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asphaltcowgrrlTitle: One Ride in Vegas Chapter 5
Fandom: Romani Detective Original Fiction
Pairing: Andrej Zeklos+Hilary Maxwell+Trish Rollins
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1,321
Summary: The girls find out Zayne’s crossed departmental lines and is working with narcotics. They’re not very happy.
Author’s Note: Written for the September bingo challenge at 1_million_words. Not much else to say except maybe I’m not as done with this as I thought I was?
Continued from here.
The three files he’d pulled sat spread across the top of his desk, mocking him. It hadn’t even been half a day since he’d last seen Zayne – and Jay, for that matter – and yet, it felt like a month. Maybe it was because Andrej was actually getting things accomplished, or maybe it was because he was beginning to feel lonely. At this point, it was hard to tell.
“Where’s Reyes,” Hilary Maxwell asked, seating herself in Zayne’s empty chair.
Looking up from his current case file, Andrej frowned. “He is at the rodeo, Hilary.”
“At the rodeo,” Trish Rollins echoed from behind him. “Why the hell is he at the rodeo and not working?”
Swiveling his chair around so that he faced Rollins, Andrej sighed. “He is helping Jay on a case. They needed someone who could…” And there went his English, failing him when he needed it most. He should have stayed in Paris, French wasn’t nearly as complicated as English. Zeklos held his hands out, palms up. “I don’t know how to say it. Jay needed a cowboy.”
“Ah,” Trish said, grinning. She grabbed a vacant chair from a neighboring desk and rolled herself up to where Andrej’s and Zayne’s desks met. “He needed an authentic redneck for the job. Got it.”
There was that word again. Redneck. He was going to have to get someone to explain that to him before long. “I’m happy that you do,” Andrej muttered.
“How long is he going to be MIA, Zek? Did the narco say how long he needed Reyes’ body?”
Although Hilary smiled when she’d said it, he was pretty certain she wasn’t happy about Zayne crossing departmental lines like this. Robbery borrowed from missing persons. Homicide borrowed from narcotics. Vice borrowed from everyone. But there was still some unwritten rule that said you never went willingly. Because Zayne had gone of his own volition – even though James had guilted him into it in a way – he was suddenly suspect in the eyes of the other homicide detectives, even his ex-girlfriend.
“Until they either catch their dealer or the rodeo ends, whichever comes first,” he said, trying to keep the bitterness from overwhelming him.
“So,” Trish said, doing some quick mental calculations. “Ten days at the most. Can you live without him that long?”
“I don’t know,” Zeklos said, referring mentally to both ‘hims’ in the picture, although Rollins likely meant only Zayne. “I do not have much choice in the matter, however.”
“You’ve got us, Andy,” the redhead teased. “Give me a holler if you get lonely after hours. Hil, on the other hand,” she said, grinning at her partner, “has found herself a boyfriend so she won’t be available.”
That was new information, Zeklos realized. If Zayne had known, surely he would have said something. Several somethings if he knew Reyes. “You have a boyfriend, Hilary?”
“Yeah,” she said, a faint blush tinting her cheeks. “It’s still pretty hush-hush, so don’t tell Reyes or everyone on the planet will know.”
“Promise,” he said. “Is he one of us or…?”
“He’s not one of us,” she said hurriedly. “I’m done dating cops, Zek. It leads nowhere.”
Andrej had nothing to say to that, considering he was dating two cops currently. Concurrently even. “I can understand that. I hope you are happy.”
The embarrassed smile on Maxwell’s face blossomed into something beautiful then. “I am, thank you.”
“And you,” he asked, turning his gaze on Trish.
Shrugging, she gave him an evil grin. “I’m good, Andy. You know me, I don’t want much.”
She was baiting him, he realized. “You never answered my question,” he replied.
“Which question was that?” Hilary looked between the two grinning detectives. “And why do I feel like I’m missing something here?”
“Because you are,” Trish laughed. Turning back to Andrej, she smirked. “You know how everyone has that one crazy uncle that you talk about at the family reunions? Yeah. That’d be him.”
When Trish had originally asked if he’d be willing to father a child for her, he hadn’t known what to say. On one hand, it’d be the only chance he’d ever get to have a child of his own. On the other, he already had Zayne, who was enough of a juvenile even now. Out of desperation, he’d reminded her that ‘Uncle Zayne’ would always be present and that if she couldn’t handle that, their deal couldn’t move forward.
Maxwell rolled Zayne’s chair backwards and rested her feet on top of his vacated desk. “So, spill. What am I not being told?”
“I asked Andy for a baby,” Trish deadpanned.
“What?” Maxwell shot to her feet, one hand to her mouth. “You said you were – were going to find a donor,” she said, whispering the last word. “You never said you were going to recruit from the office pool. Oh my god, Trish. Zeklos, tell me you said you’d do this.”
Trish stepped in before he could embarrass himself by denying it. “He hasn’t given me an answer yet,” she said, giving him a compassionate look. “It’d be a difficult question for any man. For this one,” she joked, pointing in his direction, “it’s like an unsolvable equation.”
