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“Walker, Turino, and Wallace! I need to see you in my office,” shouted Captain Michaels. Once they were assembled, the captain continued. “As you know, Detective O’Brien was seriously injured yesterday. I heard from his wife this morning, and she said he regained consciousness.” Relieved to hear the news, the three detectives quietly exchanged smiles. “Unfortunately, it’s become clear that O’Brien is going to have a tough road ahead of him. His broken leg should mend in four to eight weeks, but his head injury is more serious. He’ll need some rehab before he can function normally again. His doctors are hopeful for a full recovery, but it’s going to take time. Just how much time is unclear right now, but they referred to that time in months, not weeks. Gina, since you’re so new to Homicide, I don’t feel it’s right for you to be without a partner. I want you paired up with an experienced detective who can help you learn the ropes. So, the best solution here is for you to become Turino’s partner until Sean is able to return. Wallace, I’m afraid you’ll be on your own until I can find you a suitable temporary partner from another department. You’ll also be called upon to assist Turino and Walker as needed.” When the captain finished speaking, they all nodded their heads and went to get started on their new assignments.
“So, it looks like we’re partners now,” Gina said to Frank.
“Yeah, I never expected that,” Frank replied. “What cases were you and Sean working on?”
Gina pointed to a mountain of file folders on Sean’s desk. “Let me work on getting those in order so I can bring you up to speed.”
“OK, I’ll do the same with Wallace’s pile. Let’s meet at my desk after lunch to discuss our plan.”
Frank returned from lunch to find Gina sitting on top of his desk. She had already made herself comfortable with a big stack of files at her side and an open folder on her lap. The skirt she was wearing gave Frank a good look at her gorgeous legs. He slowed his pace a little, afraid she would move to a chair once he got there. She was on her cell phone and clearly not aware he was coming. When Frank cleared his throat to announce his arrival, she quickly ended the call and gave him her full attention.
“Didn’t you get some lunch?” he asked.
“Too much work to do here. I just grabbed something from the vending machine.”
“You know that’s not real food.”
“I know, but I wanted to be ready when you got back,” she said, preparing to slide down from his desk.
“You don’t have to move if you don’t want to,” he interrupted. “I can work around you.”
Gina settled back into her position and crossed her legs once again, which unintentionally made her skirt ride up a little higher. “Are you sure?”
“Positive.” He realized being partners might not be so bad after all.
“Are all of these yours?” she asked, leaning over to pick up the next case file.
“Unfortunately, yes,” he said and reached for a file he needed, accidentally brushing her knee in the process. Frank was mortified. “Sorry,” he stammered. “I...I didn’t mean to...”
Gina just laughed. “So, where did you go for lunch?” she inquired.
“Actually, I went to the park and ate there.”
“But it’s freezing outside.”
“I don’t mind it. The cool air is refreshing.”
“Well, I think it’s just plain cold and windy down by the lake right now. Summer’s my season.”
“You’ve got a bit of a wait for that.”
Gina abruptly changed the subject. “Isn’t it unsettling that one minute we’re all having fun celebrating my birthday, and the next, Sean and I get into an accident, and he’s fighting for his life? Definitely not one of my better birthdays. I wish we could have erased that last part. How could this have happened to someone as nice as Sean?”
“I don’t know, Gina. It’s not fair when bad things happen to good people, but I’m just glad that you’re OK. Too bad you had to spend your birthday at the hospital. I feel like I should at least buy you a drink or something.” He thought about asking Gina what her boyfriend got her for her birthday but decided that might be too personal.
“That’s nice of you, Frank, but maybe another time. I was thinking of visiting Sean at the hospital tonight. Are you going too?” she asked him.
“Actually, I have some errands to run after work, but I’ll make some time tomorrow,” he promised.
Over the next week, Gina and Frank did their best to play catch-up on all the remaining cases, although it would take more time to really find their rhythm working together. Frank tried to remind himself that becoming partners was all the more reason to keep some personal distance from Gina, which was difficult since they were now spending even more time together. Work partners did not make good romantic partners. What if they broke up? They would still have to work together. Frank had seen that happen a few times, and it was never easy. Oh, and then there was the matter of a boyfriend in the picture anyway. It didn’t mean, however, that he couldn’t enjoy having her beautiful face around to look at every day. She was much prettier than Wallace, that’s for sure!
