie as the toddler runs towards her, and Jamie and Erin trade awkward glances as Jamie wonders how much she heard.
Eddie doesn't miss the exchange and creases her eyebrows, wondering what they are talking about as she scoops Gracie into a hug.
"What's up with you two," she asks suspiciously as she walks closer to Jamie.
"Nothing," Jamie says, trying to sound casual and hoping she buys it as he stands to greet her with a hug.
Eddie smiles as she welcomes Jamie's embrace, and decides to let them make it, for now, she will find out sooner or later, she thinks.
"What are you guys doing here," she asks as she sets Gracie down.
"Just running a few errands," he tells her as he reaches for his daughter.
"You busy after work," he asks, his eyes hopeful.
"No plans." She is grinning at him now, and she is really glad he stopped by.
"How soon can you get out of here?"
His voice is soft and inviting and he is hoping she can leave early and they can spend the afternoon together.
The way they are smiling at each other in this moment is so ridiculous, Erin thinks. She is witnessing their conversation and it is as if they have forgotten they are standing in Erin's office. She leans back against her chair and clears her throat to remind them. Erin's gesture deflates the bubble they are temporarily in and they turn their heads in unison, slightly embarrassed at themselves.
Erin waves her arm in their direction as she tells Eddie to take the rest of the afternoon off and shakes her head at the goofy grins that encompass both of their faces.
A/N: This is it for today. I'm hoping to have the last 5 chapters posted tomorrow.