ROOKIE BLUE (isn't mine)
A DAY AT THE BEACH
Set after "Serve or Protect".
PART 6
-o-
Unlike Sam, Sarah was petite and blonde with the most amazing hazel eyes Andy had ever seen. She hugged Sam and ruffled his hair. "It's been a while, Sammy," she said. Then she turned to her with a questioning look going back and forth from Sam to his unexpected guest. He cleared his throat. "Huh, this is McNally, my new rookie."
"I bet she is," Sarah quipped, "hello…"
"Andy."
"Andy…" She turned to her brother and her mouth twitched. "Sam never told me anything about you Andy, come on in."
So the direct approach was a Swarek trait, she thought. Her husband, the height and stature of a hockey player, crushed her hand. "Sam, please remind me why I didn't want to join the force?" he scoffed with an appreciating grin. She turned instantly red.
"Lonny, leave her alone, please." Sarah gave him a blank stare.
"Uncle Sammy," said a younger voice in the back, "now I can see why you never leave Toronto. Hi, I'm Jed."
Dinner was simple and she had a good time. Sarah did her best to keep the pressure off of her. When the boys decided it was time to give Sam a run for his money, and experiment with his present, Sarah took her for a quick tour of the house.
"You'll sleep in Lizzie's old room, that is if you don't mind, of course. She's studying in Vancouver at UBC. Music Performance, graduating year." She crossed her fingers.
Andy let out a silent sigh of relief.
"You didn't think that I would bunk you two together?" Sarah laughed. "The spare bedroom is far too impersonal for my own taste but Sam will be perfectly fine in there."
"Sam didn't tell you I was coming?"
"I think the question you meant to ask was 'how many of his lady friends did he bring over already'?" she said casually.
"It's not like that, we're friends," she protested feebly, her face burning.
"Anyone can see that. Well, Andy, you're the first 'friend' he brings along. Sam has always been very secretive about his life. He's the silent type, but you're his partner, you must know that," she chuckled. "Come on, let's go and see who's winning."
Sam had brought Jed the new Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock*. Sam was playing the drums, Jed the guitar while his father did his best at singing a Black Sabbath hit.
"Jed is a musician too?"
"He can play the guitar, and the drums, just like his uncle. But his big plan is to become the next Bill Gates. He's a total computer geek."
"Sam plays the drums?"
"Of course he does, always has. And he was pretty good too. He was really into music when he was a kid. He played violin, bass, saxophone... you name it, and he's still a very decent guitar player. But all he ever wanted to do was to protect people."
"So he became a cop."
"Yeah, and the job seems to agree with him quite nicely. I was a bit worried at first. See, he's my baby brother, huh? When he went undercover for almost a year, I was sick to my stomach the whole time. Nothing, not even a text message or an email. I was almost relieved when this chick burned him."
"I would be the one who burned him," Andy volunteered.
Sarah scrutinized her face. "I take it that he did hold a grudge against you then. You're lucky. Sam can drive someone up the wall for years when he puts his mind to it."
Andy giggled. "I guess I'm lucky then."
"Or maybe he is the lucky one…" Sarah said in a soft voice before turning around to her 'boys'. "Lonny, that's so terrible, can't you sing it properly? That's only four notes for Pete's sake!"
-o-
They went to bed early. Far too early. She turned and tossed in her narrow bed again and again.
The house was so quiet. She needed the city rumours to lull her to sleep. She checked her phone. 2:13. She winced and threw the cover at the back of the bed. She went down the stairs in the dim light provided by the street lamps. She finally reached the kitchen after two wrong turns and closed the door behind her with excessive care. She gasped for air realizing that she had barely breathed since she had left Lizzie's room. She went straight to the fridge and bent over to inspect the content.
"It's not like I don't appreciate the view, but you should know that I'm over here."
She jerked up and swirled on her feet, tucking on her tank top. It barely reached the rim of her satin knickers. She could not keep her eyes away from his bare chest. I must look like a teenaged girl caught smoking in the dorm, she thought, her mind racing.
"Those are the slippers you decided to bring for a surprise trip with me?" he said, pointing a finger to her pink plush bunny slippers.
"Yes, because I was supposed to be in a hotel room," she snapped. "Alone. Remember?"
"Right, right. My bad. I like them though. I guess that I didn't picture you as the girlie type." He swallowed his breath and shook his head slightly. "McNally, just a thought. Could you close the fridge? I'm pretty sure that I can control myself, but you're all frills and curbs against the light. To be perfectly honest, I'm having a Nine ½ Weeks moment here," he explained with a large smile.
