Disclaimer:I do not own CSI:NY or any of their characters. I do, however own Anjuli Elisabeth Allegra Fallon. And members of the Fallon family and those you do not recognize. I do not own any of the lyrics seen in this chapter.
Thank You's: (Beyonce for having a song that gets so stuck in my head all day at work that all I want to do is come home and write this chapter.) Amazing reviewers are: babygurl1944 and Brown-Eyed Girl 75.
The Chronicles.
xXx
Show me how pretty the world is
'Cause I envy the way that you move
Show me how pretty the world is...cause I
Want something just a little bit louder
Show me how pretty the world is
Cause you're brilliant when you try
Show me how pretty the whole world is tonight
Pretty the World - Matt Nathanson
xXx
The Chronicles of a Trio.
March 18th, 2009
Since Lindsay Monroe's arrival in New York City, the friendship of Jessica Angell and Anjuli Fallon extended into a tri-best friend relationship. After the stress known as May 2006 with Aiden's death and Flack's injury, Jules relied heavily on her best friends. Once Flack was alright to be on his own for a few hours - though Danny was usually at the apartment when Jules returned - the blonde was always out with her two best girlfriends.
Whether it was a night out to drink - which meant not going to Sullivan's - or a day at the spa, the three were inseparable. Flack often joked that Jules should just move in with Lindsay and Danny could take the couch at the apartment he shared with Anjuli since they shared so much time together.
To that, Jules always commented that Danny could not keep him as happy sexually as she could. Flack could not argue with her point.
After a four A.M. wake-up call due to Mac Taylor telling her about a DB in Central Park, Jules spent the next twelve hours working on the case of a dead runner. Howard Jefferies was found dead by another runner only an hour before the call to Jules' cell phone went out. Sid's cause of death was a heart attack, due to hereditary conditions.
As Jules' twelve hour shift came to an end, she met up with Angell in the cafeteria when she stopped to grab a quick drink before heading out to meet Lindsay for an early dinner. Jess had been working since an hour before the late lunch in the employee break room on the thirty-fifth floor the day before. Jules invited the brunette to grab a meal with them before they were set to meet up with their significant others at Sullivan's after the three men got out of work.
Jules sat with her back against the wall behind her and the chair she was sitting on resting against her side. With it being late afternoon, almost early evening, the Tillery Diner was quiet. For breakfast or a late dinner, the building would be packed to the brim.
James Stewart, the owner of the diner, and a man who had become extremely close to the three women due to their frequent visits, sat behind the counter, flipping through channels on the radio. "Ooh, Jimmy, keep this one on!" Jules exclaimed.
The 'trio' as they called themselves were situated at the back wall, directly across from the front door. After coming for mainly breakfast or a late dinner at least three times a week since 2007, Jimmy would try to keep the table unoccupied in case they stopped in.
Jules grabbed a hair clip from the handles of the lime green oversized purse sitting on the chair next to her, and tossed her hair into a mess of curls and clipped them together. Katy Perry's single, "Thinking of You" drifted through the surround sound speakers in the diner. Though they found it halfway through the song, Jules grabbed her spoon and held it to her mouth as a microphone.
When she was younger and would start singing along with the radio in the car with her mother, Abigail Fallon tried to talk her only daughter out of playing hockey and focus on her main talent - her voice. Jules just claimed she got lucky and could carry a note, but if she ever planned on doing anything with the talent, it would be as a hobby.
"You're the best, and yes, I do regret how I could let myself let you go. Now, now the lesson's learned. I touched it, I was burned. Oh, I think you should know!"she sang to her friends, who both had smiled etched on their faces.
Jess had noted on several occasions when the three would take up residence inside the Tillery Diner with the radio blasting and Jules singing along with whoever happened to be playing at the moment, that her best friend was extremely gifted. Whenever she and Lindsay tried to sing along, their voices never matched correctly, and everything would be thrown for a loop. The only time the three sounded good singing together was on nights when they went out for karaoke and were half tanked by the time they made their way to the microphones.
Anjuli made it a mission to keep her left hand out of the view of everyone she came across that day. While she was extremely excited that she was getting married - though not even twenty-four hours after the proposal had passed - she wanted to tell her two best friends first. She knew her third best friend, Aiden, already knew and was probably throwing a party in heaven, claiming it 'took Flack long enough to get his head out of his ass'. She had said the same thing when Flack finally asked Jules to move in with him after a year of living on her own, in the same building.