“I am not that bad,” Zeklos defended. “I’ve told you about my resignations.”
Barking out a laugh, Hilary moved behind Zeklos and gave him a warm hug. “Reservations honey,” she corrected. “But resignation fits too, if you’re feeling like you want to quit this whole damn thing.”
Ignoring Maxwell, Trish nodded. “You did tell me your reasons and I said I respected them. But you can’t blame a girl for wanting her baby’s father to be smart, kind, handsome and a little nutty, can you?”
Feeling outnumbered, Zeklos gave in. “Can we discuss this again once Zayne is home and safe? I – I still need to ask him and Jay their opinion on this matter.”
“Of course,” Trish said, rising from her pilfered chair. “Just take a picture of his face when you tell him he’s gonna be a daddy.”
“Been there,” Hilary laughed. “And it wasn’t pretty.”
“No, it was not,” Andrej agreed, remembering the incident all too well. Frowning, he said, “I’m not sure he’s recovered from that shock yet either.”
“The cowboy will be fine,” Trish reassured him. “He bounces back like nobody’s business. It’s the narco I’m worried about.”
“Trish is right,” Hilary said, patting Zeklos’ back. “The only upside to Zayne being such a man-child is the fact that nothing gets him down for long. Rosewood, on the other hand, is more adult and will look at this situation and see all that comes with it. He’ll be the hard one to convince. Where Reyes sees babies and toys and cuteness, the narco will see diapers and crying and frazzled papa.”
“Maxwell, shut your mouth,” Rollins snapped. “I think you’re scaring Andy!”
He shook his head and smiled at the girls. “I am the eldest in my family, I have plenty of experience with babies. But it is still a decision I need to include both Zayne in Jay in.”
“Understandable,” Trish said, coming over to give his head a kiss. “But back to this rodeo thing. I know where the cowboys hang out after the day’s events are done. Anyone want to grab a drink after work tonight? Catch the cowboy in action?”
“Hey now,” Hilary said, tapping a finger against her chin. “That sounds like an excellent way to spend our night, don’t you think? I mean, I’ve got a boyfriend, but that doesn’t mean the two of you can’t find a cowboy – or girl – of your own to take home.”
“I already have a cowboy of my own,” Andrej protested. A cowboy and a redhead, not to mention a whole passel of headaches. “I am unsure of whether I need another.”
“Oh Andy honey,” Hilary sighed dramatically. “You can never have enough cowboys.”
Continues here.
Fandom: Romani Detective Original Fiction
Pairing: Andrej Zeklos+Hilary Maxwell+Trish Rollins
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1,321
Summary: The girls find out Zayne’s crossed departmental lines and is working with narcotics. They’re not very happy.
Author’s Note: Written for the September bingo challenge at 1_million_words. Not much else to say except maybe I’m not as done with this as I thought I was?
Continued from here.
The three files he’d pulled sat spread across the top of his desk, mocking him. It hadn’t even been half a day since he’d last seen Zayne – and Jay, for that matter – and yet, it felt like a month. Maybe it was because Andrej was actually getting things accomplished, or maybe it was because he was beginning to feel lonely. At this point, it was hard to tell.
“Where’s Reyes,” Hilary Maxwell asked, seating herself in Zayne’s empty chair.
Looking up from his current case file, Andrej frowned. “He is at the rodeo, Hilary.”
“At the rodeo,” Trish Rollins echoed from behind him. “Why the hell is he at the rodeo and not working?”
Swiveling his chair around so that he faced Rollins, Andrej sighed. “He is helping Jay on a case. They needed someone who could…” And there went his English, failing him when he needed it most. He should have stayed in Paris, French wasn’t nearly as complicated as English. Zeklos held his hands out, palms up. “I don’t know how to say it. Jay needed a cowboy.”
“Ah,” Trish said, grinning. She grabbed a vacant chair from a neighboring desk and rolled herself up to where Andrej’s and Zayne’s desks met. “He needed an authentic redneck for the job. Got it.”
There was that word again. Redneck. He was going to have to get someone to explain that to him before long. “I’m happy that you do,” Andrej muttered.
“How long is he going to be MIA, Zek? Did the narco say how long he needed Reyes’ body?”
Although Hilary smiled when she’d said it, he was pretty certain she wasn’t happy about Zayne crossing departmental lines like this. Robbery borrowed from missing persons. Homicide borrowed from narcotics. Vice borrowed from everyone. But there was still some unwritten rule that said you never went willingly. Because Zayne had gone of his own volition – even though James had guilted him into it in a way – he was suddenly suspect in the eyes of the other homicide detectives, even his ex-girlfriend.
“Until they either catch their dealer or the rodeo ends, whichever comes first,” he said, trying to keep the bitterness from overwhelming him.
“So,” Trish said, doing some quick mental calculations. “Ten days at the most. Can you live without him that long?”
“I don’t know,” Zeklos said, referring mentally to both ‘hims’ in the picture, although Rollins likely meant only Zayne. “I do not have much choice in the matter, however.”
