by Amber Heart
‘Well, we bumped into Meghan too. You know, that nurse?’
‘Oh, the really weird one in bed?’
‘Yeah, well she was flirting with me and I thought Olivia was upset about her, so when we started arguing I said maybe I’d go meet Meghan but I’ve been trying to make a good impression and-’
‘You’re an idiot. You’re an actual idiot.’
‘Girls get jealous! I just thought- God, I’m stupid. It’s a good job I didn’t make a joke.’
‘You’d have been castrated.’ Jason agreed.
‘So what do I do?’ He asked, completely clueless on how to make it up to her.
‘Let her calm down before you do anything. You’ve both had a rough few days, keep it professional for a while. No flirting, no teasing. Just keep it nice and simple. Do you really like her?’
‘Yeah and I want to be with her, but I keep blowing it.’ He sighed, rubbing his eyes. ‘Yesterday, she even said she’d consider it one day.’
‘But not if you keep being a jerk.’
‘Yeah, I guess.’
‘Heads up, she’s coming over.’
‘Hey, Jason.’ She smiled. ‘Hey, assumptive asshole.’ She sat down, flicking through her files.
‘Come on, it was a mistake.’ He sighed and she scowled at him. ‘I thought you were jealous of her!’
‘Oh, so now you think I’m insecure? So I’m jealous, insecure, anything else you’d like to add to the list?’
‘You know I can’t think straight when I’m with you.’
‘And I mess with your head.’ She scoffed, reaching down to open her drawer. ‘You make me sound like a pathetic teenager!’ Both men jumped when she slammed the drawer shut.
‘I’m sorry, really sorry, okay? Let me make it up to you. ’
‘I don’t think you can.’ She shrugged. ‘You know, the worst thing is that I actually liked you. But if you think I care more about some slutty nurse than I do about your mother, then you clearly don’t know me at all.’
Damien was stunned. Olivia walked back out of the office, muttering a goodbye to Jason as she passed, but she said nothing to him. Maybe, once and for all, he’d pushed her too far away.
Becca came to Olivia’s house that night for their weekly takeout and movie night, not that they actually watched the film, using time to instead catch up on work gossip.
‘So, Jason told me that you and Damien had a fight.’
‘Does that surprise you?’ She rolled her eyes
‘Not really, I’m surprised you’ve not killed each other yet. What was it about this time?’
‘I don’t want to talk about it.’ She sighed, grabbing another slice of pizza from the table.
‘If you’re this upset with him, then he’s got under your skin.’ They were sat opposite each other on the couch, their legs intertwined. ‘Has someone got a little crush?’ She laughed.
‘No.’
‘You do, just admit it. You wouldn’t have banged him if you didn’t. So, what did he do?’
‘We went to check on that domestic abuse case at the hospital and bumped into a one-night stand of his.’ She shrugged.
‘So what?’
‘Basically, he told me about… some stuff going on at home, he was stressed and upset. But he said it wasn’t important. So we bump into this nurse and she knows everything that’s going on with him. Turns out it’s really serious and he didn’t want to tell me.’ Olivia explained
‘And he thought you were jealous about the one-night stand?’
‘How did you know?’
‘Because men think all women hate each other.’ She laughed, acting as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
‘That’s ridiculous.’
‘That’s men.’ She shrugged. ‘He really likes you, Liv. Maybe go easy on him.’
‘So I should just forgive him for lying to me?’
‘I didn’t say that. But sometimes, especially when you fancy someone, you don’t want to dump all your problems on them at once.’
‘I know but-’
‘No buts, it’s wine time and you can’t complain when we have wine.’ Becca smiled, grabbing the bottle of red on the table.
‘We’re working tomorrow.’ Olivia pointed out and Becca shushed her.
‘It’s only one glass.’ It was not one glass.
Hours later, they were both sitting on the floor laughing.
‘God, you should have seen his face when I stormed in on him!’ Howled Olivia. ‘He was like a deer trapped in headlights.’