As the song came to an end, clapping and a bass drum could be heard through the speakers, meaning only one thing to the threesome. Their favorite song was on.
Jules slipped out of her chair, followed immediately by Angell, and slowly but surely the country girl followed suit. The platinum blonde chanted out, "All the single ladies," only for the other two to answer with "all the single ladies."
Growing up as one of the boys, Jules never cared about sex appeal. It was something she learned about by being friends with the gorgeous Jessica Angell. The woman was walking sex appeal. When the two became as close as sisters, although Jules was two years older than the brunette, Angell taught her new friend all about being confident and sexy.
And, damn if Flack didn't approve of the change in his girlfriend. He was used to the blonde walking around their apartment in racer back tank tops and shorts, which slowly but surely turned into lacy boy shorts and barely there camisoles.
For a woman who could care less about foundation and mascara for twenty-six years, the counter in the bathroom became inhabited by hair curlers, bottles of hair spray, hair gel, lip gloss, sets of -as far as Flack knew - expensive make-up and the like. What started out as a little eyeliner and a little cover-up here and there, turned into a daily routine. Don could count on just maybe two hands how many times Jules had actually gone to a nail salon in her life until she met Angell.
After that, they were frequent customers at Allure Spa for manicures, pedicures, massages and waxing. While Flack accepted the change in appearance, he had only hoped what was on the inside of the woman he fell in love was still there. It was. But there was a new found confidence that came with her.
Four years ago, before she even knew Jessica Angell existed, she would have never danced in public. Not without being intoxicated, that was.
As the three tried their best to impersonate Beyonce's moves in the music video, Jules tried to continue to keep her ring unseen. With none of the women technical 'single ladies' Jess was the only one not engaged, though they didn't know it.
Lindsay's wedding was planned for June. As she looked forward to becoming Mrs. Danny Messer, her usually calm temperament was thrown out the window for a frayed bride-to-be. Her best friends would not go as far as calling the Montana native a Bridezilla, but saw the opportunity for a big blow-up to happen if her wedding planner never got her ass in gear.
Jules knew that if she had to, she would just knock the shit out of the prestigious wedding planner and take over where she left off. She was willing to try to part the Red Sea for her best friend if Lindsay so much as asked her to. Jess was in the same boat. The two had decided that since they both agreed to wear the shit green bridesmaid dresses that Lindsay had her heart set out - and neither had the heart to break it to her that they hated them in all honesty - they would do anything for the eldest of their tight knit group of friends.
When the song concluded and slid effortlessly into another Top 40 hit, Jules laughed with her best friends. As she reached for her glass of Diet Coke on the table, Jess caught sight of the diamond resting on her best friend's left right finger. "What the fuck is that?" she asked, before reaching out and grabbing Jules' hand.
As the two bore their eyes into Jules, she just smiled brightly. "Someone put a ring on it," she offered simply.
The two patrons on the opposite side of the diner shuddered as two shrieks echoed off of the walls. "Nuh uh! He fuckin' proposed without askin' us!" Jess exclaimed.
Lindsay shrieked again before pushing her seat away from her to rush over to her best friend. "Ju-Ju! You're getting married!" she exclaimed before pulling the platinum blonde into a tight hug.
"Jules, I told you I wanted all of the details from last night! You clearly skipped out on something," Angell stated before squeezing Jules' left hand, "when we were talking over coffee at work this morning!"
Jules offered a smile and shrugged. "I wanted to tell you both together."
Lindsay added, "But you didn't say anything when we first got here!"
Tossing a smile in the direction of Jimmy, she slid back into her seat. "I was going to. Believe me, I wouldn't have kept this from you two. I need my two best friends with me to help plan a wedding!" she declared. "I was wondering if you guys would be my Maid of Honor and Matron of Honor. I just can't decide between the two of you."
Jess and Lindsay squealed and grabbed each other's hands. "Really?" Jess asked, a brilliant smile crossing her flawless features. "Like, really, really?" Jules nodded.
As she took each of their hands into hers, she beamed. "It's the three of us against the world. I need you two there, right next to me."
"Ju-Ju," Lindsay started, before pausing to lick her lips and contain her excitement for a moment, "You realize you got engaged last night. You're talking like you've already planned everything out."
