A/N: Wow! 20 reviews (okay, 19. COME ON! One more person review chapter one!) for one chapter! That's awesome ladies, thank you! I was thinking about this story and where I really want to go with it… I love this song so much and I have some great ideas, but when I re-read Chapter 1, I set some real hurdles for myself… but I'm up for the challenge! R&R this chapter – XO, KJ
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By the time Elliot officially introduced me to his partner, we'd already met. And developed a relationship. Only he didn't know it. Neither did John Hawkins's wife. I have always felt a little guilty about it, but the first time John's wife met my husband? The way she looked at him? It was like she could see right through his clothes. Sort of absolved me of a little of that guilt. I know she'd try to get into my husband's pants if she could. Tramp. But if she was a tramp, what the hell was I for sleeping with her husband? Hell, she was just thinking about sleeping with Elliot. What did that make me?
I remember the day Elliot found out who his new partner was going to be. He called me at the hospital at lunch. I'd just finished cleaning up after helping Dr. Johnson run the ER after a six car pile-up.
"Nurse's station, this is Kathy," I said, picking up the phone.
"Hey baby," his smooth voice said.
"Hey, El, what's up?"
"Not much, just found out who my new partner's going to be," he said.
"Who?" I asked, taking a swig out of my water bottle.
"Guy's name is John Hawkins."
I coughed, sucking water into my lungs.
"John Hawkins?" I asked.
"Yeah. Used to work in Homicide. Have you ever met him?" Elliot knew it was possible I'd met John, since I was usually the charge nurse in the ER.
"I don't think so," I lied.
Yeah I've met him. Seen him naked. Since, you know, we've been having an affair for six months. Didn't I mention that?
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The day Elliot came home from work and asked if I wanted to go to dinner with Hawk and Olivia… I nearly died. I knew he knew. He had to know. I knew. When I looked in the mirror all I could see was my scarlet letter.
"Hey, baby, how was your day?" he asked, coming up behind me in the kitchen.
"Mmmm. It was good," I said, relaxing back into his embrace. "Delivered a set of twins today," I said. "Emergency cesarean after a bad car wreck. They're both doing okay. Little girl and a little boy. Little girl looked just like Lizzie when she was born," I smiled.
"Hard to believe our twins are already eight, isn't it?" he asked, burying his face in my neck.
"It is… third grade. Can't believe it."
"Think we should have another?" he'd asked.
I snorted. "You're not serious."
"Why not? Maybe we can start trying Friday night. After we have dinner with Hawk and Olivia."
I stiffened, and cursed myself.
"What's wrong, honey? We don't have to have another baby. It was just a thought," he said.
"N-nothing. It's not about the baby thing. I, uh, I… Janet and Mike wanted us to go to dinner with them on Friday."
"Oh, I already told Hawk we would, Kath. Can we go with Janet and Mike next weekend?"
"I'm sure that'd be fine," I lie. Fuck. That'll be fun. Dinner with my husband, my boyfriend and his wife. Super.
Later that night, when I was sure my husband was dead asleep, I snuck out to the kitchen and dialed Hawk's cell phone number.
"Hawkins," he answered.
"It's me," I said.
"What's up?" he asked. I could hear Olivia in the background, asking him who was on the phone. "It's Elliot, babe. Go back to sleep."
I rolled my eyes at his excuse, the same one he always made to her when he was going to meet me. We'd been carrying on this affair undetected for five years; Hawk had said he didn't want to stop when he married Olivia.
"Okay. I'm in the kitchen. What's going on?" he asked.
"Oh, you know. Not much. YOU FUCKING INVITED US TO DINNER?" I whisper fiercely.
"Calm down, baby. Olivia. Olivia invited you guys to dinner. She wants to meet you. She thinks you guys could be friends."
"Well I'm sure we could. We seem to have similar taste in men. Except, you know, one of us is married to him and the other one is just sleeping with him," I ranted.
"Kathy, seriously. Calm down. I've worked enough undercover cases, I know how to look like I have no idea who you are."
"Newsflash, Hawk. I'm a nurse. When I'm familiar with a man's anatomy, I can't really hide it."
"Just relax, baby. Why don't you meet me?"
"Uh, no. I think we need to not see each other until we officially meet tomorrow night."
"Fine. Just relax, okay? It'll be fine."
"Sure. Sure it will. Goodnight, John," I said with a sigh, hanging up on him.
"Mom?" I whipped around to see my twelve-year-old daughter Kathleen standing behind me.
"Katie, what are you doing out of bed?" I asked, wondering how much she'd heard.
"I came down to get a drink. Chill, Mom. Who were you talking to?" she asked.
"Your uncle John," I lied, praying she'd believe it was my younger brother on the phone instead of my lover.
"How come he called so late?"
"Just needed to talk to his big sister. You know how it is," I teased her.
She rolled her eyes. "Yeah. Except I hate my big sister."
"Stop, Kathleen. Get your drink and head back to bed," I order, hanging the cordless phone back up.
That was close.
The next night, we stood in the restaurant waiting for Hawk and Olivia. I'd rehearsed my "nice to meet you, I've never seen you naked" face a million times. Not that it would have mattered, because my husband and Hawk's wife were so lost in each other's eyes that they wouldn't have noticed if New York City had been blown off the map right then. It made me consider that perhaps they were having an affair of their own.
Relax, Kath. Just because you're an adulterous whore doesn't mean every other woman in the world is after your husband.
"This is my wife, Kathy. Honey this is my partner Hawk, and his wife Olivia," Elliot introduced. I shook hands with both of them, trying not to look Hawk in the eye. Olivia was beautiful. Short brown hair with blonde highlights that accentuated her big brown eyes. She had olive skin, and I'd bet Elliot's pension that she looked tan in the dead of winter. She had legs that were a mile longer than mine, and she was wearing what my best friend Janet always referred to as "do me" heels and a little red dress. She was a beautiful woman and I suddenly felt inadequate next to her, even though I was the one sleeping with both of these men.
All through dinner that night, she was pretty quiet, smiling politely when Hawk or Elliot made a joke, I'd had enough to drink that I laughed obnoxiously, which unfortunately, I'm unable to help when I'm drunk. I'm sure I looked very classy. Around ten, my husband wisely decided we should be going. All four of us stood and headed for the door.
"Well, it was really nice to meet you guys," Olivia said, staring at my husband the entire time.
"You too," I interjected jealously, dragging her attention away from Elliot.
"We'll have to do it again," Hawk jumped in.
"Definitely. It was fun," Elliot said easily, taking my hand and lacing our fingers together.
The guys shook hands and Elliot pulled me for the car. "Well that was fun," he said dryly.
"Yeah. Olivia seemed pretty impressed with you," I retorted.
"Kathy, stop it. You're drunk. You're seeing things."
"Sure I am. I know a woman with adultery on her mind when I see one."
Because I see one every morning when I look in the mirror.
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A/N: Well now we know how Kathy feels… should I leave it between Olivia and Kathy or should we find out what the guys think about their respective situations? R&R, let me know! XO, Kinsey
