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asphaltcowgrrlTitle: In a Week or Two Chapter 3
Fandom: Romani Detective Original Fiction
Pairing: Gen
Word Count: 3,130
Summary: James looses his mind, Zayne does some recon, and Andrej steps outside his comfort zone.
Author’s Note: Slowly moving towards the point of this story. I’ve been impressed with Zayne so far, but I have a feeling a breakdown is coming his way soon.
Jake leaned over James’ shoulder and studied what was on his monitor. Carter Jacobsen, architect, and overall productive member of society from the looks of it. Since Mr. Jacobsen didn’t seem to have any kind of criminal record, Jake had to wonder why James was so damn interested in him.
“What are you doing,” he asked, right by James’ ear.
Startled, James jumped. “God damn you, Hansen,” he spat. “What the hell is your problem?”
“Only curious about what Carter Jacobsen has done to deserve such scrutiny from you?” He leaned back from James and pointed at the screen.
James closed the window he’d been looking at and scowled. “Some research, not that it’s any of your business.”
“Okay,” Jake said, shrugging. “Sorry I asked.” Finding out what James was doing could wait. He already had an idea of what all this was about, but he wasn’t going to tell his partner he’d run into Reyes in the hallway earlier. That was a can of worms better left unopened. Besides, having proof that Rosewood was stalking Zeklos’ new beau would be helpful before accusing his partner of being a creep.
“No, I’m sorry I snapped at you,” James muttered. “I’ve been a bit on edge lately.”
“Still pissed I called you during lunch yesterday,” Jake asked, sitting at his desk. He pulled out his notepad and got ready to transcribe their movements from the day before.
“What?” James shook his head. “No, of course not. I mean, I was pissed, but not at you. Have you ever thought about handing over your badge and walking away from this job?”
“Only like three or four times a week,” Jake said honestly. “What’s on our agenda today? Are we working the streets?”
“Like the hoe you are, Hansen,” James laughed.
Jake stood up and struck a pose. “You only wish your boyfriend was a freak like me,” he teased.
“God, can I get a new partner,” James asked the mostly empty room.
“Nah, you’re stuck with me, red,” Jake said. “I’ll even drive, Rosewood. Let’s go.”
Andrej shoved the file aside with a sigh. “Will people ever stop killing one another?”
“Not anytime soon,” Zayne said. He studied his partner for a moment, taking in the dark circles under his eyes. “I think you need a vacation, Zek.”
He shook his head. “There is no point,” he said. “I have nowhere to go, no one to go with even if I had a destination. You can take my vacation and I will work for us both. It is easier.”
Zayne watched Zeklos open another file and skim through the basics. His partner needed to get out of this funk he was in before he got stuck in it. A night out with no strings attached would be good for him. Dinner, some light conversation, possibly some raunchy sex. “Have you called that architect yet?”
“No Zayne, not yet,” Zeklos said without looking up. “I was going to call him either tonight or tomorrow.”
“Make it tonight,” Zayne said, surprising himself. “A night out would do you good, even if it doesn’t lead to anything more than the one date.”
“Maybe,” Andrej said. He placed his hands flat on the desktop, staring at them intently. “I will call him, Zayne, however I want you to know that I am not looking for a replacement for Jay.”
“No one expects you to grab the first guy you see and jump in bed with him, Zek,” he said. “But no one expects you to sit at home every night and beat yourself up about what you might have done wrong either. Because as far as I’m concerned? The only thing you did wrong was let that dick break your heart.”
Shit, where had that come from? He hadn’t intended to jump on the narco so hard.
“I suppose,” Zeklos said, making a face. “Are you hungry? I could go get lunch?”
He was trying to change the subject, Zayne realized. “Yeah, you know me, I’m always hungry. How about we switch things up and let me go get the food today? You can work a bit without me distracting you and I can get a little exercise.”
“I thought you got your exercise other ways,” Zeklos said with a grin.
“You know it, baby,” Zayne laughed. “But a little walk won’t kill me either. You want Greek again? That gyro I had the other day hit the spot.”
