The friendship between Erin and Eddie develops slowly and Erin learns of Nikki's plans for law school.
During her four and a half years with the NYPD Eddie Jenko had been very careful about sharing the truth of her sexual orientation. Being a very private person, she had very few close personal friends. There were many who considered her a good professional friend, what could be described as a "friend at work". She cultivated professional relationships, always doing her part and more, going that extra mile. Her work ethic was reflected in her successes as an NYPD detective.
Erin Reagan recognized the detectives commitment to the law. She was smart, articulate and dedicated to her profession. She was exactly the type of detective Erin wanted to be on her investigative staff. As luck would have it, Erin had recently learned that one of her senior investigators would be retiring in under a month.
With her last final of the summer term at George Washington University behind her, Nikki Boyle was looking forward to a few weeks with her family. She missed her mother, but in reality, the one person she missed the most was Grandpa Frank Reagan. The twenty-two year old was Frank's oldest grandchild and only granddaughter. Frank spoiled his granddaughter exactly as he had his only daughter, Erin.
If things had gone differently a few years earlier, Eddie Jenko would have been part of her family's business now. Instead, her father threw it all away by committing investment fraud. Fortunately for Eddie, he had the foresight to invest in an apartment for his daughter as soon as she graduated from high school. When she graduated from college, she had planned to take the New York bar exam, move into her Central Park West apartment and work at her fathers Park Avenue investment firm. Instead, she moved back to New York shortly after all his assets had been seized and he was sentenced to federal prison for twenty years. The federal prosecutor wanted to seize Eddie's apartment, her car and all other assets in her name. However the judge didn't see it that way so she kept everything.
Erin pulled into a street side parking space in front of the Majestic Building across Central Park West from the park.
"Wow," exclaimed Nikki, "this is where she lives?" referring to Eddie.
"This is the address, twentieth floor with a view of the park" replied Erin "and I can't wait to see the apartment."
As the two women took the elevator to the twentieth floor, Erin couldn't stop thinking about where she was. She was considering Eddie as her investigator, but wondered if by doing so she would raise questions about her lifestyle.
"Hello Erin," said Eddie as she opened the door, "and you must be Nikki." she continued, extending her hand.
"Hi Eddie," said Erin, "you certainly have a beautiful apartment." she continued as the three walked into the living room.
"Oh wow," said Nikki, "I would spend every waking minute looking at this view if I lived here." as she peered out over Central Park.
"It is a beautiful view, and is that Strawberry Fields?" asked Erin. Referring to the Strawberry Fields Area of Central Park.
"Yes it is," said Eddie, "and just around the corner from the front entrance is where John Lennon was murdered." she continued.
"Did he live in this building?" shrieked Nikki.
"No, he lived in the Dakota, across 72nd st." responded Eddie. "and you're wondering how a NYPD detective can afford this." she continued, turning to Erin.
"Well I wasn't going to ask." said Erin.
"I don't mind telling you anything you want to know, Erin" said Eddie, as she reached out to touch Erin's arm.
Erin realized that her friend had already displayed an extraordinary amount of trust by confiding to her the day of the trial. "I won't ask for simple personal knowledge, but someday I might have to ask professional reasons."
"This was a gift from my dad when I graduated from high school." explained Eddie.
"You could have taken gifting lessons from Eddie's dad, mom." stated Nikki.
"That would have been a bad thing, Nikki," said the detective, "because now my dad is serving 20 years for investment fraud."
"Eddie!" exclaimed Erin, "I had no idea, I'm sorry."
"It was a federal case, Erin, and he admitted everything, there wasn't even a trial." explained Eddie.
Nikki put an end to the ensuing moment of awkward silence, "Don't we have an eight o'clock reservation?"
"You're right, we do." replied Erin
Just over half an hour later, the three women sat around a table in Delmonico's Restaurant as the conversation turned to Nikki.
"What year are you in?" asked Eddie
"I'm in my senior year," she replied, "and I only need two classes."
"That's great." said Eddie.
"Then comes law school," added Erin, "so my baby will be in DC for a while."
"Hey," exclaimed Eddie, "I went to school in DC, GWU!"
"That's where I go!" remarked Nikki.
"I had no idea you were a Foggy Bottom girl." replied Eddie.
"Foggy Bottom?" questioned Erin.
"That's what the main campus is called." responded Nikki.
"The name goes back to revolutionary times." explained Eddie.
"But I'll only be at Foggy Bottom for a few more months if my application is accepted?" said Nikki.
"Your application?" Said Erin with puzzled look.
"I decided that I would go somewhere other than GWU for law school, mom." said Nikki.
"Do I want to know where you are hoping to be accepted?" asked Erin, apprehensively.
"I have enjoyed being away from New York for the last three and a half years." said Nikki, "Mom, I applied to Columbia Law, and if I get in I'll be moving back to the city in about four months."
Erin was simply beside herself with the news that her little girl was coming home. She practically had a breakdown when Nikki went away to GWU, and couldn't wait for her to be back.
"This week couldn't have gone any better!" she exclaimed!
Erin was excited to say the least. As the threesome continued to talk and enjoy their dinner, her mind raced, formulating a plan to insure her daughters acceptance into her Alma Mater. By the end of the night she had made mental notes of at least five members of the selection committee who were good friends or owed her favors.
When Eddie's alarm broke the silence at six o'clock, she cursed the late night she spent with the Reagan-Boyle women. Dinner stretched until almost ten, then wine and conversation on Eddie's terrace until almost midnight. Eddie learned a great deal about Erin and Nikki and shared many things about herself as well. The walls seemed to be coming down a bit and everyone was quite comfortable with each other.
Both Eddie and Erin were glad that Nikki joined them for the evening. Eddie wasn't sure just how her disclosure to Erin was being processed, and was very fearful that the evening was going to be awkward. Sitting on the terrace facing the park the two were very comfortable however, and having Nikki as a buffer eliminated any chance of a premature touch, or caress that could cause harm to a budding professional relationship. In fact the late evening went so well that during the farewell embrace, Erin noticeably delayed her release, her hands resting comfortably on Eddies waist for several seconds as she shared how she had enjoyed the evening and looked forward to doing it again.
"Text time, we'll forego the restaurant, and I'll cook dinner for us," began Eddie, "and we have to do it before you head back to Foggy Bottom, Nikki."
"I'm in." said Nikki with a smile.
"Then, so am I." replied Erin, looking first at her daughter then back to Eddie.
When she hit the street in her workout clothes a quick check of her watch told her that she would need to modify her route this morning. The class started at eight and she was almost five miles away. As she crossed Central Park West and entered the park at seventy second, she turned right to take the direct route. Had she been leaving on time she would have turned to the left, through Strawberry Fields and around the lake. She loved running by the lake in the early morning, before the city awakened.
She left Terrace and crossed West drive into the heart of the park, then continued down Nell Singer Lilac Walk and finally exited the southeast corner of the park onto Fifth Avenue. Her running shoes pounded the asphalt and her mind wandered, as it often did, when she ran. Today was different though, since she was thinking about the previous night rather than her current case. She played the conversation back in her mind not really certain why Erin Boyle was becoming her friend and not certain how she should interact with Erin. As she picked up her pace along Fifth Avenue, Trump Tower was behind her and St. Patrick's Cathedral was coming into view and she decided to simply be Erin's friend and self defense teacher and give the ADA time to decide what sort of friendship she wanted to have.