by Emma Easter
She kept her head down as she made her way out of the hall. Lord, please help me get away.
“Hi, again.”
She shut her eyes, blinking back tears of frustration. Lord, why? She stifled the urge to groan and turned to face him. “Hi,” she said.
His eyes sparkled as he gazed into hers.
“You’re probably wondering why I didn’t pair you up with anyone.”
She couldn’t answer, mesmerized by his gaze.
“I didn’t because we will be partners, you and I.”
Her eyes fluttered and her insides tied up in knots. She immediately knew she was in trouble.
Lord, please help me.
As she left the class, she prayed for God’s help over and over again.
*****
Audrey stepped out of the mayor’s office, furious. He wasn’t in town again. She’d come to the Town Hall, prepared to state her case and get the job she’d worked so hard for. But she had met his absence. Most infuriating of all, he’d left a message for her through his secretary telling her that the new police chief he’d appointed was coming all the way from Florida in a week.
She entered her car and shut the door angrily. Imagine bypassing a dedicated officer here and bringing someone all the way from Florida to be the police chief of Rosefield. Shouldn’t a police chief be from the town he was meant to serve, or at least from the same State? It was so annoying.
She drove home, feeling down. As soon as she got home, she called Trisha to tell her about the news from the mayor’s office and how disappointed she was. Talking to Trisha might help her release some of the anger she felt at the injustice done to her.
Trisha’s phone rang and rang, but she didn’t pick up. Audrey sighed in frustration. Trisha hardly ever answered her calls these days. She was always busy with her husband when he was in town or occupied with running her bookstore when he wasn’t.
Audrey ran her fingers through her short dark hair. She needed someone who would listen while she ranted.
She called Sienna’s number, but the call didn’t go through at all. She hadn’t really expected Sienna to answer. After she’d left for her Bible College, like Trisha, she hardly ever answered her calls.
Audrey sat down on her living room couch and stared at the wall. An intense feeling of loneliness washed over her. She was usually self-sufficient and didn’t mind being alone, but these days, she had noticed that she constantly had this feeling of loneliness. For someone like her, that was a very unpleasant feeling.
She thought about calling someone else, like a friend, but changed her mind. Almost everyone she knew was busy with a significant other, and by this time of the evening, most of them would not want to be disturbed.
She turned on the TV, wanting to distract herself from her anger and loneliness. It was days like these that she wished she had someone to share her life with—a husband. Not like Trish’s Stan, though. Just someone loving and kind and funny who she could talk to when she got home.
At about ten o’clock that night, she got into bed, still feeling lonely. She covered herself with her duvet, cuddled her pillow and tried to shake the loneliness, but it didn’t budge.
Maybe I’ll go and spend the weekend at Trish’s house, she thought. Tomorrow was Friday, so it was a perfect time to go to Trish’s instead of staying home alone, moping. Hopefully, the weekend ‘staycation’ with her sister would take away little or all of the loneliness and sudden neediness.
*****
After work the next day, she went home, packed a few of her clothes, and drove to Trish’s bookstore. Trisha usually stayed at the bookstore late on Fridays and then spent the entire weekend at home with her husband when he wasn’t away on business. Audrey hoped that he was away this time so she could have Trish to herself for the whole weekend. Plus, she didn’t want to have to deal with Stan. They didn’t get along too well, and neither of them liked the other very much.
She got to the bookstore and parked in front of the single-story building. Because of her love for books, which she had gotten from their late father, Trisha had decided to open a bookstore after she graduated from college. With the money she had saved from various jobs in school, she had started the store. At first, it had only been a few books, but now it was huge and the go-to store in Rosefield whenever someone wanted a good read—fiction or non-fiction.
Audrey slid open the glass door and entered. She looked around at the store filled with all kinds of books, from cookbooks to bestselling novels. Without thinking, she picked up a bridal magazine and flipped it open.
“Well, look who came to see me.”
Audrey quickly put the magazine back on the shelf and turned. She smiled at Trisha. “Well, I decided to come because you didn’t answer when I called you. Why is that, sis?”
“I didn’t know you called.” Trish shook her head. “I must have left my phone in my purse. I’m sorry.”
“It’s not just today.” Audrey snorted. “You never pick up any of my calls these days. Anyway, I’m coming to spend the weekend with you. I hope Stan isn’t home this time.”
“He is home. Both of you have to learn to get along.” Trish looked down at Audrey’s duffel bag and squealed and clapped. “But it will be great having you at home for a girls’ weekend. I just wish Sienna was also here.”
“Won’t I encroach on your lovey-dovey time with Stan?” Audrey grinned and said in a teasing voice.
“I wish it was like that,” Trish sighed. “Stan has been a little distant these days. And his business trips have increased. I’m a little worried.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s having an affair,” Audrey said. “That’s probably why the business trips have increased and why he’s now distant.”
“Audrey! Oh, my goodness, how can you even say that?”
“You know what, I won’t say anything anymore.” Audrey shrugged. “I just want us to enjoy the weekend together without Stan’s interference.”
Trish sighed again, then smiled.