She let a soft whimper escape her mouth. She strode to the table and sat down with her hands on her lap. "What… What are you doing here?"
"Couldn't sleep. I'm not much of a country boy. I need some tremor around me. And it's been a pretty uneventful day."
"Yeah, me too. Right? This is just so quiet. It's driving me crazy!"
"I know. I usually go to the Casino in Niagara Falls when I come to visit Sarah. So that's really the first time it's been a problem for me. But this helps," he raised his glass. "Care to join me?"
"Oh yes, please!"
He stood up, went to the shelf to retrieve a glass and poured the scotch. He was barefoot. And he was wearing a pair of loose jeans. She had to snap out of it, or… "So, Sarah grilled you?"
"What do you mean? She's been nothing but nice to me. She reminds me of you, -a little." She put her thumb and forefinger one inch apart and smiled.
"You mean the good looks?"
She giggled and took a sip of her drink. "Sure. And the way she goes straight to the point. You remember when you told me that Luke picked a rookie every year and that I should be careful?"
"You're my partner. I had to share this information before it got out of hand."
"That didn't help, I guess." He watched her closely but stayed silent. "I don't think you're right Sam. I think he's been repeatedly dumped each and every time. I mean, he lives for the job and simply picks within the handiest gene pool."
"How convenient. Why do you think I care?"
She shrugged and her finger traced circles on her glass. She finally looked up and locked her eyes on his. "I know that you care about me. Therefore Luke is your problem too."
"I'm not quite sure that I agree with that syllogism, but keep going."
"What I'm really saying Sam, is why am I not with Luke this week end?"
"You tell me," he smirked. "I can't really answer that question Andy. I think that you know."
"You're not going to make this easy, are you?" She shook her head quietly. "Why did you want me to meet your family? Is this some kind of test?"
"Andy, don't start overthinking this little trip. It's your big flaw, huh? She's my sister, it's only normal that she meets my friends!"
"Okay. Let's try it this way. Does she know Jerry? Huh? Your best friend Jerry? Because you told your sister that I burned you when it was Jerry's fault, really. Humping you like that at the station? I wonder how he made detective!"
"His ex-wife helped him a lot. She was very bossy," he smirked.
"You know what Sam Swarek, that's classic deflection! I asked you a question…"
"No, Sarah never met Jerry, or Ollie or any of my previous partners. She's never seen one of my…" he stopped and exhaled deeply.
"I'm listening. I'm not going anywhere."
"I never brought a woman up here, okay, you happy?" he snapped. " And I have no idea why you're not spending this week end with Callaghan."
"Huh?"
"I know who you are, McNally. You're not only smart, you've got balls."
"Well, I suppose I owe you a thank you."
"Don't, don't you do this. I'm a guy. I have eyes. If he's willing to leave you alone nine times out of ten, Callaghan is an idiot. And for what it's worth, I broke up with Monica a long time ago. I didn't even know we were still an item when we saw her at the station the day of the blackout. It was before I went undercover. Water under the bridge."
"Sam for what it's worth, Luke called me the night of the blackout, when I was…"
"… in my bed? Oh, I see. So that's what stopped you?"
She shook her head. "I don't know. Yes, maybe. And then the lights went back on."
"The lights. Are you afraid of me Andy?"
"No, of course not, I'm not!"
He stood up and waved his hand at her. "Come here…"
She had a brief hesitation before jumping to her feet. He took her hand. "You trust me right? I will never harm you Andy, you know that, right?"
She let him pull her onto his chest and raised her head. "I know."
He smiled and kissed her softly before hugging her fiercely. "McNally…" She snuggled in his arms.
"Hey guys, you up?" Lonny said in their back and he flipped the lights on.
She wiggled immediately out of Sam's embrace and crossed her arms in a defensive gesture. Squinting at him, "I… I was just leaving," she blurted out. She walked to the door briskly. Sam's head dropped to his chest. At the last second, she turned around, swept her glass from the table, and ran out.
Lonny turned to the door and back to Sam. He was massaging his eyes. His face was tense.
"Oh, oh, bad timing?"
Sam looked up. "You think?"
"Sorry, man… I didn't mean to interrupt anyth…"
Sam waved at him dismissively, took the bottle from the cabinet and left.
-o-
* I'm aware it won't be sold until September 28, but this is fiction, right? ;)