Randy was gone, Rick was gone—what else was there for them? Why didn’t they deserve each other again? They were the ones who had been faithful, the ones who had waited and watched. Who’d backed each other up, who’d fought every war together, against all odds.
He felt almost relieved to give in and take his partner in his arms again. Bringing his lips down to meet hers, they melted together. His hands traveled down her body, and Midnight responded by lying back on the bed, pulling him down with her. Joe’s body covering hers, his weight on her, was so familiar, and Midnight grasped the feeling with both hands, wanting to cling to him as if she were drowning.
Hours later, they lay on the bed together. Joe held her the way he had so many times before. They didn’t talk about what they had just done; they both knew it would hurt the respective people in their lives. Good! they both thought, at about the same time.
The next morning, after a nice extra few hours of sleep that both of them had needed badly, Midnight and Joe sat together at his kitchen table, drinking coffee and talking.
“Are you sure you’re ready to have me and Keyla at your house?” Midnight said skeptically.
“Yes, I’m sure,” Joe assured her.
“You have no idea what it’s like to live with a two-year-old.”
“I’ve lived with you, haven’t I?” Joe replied, a grin on his face.
Midnight rolled her eyes at him, smiling. “I walked right into that one, didn’t I?”
“Basically.”
And so the morning went. At around noon, Midnight called Jessica to let her know Joe was alright and that everything was going to be okay.
“You’re sure?” Jessica asked, remembering how badly off Joe had been the night before and not believing that he was fine just over eighteen hours later.
“Come and see him if you don’t believe me,” Midnight said, smiling. Joe walked into the bedroom and looked at her quizzically.
“She doesn’t believe it?” he asked, loudly enough for Jessica to hear. “Too damn young to be that cynical already.” He walked over to the opposite side of the bed from where Midnight sat and lay down across it, his head next to her. Flipping over on his back, he reached up and took the phone from his partner.
“Look here, young lady,” he said, his smile wide, “don’t you doubt my partner. She’s a decorated peace officer, after all.”
“Well,” Jessica replied, laughing, “you do sound a lot better.”
“But you’re still not convinced?” Joe was still grinning. “Fine then, come over here and I’ll take you two ladies to lunch. Will that convince you?”
“Maybe,” Jessica said.
“Fine.” Joe looked at his watch. “It’s ten past twelve now. Be here by… oh, one thirty.”
“Yes, sir!” Jessica replied crisply. Then she laughed again. “See you two then.” She hung up, and found herself happy to be included—also, quite interested in how they acted when they were together.
Joe rested his cheek on Midnight’s legs for a minute, having had to stretch past her to hang up the phone. Midnight caressed his face, almost out of habit.
“Lunch, huh?” she said, smiling down at him, even though he was facing the floor with his chin on her thigh.
“Yeah. There’s a place downtown I want to take you to.”
“Called?”
“Called The Distillery. They have really good steak sandwiches—Jess took me there.”
“She’s a good kid,” Midnight said.
Joe nodded. “Yeah, quick as hell too.”
Midnight knew what Joe meant. “Tell me,” she said, “did she tell you her theory about Randy?”
“Yeah.” Joe shook his head, as if he couldn’t understand Randy’s thinking, but then looked guilty right behind that. “Oops.” He had remembered that Randy was right, now that he had slept with Midnight.
Midnight had followed the line of Joe’s thoughts easily, and she shook her head. “Hey, she wasn’t right about it. The timing makes a big difference here, you know.”
“Yeah, I know,” Joe said. He turned over to look at her. “How ‘bout you?” he asked, and she knew what he meant.
“Fuck him,” she said, her eyes devoid of shame.
Joe looked at her for a long time, trying to decide if she really meant it. “Night,” he said finally, his eyes showing concern for her emotional state. “Really, how’s this gonna be on you?” It was a good question; they had never slept together when either or both of them were in love with someone else. It was only logical that this time would be different, and that it might be harder for one or both of them.
Midnight stared at the wall for a long moment, thinking about the question. She lay back on the bed, blowing her breath out in a sigh. “I don’t know,” was all she said.
Joe sat up, looking down at her lying there. “It’s gotta be worth it,” he said softly. “I mean, if it’s going to cause us more grief than it would being apart…”
Midnight looked over at him. “I need you right now, and I’d say it’s a safe bet that you need me too. Isn’t that what we’re about?”
“Yeah, it is.” Joe knew she was right, but also that it wasn’t as simple as that anymore. He understood her though, and he knew she was aware of the hazards they were negotiating this time—and that he didn’t need to point any of them out to her. Joe had enough respect for his longtime partner to trust her. She knew what they were playing against, and he didn’t need to put her in the position of having to consider each obstacle out loud.
Later that day, Jessica arrived, and she was very obviously relieved at Joe’s transformed appearance. He looked even better than he had originally, and something about that made Jessica curious, but she didn’t see anything obvious in the way they were acting. Midnight and Joe’s union was different this time; it was based more on the need to be united than the actual act of being together. They were close during the day—in the car, Joe would put his hand on the edge of the seat next to Midnight’s leg, and after a few minutes, Midnight’s hand would rest on top of his—but there were no long, passionate kisses in public, no real intimate contact at all. Jessica wasn’t sure if this was just their normal behavior or if something had happened between them. After lunch, Joe insisted on taking Midnight over to meet Jessica’s family.