The blonde shrugged. "I don't wanna wait that long, y'know?" she asked before leaning back in her seat. "I've been with Donnie my entire life. And it's taken five years since I came back to New York for him to propose. I really don't want to wait forever to marry him," she explained.
"You just wanna look hot in a wedding gown before he knocks you up," Angell added. Jules started laughing before she let go of her friends hands. "He did good, though, J," the homicide detective said as she pointed to the diamond on her friends finger.
Watching the expressions play across Angell's face, Jules offered a simple smile. "Don't think that 'cause Linds and I are getting married that we're just gonna leave you high and dry," Jules stated before locking blue eyes on hazel. "You're our girl forever, Jessie. Married or not married, it's the trio for the rest of our lives."
"And you never know," Lindsay pointed out, "Travis may propose one of these days."
Angell just laughed off the idea. Jules had introduced her best friend to Travis Sweeney at a FDNY/NYPD charity softball game the year before. Jules' middle brother, Patrick, was a member of the FDNY and close friends with Travis. While at Patrick's oldest son, Killian's, birthday party the week before the game, Jules met the brown-haired, green-eyed fire fighter and knew he would be a perfect match for her single best friend.
After being on the winning team of the softball game, Jules introduced Jess to Travis and brought up the idea for a double date the following weekend. Only two hours into the night out, Flack and Jules were left at the table after Jess excused herself and the fire fighter for the evening. When Jessie showed up late and with a permanent smile attached to her lips, Jules credited herself with finding a good guy for her single best friend.
"I doubt it," the brunette offered before taking a sip of her drink. "I mean," she started before pursing her lips, "I want him to. Don't get me wrong. But it's just," a pause silenced the table. "Linds, you've been with Danny for almost two and a half years. Jules, don't even get me started on how long your relationship with Flack is."
The blonde shook her head. "Jessie, it's not about how long you've been with him. If you love Travis as much as Linds and I love Danny and Don, anything is possible."
"Do you know something I don't know?" the brunette asked. In all honesty, the two women shook their heads. "Good. 'Cause as much as I would love to get married, I have to help you two bitches out first."
Smiles crossed Lindsay and Jules' faces. "Linds is first. Except I know when they're married, Messer will be at my place more often."
Lindsay only shrugged. "I think it's that secret affair he's been having with Flack for a few years."
The blonde nodded. "Must be. There could be no other reason that they kick us out when the Mets are on."
"Could be 'cause they know you guys don't watch baseball," Angell inquired. Reaching into her designer purse, she grabbed a few bills to cover her part of the meal as the other two followed suit. As Jules stood up, she slipped on her black motorcycle style winter jacket. The pockets were pushed back to her sides and the zipper went up in a diagonal style rather than straight up and down.
"Maybe," Jules responded with a laugh. "I don't know what it is about that sport. It's way too boring to watch on television."
"The game they took us to last year was great," Lindsay replied. "Might be because we were trashed, though."
The threesome laughed. Jules placed a kiss to Jimmy's cheek on their way out. "See you later this week, Jim," she added before exiting the diner. Slipping her arm between Angell's, Jules laughed. "Who knew the Mets and the Yankees had such a big rivalry."
Angell rolled her eyes. For someone who also grew up with three older brothers, she was in tune with every sport. One brother was a huge baseball and basketball fan. Another loved the New York Giants. And her youngest brother loved the Rangers. Being a Rangers and Mets fan herself, she could easily slip into a sports related conversation with Danny and Flack, while Jules focused mainly on the Rangers and Lindsay tagged along to games for a night out.
"Nothin' gets by you, huh, Jules?" Angell asked with a laugh. The blonde only shrugged and pulled a pack of Ice Breakers Sour gum out of the pocket of her jacket and slipped a piece into her mouth. "So, what's the game plan for tonight?" the brunette asked as they neared their cars.
"We can head back to my place for a little bit to get ready. Donnie won't be home for another hour or so."
The other two nodded in response to Jules' offer before breaking apart to get into their own vehicles. Once she was about halfway through the drive to her apartment, Jules felt her cell phone vibrate in the pocket of her jeans.
Pulling to a red light, she slid the phone out and a bright smile crossed her lips at the name on the caller I.D. "Hey you."
"Hey, babe," responded the voice on the other end. The Queens accent drifted through the phone as she fumbled with the Blackberry enough to put it on speaker phone. "What are ya up to?"