Needing to clear his head, Frank headed to the park for lunch once again. He knew that was the one place he could have some time away from Gina to think about how to handle their situation. Life had become even more stressful for him since they became partners. It was like being a kid again, staring through the window of a toy store day after day at something he wanted more than anything, and then seeing someone else snatch it up and walk away with the prize that should have been his. Sometimes life just wasn’t fair.
As he sat there eating his sandwich alone in the cold on the park bench, tiny snowflakes started to fall on top of Frank and the city around him. He watched the people across the street going about their business until his eyes recognized someone familiar. He had seen the same woman yesterday around the same time, walking out of a building with a sign he couldn’t read from his perspective. He was curious and promised himself he would check it out sometime.
The park became part of Frank’s daily routine, and every day he saw her. Every day at noon, he watched this mystery woman emerge from a tall building across the street. Her path was always the same, cutting through the park and walking past his bench to get to the buildings on the other side. He wasn’t sure why, but this woman had sparked his interest, and he thought she might be a healthy distraction from Gina. He needed something or someone else to think about, and this woman began to fill that void.
A week passed before he finally summoned the courage to engage her in conversation. “Excuse me? Is that a dance studio you just came out of? I can’t quite read the sign from here.”
“Actually, it’s a center for yoga and meditation,” she replied cheerfully but continued to maintain a safe distance from him.
Up close, he could tell she was in her mid-to-late 30s and was quite attractive with her blonde hair and blue eyes. Frank continued with some small talk and told her he was a businessman who worked in one of the tall skyscrapers across the street overlooking the park. He was dressed the part, but the job wasn’t real, of course. He wasn’t sure he wanted to reveal the true nature of his work just yet. He had his reasons, and the lie was harmless. Frank wanted to get to know her a bit first. He invited her to sit down, but she declined, appearing suspicious of his intentions.
“What’s your name?” he asked.
“It’s Claire.”
“Nice to meet you, Claire. I’m Frank,” he said, extending his hand to shake hers. She seemed cautious and possibly a bit fearful.
Against her better judgment, she returned his handshake and found herself to be in no danger. She began to relax a little, intrigued by this handsome stranger eating lunch outdoors in the middle of winter. He certainly seemed nice enough, so she continued to chat for several minutes, starting with the weather and gradually progressing to world news.
From that point on, Frank would smile and wave to her, and every day, Claire would stop and talk. By the end of the week, she was sharing the park bench and eating her lunch with him. Frank found Claire pleasant to be around and welcomed her company. He knew he could not pursue Gina, for so many reasons, but he had been unable to get her off his mind. He hoped moving on with someone else might help him forget.
“I have a confession to make,” Frank told Claire the following week. “I’m not a businessman.”
“Then why the suit?” she asked.
“I’m actually,” he started with hesitation, “a homicide detective.” He pulled out his badge for proof.
“Oh,” Claire said with some surprise.
“I just wanted you to get to know me a little better before I told you. I don’t usually like to tell people my job title right away because it tends to scare them off. Tell someone you’re a detective, and they think you’re cool, but also intimidating. Tell them you’re a homicide detective, and they think that’s a bit creepy.” He stopped his nervous rambling to catch her reaction.
“Well, I think it sounds like interesting work,” Claire replied, “but I know how you feel. I come to this place every day on my lunch hour to meditate. Most people find that to be a bit odd. What do you think? Is that weird?”
“I’d like to think I have an open mind. It might be relaxing.”
“That’s why I go. I can’t relax otherwise. My job is so stressful.”
“What do you do?” Frank inquired.
“I’m a human resources manager in charge of the hiring, but also the firing.” She pointed to a building on the other side of the park. “Say, since you’re so open-minded and do such stressful work too, why don’t you join me for a class sometime?”
“Well, uh, OK, sure,” he said, pausing after each word as he tried to think of one good reason why he shouldn’t. Upon finding no acceptable excuse, he reluctantly agreed. Now what had he gotten himself into?
“Great! Meet me at the center on Monday at noon. You’ll like it. I promise!”
The next day, Tim approached Frank with a wide grin on his face and handed him a flyer. “Hey, Frank! I’m having a Super Bowl party. Want to come?”
“Oh, I don’t know, Tim.”
“Come on, Frank! You’re my partner, or at least, you were. You have to be there! Everybody’s going to be there.”
