Yeah, she’s gonna pay for saying yes when Kowalski asked for a ride.
I was looking forward to making out at stoplights. Maybe some heavy petting if traffic lights worked in my favor. Judging by the look she’d given me back in the auditorium, I’d had good odds.
Instead, I’ve got a rookie detective narrating his greatest hits from the back seat, Lorelie pretending to listen, and me wanting to kick the asshole out.
What feels like forever later, I finally pull into O’Reilly’s. It’s a bar owned by a retired lieutenant, the go-to cop hangout. Today, we’re celebrating the promotions informally, which means half the damn brass is here.
My dad never liked these things, so he avoids the informal stuff. Says if he wanted to drink with officers after hours, he’d have stayed on the force another ten years.
The second Kowalski opens the bar doors; a cheer goes up.
He basks in it like they’re cheering forhim.
Lore lets out a small, silent laugh beside me.
My former partner and senior detective on my team, Barry, strides over, grin already in place as he grabs my hand for a hard shake.
“My man, sorry,Sergeant,” he corrects himself, giving a sloppy salute.
Then he leans in and plants a kiss on Lore’s cheek.
“Lorelie, looking radiant as ever.”
She smiles, soft and polite. “Thank you, Barry.”
Okay, that’s enough.
I slide an arm around her waist, pulling her snug against my side as I nudge Barry back a step.
He throws his head back, laughing loud enough for half the bar to hear, and cracks an imaginary whip in the air.
“Come on, Sarge,” he says, jerking his head toward the bar. “First round’s on me.”
Lore and I follow him to the counter. Barry waves the bartender over and orders three beers without asking.
Lore gives methatlook, the one that says she’s two seconds from hurling a coaster at my head if I let her sit here pretending to drink.
“I’ll just use the restroom,” she says, touching my arm before slipping away through the crowd.
As soon as she’s gone, I lean toward the bartender.
“Make that only two bears and a virgin margarita.”
Barry turns toward me, clocks the grin stretching across my face, and his eyebrows shoot up.
“Oooh,” he drawls. “That’swhy she’s glowin’. We gettin’ a new Boise in the house?”
I nod once smiling. “We haven’t told anyone yet.”
Barry presses a hand to his chest. “Man, I’m touched. Really. And here I was thinkin’ Lorelie Hill Boise had a crush on me.”
I slap his shoulder. It’s meant to feel playful. It isn’t.
“Nah. That’s all hormones.”
He coughs, rubbing the spot. “Okay, man.”
I stand to my full height and glance out over the crowd. Lore’s making her way back, stopped by someone on the way, probably one of the endless people she met through the job, I can never keep track.
