Chapter 3. Old friends are never too old.
As you leave the room you decide to call on Eastwood - you used to work quite closely on one of the case and became very good friends - you even got extremely drunk one night. All that called for a friendly visit (and some insider tips wouldn't hurt).
You see that he is busy with something as you knock on the door of his office - he lifts his head in annoyance, but his face lights up in a smile when he sees you.
"Well well well! Isn't it the best journalist of 2011! Congratulations are in order I guess?" He stands up and envelops you in a friendly hug.
"Thank you thank you!" You laugh as you sit down on a visitors chair. "And you? Detective Chief Inspector, when are you taking over this place?"
"Not for a while, but you know how I am with titles." He smirks and you remember his long-standing feud with his boss.
"You and Jim still on the rocks?"
"Always. You still prefer whiskey on the rocks?"
"Always" You both laugh at this friendly exchange.
"Last time I had to call your boyfriend to drive you home you were so wasted!"
"Hey! We were celebrating, remember?"
"Not really with all that booze." Eastwood admits and you both laugh out again. "How's the boyfriend by the way? He seemed nice."
"Didn't work out. You know me - I'm not really the relationship material."
"Oh come on. We both know you're a hopeless romantic at heart." he mocks you, but his eyes are serious for a moment - sometimes it's hard to say if Matt Eastwood is joking not.
"Well I might be but he didn't think so when it turned out I fucked more women then he did. And then the usual - jealousy, fighting, blaming each other… I decided it was time to go back to my usual ways. You know - the fuck whoever you want kind of thing."
"You swear a lot don't you?" He seems to ignore the rest of the information on purpose.
"Well maybe it's the police atmosphere that's doing it for me - the handcuffs all around and stuff" You state insolently, making Eastwood chuckle one again.
"I missed this you know." He says with a familiar warmth in his voice.
"Me too." Suddenly you go back to the moment you two met: It was a couple of years ago - you were just starting out in Belfast Chronicle and they sent you to work with Matt Eastwood on a series of thefts. You smile at the memory and decide to share:
"You know what I remember - when they sent me in here, they were all like "Matt Eastwood is the worst!"
"True. I hate journalists." He all but winks at you. "Care for some tea?"
"No, thank you,I have to go soon. You didn't hate me though."
"Oh I did. At first." He admits. "But then you grew on me."
"Same here." You grin sincerely. "I'm going to be working with that superintendent from Met."
"A-ha." He doesn't really react to that so you go for a more direct question:
"Hello, earth to Eastwood. That was an indirect way of asking if you know anything about her that I should know."
"Honestly, I'm so busy I haven't really had time to meet the famous Stella. But the talk is that apparently she unnerves Jim a lot - so I already like her."
"Well I've met her. And I like her too." You don't even notice how dreamy you sound until Eastwood is giving you the look.
"Seriously?"
"What?" you play innocent, but the man knows you all too well. He just shakes his head in mock disapproval.
"Whatever. You know, you could ask Brink - he has been working closely with her for the last couple of days."
"Ask Brink the prick?" you make a face - that man was unbearable last time around.
"That's the one."
"Nah, I think I can handle it myself."
"I'm sure you're more then capable" Matt smirks and you know it's time to go.
"Come out for drinks with me sometime - we sure had fun last time." You hug him goodbye and you realise that you've really missed him, his sarcasm and the relentless word battles you two have.
"And look like an old perv getting a pretty young thing drunk? Sure, with pleasure."
"So sweet of you to say I'm pretty! And you're not that old. I've done older."
"Oh shut up. You haven't!" He smirks and you smirk back:
"No I haven't!" you make a face and only then he finally agrees to your offer:
"Fine, we'll have a drink. And now get out and stop disrupting my work!"
"Yes, sir."
Eastwood is my fav character apart from Stella so he is going to be "your" best friend for this story. At least they'd have a lot to talk about since his dynamic with Stella is absolutely amazing. Don't worry, I'll give you a female friend too at some point, but for now you'll have to do with Eastwood. Not that it's a hardship because he is totally awesome as a friend. I promise. A.x.