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The next few weeks brought a flurry of activity to the precinct. New cases came pouring in faster than the detectives could possibly handle. Frank had a ton of phone calls to make, but for the life of him, he could not access the contact list on his new cell phone. “What is wrong with this thing?” he complained to no one in particular.
“Should I get you a phone book, Frank?” Tim teased. “Are you ever going to figure that thing out?”
Frank did not exactly embrace technology. He still preferred to talk to people in person and didn’t even know how to text someone. His old-fashioned ways drove his younger partner crazy, and Tim took every opportunity to make fun of Frank’s lack of knowledge in things that were second-nature to him. Frank just tried to ignore him. He was his own man and had no need to follow the pack. He got his work done just like everyone else, but he did it his way, and that wasn’t about to change now. He did briefly admit to himself, however, that Tim came in handy when he needed to use anything electronic. But was it really worth the ridicule? Then he remembered he still had all his important phone numbers written down in his desk somewhere. Thank goodness he hadn’t put all his faith in technology! Maybe next time, he would ask Gina for help. Anyway, that phone was useless, and he didn’t have time to figure it out right now.
Several hours later, feeling overwhelmed, Frank decided to call it a night. Tim had given up hours ago, and Frank was the last one to leave his desk. In spite of his best efforts, he was no longer making any progress. Another grueling and stressful day had come to a close. Solving this case seemed impossible, but it was more important to him than anything. Unfortunately, every road was leading to a dead end. Time was of the essence, but no deadline could make him work any harder or faster than he already was. He was completely committed to solving this case, but the trail had grown cold, and he just couldn’t catch a break. What would he tell the victim’s family when he had no answers himself? His thoughts turned to his own mother’s killer, and the striking similarities of this victim’s case to hers weighed heavily on his mind. Another family ripped apart by violence. Another life cut short. Now, more than anything, Frank just needed a drink. Normally, he drank alone at home when he was especially troubled by a case, but he just didn’t feel like going back to his empty apartment tonight. He needed to be someplace so loud he couldn’t think about anything anymore, and there was a bar just down the street that fit that description.
He chose a seat at the end of the bar, away from the other patrons. Frank wasn’t there to be social. He was seeking the kind of comfort that came in a bottle. The bartender tried to be friendly, but Frank made it quite clear he was having a bad day and didn’t want to be bothered.
It wasn’t long before he noticed Gina walk in with two of her friends, laughing and having a good time. He quickly turned his back to the door, hoping she hadn’t seen him. He didn’t want her to see him so weak and vulnerable. He never let anyone see him like this. On the job, he was always the strong, confident guy who had all the answers, and if he didn’t, he knew how to get them. Although he was great at solving cases, his personal life remained a mess.
His eyes darted nervously around the room. Frank wondered if he had been spotted by her or anyone else he worked with. He thought about leaving, but then he would give himself away for sure. Minutes passed, and still no one approached him, so he buried himself in his drinks, ordering one after another. The more he drank, the more he began to feel calm and warm inside, until he was finally able to forget the events of the day. He pretended not to notice when Gina got up on the dance floor with her friends, but there was little his eyes missed.
After Gina and her friends finished their first round of drinks, she noticed Frank alone at the bar. Was it really him? She’d never run into Frank after work before and wasn’t sure what to do. Should she go over and say something to him or pretend she’d never seen him?
Her friends noticed her gazing thoughtfully in his direction, and finally one of them asked, “Do you know him?”
“He’s a coworker of mine, but I haven’t known him very long, and he mostly keeps to himself.”
“He looks in pretty rough shape,” one commented.
“Isn’t he a little old for you?” the other one teased.
“I just think he could use a friend or at least a familiar face right now. Maybe I should go make sure he’s alright.”
“We’re thinking of heading to the casino, Gina. Are you coming with us or staying here?”
“You go on ahead. Maybe I’ll catch up with you,” she replied as her friends got up to leave.
Gina stood up and walked over to the bar where Frank was sitting. She noticed he was still wearing his work clothes. His designer suit could not disguise the fact he was hurting and about to become fairly drunk because of it. She found herself feeling concerned about him. “Hey, I noticed you’re drinking alone. Would you like some company?” she asked casually.
“Suit yourself.” He studied her for a moment while she set down her purse and took a seat next to him. “Can I buy you a drink?” Frank offered.
“Alright,” she said after a moment of hesitation. “One drink. Thanks. What are you having?”
“The good stuff. Whiskey, neat.”
“You know, I’ve never tried that.”
“Really? Want to?”
“Sure. Why not? I’ll have a shot of that.”
“Alright, but it’s got a little kick to it. Are you sure you want a shot? Fine whiskey is meant to be sipped,” Frank cautioned. He watched with great interest when she brought the glass to her lips.
Gina ignored his warning and downed it. When the alcohol hit her throat, she felt a horrible burning sensation, like she was choking on fire. Frank watched while her expression changed and quickly came to her rescue with a glass of water.
“Here. Drink this,” he said, handing it to her. “Better?”
“Yes. Thanks. I don’t know how you can drink that.”