‘I can’t believe you did it in the men’s room.’ Becca laughed. ‘You know what would be a really great idea?’
‘What?’ She giggled.
‘You should call him!’
‘That’s a great idea!’ Olivia smiled, looking frantically for her phone. ‘What should I say?’
‘Tell him what an asshole he was, and that he better shape up.’ Becca started singing
to herself.
‘It’s ringing!’
‘Hello?’ He sounded concerned.
‘Well, helloooo, detective! I’ve got a bone to pick with you!’ She chuckled.
‘Are you drunk?’ He asked.
‘Does it matter if I am?’ Her words started to slur. ‘I really don’t care if you slept with the slutty nurse, she was really pretty, but I bet she was nothing compared to me.’
‘Well, you better start shaping up, Mr.’ Becca grabbed the phone and started singing loudly.
‘Wait, give it back!’ Olivia reached for the phone again.
He laughed and Olivia bit her lip at the noise.
‘Your laugh is really sexy.’
‘And you have a lovely ass.’ She paused. ‘Wait, no. You are an ass, is what I meant. But you do have a good ass too.’
‘Has someone been thinking about my offer?’ He asked.
‘Yes, get your shit together. Stop being a dickhead. I like you, you know, but you mess things up a lot and it annoys me.’
A woman’s laugh came from his side of the phone.
‘Who was that?’ Olivia asked, getting an uncomfortable feeling in her stomach. ‘Is someone with you? Is it Meghan?’ She accused as he started stuttering for an excuse. ‘Yeah I really mean a lot to you, don’t I?’ She put the phone down and threw it at the sofa.
‘Is everything okay?’ Becca asked, grabbing the wine bottle and offering it to her.
‘He’s with that bitch.’ She muttered, taking the bottle and drinking out of it. ‘The nurse one from today.’
‘What a fuckboy. Honestly.’ She liked that, and decided to send him a text.
‘I want to go to bed.’ She sighed, stumbling out the room, leaving her phone wherever it was.
It was 7am when her alarm screamed down her ear. Whacking her clock until it turned off, she moaned as the headache hit her. Becca’s feet were in her face, kicking her as she woke up.
‘Get off!’ She sighed, sitting up slowly, her hands holding her head. ‘What happened last night?’
‘I don’t have a clue.’ Becca groaned, pulling a pillow over her head.
‘Coffee?’
‘Please.’
Olivia shuffled to the front room after switching on the coffee pot. Her phone was flashing on the couch.
Damien:
Oh, no. What had she done? She vaguely remembered calling him and… were they watching Grease? Reading through their messages, the blood drained from her face.
‘Where’s this coffee at?’
‘I drunk called and texted Damien.’
‘Oh shit, what did you say?’
‘Something about a slut.’ She sighed, rubbing at her eyes.
‘That nurse.’ Becca reminded her as she helped herself to some coffee. Oh yeah, work was going to be fun. ‘Well, I’m going home. Get showered, look pretty, you’ll have some making up to do.’
‘Bye, Bex.’ Olivia sighed.
‘Well, well, well. If it isn’t Miss Alcohol On A Work Night. I’m not impressed.�
�� Damien was sat in her chair, his feet up on her desk as he smirked at her.
‘You’re being very loud.’ She sighed, pushing his feet off her table.
‘I thought you could use this.’ He reached for a large coffee cup and handed it to her.
‘You’re a gem.’ She smiled, sitting on his chair. He rolled over to sit next to her.
‘You realise you drunk called me?’
‘Yeah. Sorry.’ She sighed, taking a much needed drink.
‘Sounds like you and Becca had a fun night.’ He smiled.
‘It started that way. Sorry about the call, and the text.’ She leaned her head back and closed her eyes.
‘Let’s go and recap, shall we? So, you said you were really good in bed, you think my ass and laugh are very sexy, Becca likes to sing Grease when she’s drunk and then you got really pissy and thought I was with Meghan.’ Damien explained and Olivia groaned, embarrassed.
‘I heard a woman laugh!’ She suddenly remembered, sitting upright.