“You’ve got us, Andy,” the redhead teased. “Give me a holler if you get lonely after hours. Hil, on the other hand,” she said, grinning at her partner, “has found herself a boyfriend so she won’t be available.”
That was new information, Zeklos realized. If Zayne had known, surely he would have said something. Several somethings if he knew Reyes. “You have a boyfriend, Hilary?”
“Yeah,” she said, a faint blush tinting her cheeks. “It’s still pretty hush-hush, so don’t tell Reyes or everyone on the planet will know.”
“Promise,” he said. “Is he one of us or…?”
“He’s not one of us,” she said hurriedly. “I’m done dating cops, Zek. It leads nowhere.”
Andrej had nothing to say to that, considering he was dating two cops currently. Concurrently even. “I can understand that. I hope you are happy.”
The embarrassed smile on Maxwell’s face blossomed into something beautiful then. “I am, thank you.”
“And you,” he asked, turning his gaze on Trish.
Shrugging, she gave him an evil grin. “I’m good, Andy. You know me, I don’t want much.”
She was baiting him, he realized. “You never answered my question,” he replied.
“Which question was that?” Hilary looked between the two grinning detectives. “And why do I feel like I’m missing something here?”
“Because you are,” Trish laughed. Turning back to Andrej, she smirked. “You know how everyone has that one crazy uncle that you talk about at the family reunions? Yeah. That’d be him.”
When Trish had originally asked if he’d be willing to father a child for her, he hadn’t known what to say. On one hand, it’d be the only chance he’d ever get to have a child of his own. On the other, he already had Zayne, who was enough of a juvenile even now. Out of desperation, he’d reminded her that ‘Uncle Zayne’ would always be present and that if she couldn’t handle that, their deal couldn’t move forward.
Maxwell rolled Zayne’s chair backwards and rested her feet on top of his vacated desk. “So, spill. What am I not being told?”
“I asked Andy for a baby,” Trish deadpanned.
“What?” Maxwell shot to her feet, one hand to her mouth. “You said you were – were going to find a donor,” she said, whispering the last word. “You never said you were going to recruit from the office pool. Oh my god, Trish. Zeklos, tell me you said you’d do this.”
Trish stepped in before he could embarrass himself by denying it. “He hasn’t given me an answer yet,” she said, giving him a compassionate look. “It’d be a difficult question for any man. For this one,” she joked, pointing in his direction, “it’s like an unsolvable equation.”
“I am not that bad,” Zeklos defended. “I’ve told you about my resignations.”
Barking out a laugh, Hilary moved behind Zeklos and gave him a warm hug. “Reservations honey,” she corrected. “But resignation fits too, if you’re feeling like you want to quit this whole damn thing.”
Ignoring Maxwell, Trish nodded. “You did tell me your reasons and I said I respected them. But you can’t blame a girl for wanting her baby’s father to be smart, kind, handsome and a little nutty, can you?”
Feeling outnumbered, Zeklos gave in. “Can we discuss this again once Zayne is home and safe? I – I still need to ask him and Jay their opinion on this matter.”
“Of course,” Trish said, rising from her pilfered chair. “Just take a picture of his face when you tell him he’s gonna be a daddy.”
“Been there,” Hilary laughed. “And it wasn’t pretty.”
“No, it was not,” Andrej agreed, remembering the incident all too well. Frowning, he said, “I’m not sure he’s recovered from that shock yet either.”
“The cowboy will be fine,” Trish reassured him. “He bounces back like nobody’s business. It’s the narco I’m worried about.”
“Trish is right,” Hilary said, patting Zeklos’ back. “The only upside to Zayne being such a man-child is the fact that nothing gets him down for long. Rosewood, on the other hand, is more adult and will look at this situation and see all that comes with it. He’ll be the hard one to convince. Where Reyes sees babies and toys and cuteness, the narco will see diapers and crying and frazzled papa.”
“Maxwell, shut your mouth,” Rollins snapped. “I think you’re scaring Andy!”
He shook his head and smiled at the girls. “I am the eldest in my family, I have plenty of experience with babies. But it is still a decision I need to include both Zayne in Jay in.”
“Understandable,” Trish said, coming over to give his head a kiss. “But back to this rodeo thing. I know where the cowboys hang out after the day’s events are done. Anyone want to grab a drink after work tonight? Catch the cowboy in action?”
“Hey now,” Hilary said, tapping a finger against her chin. “That sounds like an excellent way to spend our night, don’t you think? I mean, I’ve got a boyfriend, but that doesn’t mean the two of you can’t find a cowboy – or girl – of your own to take home.”
“I already have a cowboy of my own,” Andrej protested. A cowboy and a redhead, not to mention a whole passel of headaches. “I am unsure of whether I need another.”
“Oh Andy honey,” Hilary sighed dramatically. “You can never have enough cowboys.”
Continues here.
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Date: 2016-10-17 10:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-10-18 01:16 am (UTC)