Zeklos opened his mouth to say something, then shut it quickly. A smile crept onto Zayne’s face. He found his partner’s reaction curious to say the least. Was he thinking about the mysterious architect again? Yeah, it was definitely time he found a reason to move on from that jackass narco.
“That is fine,” Zeklos said after a moment.
“Greek salad or one of those weird ass non-meat patty things?”
Zeklos chuckled. “Falafel, Zayne,” he said. “But no, the vegetarian pita is fine.”
“Okay,” Zayne said, shrugging. “If that’s what you want, then that’s what I’ll get. Call it in for me and I’ll head on over.”
As Zeklos picked up the phone, Zayne headed out of the bullpen towards the stairs. He could have waited a bit before leaving, but he hoped to catch sight of this new guy. On a whim, he’d looked up the firm this Carter worked for, hoping for a picture of the dude. Turns out, the firm was named for the guy, so Zayne hit the jackpot as far as photos went. There were more than enough pictures for him to get a good idea of what he looked like. Zayne had to admit, he was impressed. Good looking, but not in a douchey, frat boy way either. Hilary would have gone nuts, to be honest.
Stepping up to pay for their lunch, Zayne caught sight of his target. Dude was even more handsome in person, he thought. Not what he’d expected Zeklos’ type to be honestly. But after the narco, Zayne wasn’t all that certain what Zek’s type even was. He stuffed the receipt into his pocket and walked over to where everyone else was waiting for their orders. Choosing a spot a couple feet away from the architect, he leaned against the wall and watched him. He was looking at something on his phone and smiling. It made Zayne wonder if Zeklos had texted him, but that wasn’t likely. If anything, Zeklos would have definitely called, he was old fashioned in that way. Which honestly, Zayne found endearing.
“Order for Zayne,” the girl behind the counter said.
Disappointed that he didn’t get more time to observe, Zayne pushed off the wall and headed towards the pickup counter. “Thanks,” he said, giving the girl one of his thousand-watt smiles.
“Holy crap,” she laughed. “You actually came for your own food today. Did your partner quit?”
“Ha, ha, funny girl,” Zayne teased. “I thought I’d give him a damn break for a change. And besides, y’all would mangle his damn name if you saw it in print, so he always uses mine.”
“Have a good afternoon, detective,” she said as he walked away with his food.
“So, you’re the infamous partner with the name that can’t be mistaken for something else,” a voice said.
Zayne stopped and looked into the curious blue eyes of Carter Jacobsen. “And how do you know this,” he asked, certain he already knew.
Carter shrugged. “I met your partner here the other day and he mentioned that as the reason for using your name to place orders.”
“That and the fact no one can spell or say his right,” Zayne added.
“I hate to ask,” Carter said, straightening up and stuffing his phone into his pocket. “But although I gave him my card, I didn’t get a chance to ask him his name. And, well, since he hasn’t called yet…” He shrugged.
Zayne pondered whether Zeklos would be pissed at him for giving out that kind of information. But, if Zek was going to call this architect, maybe it wouldn’t be too bad. After all, it was only his first name, right?
“It’s Andrej,” Zayne said, making sure to enunciate the ‘zh’ sound that the ‘j’ would make in Romanian. Although Zeklos never complained when someone mispronounced his name, but he knew it annoyed the hell out of him, too.
“That’s different,” Carter said, not unkindly. “Thanks.”
“No problem,” Zayne said, wanting to say more, but not sure how to prolong the conversation.
“Order for Carter,” the girl called from behind the pickup counter.
“That’d be me, detective,” he said. “Nice meeting you. Tell Andrej I’m waiting on his call.” He held out his hand.
Zayne took the outstretched hand and shook it. “I will,” he said. “But when he does call, try not to forget that we’re homicide detectives.”
“Is that a threat?”
Carter didn’t appear to be offended, so Zayne rolled with it. “Only if it ever needs to be,” he replied with a wink. “Enjoy your lunch.”
