This Time? Chapter 21
Lucy studies herself in the mirror. She's emphasized her eyes, making her Asian heritage even more obvious. Her pants and top fit tightly, leaving almost nothing about her figure to the imagination. Her leather jacket is scuffed just enough to imply consistent wear. She's applied a couple of temporary tattoos, one of which peeks out from under her jacket to adorn the side of her neck. Her hair is braided tightly, avoiding any loose lock that might obscure her vision in a fight, but the plait is down her back, rather than up as LAPD regulations would require.
The night before, she'd gone over the file so many times she could have repeated it in her sleep – if she'd been able to sleep. Her fight with Tim had kept playing in her head. They'd had arguments before, but nothing like that. She'd wanted to run after him, apologize for kicking him out. But she couldn't – or wouldn't – do it. He was objecting to the goals she'd set for herself, the job she wants and is good at. She is more than good. For someone at her stage of the game, she is outstanding and she knows it. The fact that her options are limited by her known interactions with drug dealers is bad enough. But the idea that Tim wanted to cut her off from the opportunities she had left was too much to bear.
When he'd been back in the hospital as a complication of being shot, it ripped her guts out. He could have been paralyzed or even worse. But she hadn't for a moment thought of telling him to give up on the work he loves. All right, maybe for a moment, but she'd never asked him to do it. She loved him too much to demand that kind of sacrifice. But yet, there he was, asking her to do what she would never ask of him.
If it hadn't been for Isabel, Tim never would have asked. Lucy's sure of that. But Isabel happened. Tim loved her and her descent into addiction broke his heart. If possible, Isabel's rejection of him when she became sober was worse. He'd loved her through everything and tried to help the best he could. But it wasn't enough. And he's afraid that he and Lucy will go down the same road. But damn it! She's not Isabel. She's had the courses. She understands the psychology and physiology of addiction too well to fall into that trap. Doesn't she? For a moment she's unsure. Doctors, nurses, and all kinds of people get addicted. Many of them understand addiction as well or better than Lucy does. Yet they still end up in its grasp.
"No!" she tells the figure in the mirror. "That's not you. You'll do the job and you'll get out with brain and veins intact." It's time to go make her meet with DEA agent Bill McCord in a bar not far from the Community Center. McCord had backed up John and Celina's reports of business owners spotting yellow sneakers in the area. So Bill had every reason to be there. And other than James Murray, few of the locals had ever seen Lucy. She tutored down there a few times, but that was for James' sons, and she doubted they would blow her cover. And according to Harper, they were with their mother in another part of town anyway and James wouldn't see them until the weekend. She checks her appearance and mentally reviews her cover one last time. She's ready. Damn Tim, she's ready.
Bill McCord spots Lucy, aka Ling Toy, the moment she walks in. According to their cover, he's supposed to fall in lust at first sight. He imagines that wouldn't be hard if he hadn't known since middle school that he's gay. He and Brendon have been together for five years. It hasn't been the smoothest five years. They've both spent a lot of time away on assignments. But neither of them doubts their commitment to each other or to the job. Lucy sidles up to the bar and orders a seven and seven. He'll push bills across the bar to pay for it, and they'll take it from there.
"Do you play darts?" Bill asks as Lucy rubs her thumb up and down the side of her glass.
"Depends how good your aim is," she replies.
He starts toward a dart board in the corner. "I guess I'll just have to show you."
Lucy's eyes quickly sweep the room, noting that the dartboard is in range of a camera. Enticingly swinging her hips, she follows him. Lucy's first dart falls short, landing on the barroom floor. "Here, let me show you," Bill offers, wrapping one hand around her throwing arm and palming her hip with the other. When her dart hits the tiny space allotted for maximum score, she claps her hands and presses an enthusiastic kiss to Bill's lips.
"We could go somewhere I can give you private lessons," he suggests.
She licks her lips. "You might learn something yourself."
With Bill's hand covering a cheek of Lucy's well-curved backside, they leave the bar together.
"I think I've finally got everything pulled together for your party," Aaron announces, taking the beer Nolan offers. "It wasn't easy finding a venue that would hold the cops from Mid-Wilshire and the firefighters from Bailey's house. But my mom pointed me toward a restaurant she used for the set of Wilshire Wives. They specialize in renting the place out for special affairs and they have an opening next Sunday night. I checked with Grey and that's when the fewest cops from our division will be on duty."
"Most of the firefighters I'm closest to will be off shift that night too," Bailey adds. "And I promised I'd save cake for the rest."
"They can watch the video, too," Aaron says. "I'm borrowing some crew from Mother's studio. We'll be live-streaming and they can pick it up later on YouTube."
"What about the dance floor?" Bailey asks. "Restaurants don't usually have one. I want my wedding waltz."
Aaron suppresses his urge to wrinkle his nose at her choice of an opening dance. "The restaurant has a portable one we can use and the band can play your waltz."
"What else will they be playing?" Nolan asks.
"A little bit of everything, but they specialize in rock from the nineties."
"Excellent!" Nolan exclaims. "They can play music I actually recognize. And Lucy and Jackson used to karaoke some of that stuff. So at least she'll get into it if she's back from her assignment."
"I asked Bradford if he knows when Lucy will be done and he gave me one of those looks like he was about to use me for target practice," Aaron says.
"Hmm, what's going on there?" Nolan wonders. "The last time I saw Bradford and Chen they looked like nominees for the world's most deliriously happy couple."
"I don't know," Aaron admits. "And Bradford isn't about to share anything."
"He's not the sharing type," Nolan agrees.
Bailey cups the back of her husband's neck. "Anyway, John and I win the award for the world's most deliriously happy couple." She buries her face in his chest. "Don't we?"
"Of course we do," John assures her. "That's why we're having the party, so all our friends can share in the joy – and the food and the booze. And I hope Lucy's back in time, to work out whatever's going on between her and Bradford."
"Yeah," Bailey agrees, snuggling in. "Me too. But whatever happens, I'm getting my waltz."