Placing the phone on her lap, she slid through the green light. "On my way back to our apartment. I just got out of having dinner with Lindsay and Jessie."
She could picture the smirk on his face as he spoke. "Did you tell them about last night?" He was proud of how well he pulled everything off the day before. Jules never suspected a thing. Luckily she had no idea, because if she did, she would have been asking him questions all day. If there was one thing Anjuli truly hated, it was surprises. In his mind, every time they talked about having kids in the future, she always said she wanted to have a delivery surprise. Somehow he knew that wouldn't happen. There was no way she could go nine days without knowing about a surprise, let alone nine months.
"In an ass backwards way, yes." As she drifted towards another red light - a huge pet peeve she had about New York City, since she hated traffic with a passion - she took out a package of cigarettes from her purse as well as her lighter. "It was so hard not telling anyone all day," she complained, before placing a cigarette to her lips to light. "I was at a scene with Danny today and all I wanted to do was tell him, but I knew Lindsay and Jessie would kick the living shit out of me."
Flack laughed. "I told you to tell them last night when we got back."
She huffed at his statement. "Really, Donnie? You told me to send each of them a text message. Like seriously, Don? A text message to tell them the most important news in my entire life."
"I sent Messer one when you were getting changed."
She rolled her eyes and took a drag of her cigarette. Jules always claimed that it was a disgusting habit she picked up from Flack when they were sixteen and seventeen respectively. They had been hanging out with Flack's older brother, Gregory, and his friends in the backyard of the Flack residence.
With Greg being three and a half years older than Don, the two were surprisingly close. Most guys with brothers, or sisters, that much younger than them would shove them off to the side. Greg would always ask Don, and Jules in turn, to hang out with him and his friends. One reason was because of how close they were. Another was because his friends thought Jules was attractive and figured if their girlfriends weren't there, they could look at her all night.
After helping finish off a few bottles and cans of alcohol while sitting out by the fire pit, Greg offered his only brother a cigarette. He was a bit skeptical of giving one to his brother's girlfriend since she was a year younger than his brother, but he did anyways. After fourteen years, she tried her hardest to kick the vice, but had succeeded in slowing her habit down to a pack every four or five days, while Flack when through one a day.
"You would, Donnie." Resting her arm on the steering wheel, she checked her mirrors. "Wait," she exclaimed, "you told Messer before you let me tell my best friends."
She could just picture him at that moment. It was closing in on six P.M., so he would be outside of the precinct smoking a cigarette with his back against the wall and his leg bent at the knee and resting behind him on the same brick wall. A roll of his sea blue eyes would complete his look. "Messer knew I was proposing about three weeks before I actually did. I just had to let him know you said yes."
"Donald Joseph Flack, Jr. You are a God damned pain in my ass," she stated before licking her lips. As the light turned green, she cursed at the drivers in front of her for not going fast enough. He chuckled at her reaction. "How in the hell did Danny not say anything to Linds? He can't keep his mouth shut around her. Especially when she knows he knows something she doesn't know."
Flack just laughed. What he wasn't planning on telling her was that Danny helped him pick out the ring that graced her left ring finger. Upon entering the jewelry store, he was shell shocked. It was a damn diamond. Or as Danny would say, "Diamond is just an allotrope of the element carbon." He didn't understand the "four c's" of diamond shopping. Needless to say, with Flack and Messer in the store, the workers were treated to two men who had no idea what they were really doing.
He knew if he let on that fact, the would be in hot water with his new fiancé. After Danny asked Anjuli to join to pick out a ring for Lindsay, Jules went home and told Flack that if he ever planned on popping the question, and between the lines that meant he better do it, and do it soon, he was to bring Lindsay with him to the store. Or Angell. Either of the two women knew her style of jewelry. Somehow the two guys picked out a ring that was perfect for the blonde.
"He can keep a secret, Anj." She scoffed at the concept of Danny Messer keeping his mouth shut with a secret for more than twenty minutes. It was almost a year to the date when Jules had thought there was a possibility she was pregnant. Lindsay was in Montana for the weekend to visit her folks, and Angell was holed up at her desk working on several cases. Danny Messer was the only person she could turn to. However, when she told him to promise to not say anything to anyone until she was positive that she was or wasn't pregnant, an hour later she received a phone call from her boyfriend asking what the hell Danny was talking about when he mumbled, 'baby', 'pregnant', 'Ju-Ju' in one sentence.