On his way back to the station, Zayne decided to keep that little interaction to himself. If the architect decided to tell Zeklos about it, then he’d own up to it and say he didn’t want Zek to feel awkward. But if the dude kept it to himself, well, Zayne wasn’t going to offer it up either. He hated to admit it, but he kinda liked the guy. Granted, it was much too early to tell, but for now, he was going to say Zek might be looking at his next love interest.
The next few days were going to be interesting, he thought. Carter seemed like an above the board kind of guy, so why did he feel so ambivalent about Zeklos calling him? He made a mental note to call Maxwell later and ask her what the hell was going on because he sure as heck couldn’t figure it out. But now, he needed to get back to the bullpen and try not to act like a schoolgirl in front of his partner.
Andrej stared at the business card he held in his hand. Zayne had reminded him – again – before he’d left to make this call. He really had nothing to lose, but something was still holding him back. Zayne would tell him that he’s nervous and, while that might be part of it, he wasn’t sure if it was the whole reason he was hesitating. Part of him felt like he was betraying James, although that was ridiculous, all things considered.
“It is now or never,” he muttered, reaching for his phone. He dialed Carter’s number and held his breath as he waited. His nerves were so tightly strung that he felt like a kid again, and that annoyed him.
“Hello?”
Startled by the sound of Carter’s voice, Andrej nearly dropped his phone. “Hello, Mr. Jacobsen? My name is Andrej Zeklos and we me the other day during lunch.”
“Detective,” Carter said, sounding pleased to hear his voice. “I was beginning to worry that I wasn’t going to hear from you.”
A sigh escaped Andrej. “I would have called sooner but I did not want to appear desperate,” he said, hating that he’d said the words, but knowing that they were the truth. “I work with two very wonderful ladies who are always complaining about things like that. I did not want to appear too – needy? Is that the right word?”
Carter snorted. “In context, yes, although I don’t think I would have used it to describe you, honestly. You seemed very self-sufficient.”
“Thank you,” Andrej said uncertainly. “I am not very good at this,” he admitted, surprising himself. “I am not sure what to say next.”
“Oh,” Carter said, chuckling. “Um, well, how about this then. Would you like to get together and have dinner? Maybe Friday?”
“Yes, I would enjoy that, I think,” Andrej said. His first instinct had been to tell him he had to work, but he knew Trish would do something drastic if he turned this date down. “Friday would be perfect. What time?”
“Hmm,” Carter said, thinking. “How about six, is that too early?”
“No, it is fine,” he said, although it meant he’d have to leave the station at exactly five o’clock, no hanging around and finishing things like he did most nights.
“Perfect,” Carter said, his excitement contagious. “Is this your cell you called from?”
“It is,” Andrej said. “I am not home much, so feel free to call on this number whenever you need me.”
“I’ll do that,” Carter confirmed. “And I’ll also text you the name and address of the restaurant once I’ve figured it out.”
“That sounds good to me,” Andrej said. He felt his phone buzz with an incoming text. Wondering if it was Zayne with information about their current case, he frowned. “I must go, but I will see you on Friday.”
“I can’t wait,” Carter said before ending the call.
Smiling, Andrej opened his messaging app. Of course, it had been Zayne who’d texted, but that wasn’t unusual either. “What does Zayne need,” he muttered, tapping on his partner’s handsome face.
DID YOU CALL HIM? YOU HAD BETTER HAVE CALLED HIM. I’M NOT KIDDING, ZEK.
Laughing, Andrej shot back a quick text. You may calm down now, Zayne. I called him.
He’d barely closed the messaging app when his phone rang. Seeing the sexy smile and sultry green eyes of his partner, Andrej rolled his eyes. “Yes, Zayne?”
“I’m proud of you, man,” he said. “I know it wasn’t easy, but I’m happy you called. Now, dish. What did he say? When’s the wedding?”
“May we have our first date before you start picking out invitations, Zayne?” Especially in the aftermath of the fiasco that was his previous relationship.
“Sorry, sorry,” Zayne said, not sounding even remotely apologetic. “I’m just excited. Does this mean you’ve got a date?”