“Anyway, so have you found any ‘special someone’?”
“Did I ever tell you I was looking for someone special?” Audrey blinked.
“Audrey, you don’t have to keep pretending like you don’t need anyone. Everybody needs someone, no matter how strong and independent they are.” She smiled again, and her eyes searched Audrey’s. “I know you get lonely being in that house all by yourself, every single day. I think it’s high time you found someone.”
“I don’t need anyone, Trisha. I’m good on my own.”
Trisha continued to speak as though she’d not heard Audrey. “I could ask one of my friends if they know someone suitable for a bull-headed but beautiful policewoman. There are tons of guys that would want to date someone like you.” She grinned. “I just don’t know if they can handle you.”
“Very funny! And don’t you dare try to set me up with anyone!”
“Then find someone soon. Before the end of this year, if you haven’t found someone yet, I promise you, I won’t rest until I find someone for you.”
Audrey narrowed her eyes, and then she exhaled. This was so typical of Trisha. She was preoccupied with romantic relationships and marriage and was the consummate matchmaker. If I hadn’t warned her to stop setting me up someone years ago, I’d probably be going on dates every single weekend.
Or maybe you would have found someone by now, a voice whispered in her heart.
She pushed it aside. She had always been fiercely independent, and she needed no one. This feeling of loneliness was probably just a phase. But she hoped by God’s grace, this weekend with Trisha would fix her.
She changed the subject and asked about Trisha’s book sales. Soon, their conversation moved to Audrey’s job, and she told Trisha about her visit to the mayor’s. From time to time, customers came into the shop to purchase books, and Trisha got up to attend to them. After that, she came back and sat beside Audrey, and they continued chatting.
At about nine o’clock,
Trisha closed up the bookstore and got into her car. Audrey got into her own vehicle and followed Trisha to her house. Stan was in the living room when they arrived, watching a football game on TV.
“Great, he’s here!” Audrey groaned loudly.
“I heard that,” Stan said as he scowled at her.
“You were meant to.” She glowered at him. He was a slightly built man with a craftily groomed handsomeness which she thought was artificial and didn’t care for. It had, however, gotten Trisha to go out with him when they were fifteen. Now she was married to him. Trisha looked between both of them.
“Please, don’t start again, both of you. I want peace in this house this weekend.”
“Then you shouldn’t have brought your troublesome sister here,” Stan said, and stood. “I’m going to my study.”
He left, and Audrey sneered. “That guy has serious issues.”
“Okay, Audrey. That’s enough.” Trisha shook a finger in her face. “Now that Stan has gone to his study, let’s binge-watch our favorite show. I have a full new season recorded.”
“You have a new season of Project Runway? Great!” Audrey rubbed her hands together.
“Isn’t it strange how you’re the one who likes fashion shows and yet isn’t into fashion, while Sienna, who is, doesn’t watch them and watches mostly crime dramas and cop shows?” Trisha laughed and shook her head. “You don’t even like any cop shows.”
“Maybe ‘cause I’m a real cop, and I can’t bear to watch those shows without criticizing every single thing I see.” Audrey shrugged. “And those shows are pretty boring to me. Even though I don’t particularly care about fashion, I love to see the end results of those creatively made clothes as the models walk down the runway.”
“Same here.” Trisha nodded and clapped. “So, it’s decided. Throughout the weekend, we binge-watch Project Runway, and get mani-pedis.”
It was Audrey’s turn to laugh.
“My girliness ends with watching fashion shows on TV. I’m not getting a mani-pedi, Trish. That’s where I draw the line.”
They curled up on the couch—or rather Trisha curled up—and binge-watched ten episodes of the show. Audrey felt herself being lulled to sleep, and soon she gave in. She woke up at night to find Trisha curled up beside her. She smiled and fell asleep again.
*****
Throughout the weekend, she and Stan stayed away from each other. She chatted with Trisha, stuffed herself with fast food as Trisha hardly ever cooked, and watched the remaining episodes of the TV show. On Sunday evening, after saying goodbye to Trisha, she carried her bag to the car and then sighed with contentment.
It had been a good weekend. She had been able to put her annoyance at the mayor’s appointment of a new police chief behind her and also stave off her loneliness. Hopefully, she would remain in this positive mood for a while.
When she got home, she dropped her bag on the floor, flopped down on the sofa and exhaled. She felt renewed and ready for work and for the brand-new week.
But as she went to bed that night with the deafening silence around her, the lonely feeling returned, worse than ever. Along with the loneliness came a renewed anger about her job.
*****
Ken Baylor raised his brows as he looked around the room. A little over two dozen Rosefield police officers sat looking up at him. He’d asked them all in here for a meeting to introduce himself, get to know each of them better, and discuss ways to move the force forward.
He blinked in surprise as he realized that these were all the police officers in the town. There were about thirty police officers. So few, he thought. Compared to his Miami police department, this place was almost empty. However, the town they protected was also tiny and nearly crime-free. When he was told of the opportunity to be the police chief of a small town of only three thousand people, he had initially refused. He loved his job at the Miami police department.