Martha remembered Midnight from their phone call, when Midnight had been trying to get ahold of Jessica. “I see you found him,” she said, patting Joe on the shoulder.
“I never can hide for long,” Joe said, smiling.
“Especially since tequila bottles are clear.” Midnight’s eyes glittered with humor.
“She told you,” James said, laughing.
“She does often,” Joe said, widening his eyes at his partner as if she had told them something she wasn’t supposed to. Midnight just grinned.
“Well,” Gerald Harland said, giving Midnight an approving stare, “it’s no wonder he’s such a good guy then, with a partner to keep him in line.”
“I do my best.” Midnight smiled winningly at the older man.
They had all talked for a while, sitting comfortably in the family room of the large, spacious house. Gary had again cornered Joe alone as soon as he got the chance.
“You have a partner that looks like that,” Gary said, shaking his head in disbelief, “and you married someone else? Are you fucking nuts, or what?” Joe could hear the humor in the younger man’s voice.
“I asked,” Joe said with a conspiratorial smile, “but she turned me down.”
“Well, that’s because she was waiting for me,” Gary said, pretending to preen.
“Oh yeah, I’ll just bet, junior. She’s only about eight years older than you.”
“No way,” Gary said, genuinely surprised.
“Yes way,” Joe replied. “Besides, she’d chew you up and spit you out—that’s what she does with young pups like you.”
“Well, I’d sure die happy, wouldn’t I?” Gary smiled wistfully. He and Joe rejoined the grou
p, still laughing.
“What?” Jessica asked, eyeing the two men suspiciously. She could tell her brother was already all cow-eyed about Midnight.
“Nothin’,” Joe said, trying to keep the smile off his face. He winked at Midnight when she looked over at him, and her eyes narrowed but she had a slight grin on her face.
By the time they left the Harlands’ home, after being basically held hostage until they accepted an invitation to stay for dinner, Midnight was very happy she had come.
“They’re really nice people,” she said, a melancholy look on her face.
“Yeah,” Joe said, seeing her expression. “Kind of family it’d be nice to have, huh?”
“Yeah,” Midnight answered, the look in her eyes backing up the affirmation.
Joe and Midnight spent most of the next afternoon relaxing at his townhouse, watching TV and lying on the couch or the floor. They went out to dinner that evening, choosing a nice, quiet, unassuming Basque restaurant called The Sheepherder’s Inn. They ate and talked late into the evening, everyone around them assuming they were a couple. Midnight decided to stay the next day, telling Joe she wanted to see his academy class.
Monday served as a better indication to Jessica that something was different between them from when Midnight had arrived on Friday night. Midnight and Joe drove over to pick her up, and Jessica was surprised when she saw that Midnight was driving. She looked at Joe quizzically as he held open the door for her.
“She pulled rank,” he said in answer to her unasked question, and Jessica smiled.
“Oh. Good morning, Midnight.” Jessica smiled at the other woman from the back seat.
“Hey,” Midnight said, returning the smile.
They talked all the way to the college, with Joe teasing Midnight about the music she insisted on listening to.
“She’s into the dancier stuff,” he explained to Jessica.
“Yeah,” Midnight said, “not that morbid crap you like to listen to.” But her smile softened the words.
“Not everything in life is a party, dear love,” Joe said, returning her smile.
“Ah, indeed.”
Jessica asked Midnight about her police background and how she had gotten started.
“It was either that or I would have ended up in jail, or dead,” Midnight said, her fingers drumming on the steering wheel to the beat of Ace of Base’s “All That She Wants.”
“You were a gang member too?” Jessica said. She knew she shouldn’t be surprised, but she was all the same.
“Oh yeah,” Midnight said, grinning at Joe.
“How old were you when you quit?” Jessica asked.
“Eighteen,” Midnight said, and Joe saw the shadow cross her face.
“And why did you quit?” Jessica asked, right as Joe turned to shake his head at her, but the question was already out.
Midnight caught Joe’s movement and put her hand out to touch his leg, trying to tell him it was okay. She looked at Jessica in the rearview mirror. “My little brother was killed in a gang fight.”
“Oh,” Jessica said. “I’m sorry.”
Midnight shook her head. “It’s okay.”
They arrived at the academy, and Joe introduced his “boss” to the students. Midnight had just planned to watch them as they conducted their normal class, but everyone seemed to have questions for her.
“You’re a lieutenant?” one girl asked, respect clear in her voice.
“Yep,” Midnight said, “but believe me, it ain’t all it’s cracked up to be.”
“Do you have to have a four-year degree to be a lieutenant?” the same woman asked. She obviously wanted to become one herself one day.
“You don’t have to, but I do, and I don’t think it hurt.”
“What’s your degree in?” one of the young men asked.
“I have a bachelor’s in psychology and a law degree.”