“I do,” Andrej said, wondering if it was smart to tell Zayne this detail or not.
Trish and Hilary both will know by morning now that Zayne knew. Andrej winced, realizing that meant James would likely know by morning as well since Hilary was currently dating Jake Hansen. He wished he could keep it from Jay, but if Jake didn’t tell him, Zayne certainly would, just to see if he could piss the redhead off. Or make him jealous. Neither of which was a smart move.
“So, when’s the big day,” Zayne asked. His enthusiasm was genuine and that warmed Andrej’s heart. Maybe this would be a good thing after all.
“Friday,” he said. “We are having dinner, nothing more. So do not expect juicy details on Monday.”
“First of all, I wouldn’t ever expect that kind of thing out of you,” Zayne said with a chuckle. “You’d never give up the good deets because that’s not your style. Besides, if I thought there was a chance you’d hook up with this dude on Friday, you’d better believe my ass would be on your doorstep Saturday morning, baby.”
All of Andrej’s pent up nerves and stress burst forth in a spray of laughter. Zayne might be ridiculous and over the top, but he cared and that made up for everything Andrej had to put up with on the regular. “If you ever do that,” Andrej warned, “I will take back my key and change the locks, Zayne.”
“Well, let’s hope it never comes to that, okay,” Zayne said, trying to rein in his glee.
It had already come to that more than once, but he was willing to let it go. The night with Jay, Zayne had been lost and jealous. And the incident with Elias, well, he wasn’t sure Zayne had known there was a chance anyone would have been at the house with him. This time, however, he knew and hopefully Zayne knew better. But, he supposed, that would remain to be seen.
“It had better not,” Andrej said, lightly but with enough force that Zayne knew he wasn’t playing.
Because James had known Zayne’s reputation and had been prepared.
Because nothing ever rattled Elias.
Because he was hopeful that this date with Carter the architect would turn into something more.
“It won’t,” Zayne assured him. “I promise. And Hilary has threatened to set Rollins on my ass if I try and interfere.”
“Thank you, Zayne,” he said. “I need to make myself some dinner, I will talk to you in the morning.”
“Night, Zek,” Zayne said, ending the call.
Zayne set his phone down on the nightstand and stared at his feet. Hilary had responded to his text informing her of Zek’s date with delight, promising to tell Trish the good news. He wondered for a moment if she’d tell Hansen and, if Jake would in turn tell Rosewood. On one hand, he hoped that the ginger found out third or fourth hand and was jealous as fuck. On the other, he didn’t really think Rosewood deserved to be part of Zeklos’ inner circle like that any longer either.
Sighing, Zayne flopped backwards onto his bed. He was happy that Zeklos was finally starting to move past the narco and test the waters again. Zek was much too good of a guy to be alone for long and this Carter dude seemed okay. Granted, he could be hiding the real asshole inside, but most men like that weren’t capable of hiding it for long.
“Fuck,” Zayne muttered, dropping an arm across his eyes. This was a great opportunity for his partner to be happy again, to find love again. So, why the hell was he so – shit, he didn’t even know what he was feeling. All he knew is that it wasn’t the happiness that he should be experiencing. He’d felt less shitty upon hearing Hilary had started seeing Hansen.
He supposed the difference there was that he knew Jake. Once Rosewood had wormed his way into their happy little group, Hansen had naturally followed. And he’d fit in. Guy had a great sense of humor, a wicked wit, and could take a metaphorical punch to the gut with the best of them. Honestly, he was better suited to be Hilary’s boyfriend than Zayne had ever been. So, why the hell was he so bothered by this Carter guy?
With a groan, Zayne pushed the thought away and got to his feet. He got a beer out of the fridge and scoured the shelves for something he could call dinner. Spying a container he recognized as Zeklos’ he grinned and grabbed it.
“Score,” he crowed, seeing the leftover noodles Zeklos had sent home with him the other night. He thought he’d eaten them all, but apparently, he’d been wrong. At least one thing was going his way tonight.
