----Hey guys. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter!
----Please review!
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Chapter 8
Carrie sat by her window looking out into the darkness around her for the twenty first time, since Victor had left her. Every night for the past three weeks Carrie sat by her window looking for the man who held her heart firmly within his grasp. Some nights she swore she could hear him shuffling around in the dark alley below, but then a cat would never fail to leap out of a garbage can scaring her half to death. The first few nights she attempted to call for him, but then the tears would come when she couldn't get an answer and her voice became raw from screaming his name. Now, she simply sat by the window looking out quietly hoping to hear his breathing.
It wasn't like she didn't have the time, since everyone at work was given a paid vacation after the mysterious murder of Walter Luvitts. Police discovered contracts Luvitts had with quite a few shady characters. They chalked his death up to being Luvitts pissing off one of those shady characters through a broken contract. They really couldn't do much about it considering how little information they had to go on. Carrie had to admit she was a little nervous when she was questioned by the police about the murder. However, they only questioned her out of procedure considering she was the closest to Luvitts in the office. She recalled the questioning with a gentle smile on her face.
One week ago:
"Excuse me Miss…uh…" Looking down at his notepad the nervous cop forgot why he even volunteered to talk to the slender red head before him.
Saddened hazel eyes turned towards the shaken cop before waving the "miss" off. "Carrie is fine." Pulling every bit of strength she had within her Carrie gave the officer a gentle smile of encouragement. He really was quite adorable. His sea blue eyes looked into hers with such kindness she knew he had to be a rookie. She watched as the cop ran a hand through his auburn hair in a sign of complete astonishment.
"Sorry about this…Carrie, but my name is Officer Adam Johnson." She smiled again as his obvious southern charm fought against his need to call her miss. "I just have to ask you a few questions if that's alright with you, mam'?" She could see the genuine sincerity in that question. He was not about to ask her a thing if she didn't want him too, but taking pity on the charming southern boy Carrie sat down and motioned to a chair in front of her for him to do the same. "Thank you," she watched as he sat down on the chair never taking his eyes off of her. "Now Carrie, what is your association with Mr. Luvitts?"
"Well, I was Mr. Luvitts' secretary." Carrie watched as the southern, boy cop nodded his head and scribbled something down on a notepad.
"Okay and how was your relationship with Mr. Luvitts?"
"It was fine, he was my boss. That is about as far as the relationship went." She gave a nervous chuckle as the cop scribbled down a few more notes on his handy dandy notepad. Then it occurred to her that this building was swarming with security tapes. She could be on one of the tapes. "Um, I have a question." She smiled when she saw his baby blues dart up at the opportunity to talk with her more. "I understand if it is confidential, but I was wondering if maybe you guys caught the killer. I mean the place is swarming with security cameras."
She watched as he gave her a sideways smile as if what he was about to say amused him. "Well, whoever committed the crime was not clumsy about it. All of the tapes were destroyed when we got into the security room. They were ripped to shreds, it almost looked like an animal had gotten to em'" He watched as a smile graced her red lips as she looked just as amused as he did. "Well I think that is about it. Thank you for your cooperation Miss Carrie." At that, he gave her a huge southern boy grin, ripped off the piece of paper he had been writing on, and laid it on the table next to them. "It was a pleasure meeting you." Then, he was gone.
Carrie looked at the paper still pinned up to the refrigerator. She read it to herself again: Miss Carrie, let me just say you took my breath away. I know that was a pretty crummy rhyme, but I would love to get to know what goes on behind those gorgeous eyes of yours. Give me a call if you ever need a thing. My number is 911.
Sincerely,
Officer Adam Johnson
She laughed to herself at the hilarity of the whole situation. She knew she wasn't ready for anything yet, but the note always helped to cheer her up on really rough days. Carrie slowly turned her head back out onto the dark skies in front of her. She just wanted to know if Victor was okay. Did he ever think of her or had he already forgotten her? Carrie suddenly jumped as she was brought back from her thoughts by a knock on the door. Carrie got up and slowly walked towards her door. She was startled when the door suddenly opened on its own, only to be slammed back at the realization that the chain lock had not been taken off. "CHICKA! OPEN THIS DOOR!" Carrie laughed as she remembered Jackie was bringing food over to her tonight.
"Sorry…sorry." Carrie opened the door, grabbed a bag of food from her, and helped her haul it all into the house. At least, she thought it was food. Upon further inspection Carrie found Jackie's idea of grocery shopping was two bottles of tequila, one gallon of frozen tequila mix, one bottle of whiskey, and three bottles of rum with a few bags of chips and dip. "Jackie, this isn't food. These are supplies to start your own bar!"
"Well, that is where I am on a usual Friday night, hussy. And since I told you I was going to hang out with you tonight we are hanging out my way." Carrie laughed as Jackie pulled out two chilled margarita glasses from the freezer, two shot glasses from the cupboard, and one large blender from under the sink. "We are going to get drunk and forget about work, men, and the world." Jackie then proceeded to turn the radio on to the local Hispanic station which was playing some song with enough bump to it to make the glasses on the counter rattle. Carrie laughed even harder as the woman came and grabbed her by the waist and began to do a sloppy salsa.