"That's bullshit, and you know it. You must have had something hanging over his head to keep his trap shut," she guessed before arriving at the underground parking area for their apartment. After punching in the code she pulled her dark blue 2008 Mazda CX-9 into one of the two designated parking spots for their apartment. Clicking off the speaker phone and placing the device to her ear, she sighed. "When are you gonna be home?" she asked, mainly to change the topic.
He sighed in response. "I'm hoping within the hour. I just gotta head back in and finish up my report and I should be good to go," replied the homicide detective. "Shouldn't take me that long."
She nodded before heading over towards the elevators leading into the building. "Alright. I'm gonna head in so I get there before the girls. I'll see you in a bit."
"Of course."
A smile crossed her face. "I love you."
"I love you, too, Anj. See you in a little while," he said before disconnecting the call.
Once inside her apartment, she placed her purse on the couch in the living room before shrugging out of her jacket. With it secured in the hallway closet, a buzzing could be heard by the door, indicating her friends were there.
After letting them inside, and propping the front door open for them to come right in when they made it to her floor, she walked into the kitchen and pulled three wine glasses from the cabinet over the stove. The kitchen had a breakfast bar separating it from the dining area, so Jules placed the glasses there with a bottle of wine from the refrigerator.
Two knocks could be heard on the wooden door before it got kicked. "Bitch, where are you?" Angell offered as she stepped into the apartment.
"Kitchen," was all Jules said.
"Baby cakes, you got me wine. Tryin' to get me all drunk before the hubby-to-be gets home?" the brunette detective offered as she neared the breakfast bar. "You know I don't need booze to loosen me up."
"But I sure as hell do," the Bozeman native stated before pouring out three glassed. "Speaking of Don, when's he gonna be home?"
Jules partially shrugged. "He said within the hour," she replied before turning on the CD player on the counter in the kitchen. Though she had a packed Itunes library on her laptop and desktop computers, she kept burnt mix cd's on hand for whenever she was working in the kitchen or people were over.
"Are you putting on the country one?" Lindsay asked. Jules nodded before pressing play and lifting herself onto the counter. Sugarland's "Down in Mississippi (Up to No Good)" drifted through the surround sound speakers in the kitchen and dining room.
"This reminds me," Angell began before taking a seat at the bar. "When are the three of us going on vacation together?"
Both blondes shrugged their shoulders. "I'm gonna have no money after I plan this wedding, so it could be a while."
Jess just scoffed at Jules. "Really? You've been saving money for this wedding for close to five years."
"Granted, yeah, Don and I have been saving up for this since we talked about it when I moved back here, but still. I don't want some cheap ass wedding."
"You know that whenever you say you want something specific for the wedding, Flack will jump at it so fast your head will spin," Lindsay added to the conversation. Jules just smiled. "That man is whipped."
Angell nodded. "He would move Heaven and Earth for you, babes." Not like he would ever admit it to anyone but her, but Flack loved doing things for Anjuli. As long as they've known each other, even before they started dating, whenever she asked him to do something for her, he would drop everything else he was doing for her.
She honestly never realized he was like that until her roommate in New Hampshire pointed it out.
"It's not like I don't do anything in return. That man is so lucky to have sex as often as he does that I can get away with him doing a few things here and there for me."
"It's not everyday though."
Jules just rolled her eyes. "God, Jessie, you sound just like him. No, it's not every single day. But that man is well satisfied when I'm done with him," she responded before taking a sip of her wine. "And for you information, it's almost every other day."
The added information made Lindsay cough on her drink while Jess just gave the blonde a high five. "Totally thought I was the only one keeping my man nice and satisfied."
Jules laughed. "I've heard some of the things Travis has said to Flack. That man is more than satisfied, sweetheart." The brunette blushed. "And we know Montana has been keeping up in that department. Messer hasn't been a super prick lately. He only gets like that when you deprive him."
The country girl flipped the blonde off. "Nah, I thank you for that, Linds. And by the way, you're not allowed to leave us with him anymore when you go home to visit. He gets all pissy 'cause he hasn't gotten any in a few days when you leave."
"At least with Rikki out of the situation, you don't have to worry about that." Angell spoke the truth. Since the Ruben Sandoval incident years before, and since Danny's 'screw-up of a relationship' - his own words - with Rikki, Danny and Lindsay had been on pins and needles as far as their relationship went. That was until Danny got his neighbor to go to grief meetings after she stole his gun.
