"Hey Kate are you two guys in here or...Oh, Jesus!" Kate's bedroom door flew open, and all she caught sight of was her father backing away fast. The man covered his eyes with his hand, grimicing like he was sprayed in the face with mace.
"Dad!" Kate scambled for the sheets.
"Hey, dad." Nick offered, with a smile plastered to his face.
Kate swatted at him. "Stop that!"
From behind her father emerged Megan. "All right, Kate." She gave her big sister a thumbs up, and her grin was almost as devilish as Nick's. "Doin' the nasty!"
"For God's sake, Megan, will you shut up!" James said than ran for the peace of downstairs where he could forget he just caught his daughter in bed with a man in his own home.
"Well, at least you don't have to worry about telling him about us." Nick smiled, until Kate shot him a look of death. As soon as she looked away, however, his cocky grin returned.
Dinner that night was unusually quiet. James kept his nose in his food. Kate avoided all eye contact with everyone, especially her father. Mark and Mindy made several attempts at light conversation, but were brought down everytime. Nick remained respectful in front of Kate's father, however, Megan took every shot she could.
"Supper is really good tonight, Kate." Megan complimented. "Nick, how is your other white meat? Juicy enough for ya?"
Followed by a loud sigh, James stuck his nose further into his plate, while Kate stuffed a dinner roll into Nick's mouth to keep him from commenting.
"Maybe tomorrow night we could have a butt steak." Kate's little sister watched the room for reactions. When she got none, she continued. "I betcha Nick would rather have a taco, isn't that right, Nick? Extra cream, sour cream, that is." She glanced around the table. James was turning red with anger. Kate's face couldn't be seen, as it was buried in her hands. Nick smirked to himself, and Mark and Mindy seemed interested, as they exchanged looks and leaned in closer, careful not to miss anything. "Kate is rather fond of hot dogs, brats, sausage, that sort of thing. Any kind of long round meat she likes."
"Megan, shut up!" Kate hissed.
"OK, nevermind. I guess tube steak will be fine. Nice and rare with..."
James whipped his fork down on his plate, causing a loud clatter. "I'm going to watch the game, you people are just sick!" He could be heard grumbling to himself from the kitchen into the living room, and throughout much of the game.
Megan smiled, content with herself. "Bannana splits for dessert, anyone?"
Having a half hour to cool off, Nick decided it was time to take a stroll in the living room and catch the last quarter of the game. The two men didn't say much to eachother, and admittedly, it was awkward on both sides. Finally, it was O'Malley that broke the silence.
"He fumbled it." Nick waited for agreement, an ice breaker. All he got in return when he turned towards James was a sour face.
"Your ass he fumbled it. What the hell are you, blind? God damn kids don't know a fumble from your ass."
Mark rolled into the room, obviously sent in by Mindy to see the goings on between the two. "What's the score?"
"Not my daughter." James shot Nick a look, which was ignored. "Thank god the bar was closed or whos to say what would have happend." He mumbled.
"Hmm?" Mark wanted to be sure he didn't miss a word. He had a wife to report back to. And he was to take notes.
Meanwhile, back in the kitchen, Kate was getting interrogated by the two women worse than any cop could dish out.
"How long has this been a thing with you two?" Megan asked.
Kate smiled, checking the door for men. "Well it just started, I mean tonight. It was just a friend thing before."
"Friends with benefits?" Meg leaned closer.
"No, friends friends. Just friends. Friends."
"Well, your single, he's single, your both very attractive, I don't see any harm in it, dear. And besides, you shouldn't be alone in life. My, I just don't know what I would have done if Mark hadn't come into my life when he did. We met on a nude beach, ya know."
Kate and Megan both exchanged looks of disgust.
"I don't know, it's really not practical, I mean we work together." Kate confided her fears to the women.
"Now don't you go fretting about that. And don't question it so much. If I had questioned why Mark was wearing nothing but orange knee socks on a nude beach, well, we may never have fallen in love. Trust your heart, dear. Trust your heart."
After Mindy was satisfied her husband had gotten as much information as he could from sitting in the living room, the two of them decided to go to bed, leaving Nick and James to sulk into the den for a scotch. Kate and Megan were playing cards in the kitchen.
The men played a game of pool, saying only what they had to, relevant to the game. While James sized up the table for his next shot, Nick tried his best at repairing his relationship with Kate's father.
"I love her."
James hesitated, and took his shot. Missing.
"I know you do."
Nick circled the table, also taking his shot, also missing.
"Had alot of plans for her. She was going to be a doctor, lawyer. Marry a man similar. Three kids. She wasn't supposed to be a police officer dating another cop. We had big plans for her. We were real disappointed in her when she choose this lifestyle, this career path."
Nick nodded, but not because he agreed or understood. "And now?"
"Now what?" James lit a cigarette and took his next shot.
"Still disappointed in her?"
James made the shot, and took a long drag off his Camel. "Kate's a smart girl. She deserves the best, Nick, in all life has to offer."
The dark haired detective looked to the ground, hurt. He was not the best for Kate. That's what her father was insinuating, anyhow.
"She has a way of always knowing what's the best for her. I trust her. So no, I am not disappointed in her still. I think now she has the very best for her, in her professional and personal life. Maybe it just took me a little bit longer to see that."