‘My mother was in hospital again and you heard her nurse laugh.’ He chuckled. ‘I did try to ring and explain, but you ignored me.’
‘I was asleep.’ She shrugged, pulling the mug near her lips so he couldn’t see her smile. ‘So, you didn’t sleep with Meghan?’ She asked shyly.
‘I did not, I promise. It was a big mistake anyway.’
‘Why? Not into doctor and nurse roleplay?’ She raised an eyebrow.
‘Now I’m not.’ He laughed. ‘Let me explain. So, we went back to her place, and she excuses herself for a minute. She comes back and she’s in her literal uniform, no sexy lingerie, she’s fully clothed.’ Olivia was already chuckling. ‘And she calls me to the bedroom like an actual patient, checks my pulse and my temperature and, after like an hour, we start doing it. Then she starts making these noises.’
‘Noises?’ Olivia asked, trying to control herself.
‘Like a whale, I shit you not. And nothing about it was appealing, believe me. I had to pretend to finish just so I could leave.’ Olivia couldn’t hold it in any longer; she laughed loudly, startling a few people around them. Damien laughed with her and soon, their eyes were filled with tears from laughing so much.
‘Wow, okay that was hilarious.’ Olivia wiped the tears from her eyes. ‘Sorry I ever thought you enjoyed sleeping with her.’
‘It was definitely an eventful night, but I did not enjoy it.’ He agreed, nudging her knee with his.
‘Sorry, again.’ She shrugged, nudging him back.
‘Anyway, terrible nurse sex aside, there’s something I want to ask.’ He smiled, a blush rising in his cheeks. ‘Last night, you said you actually liked me, and you’ve said before that it could maybe work one day. I know I mess things up but-’
‘Look, I do like you, most of the time, and of course I care for you. But, sometimes we’re just so toxic for each other, we mix good and bad feelings together and it explodes. I just think we need time.’ Olivia explained and, as much as it hurt, Damien agreed.
‘How about we just cool off for a while? Give each other some space, put our feelings to the side for now and just be partners for a while?’
‘Yeah, I’d like that. A new start.’ She winked.
Chapter Four
Six weeks later, the pair were sat in a car on surveillance duty. They’d been given the boring part of the job; it was an easy case, no-one was expecting any action but it was always smart to have a back-up plan. Since they’d agreed to put their feelings to the side, everything seemed to work better. They argued occasionally but it was never too serious, never personal, and they could joke again without offending each other. The whole precinct knew something was different but they never missed the small flirting they did when they thought no-one was watching. Sooner or later, they were expecting them to get together.
Damien had been more open with her; he told her everything about his mother, called when he needed help and it took the pressure off his shoulders. In turn, she told him more about herself and her family as well, they talked a lot when they were on stakeouts.
The radio had been quiet for a while and Damien sighed, annoyed they couldn’t turn any music on.
‘Everything good at home?’ Olivia asked, biting into an apple. A while ago, he’d bet her she couldn’t eat a piece of fruit a day and, unable to resist a challenge, she’d successfully eaten a piece of fruit, in front of him, every day for just over a month.
‘Mum seems to be doing better, but there’s plenty of bad days for every single good day. I’m just taking each day as it comes.’
‘I’m glad she’s okay though.’
‘She really wants to meet the woman who drives me insane.’ He laughed.
‘Oh, so you still describe me like that to her?’ She smiled, playfully hitting his arm. ‘I can’t wait to meet her to show her what a delight I am.’
‘You are a delight but you still drive me insane.’ He winked
‘Stop it. You’re going to make me vomit.’ She rolled her eyes and threw her apple core at him.
‘Hey! This is my car, treat it with some respect. We’re not in your garbage truck.’
‘That was uneventful.’ He sighed. ‘Do you want to go for a coffee? We don’t have to be back straight away.’
‘I guess a coffee can’t hurt.’ She shrugged, putting her seatbelt back on.
Damien drove them to his favourite coffee shop, not too far from the precinct, and chose a small table in the corner. They’d been put on the night shift and having a coffee wasn’t a bad way to start the shift.