“Wow!” A lot of the students seemed impressed.
“So why don’t you practice law instead of being a police officer?” another man asked. “I mean, wouldn’t there be more money in being a lawyer?”
Midnight considered the question for a moment. “I love my job, and money’s not a real big thing for me.”
“You’re not rich like the sergeant, are you?” someone in the back asked, starting a low chuckle around the class.
“Nope,” Midnight replied, catching Joe’s eyes. The truth was, being married to Rick did make her what most people would consider well-off, but she wasn’t considering Rick’s family’s money as her own.
Another of the women spoke up. “Do you have to get into fights with gang members?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Even as a lieutenant?” the young lady wanting to become a lieutenant asked, obviously worried about the prospect in her future. Some of the others laughed.
Midnight laughed as well. “Well, it’s not a job requirement. I could just stay in my office and take it easy, but I prefer to get down and dirty with the rest of ’em.”
“Could you show us some of your hand-to-hand stuff?” asked one of the women eagerly.
Midnight started to nod, but Joe said, “No.”
Midnight looked over at him. “Yes, I can.”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Joe said, narrowing his eyes at her.
“Well, I do,” Midnight replied, her eyes returning the challenge.
The class waited in silence, watching their exchange.
Joe looked at his students. “Excuse us for just a minute.” He took Midnight gently by the arm and walked over to the far wall of the outdoor range.
“What’re you doing?” he said, his voice a harsh whisper.
“What?” Midnight replied, purposely obtuse.
“Don’t you think you should take it easy?”
Midnight snorted. “I was flippin’ your wife over my shoulder a week ago, and she was gunnin’ for me. I think I can handle this.”
Joe’s lips tightened at the mention of Randy’s behavior the week before. After a few moments he said, “Fine.”
They walked back over to the class, and Midnight proceeded to demonstrate some hand-to-hand combat moves. It was obvious to Joe that she had no intention of taking it easy—she might have decided to have Rick’s baby, but she wasn’t going to let it break her stride.
That afternoon, on the drive home from the academy, Joe noticed that Midnight was moving her wrist rather stiffly. She caught his eye and saw the sardonic twist to his lips.
“What?” she asked.
“Hurt your wrist, didn’t you?” he said, sounding smug.
Midnight made a face at him. “Okay, yeah, I did—so?” She shrugged. “That last guy weighed more than I thought, no biggy.”
“I guess asking his weight would have been out of the question.”
“Yes, when I’m telling these kids that weight and size don’t matter,” she chided. “And is it me, or are these candidates getting younger and younger every day?”
Joe laughed. “It’s you,” he said, his grin wide. “And me—we’re getting old.”
“Great,” Midnight said, leaning back against the seat.
Jessica was sitting in the back seat, listening to their banter. She couldn’t picture either of them as “old.”
“Yeah,” Joe said, grinning, “you should have heard that one giving me a hard time about my age.” He had jabbed his thumb in Jessica’s direction on the word “that.”
“Ooh,” Midnight said, smiling and glancing over the headrest at Jessica. “Brutal.”
“Yeah,” Jessica said, “but you’re not as… well, I mean, you’re younger than that.” She had pulled herself up short from saying old, but Joe and Midnight knew what she had started to say and they both laughed.
“Oh, yeah, I’m younger than him by, what…” She looked at Joe, as if trying to remember. “At least a year and a half.”
Jessica started coughing like she was choking, her eyes bugging out at Midnight. “No way!”
Before Jessica could reply there was a sharp beeping noise. Joe glanced over at Midnight, and she looked down. She unclipped her cell from her belt and checked the number. She looked up at Joe, all humor gone from her face. She turned the phone so he could see. All texts from FORS included the members’ two-digit police radio call numbers, so that Midnight would know who it was. The number the phone displayed now was two-two—Rick’s.
“Shit,” Joe said, shaking his head. He blew his breath out in a frustrated sigh.
“I told him I’d call him to tell him how you were—I totally forgot.” Midnight was shaking her head too. And Jessica knew it was Midnight’s husband that had texted her. It was obvious that Midnight was reluctant to talk to him, and the grave look on Joe’s face told Jessica everything that she had suspected was true. She sat silently in the back seat, not wanting to intrude or eavesdrop—although it was physically impossible not to—but hoping they wouldn’t feel uncomfortable with her there.
“What should I do?” Midnight asked Joe, watching him closely. They had known they would have to deal with this part of their decision, but they hadn’t expected to this soon.
“If you don’t call, he’s just gonna get more worried, and probably more pissed,” Joe said, reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out his cellular phone. He handed it to her, his face still showing the conflict going on inside him. Rick was his best friend, and now, by all rights, he had slept with Rick’s wife. Joe was starting to feel the discomfort of being the other man, a place he’d never been in before.
Midnight took the phone and dialed. Joe’s phone had a hands-free option, but she figured the less Joe had to hear, the better. Midnight knew the private hell Joe was going through; she knew his loyalty to Rick ran very deep, and that right now Joe was feeling like he had betrayed his best friend. And no matter what the circumstances were, he had—they had.
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