Carrie decided that this is exactly what she needed tonight. "Get me a shot!" She screamed over the blaring music.
"That is what I'm talking about!" Jackie grabbed one of the bottles of tequila and poured her a perfect shot. Carrie slammed the glass back and coughed as the liquid burned down her throat.
Three hours later both women were starting to feel the effects of their decision. Carrie was sprawled out on top of her bed with an empty margarita glass sitting on top of the nightstand and chip crumbs littering the white comforter. Jackie, being the professional drinker she was, was in the process of trying to find cookies in the house to blend with the margarita mix. "Jackie, I'm…a gonna be honest wit ya. Your idea of a…cookie margarita," Carrie slurred while covering her mouth as the thought of cookies caused bile to rise dangerously to the top of her throat, "sounds…disgusting."
"Well, you don't have any cookies anyway so my idea is…" Carrie looked up to see what had caused Jackie's sudden pause in her rambling, when she saw her take Officer Johnson's note off the fridge and smile mischievously at her. "Well…well…well…Officer Adam Johnson. And when were you going to tell me about this!" Carrie laughed as Jackie quickly grabbed the phone and leapt upon the bed. "We are going to call in a noise complaint to this Officer Johnson, pray he comes over, and then beg him to strip…"
Jackie was suddenly cut off as a drunk Carrie made a grab for the phone. "No! Come on Jackie, I only met the guy one time. Plus I'm drunk. What will he think of me looking like this?"
"An easy target…" Jackie laughed at Carrie's appalled look. "What? You know it was funny." Carrie swatted Jackie half heartedly as Jackie put the phone down. "Anyway it is your birthday tomorrow, the big twenty seven! You need to get laid Chicka." Jackie grabbed a pillow and wrapped her arms around it facing Carrie, who looked as if she were in shock. "You didn't forget your own birthday did you?"
"Crap, I guess I did." Carrie stared up at the ceiling in disbelief that she could forget her own birthday, completely disregarding the "getting laid" statement.
"Well the alcohol was my present to you. But the tequila is mine." Jackie pointed a wobbly finger at Carrie to emphasize her point.
"Jackie I have some bad news for you," Carrie gave Jackie a guilty little smile, "the tequila is all gone." Carrie began to laugh hysterically as Jackie grabbed her chest dramatically and gasped for air as if she were dying. "Sorry…"
Jackie began to laugh as well when she realized they still had two full bottles of rum to finish. "So, are we going to call the Officer or not?"
Carrie put her hand over her eyes as the alcohol began to turn on her. "Maybe tomorrow, Jackie. I am in no shape to see anyone right now."
Jackie laughed at her light weight friend. "You need to build up your strength with me, chicka. I will take you and Mr. Officer Adam Johnson out with me this weekend to the bar. You just have to call him." Jackie placed the phone in the hand not covering Carrie's head and gave her a playful peck on the cheek.
"Do I have too?!" She began to laugh as Carrie's voice took on that of a three-year-olds.
"Yes, you have to call him. You are twenty seven, Carrie, time for you to get some testiculos!" Jackie grabbed herself where her own tesiculos would be.
"I'm impressed. You have always had bigger balls than me, Jackie."
Jackie smiled raunchily, "Chicka, I have bigger testiculos than most men!"
Carrie smiled warmly at her promiscuous friend, "Do you need to stay the night? Cuz, I am not letting you drive home."
Jackie gave a slight wave of the hand to confirm her drunkenness, "Oh I know, I took a taxi to get here so I will just call for another one to get me home. That is unless you want me to sleep with you tonight. I am quite the cuddler."
Carrie laughed out right at her friend's antics, "No, I think I will be okay tonight."
"Okay girl, but you know my number if you need anything else." Jackie grabbed her cell phone out of her purse and began dialing the number for a cab.
Carrie rolled out of bed to walk her friend to the door. "I know your number. I'm pretty sure I could walk up to a random person on the street and they could tell it to me if I forget."
"Oh ha…ha." Carrie gave her slightly less drunk friend a hug before she opened the door to leave. "Oh, and don't think I have forgotten about Officer Sexy. You better give him a call, cuz if you don't…I will." Jackie gave her a mischievous smile before sashaying out the door and into the elevator.
Carrie shook her head as she watched Jackie disappear from her sights. Wow, what a loser am I? How could I forget my own birthday? Carrie walked back to her trashed bed and began shaking the comforter free of crumbs. As she shook the mattress, she heard a thump come from something hitting the floor. Sighing to herself, Carrie stumbled over to the side of the bed to pick up the phone she had knocked to the ground. Carrie groaned as she reached down to pick it, suddenly remembering Jackie's warning before she left. Carrie picked up the note from Officer Adam off the ground where Jackie had dropped it. She took the phone and the note over to the kitchen counter and began staring a hole through both objects. "God Carrie, don't be such a woose. Just do it." After her encouraging pep talk to herself, she finally began dialing the number.
After a few rings a man's voice was heard on the other end, "This is Officer Michaels, what is your emergency?"