‘You know, I heard it’s going to be a quiet shift tonight. Just you, me, a few odd cops walking around.’ She smirked and Damien raised an eyebrow at her.
‘I don’t like that look on your face. What are you up to?’ He asked, his interest peaked.
‘Well, since the Captain isn’t in for the next few days… fancy a little game of dares?’
He was hesitant, ‘You know what happened last time. I’m not sure it’s the best idea.’
‘You scared?’ She teased and he nodded.
‘Scared of getting suspended again? Yes.’
‘We only got suspended last time because you got caught putting laxative in the water tank.’ She burst out laughing.
‘What do you reckon would have happened if we got caught doing some of the more… riskier things?’
‘Jail. For sure.’ She was still laughing. ‘Come on, that was one of the best nights of my life.’ She grinned.
‘They always seem to be with me, don’t they?’ He smirked.
‘Shut it. Come on, please. We could use a laugh.’
‘Fine. But, if we get caught, you take the blame.’
‘Deal.’ She shook his hand and began plotting their night.
‘Okay, you know what you need to do?’ Olivia whispered and he nodded before looking around, making sure no-one else was around. They were back at the precinct, waiting outside the security room. ‘Good luck.’ He walked away from her and into the room.
‘Hey, Tim. Can I ask you something?’ He asked, opening the door. Tim, the night guard, turned in his chair and smiled at him. That was her cue. She ran into the bullpen, dodging around people’s desks and chairs. Climbing up on a desk, she stuck a photo of the bullpen against the lense and jumped down as someone walked in.
‘You’d be a terrible criminal.’ Damien smiled at her and she scowled at him for a moment before running over to her desk.
‘Silly string time.’ She threw a can at him and kept one for herself.
‘Why do you already have some?’
‘In case of emergency.’ She grinned. ‘Get spraying.’
One very colorful office later and the real game began.
‘Alright, you didn’t wimp out, Mackie. Time for a real dare.’ She grinned.
‘Give me your worst.’
‘Go to the men’s toilets, draw a dick, and write Davies over it.’
‘You already realize there’s like a hundred of thos
e?’ He laughed, she wasn't the first to think of that one.
‘Fine, the women’s then.’
‘You’re on.’
It didn’t take him long to finish the job.
A few hours passed with them daring each other to do stupid things, some of them requiring a sneaky trip out the office. They had replaced the coffee with mud, put the captain’s name tag upside down on his door, taken everyone’s mouse and put them on the floor next to a block of cheese, moved everything in the breakroom five inches left, and they weren’t finished yet.
Their next task was moving everyone’s family photos around onto other people’s desk, including their own. They didn’t want to look suspicious. Then they managed to set a small fire in one of the interrogation rooms, but put it out straight away. Accidents happen.
‘Shall we call it a night before anything else serious happens?’ Damien asked. ‘That was a close call, and I need this job.’ He laughed. ‘It’s nearly time to go anyway.’
‘Yeah, I guess you’re right.’ She said. The sun was rising and the day shift would be starting in the next few hours, but she’d had great fun with him, she wasn't really ready for the night to end.
‘Do you want to grab some breakfast?’ She asked.
‘Yeah, you driving?’ He smiled and she nodded, looking around at the chaos in the room one last time.
They were sat in a pancake house a little later, giggling about the pranks they’d pulled. Olivia had ordered a large serving of pancakes for them to share, covered in syrup, which was too sweet for his liking
‘Captain’s gonna be pissed.’ He smiled, taking a sip of tea. ‘I hope you know what you’ve done.’
‘We’ve been good for months, we should be okay.’ She shrugged, pulling a pancake onto her plate. ‘Aren’t you eating?’
‘I’m not really feeling pancakes.’ He admitted and Olivia’s face turned sad.
‘Why didn’t you say? I would’ve ordered something else’
‘Come on, you and I both know you can finish those off perfectly fine on your own. I’m just going to get some toast. Do you want another coffee?’ He asked.