“It’s an acquired taste.”
“I think I’m better off sticking with margaritas. I’ll admit sweet, fruity drinks are my weakness, but don’t let that get around. That’s between you and me.”
“OK, it’ll be our secret. Actually, those go down easy and can really sneak up on you.”
“Not that you’d know, right, as you sit there drinking your manly drinks?”
He smiled but didn’t comment. She was flattering him. The truth was, although Frank had developed a high tolerance for alcohol, he was starting to feel a bit drunk. All those drinks were rapidly catching up to him, but Frank motioned to the bartender to refill his glass anyway. “I’ll have another.”
“Haven’t you already had enough, sir?”
“I’d have to agree,” Gina said, looking at Frank. “Don’t worry,” she reassured the bartender. “I’ll make sure he gets home alright.”
“What about your friends?” Frank asked her. “Didn’t they leave without you?”
“Don’t worry about them. Let’s talk instead. Are you alright?”
“Don’t I look alright?” he grumbled defensively and stared straight ahead with his glass clutched tightly in his hand. He couldn’t bring himself to look her in the eyes.
“Well, no,” she said timidly. “You seem really upset about something.”
Before he could answer, an attractive man sat down next to Gina. She hadn’t noticed him watching her and was a bit startled when he approached.
“Hey there, beautiful! Dance with me,” he demanded.
“No, thanks. I’m talking to someone right now,” she quickly shot him down.
The man didn’t want to take no for an answer. He was determined to get her attention, but she refused his advances. He quickly became angered and showed it with a rather derogatory comment. It was obvious he wasn’t used to getting turned down.
“What did you say to her?” Frank asked aggressively, getting up from his bar stool. “You don’t talk to a lady like that.”
“I can talk however I want! Why do you care anyway?” the man replied.
“She’s my girlfriend,” Frank lied as he leaned over and put his arm around her, his inhibitions washed away by the alcohol. He surprised himself when he did this and felt embarrassed when he noticed the expression on Gina’s face.
“Yeah, right!” the man laughed before grabbing Gina by the arm. “A woman like you needs a real man. Come on. I’ll show you a good time.”
“That’s enough!” Frank said forcefully. He took a swing at the man and missed. It distracted him enough to let go of Gina, but now they had the bartender’s attention.
“Is there a problem here?”
“Don’t worry. He’s not worth it,” Frank replied, sizing up his adversary.
“Maybe we should go somewhere else,” Gina suggested. “I’ll take you home. Where do you live?”
At this point, Frank wasn’t arguing. He knew he wasn’t able to drive himself home, so he got in her car and sat there withdrawn.
“Now do you feel like telling me what’s going on with you?” she asked when they pulled up to his apartment complex.
“I was just trying to get rid of the creep,” he answered, “but then he grabbed you, and I had to do something.”
“Look, I appreciate what you were trying to do, but you know I’m trained to handle guys like that. If he would have tried anything else, I would have had him on his knees begging for mercy! The guy didn’t know who he was messing with.”
“It’s too bad I wasn’t carrying my gun,” Frank lamented.
“You realize we’re in the business of solving crimes, not committing them,” she said with a little laugh.
“I just wanted to put him in his place and scare him a little. It’s not like I’d do anything.”
“I know. Things just got a little heated. Is that all that’s bothering you tonight?” she pried.
“Hard day at work,” he replied without any further explanation.
“I can see you don’t want to talk about it. Let’s just get you home.”
The frosty air awakened his senses as he stumbled out of her car. It was a blustery winter night, and the snow was starting to accumulate beneath their feet. He offered his arm to her while they trudged through the snow, as if she was the one who needed help staying on her feet. Instead, she let him lean on her a bit for support until they reached the main entrance. By the time they arrived at his front door, Gina was chilled to the bone. Her leather skirt didn’t provide much warmth on a night like this.
“I’ll make us some coffee,” she offered after helping him with his keys.
“OK. Thanks.” Frank took a seat at the kitchen table and watched her every move while she searched each cupboard for the necessary supplies. He couldn’t believe this woman he had only seen at work until tonight was actually in his apartment making him coffee.
“Here you go. Be careful,” Gina warned before placing a cup in front of him. “It’s burning hot.”
“Just so you know, I’m not normally like that,” he said, suddenly caring what she thought of him. “That guy knew how to push my buttons. I’m not sure what I was thinking.”
“You were just drunk, and you surprised me. That’s all,” she explained, studying him for a moment.
“I wasn’t really looking for a fight, but I also wasn’t going to let him think he could go around treating women like that.”
They finished their coffee without saying another word. Gina got up from the chair and reached for her coat. “It’s getting late. I should probably go,” she said awkwardly, in an attempt to break the uncomfortable silence. When he looked up at her, she softly added, “You just take care of yourself, OK?” and gave him a light, friendly kiss on the cheek.
“Thanks for everything,” he said before standing up and attempting to help Gina with her coat. Frank watched her disappear as he slowly closed the door behind her. He took in the calming scent of jasmine that lingered in the air where she had been standing a moment ago. Why did she have to leave so soon?