Feeling a little guilty for holding up an emergency line Carrie quickly blurted out what Johnson had told her to say, "Um is Officer Johnson there?"
She heard an exasperated sigh come from the man on the line and then a loud thump, which she assumed was the man slamming the phone down on the table. She heard some muffled voices coming from the other line, but all she could pick up where the words "jackass" "rookie" and "chick". Then she heard a man's muffled laugh through the phone, "Hello, this is Officer Johnson."
Carrie suddenly felt her heart begin to race as she heard the kind southern drawl of Officer Adam on the phone. "Um, hey Officer, this is Carrie, the red head." She decided telling him her most dominant attribute would rattle his memory a bit.
She heard a slight pause on the other side that could have been interpreted as him in a stunned silence or trying to remember some random chick he interviewed. "Miss Carrie, oh my gosh, I didn't think I was gonna hear from you." She assumed it was stunned silence. "I figured you had forgotten all about me."
She heard him sigh and suddenly felt comforting warmth spread throughout her body. "No, of course not. I…was…have been real busy…you know?" She was shocked at herself for getting so tongue tied, but she was slightly inebriated.
"Yeah, I understand. So, what's a gorgeous woman doin callin a police station at 11:45 at night?"
Carrie laughed at the compliment and then balked at the time. She had completely forgotten what time it was. "Oh, I'm sorry. I had no idea what the time was. See, my friend brought over some drinks earlier, and I guess we just lost track of time."
"No…no do not apologize Miss Carrie. If anyone where to call me at 11:45 at night I am thankful it was you." Carrie began blushing under the flattery being presented to her.
"Well, the reason I was calling was my friend, I mentioned earlier, saw your note on my fridge and decided that if I could get you to agree to go out with me tomorrow night she would buy us drinks."
Carrie heard silence in the background and then something that sounded suspiciously like a high five. "Miss Carrie, I would be completely thrilled to go out with you tomorrow night, and let me just say, I am flattered that you kept my note on your fridge." Carrie's face turned beet red as she realized she had revealed keeping his note on her fridge like a prized possession.
"Well I am so relieved you are agreeing to go cuz I sure can't afford to buy my own drinks." Officer Adam laughed out right at her witty comment. She couldn't help but giggle a little at his out right amusement.
"Miss Carrie, even if your friend was not goin, do you honestly believe I would let a young lady, such as yourself, buy her own drinks?"
Carrie smiled at the kindness behind his words. Then, throwing on her best Blanche Dubois impersonation she drawled, "Well, I have always depended on the kindness of strangers."
Carrie could hear his smile through the phone, "I am goin to turn you into a southern girl yet."
Carrie gave a nervous chuckle at his out right flirtation. "Well, thank you again for agreeing to go out with me tomorrow night, Officer Johnson."
"You are more than welcome Miss Carrie. Oh, and you can call me Adam."
Carrie made sure he could hear the smile in her voice, "Only if you cut out the Miss, southern boy, and just call me Carrie."
She heard a light chuckle on the other end before a gentle, "Okay…Carrie," was caressed through the phone. "See you tomorrow night then."
"Till tomorrow night," Carrie hung up the phone with the biggest smile plastered on her face. She needed tonight so badly. Suddenly a loud crash was heard out in the alley by her window. Dropping the phone, Carrie rushed to see if her imagination was running away with her. She knew that was too loud to be a cat. Her heart was racing, and she had stopped breathing in anticipation. Carrie rushed to the window only to find blackness. The only difference was that one of the dumpsters had a huge dent in it, as if something huge had smashed it. As Carrie fought to keep the tears at bay, she placed her hand down only to draw it back as if it had been burned. There on the window sill was a red rose with every thorn still in tact. As tears began pooling into her eyes Carrie reached out to grab it, mindful of the sharpness surrounding the beauty. And there under the rose was a napkin with writing on it. The handwriting was swift but careful. It was not extravagant or poetic, but it was his handwriting. She read it to herself over again as if it were a mantra: Happy Birthday Carrie.
Carrie grasped the rose to her chest, no longer mindful of the pain the rose was emitting. She wanted to feel the pain. It was his pain. He had heard everything. She suddenly felt sick as it dawned on her. He had been here. Carrie clawed back up to the window and began screaming his name at the top of her lungs. "Victor! Victor! Please!" Her eyes were flooding over as the tears made wet courses down her cheeks. Carrie collapsed next to the window. She couldn't leave it knowing he could be back at any moment. After what felt like days, she looked behind her to check the clock to see how long she had been there, since she found the rose. The digital clock stared back at her unfeelingly as 2:30 am rolled around. Her body was sore and her eyes ached from crying for the first time in a week. Carrie stubbornly stood up from her position and walked somberly to her bed. As she lay down on her pillow, she placed the note and the rose right next to her head, and then whispered forlornly to herself, "Happy birthday to me."
----Sorry, for those of you who wanted Victor in this one, but Carrie needed to let loose a little.
----So, what do ya'll think about Adam? Please review let me know what ya'll think.
----Next chapter will be more Vic…promise!