A couple of weeks after going to the meetings, Danny was leaving his apartment one morning and saw a guy entering hers. It had happened every day that week. When he saw Rikki a few days later, he tried to get a little information about the man. Samuel Carpenter was the exact person Rikki Sandoval needed. He had lost his daughter three years before, and while he accepted losing his fourteen year old, he kept going to the meetings in hopes of helping someone else.
With twins on the way, Danny lost contact with Rikki when she moved out of the apartment building and into a new house with Samuel. He got a phone call when they were born, and was one of the first people to visit Jacob Michael and Joshua David Carpenter in the hospital. Seeing Rikki move on helped Danny and Lindsay's relationship move on to another level.
"We actually went to visit them the other day. Check up on the twins," Lindsay declared. No matter how much time passed, Lindsay felt a little envious of the brunette. She was glad she moved on - and in Lindsay's mind 'left her man alone' - and had began a new chapter in her life with two new babies. But Lindsay wanted Danny to stop blaming himself for the whole ordeal. He did what he thought was right in that split-second he had to think.
"Was it as awkward as I think it would be?"
Lindsay shook her head. "Not really," she replied. "I don't have the overwhelming sense of jealousy around her anymore."
"That's good, then," Angell responded, lifting her wine glass to her lips. "Oh," she exclaimed before turning towards Jules. "I ran into Devon the other day."
Jules just laughed at the mention of the redhead. "Sounds like that was a whole ball of fun. Sorry I missed out."
Jess shrugged. "I was out with Travis getting breakfast Saturday morning when she spotted me," she began before leaning back in her seat to tell the story. "He had just a call to go into work, so we were on our way out. And then I hear my name screeched over the noise in the diner. Turn around, and there's the crazy bitch."
Even though she had never met the woman Don spent five months with in 2007, Jules had heard several stories from Lindsay and Angell. Though Jules was living with Jess, Devon still tried her best to weasel her way between their friendship. Angell, being the ever protective best friend told the redhead one thing; "You stay the hell away from my best friend, or I won't hesitate to knock the ever living shit out of you. You broke her heart by prancing around with Flack, but I will not be a pawn in this game of yours."
"She acts like we're the best of friends, and Trav's givin' me this weird look 'cause I don't think he's ever heard the story of the crazy trust fund hooker." Jess paused for a moment to take a sip of her drink. "After she eyed my boyfriend up and down, she had the audacity to ask me how Flack was. Don't worry, I told her you two were back together and very happy." A smile crossed Jules' face. She knew no matter what, Jessica Angell always had her back. In a world of worries, that was one thing she never batted an eyelash about. "She goes on by telling me that if anything happens in 'paradise' - her exact words - to let Flack know she's only kind of, sort of seeing this guy."
Both Lindsay and Anjuli broke out laughing at the last comment. "She really said that?" Jules asked, only to receive a nod from Angell. The blonde pursed her lips together to hold in a laugh. "I know for a fact that if anything were to happen between Donnie and I, he would not touch that bitch with a ten foot pole."
The three were so into their conversation and the music was pretty loud, so they never heard Flack walk in the front door. "I was thinking more along the lines of a twenty foot pole, but that's just me," he offered from the doorway of the kitchen.
Jules broke out with a bright smile at the sight of her fiancée. "Hi," she offered quietly. He shrugged out of his overcoat and tossed it on the counter before striding over towards Jules. As he slipped his arms around her slim frame, he dropped a kiss to the top of her head. "How'd you know we were talkin' about Devon?" Jules asked before taking a sip of her wine.
After pulling a bottle of beer out of the fridge, Flack rested against the counters. "Besides the fact that I was standing there for a good few minutes and heard most of your conversation?" he asked, an amused smirk on his lips. Jules just turned over her shoulder and stuck her tongue out at him, playing with the barbell pierced through her tongue with her teeth. Flack wiggled his eyebrows as he drank from the bottle. "There aren't many people you talk like that about."
"Good thing she's never actually met the trust fund bitch," Lindsay added. "With the knowledge of Jules loving a good cat fight every once and a while, and that when she really hates someone she'll let them know it, it wouldn't be pretty."
