Justice(41)
I flip back over to face him. “I just think it’s time to shit or get off the pot, you know?”
“That’s possibly the most romantic thing you’ve ever said to me.”
“Well, I am something of a poet, Harry. It’s one of my many talents.” My smile drops. “Seriously, though. I don’t want to pressure you into this. I just…want you by my side. I want to let everyone know I’m dating the nicest, handsomest, most wonderful man in Galilee. The aftermath, well, we’ll handle it. Together.”
He’s quiet for a moment, weighing his options. But only for a moment. He smiles. “Okay, then. Guess I’m your plus one.”
My smile resurfaces. “Really?”
“I’ve wanted to meet the famous Rebecca. And I do look great in a tux.”
I kiss him once, twice, three times. On the forth he kisses me back deep enough to push away any doubts on either of our parts. I roll on top of him, still kissing. He’s just about got my top off when the door handle jiggles and we both freeze. There’s a knock on the door. “Det. Fallon?”
I leap up, tucking in my shirt as I walk to the door. Harry pulls his covers back up and tosses the blanket on the opposite bed back as if I had just gotten out of it. This is not the first time we’ve gone through this charade. I unlock the door, rubbing my eyes. A uniform stands outside. “What is it?” I ask groggily.
“A package just arrived for you,” the woman says.
“Thank you.”
I slip out the door, blocking her view of Harry and walk back to my desk. A huge dress box wrapped in dark blue paper and a big red bow is in my chair. Cam sits at his desk across from mine with a huge grin on his face. “You have an admirer,” he says.
“What the hell is this?”
“Don’t know, but ask me who it’s from.”
“Who?”
“Justice. He just delivered it himself.”
“Justice? Justice bought me a present?” I ask, shocked.
“Maybe he has a crush on you. Or you’ve been knocking boots in his hideout without telling me.”
“Yeah, we’re having a secret affair, and we’re madly in love with each other.”
“Are you?”
“Please. I’d sooner fuck Gearhead.” I rip open the wrapping paper. Word must have gotten around about my not so secret admirer. A crowd, Harry included, forms around my desk. I was right, it is a dress box. If he bought me a dress, I will track him down and shoot him. I don’t do girl clothes unless absolutely necessary. But it isn’t a dress, it’s a jacket. A black leather-like, fitted trench coat with silver buttons with “J” on them. The impossible has happened. I am going to say something nice about Justice. He has excellent taste in coats.
“Nice,” Cam says.
I pull the jacket out. It’s lighter than leather with a different texture too. I put it on, and sure enough it’s a perfect fit. Looks awesome too. Stylish, yet bad-ass. “I don’t think it’s leather,” I tell the murmuring audience.
“There’s a card,” Cam points out.
Inside the box is a white card. “‘Dear Det. Fallon,’” I start reading aloud. “‘Like you, I have found the traditional Kevlar vest an eyesore. Perhaps now that you own a more fashionable version, you will be more inclined to wear one. Enjoy. Justice.’” I scoff. The fucking nerve!
Cam touches the coat. “I think it’s made of the same material as his uniform.”
“You mean his costume?” I ask snidely.
“It looks really good on you,” the officer who summoned me says.
I take it off, tossing it on my desk. “What the hell am I supposed to do with it? I can’t exactly return it. I don’t know where to return it to.”
“You could wear it,” Cam says.
“Oh, yeah? What if it’s not really bulletproof?”
“I doubt Justice would lie to you,” Harry says.
“But why send me this? He barely knows me, and I’m not exactly his biggest fan.”
“He’s just doing what he does,” Cam says. “Protecting the citizens of Galilee. Even your ungrateful ass.”
It is a nice coat. It’s exactly what I would pick out for myself. And it was given in the spirit of camaraderie. Maybe being part of the new me should include accepting Justice. He’s never been anything but nice to me, even when I’m bitchier than normal. He does do a lot for the city. We are colleagues after all. Okay, I just really want to keep the coat.
“It would be rude not to take it,” I offer. “He went to a lot of trouble and all.”
“Did you just say something nice about a superhero?” Cam asks.