Fandom: Romani Detective Original Fiction
Pairing: Gen
Word Count: 3,130
Summary: James looses his mind, Zayne does some recon, and Andrej steps outside his comfort zone.
Author’s Note: Slowly moving towards the point of this story. I’ve been impressed with Zayne so far, but I have a feeling a breakdown is coming his way soon.
Jake leaned over James’ shoulder and studied what was on his monitor. Carter Jacobsen, architect, and overall productive member of society from the looks of it. Since Mr. Jacobsen didn’t seem to have any kind of criminal record, Jake had to wonder why James was so damn interested in him.
“What are you doing,” he asked, right by James’ ear.
Startled, James jumped. “God damn you, Hansen,” he spat. “What the hell is your problem?”
“Only curious about what Carter Jacobsen has done to deserve such scrutiny from you?” He leaned back from James and pointed at the screen.
James closed the window he’d been looking at and scowled. “Some research, not that it’s any of your business.”
“Okay,” Jake said, shrugging. “Sorry I asked.” Finding out what James was doing could wait. He already had an idea of what all this was about, but he wasn’t going to tell his partner he’d run into Reyes in the hallway earlier. That was a can of worms better left unopened. Besides, having proof that Rosewood was stalking Zeklos’ new beau would be helpful before accusing his partner of being a creep.
“No, I’m sorry I snapped at you,” James muttered. “I’ve been a bit on edge lately.”
“Still pissed I called you during lunch yesterday,” Jake asked, sitting at his desk. He pulled out his notepad and got ready to transcribe their movements from the day before.
“What?” James shook his head. “No, of course not. I mean, I was pissed, but not at you. Have you ever thought about handing over your badge and walking away from this job?”
“Only like three or four times a week,” Jake said honestly. “What’s on our agenda today? Are we working the streets?”
“Like the hoe you are, Hansen,” James laughed.
Jake stood up and struck a pose. “You only wish your boyfriend was a freak like me,” he teased.
“God, can I get a new partner,” James asked the mostly empty room.
“Nah, you’re stuck with me, red,” Jake said. “I’ll even drive, Rosewood. Let’s go.”
Andrej shoved the file aside with a sigh. “Will people ever stop killing one another?”
“Not anytime soon,” Zayne said. He studied his partner for a moment, taking in the dark circles under his eyes. “I think you need a vacation, Zek.”
He shook his head. “There is no point,” he said. “I have nowhere to go, no one to go with even if I had a destination. You can take my vacation and I will work for us both. It is easier.”
Zayne watched Zeklos open another file and skim through the basics. His partner needed to get out of this funk he was in before he got stuck in it. A night out with no strings attached would be good for him. Dinner, some light conversation, possibly some raunchy sex. “Have you called that architect yet?”
“No Zayne, not yet,” Zeklos said without looking up. “I was going to call him either tonight or tomorrow.”
“Make it tonight,” Zayne said, surprising himself. “A night out would do you good, even if it doesn’t lead to anything more than the one date.”
“Maybe,” Andrej said. He placed his hands flat on the desktop, staring at them intently. “I will call him, Zayne, however I want you to know that I am not looking for a replacement for Jay.”
“No one expects you to grab the first guy you see and jump in bed with him, Zek,” he said. “But no one expects you to sit at home every night and beat yourself up about what you might have done wrong either. Because as far as I’m concerned? The only thing you did wrong was let that dick break your heart.”
Shit, where had that come from? He hadn’t intended to jump on the narco so hard.
“I suppose,” Zeklos said, making a face. “Are you hungry? I could go get lunch?”
He was trying to change the subject, Zayne realized. “Yeah, you know me, I’m always hungry. How about we switch things up and let me go get the food today? You can work a bit without me distracting you and I can get a little exercise.”
“I thought you got your exercise other ways,” Zeklos said with a grin.
“You know it, baby,” Zayne laughed. “But a little walk won’t kill me either. You want Greek again? That gyro I had the other day hit the spot.”