After attending the police academy sixteen years ago, he’d immediately joined the Miami police force and had risen in the ranks until he became deputy police chief. He didn’t want to leave. Many people told him it was an excellent opportunity since he was going to be the police chief, even though it was just for a small town, but he’d been unmoved. What had swayed him, at last, was visiting Rosefield about a month ago. It was a beautiful, serene, and virtually crime-free town. Unlike the MPD, the only serious crime he’d heard the police had to solve here was a bank robbery that happened more than ten years ago.
He enjoyed solving crimes, but he valued peace more. And Rosefield was the embodiment of serenity. It was the kind of place he imagined living whenever he thought of starting a family, which he hoped would be soon. Not that he had anyone to start it with, but he could dream. At thirty-four, it was constantly on his mind.
He glanced around the room once more and frowned. The assistant police chief—a strict-looking, abrasive woman, wasn’t here. He had met her for all of two minutes when he’d arrived here two days ago. Apart from letting him know he wasn’t welcome, she had ignored him. She wasn’t present now, even though he had posted the details of this meeting on the general board as soon he’d set foot in the police station.
He already had plans to renovate the station and improve the way the officers carried out their duties. They might not have a lot of crimes to solve, but they were kept busy with other community duties almost as taxing. He needed all the officers on board to do this together, but his assistant chief of police wasn’t here. That wasn’t a good start.
He began to address them, telling them what his plans were. Someone asked if he planned to continue supporting the Youth Workshop that their ex-chief had started. He had already been briefed about it by the mayor. Apparently, its upkeep was one of the most essential duties of the police here. But he didn’t get it.
“How come such a huge amount of police-allocated funds and manpower is being given to a youths’ workshop?” he asked. He certainly had nothing against youth workshops, but from what the mayor had told him, it seemed it was a central duty of the whole police force here. As much as a youth workshop sounded great, he didn’t think it was the police’s main priority to oversee it.
“We know how lucky our town is to be almost crime-free,” the officer answered. “We want it to stay that way, Chief. If the youths can be taught to use their time and talents wisely and for a fruitful cause, Rosefield will remain crime-free for years to come.”
The officers in the room chorused their agreement.
One of them snorted. “We certainly don’t want it to become like one of those big cities where criminals are bred daily.” He looked knowingly at Ken, and everyone laughed. Ken chuckled.
“Okay, okay, you’ve had your laugh at my expense; now let’s get on with the meeting.”
The assistant police chief walked in with her eyebrows knit, and he inwardly cringed. She had this exact expression on her face the first day he saw her. Was she always this angry or was it just her default look? He watched as she sat in the back, and though he wanted to query her for her lateness, he decided against it. He would speak with her after the meeting. Maybe he could find out more about her then. Since they would be working closely together, they might as well get acquainted as soon as possible.
He started to talk about his plans to improve the entire department by upgrading certain important facilities that were now old—like the police cars, communication gear and the police station building. After that, he told them about his decision to send each of them to additional police training and conferences outside Rosefield every year. When he finished, he asked if they had questions or contributions. He listened to their ideas and took note of everything that sounded good. He answered all their questions as best as he could and asked a few himself.
At last, he rounded up the meeting, and they dispersed, but before they all left, he asked the assistant chief to stay. He walked up to her and asked to speak to her privately. She had not said a word while the meeting was going on.
&nb
sp; She raised her brows and glared at him as though he had just asked her to do a hundred pushups. He turned around and began to walk to his office, hoping she would follow. She sighed loudly, then followed him to his office.
He sat down and motioned for her to take the seat across from his. She sat reluctantly.
“Assistant Chief Gardner,” he said, “I called you in here just so we can get acquainted and also learn how we can work together to better serve the people of Rosefield. As my assistant, we will . . .”
“Let me stop you right there,” she hissed. “I’m not your assistant. I am the assistant chief of police, and that will not be for long either. I have been a part of the Rosefield police force for over thirteen years and the only female officer for ten. This position you just took because you happen to be a man from the city. This was supposed to be mine after Chief Richardson retired!”
He raised his brows, completely taken aback. He wasn’t expecting the tirade. She continued to glare at him while he stared at her for a full minute. At last, he took a deep breath.
“I just want to say I understand where you’re coming from. I’d be ticked too if someone else took the position I had been working so hard to get for years. However, I can assure you that I was not appointed as chief of police because I am a man or from the city. I was given the position because I was qualified for the role.”
He wanted to say more; to tell her about his years of service, his experience with the police force, but he quickly changed his mind. He added, “It’s been done, and there’s nothing either of us can do about it, so we might as well try to work together for the sake of Rosefield.” He studied her face. It was a pretty one, if she lost the constant frown. “Can we do that?”
She frowned and folded her hands.
“I’m sorry, but I just can’t.” She shook her head. “I’m going to fight for what’s mine. And contrary to what you just said, you were chosen because of your sex and where you come from.”
His insides twisted up as she rose and left his office. He placed a hand on his forehead and sighed wearily. Lord, why do I have to deal with this now?