"I'd watch it, though," Flack responded. "C'mon, Linds," he added when the woman in question glared at him, not amused. "It's a chick fight. Who doesn't love a good chick fight?"
Anjuli just rolled her eyes before slipping off of the counter. "Time to get ready. We have to meet up with everyone soon," stated the blonde as she stood in front of Flack. When his lips descended on hers, she heard a gagging sound come from the bar. Knowing that it was Angell being a wise ass, she stuck her middle finger up at the brunette.
"That's not very nice, Jules. Didn't Mommy dearest ever teach you manners?"
Jules pulled away from Flack and shrugged. "Was that before or after she told me that not wanting to be a debutante would not only ruin my future, but would prove to her how much I never really followed in her footsteps?" she asked with a hand to her hip.
Continuing on her way out of the kitchen, she headed towards the master bedroom. "Fair enough," Angell replied. "Just think; if you had actually become a debutante princess like your mother wanted, you probably wouldn't be here with us low-lifes right now."
A laugh could be heard from the closet in the bedroom. "Cute, Jessie," she responded, a laugh tumbling out of her mouth. "I'm just getting changed, so you two can come in and grab something to change into if you want."
Lindsay shrugged the idea off, while Angell started the trek into the bedroom.
xXx
Sullivan's was their usual hang-out; if one would consider a cop-bar a hang-out. Music echoed off of the walls and there was usually one or two pool or dart matches happening at the far end of the establishment.
With her jacket already hanging loosely on the back of her chair, Jules and Angell squeezed their way through the crowd to the bar. In a form fitting black and white halter top with ruffles in the top white part that stopped at an oversized black belt that began the bottom portion matched with equally as tight navy blue bootleg jeans tucked into black and white knee high stiletto boots, she was ready to let loose. Though it was only Wednesday night, and she had work at three the next afternoon, she wanted just one night out with her closest friends, and she wanted desperately to truly enjoy the time out.
After placing the first round of drinks, she leant against the bar and turned to Angell. "It's so good to be out tonight," she stated while taking in the atmosphere. "It's not like we don't go out a lot, it's just, with everything that's been goin' on lately, I'm so excited that the six of us could get together at once."
"For now," Angell said over the music of the digital jukebox in the corner of the bar. "Who knows if one of us will get a call out while we're here."
Jules shrugged. "Can't really go into work, though. I know Danny and I aren't on call, 'cause we were last night. You were last night, too. Donnie doesn't go on call 'til tomorrow morning, as does Lindsay. We should be good," Jules responded. "That is unless some psycho wants to go on a rampage in New York City tonight."
Jess laughed as she ran a hand through her loose locks. "Never know what'll happen with all the psychos in this city." Anjuli nodded. "So I was thinking," she started, catching Jules' attention. "How 'bout the two of us start brain storming ideas for your upcoming nuptials this weekend. Over coffee Saturday morning?"
Anjuli licked her lips and flashed her best friend a smile. "As much as I would love to start this weekend, my mind is on overdrive and has already started." She slid the twenty dollar bill towards the bartender with her smile still intact. The split the drinks up to carry over to the table they managed to grab by the pool tables. "I can't wait to get married, but it's gonna be so much goddamn work," she laughed as the bartender handed her the change. After tossing him his first tip of the night, they ventured back to the table.
"That's what you have me for," Jess stated.
"I know, and I'm gonna warn you, I'll probably end up some crazy Bridezilla by the time this is all over."
Angell laughed. "I won't put it past you, Jules."
With the drinks on the table for everyone to grab, Jules watched Angell lift her bottle of beer.
"A toast," she began, before turning her attention to Jules and Flack. The announcement made the guys stop their conversation about the Rangers game the night before and made Lindsay look up from the text message she was writing. "To the next to bitches getting married." The blonde rolled her eye before tapping her bottle against Angell's.
"That started off so great, Jessie," Anjuli said. "And ended in such an Angell way."
Jess grinned. "What can I say? I have a way with words," she concluded before following everyone else and took a sip from her bottle.
As the group slowly dispersed around the bar; Jules, Jess and Lindsay selecting music on the jukebox and the guys playing a game of pool with a friend of Travis', Jules realized her life could not get any better.
Not only was she engaged to the man of her dreams, and excited to not only plan their wedding but truly start her life with him, but she thanked God for giving her the four best friends any one could ask for.
In her mind, her life was just beginning.
xXx