Zeklos opened his mouth to say something, then shut it quickly. A smile crept onto Zayne’s face. He found his partner’s reaction curious to say the least. Was he thinking about the mysterious architect again? Yeah, it was definitely time he found a reason to move on from that jackass narco.
“That is fine,” Zeklos said after a moment.
“Greek salad or one of those weird ass non-meat patty things?”
Zeklos chuckled. “Falafel, Zayne,” he said. “But no, the vegetarian pita is fine.”
“Okay,” Zayne said, shrugging. “If that’s what you want, then that’s what I’ll get. Call it in for me and I’ll head on over.”
As Zeklos picked up the phone, Zayne headed out of the bullpen towards the stairs. He could have waited a bit before leaving, but he hoped to catch sight of this new guy. On a whim, he’d looked up the firm this Carter worked for, hoping for a picture of the dude. Turns out, the firm was named for the guy, so Zayne hit the jackpot as far as photos went. There were more than enough pictures for him to get a good idea of what he looked like. Zayne had to admit, he was impressed. Good looking, but not in a douchey, frat boy way either. Hilary would have gone nuts, to be honest.
Stepping up to pay for their lunch, Zayne caught sight of his target. Dude was even more handsome in person, he thought. Not what he’d expected Zeklos’ type to be honestly. But after the narco, Zayne wasn’t all that certain what Zek’s type even was. He stuffed the receipt into his pocket and walked over to where everyone else was waiting for their orders. Choosing a spot a couple feet away from the architect, he leaned against the wall and watched him. He was looking at something on his phone and smiling. It made Zayne wonder if Zeklos had texted him, but that wasn’t likely. If anything, Zeklos would have definitely called, he was old fashioned in that way. Which honestly, Zayne found endearing.
“Order for Zayne,” the girl behind the counter said.
Disappointed that he didn’t get more time to observe, Zayne pushed off the wall and headed towards the pickup counter. “Thanks,” he said, giving the girl one of his thousand-watt smiles.
“Holy crap,” she laughed. “You actually came for your own food today. Did your partner quit?”
“Ha, ha, funny girl,” Zayne teased. “I thought I’d give him a damn break for a change. And besides, y’all would mangle his damn name if you saw it in print, so he always uses mine.”
“Have a good afternoon, detective,” she said as he walked away with his food.
“So, you’re the infamous partner with the name that can’t be mistaken for something else,” a voice said.
Zayne stopped and looked into the curious blue eyes of Carter Jacobsen. “And how do you know this,” he asked, certain he already knew.
Carter shrugged. “I met your partner here the other day and he mentioned that as the reason for using your name to place orders.”
“That and the fact no one can spell or say his right,” Zayne added.
“I hate to ask,” Carter said, straightening up and stuffing his phone into his pocket. “But although I gave him my card, I didn’t get a chance to ask him his name. And, well, since he hasn’t called yet…” He shrugged.
Zayne pondered whether Zeklos would be pissed at him for giving out that kind of information. But, if Zek was going to call this architect, maybe it wouldn’t be too bad. After all, it was only his first name, right?
“It’s Andrej,” Zayne said, making sure to enunciate the ‘zh’ sound that the ‘j’ would make in Romanian. Although Zeklos never complained when someone mispronounced his name, but he knew it annoyed the hell out of him, too.
“That’s different,” Carter said, not unkindly. “Thanks.”
“No problem,” Zayne said, wanting to say more, but not sure how to prolong the conversation.
“Order for Carter,” the girl called from behind the pickup counter.
“That’d be me, detective,” he said. “Nice meeting you. Tell Andrej I’m waiting on his call.” He held out his hand.
Zayne took the outstretched hand and shook it. “I will,” he said. “But when he does call, try not to forget that we’re homicide detectives.”
“Is that a threat?”
Carter didn’t appear to be offended, so Zayne rolled with it. “Only if it ever needs to be,” he replied with a wink. “Enjoy your lunch.”
