Steve sat at his desk typing up the report on his and Kate's latest case. It was slow going as he hated typing. Kate usually took pity on him and did it whilst he provided some banter. He looked at his watch. Only thirty minutes had passed since the last time he had looked although it felt as if hours had gone by. The afternoon was dragging badly.
He'd get himself a cup of tea he thought decisively to kill some time. Getting up from his desk he headed to the kitchen area and made himself a cup before he went back to his seat. He had never been a tea drinker until he'd met Kate and she had converted him. He'd watched her make hundreds of cups by now and had followed exactly what she did, but on taking a sip it didn't taste as nice as when she had made it.
"Where do you park when you're meeting Kate in that alleyway?" Dot asked as he approached and perched on Steve's desk.
"Why?" Steve asked suspiciously.
"I'm gonna meet Kate tonight," Dot said.
"Already?" Steve asked a little surprised. "She's only been gone a couple of hours. You should only meet when necessary. Every time you do, Kate is risking her cover being blown,".
"Thanks for pointin' out the bleedin' obvious," Dot replied. "It's just to make sure she fully understands the brief," he continued. "The old man didn't really leave much chance for that this morning,".
"Right," said Steve. "Sorry," he apologised. It seemed a good reason to Steve. Hopefully it would cut the time that Kate was away.
"So where do you park?" Dot repeated.
"You know the small park that's nearby?" Dot nodded. "Any side street round there usually has a space and you don't need to pay," Steve revealed.
"Cheers," Dot said gratefully and made to walk off. "Hey, any message you want me to give her from you?" he asked.
"No. You're good," Steve said as he watched Dot saunter off. He reached for his mug of tea and took another sip. Whether it was because he hadn't made it right or Dot's passing visit, he wasn't sure, but he'd gone right off his tea.
Later that night Kate was bundled up in a thick coat in the usual underpass where she met Steve. She was unsure why Dot had summoned her there so soon in to her assignment as there was nothing to report. She would rather be in her temporary flat than in this smelly alleyway especially on this rather cold night.
Footsteps approaching caught her attention and she watched the shadow on the wall get nearer before Dot appeared in sight.
"All right," Dot greeted.
"All right," Kate echoed a little warily. It was weird not meeting with Steve. Almost like a betrayal.
"This'll warm your cockles," Dot said as he gave her a steaming hot cup of coffee.
"Ta," said Kate gratefully as she accepted his gift and warmed her cold hands around the hot cup. "Steve never brings refreshments,".
Dot smiled. He knew Steve didn't. He was just trying to stir things up.
"Look there's not much to report. It's early days," Kate said before she took a sip of her drink.
"No pressure," Dot replied.
Kate couldn't help but think how different Dot was compared to Steve. Steve was all about pressure. She would push from the inside whilst Steve would push from the outside during a case. It was what they did. This was a very different attitude to police work that she would have to get used to.
"Any questions on your brief?" Dot asked.
"No," answered Kate. "It's fairly simple," she concluded as she took a another sip of coffee. Was this all that she'd been dragged here for? Kate wondered.
"Just wanted to say thanks really for agreeing to do the undercover. Got me out of a real spot of bother with the gaffer," Dot said, suspecting Kate was beginning to realise this meeting was not really necessary.
"It's ok," Kate said. "Not really got much on anyway,".
"You wouldn't think so speaking to Steve," Dot said.
"Really?" Kate asked in surprise.
"Yeah," said Dot. "Look there's nothing going on between you and him is there?".
"For Crissake, is this to do with that stupid rumour that Steve told me about?" Kate asked. This bloody nonsense was beginning to annoy her.
"In part," Dot admitted. "Steve denied there was anything...extracurricular going on between the pair of you but he was awfully possessive of you when the gaffer asked if we could borrow you," Dot stirred. "He eventually gave his permission,".
This news got Kate's back up. "That's big of 'im," Kate retorted. "Just because he's a DS and I'm a DC he thinks he's in charge. I can do what I like, I'm my own person. I don't need anyone's permission," she confirmed.
"Calm down. Don't shoot the messenger," said Dot, holding his hands up in mock surrender.
"Sorry," apologised Kate. "Thanks for the drink," she said bringing the meeting to an end.
"You're welcome," Dot said. "Night,".
"Night, Dot," Kate said before turning and starting to walk away. Dot watched her disappear, pleased at how their first meeting had gone when an idea struck him.
"Have you eaten?" Dot asked after her, causing her to stop. "I've got some chilli simmering on the hob if you're interested?".
Kate thought about Dots offer. It was tempting. She had nothing ready back at the flat. It would be another lonely take away . "Sure," she eventually agreed.
"How was Kate?" Steve asked Dot the next day at work.
"Good," said Dot. "I bought her a coffee to warm her up. She said you never did that," Dot mentioned.
Steve was silent. Why hadn't he ever thought of doing that? he wondered. Because you're too caught up in the police work than a friends well being, an annoying voice in his head told him.
"You need to start taking better care of her,"Dot advised sagely, "or she'll choose another partner,".
"She said that?" Steve asked alarmed. Why hadn't Kate said anything to him?
"Listen," said Dot, keen to stick the knife in when Steve was already troubled, "I just wanted to check there's definitely nothing going on between the two of you,".
"No," said Steve absentmindedly still worrying over the possibility that Kate wasn't happy with their partnership.
"Good because I think I'll have a crack at her," Dot said.
"What?" Steve said.
"I think I'm in with a good chance actually,".
"In your dreams, mate," Steve replied. He knew Kate was far too sensible to fall for any of Dot's bullshit.
"She accepted my offer for some chilli at mine last night," Dot bragged. Steve snorted. He found the news hard to believe. "Seriously, mate," Dot persisted, causing Steve to doubt himself.
"Dot!" Steve lambasted his colleague. "You'll compromise her cover!" He said angrily. "Someone could have been watching!".
"Relax! It was fine," Dot tried to placate his colleague.
Steve said nothing. He was annoyed at Dot for being so blasé about Kate's safety and he was annoyed at his partner for being reckless as well if she did what Dot had said. He hadn't quite made his mind up. He felt totally helpless not being involved at all. "You better hope so," he muttered. If anything happened to Kate he would give Dot both barrels.
"We had a really nice evening together actually," Dot unhelpfully added. "How many dates do you think it will take before I find out how adventurous she is in bed?" Dot asked, enjoying the torture he was inflicting on the man.
Steve didn't answer but he hoped it was a rather big number and that Dot would lose interest before Kate consented to sleeping with him.