On his way back to the station, Zayne decided to keep that little interaction to himself. If the architect decided to tell Zeklos about it, then he’d own up to it and say he didn’t want Zek to feel awkward. But if the dude kept it to himself, well, Zayne wasn’t going to offer it up either. He hated to admit it, but he kinda liked the guy. Granted, it was much too early to tell, but for now, he was going to say Zek might be looking at his next love interest.
The next few days were going to be interesting, he thought. Carter seemed like an above the board kind of guy, so why did he feel so ambivalent about Zeklos calling him? He made a mental note to call Maxwell later and ask her what the hell was going on because he sure as heck couldn’t figure it out. But now, he needed to get back to the bullpen and try not to act like a schoolgirl in front of his partner.
Andrej stared at the business card he held in his hand. Zayne had reminded him – again – before he’d left to make this call. He really had nothing to lose, but something was still holding him back. Zayne would tell him that he’s nervous and, while that might be part of it, he wasn’t sure if it was the whole reason he was hesitating. Part of him felt like he was betraying James, although that was ridiculous, all things considered.
“It is now or never,” he muttered, reaching for his phone. He dialed Carter’s number and held his breath as he waited. His nerves were so tightly strung that he felt like a kid again, and that annoyed him.
“Hello?”
Startled by the sound of Carter’s voice, Andrej nearly dropped his phone. “Hello, Mr. Jacobsen? My name is Andrej Zeklos and we me the other day during lunch.”
“Detective,” Carter said, sounding pleased to hear his voice. “I was beginning to worry that I wasn’t going to hear from you.”
A sigh escaped Andrej. “I would have called sooner but I did not want to appear desperate,” he said, hating that he’d said the words, but knowing that they were the truth. “I work with two very wonderful ladies who are always complaining about things like that. I did not want to appear too – needy? Is that the right word?”
Carter snorted. “In context, yes, although I don’t think I would have used it to describe you, honestly. You seemed very self-sufficient.”
“Thank you,” Andrej said uncertainly. “I am not very good at this,” he admitted, surprising himself. “I am not sure what to say next.”
“Oh,” Carter said, chuckling. “Um, well, how about this then. Would you like to get together and have dinner? Maybe Friday?”
“Yes, I would enjoy that, I think,” Andrej said. His first instinct had been to tell him he had to work, but he knew Trish would do something drastic if he turned this date down. “Friday would be perfect. What time?”
“Hmm,” Carter said, thinking. “How about six, is that too early?”
“No, it is fine,” he said, although it meant he’d have to leave the station at exactly five o’clock, no hanging around and finishing things like he did most nights.
“Perfect,” Carter said, his excitement contagious. “Is this your cell you called from?”
“It is,” Andrej said. “I am not home much, so feel free to call on this number whenever you need me.”
“I’ll do that,” Carter confirmed. “And I’ll also text you the name and address of the restaurant once I’ve figured it out.”
“That sounds good to me,” Andrej said. He felt his phone buzz with an incoming text. Wondering if it was Zayne with information about their current case, he frowned. “I must go, but I will see you on Friday.”
“I can’t wait,” Carter said before ending the call.
Smiling, Andrej opened his messaging app. Of course, it had been Zayne who’d texted, but that wasn’t unusual either. “What does Zayne need,” he muttered, tapping on his partner’s handsome face.
DID YOU CALL HIM? YOU HAD BETTER HAVE CALLED HIM. I’M NOT KIDDING, ZEK.
Laughing, Andrej shot back a quick text. You may calm down now, Zayne. I called him.
He’d barely closed the messaging app when his phone rang. Seeing the sexy smile and sultry green eyes of his partner, Andrej rolled his eyes. “Yes, Zayne?”
“I’m proud of you, man,” he said. “I know it wasn’t easy, but I’m happy you called. Now, dish. What did he say? When’s the wedding?”
“May we have our first date before you start picking out invitations, Zayne?” Especially in the aftermath of the fiasco that was his previous relationship.
“Sorry, sorry,” Zayne said, not sounding even remotely apologetic. “I’m just excited. Does this mean you’ve got a date?”
“I do,” Andrej said, wondering if it was smart to tell Zayne this detail or not.
Trish and Hilary both will know by morning now that Zayne knew. Andrej winced, realizing that meant James would likely know by morning as well since Hilary was currently dating Jake Hansen. He wished he could keep it from Jay, but if Jake didn’t tell him, Zayne certainly would, just to see if he could piss the redhead off. Or make him jealous. Neither of which was a smart move.
“So, when’s the big day,” Zayne asked. His enthusiasm was genuine and that warmed Andrej’s heart. Maybe this would be a good thing after all.
“Friday,” he said. “We are having dinner, nothing more. So do not expect juicy details on Monday.”
“First of all, I wouldn’t ever expect that kind of thing out of you,” Zayne said with a chuckle. “You’d never give up the good deets because that’s not your style. Besides, if I thought there was a chance you’d hook up with this dude on Friday, you’d better believe my ass would be on your doorstep Saturday morning, baby.”
All of Andrej’s pent up nerves and stress burst forth in a spray of laughter. Zayne might be ridiculous and over the top, but he cared and that made up for everything Andrej had to put up with on the regular. “If you ever do that,” Andrej warned, “I will take back my key and change the locks, Zayne.”
“Well, let’s hope it never comes to that, okay,” Zayne said, trying to rein in his glee.
It had already come to that more than once, but he was willing to let it go. The night with Jay, Zayne had been lost and jealous. And the incident with Elias, well, he wasn’t sure Zayne had known there was a chance anyone would have been at the house with him. This time, however, he knew and hopefully Zayne knew better. But, he supposed, that would remain to be seen.
“It had better not,” Andrej said, lightly but with enough force that Zayne knew he wasn’t playing.
Because James had known Zayne’s reputation and had been prepared.
Because nothing ever rattled Elias.
Because he was hopeful that this date with Carter the architect would turn into something more.
“It won’t,” Zayne assured him. “I promise. And Hilary has threatened to set Rollins on my ass if I try and interfere.”
“Thank you, Zayne,” he said. “I need to make myself some dinner, I will talk to you in the morning.”
“Night, Zek,” Zayne said, ending the call.
Zayne set his phone down on the nightstand and stared at his feet. Hilary had responded to his text informing her of Zek’s date with delight, promising to tell Trish the good news. He wondered for a moment if she’d tell Hansen and, if Jake would in turn tell Rosewood. On one hand, he hoped that the ginger found out third or fourth hand and was jealous as fuck. On the other, he didn’t really think Rosewood deserved to be part of Zeklos’ inner circle like that any longer either.
Sighing, Zayne flopped backwards onto his bed. He was happy that Zeklos was finally starting to move past the narco and test the waters again. Zek was much too good of a guy to be alone for long and this Carter dude seemed okay. Granted, he could be hiding the real asshole inside, but most men like that weren’t capable of hiding it for long.
“Fuck,” Zayne muttered, dropping an arm across his eyes. This was a great opportunity for his partner to be happy again, to find love again. So, why the hell was he so – shit, he didn’t even know what he was feeling. All he knew is that it wasn’t the happiness that he should be experiencing. He’d felt less shitty upon hearing Hilary had started seeing Hansen.
He supposed the difference there was that he knew Jake. Once Rosewood had wormed his way into their happy little group, Hansen had naturally followed. And he’d fit in. Guy had a great sense of humor, a wicked wit, and could take a metaphorical punch to the gut with the best of them. Honestly, he was better suited to be Hilary’s boyfriend than Zayne had ever been. So, why the hell was he so bothered by this Carter guy?
With a groan, Zayne pushed the thought away and got to his feet. He got a beer out of the fridge and scoured the shelves for something he could call dinner. Spying a container he recognized as Zeklos’ he grinned and grabbed it.
“Score,” he crowed, seeing the leftover noodles Zeklos had sent home with him the other night. He thought he’d eaten them all, but apparently, he’d been wrong. At least one thing was going his way tonight.