“Doesn’t mean I have to be there,” Frank grumbled. Before he could crumple up the paper and toss it in the trash, he noticed Tim handing a flyer to Gina. Surprisingly, she looked receptive to the idea, and Frank thought he could hear her saying she’d come. He decided he should at least consider showing up and placed the flyer in his briefcase to take home.
Frank found himself at the office on Saturday catching up on his reports. By the time Sunday came around, he needed a break and going to the party started to seem like a good idea. He knew everyone would be there, including his new partner. It couldn’t hurt to get to know her better in a more casual setting. There was nothing wrong with them developing a friendship. Besides, he would be seeing Claire the next day, so what was the harm?
“Frank’s here,” Tim announced when he arrived that night.
Frank was greeted by the sound of laughter coming from the living room where Gina was the center of attention. He immediately realized coming to the party was a bad idea, and yet, he was drawn to her. Although he knew staying for any length of time would be a mistake, the opportunity to see her outside of work was too enticing to resist.
Gina turned to look at him and smiled. Frank smiled back but headed for the bar. He needed a drink, and drinks were never in short supply at Tim’s place. Doing his best to stay out of sight, Frank slipped out the back to hide on the balcony. He knew it would be better to avoid Gina until he had a few drinks to settle his nerves.
Gina, however, felt right at home in this type of situation. She enjoyed, and even preferred, the company of men, and they were always happy to have hers. They were so much more easygoing and accepting than women. Men were interesting to talk to, and Gina never had to work very hard to get their attention, except for one man in particular. Why was her new partner continuing to elude her when he was the one she found most interesting? He seemed like such a man of mystery, and she was hoping to unlock a few secrets tonight. One could never know too much about one’s partner.
“So, are you a big football fan, Frank?” Gina asked after sneaking up behind him.
Frank was not quite ready, but there was nowhere to run. He was trapped on Tim’s tiny apartment balcony. “Don’t let the other guys know, but I’m really not that into football,” he said as he turned to face her. “I just don’t have time to follow it.”
“Then why are you even here?” Gina inquired with piqued curiosity.
“I didn’t want to make Wallace cry. I’d never hear the end of it if I didn’t show up tonight.”
Gina laughed before adding, “I’ll admit I couldn’t care less about football, but I enjoy hanging out with the guys.”
“I think they enjoy hanging out with you too.” He was sure she understood what he meant. Even in football attire, she was looking good and didn’t seem to mind that the men couldn’t take their eyes off her.
“Pizza’s here!” Tim shouted, ending their conversation.
They headed back inside, and Gina took it upon herself to help distribute the food. Pizza wasn’t all that had arrived. It seemed like Tim had ordered everything on the menu.
“Here, let me take one of those,” Frank offered when he saw Gina struggling to balance two overflowing trays of food.
“Thanks, Frank,” she said, relieved to be rid of one of the heavy trays. Their hands touched during the transfer, and the sensation of her soft skin against his was nearly enough to make him drop the tray. Although Frank was caught off guard by the unexpected contact, he managed to recover just in time. Gina was unfazed and continued to distribute the food. Frank followed, hoping no one had noticed his reaction and determined to keep a low profile for the rest of the party.
“Hey, the game’s starting!” one of the guys called from the living room a few minutes later.
Frank had already taken a seat on the sofa before this announcement and now found himself in the middle of the action. It was where he least wanted to be, or so he thought. Finding all the available seats taken, Gina got creative and perched herself on the arm of the sofa next to him.
Tim was watching her from his chair nearby. “Hey, Gina, there’s room for you on my lap,” he teased, hoping she might actually take him up on his invitation.
“I think I’ll pass,” she replied coolly, unaffected by his inappropriate suggestion.
“Would you like my seat, Gina?” Frank offered, as he felt a gentleman should.
“No, that’s alright,” she declined. “Thanks, but I’m fine here unless I’m blocking your view.”
“Not at all,” Frank responded without hesitation, even though the exact opposite was true. He didn’t care about football, but the view had suddenly gotten more interesting. He would much rather watch Gina than the game, and this arrangement gave him an excuse to look her way. Perhaps the alcohol had gone to his head a little. What was he thinking? She was 29, which was a long way from 42. Surely, Gina had no interest in him, and he was only fooling himself if he thought differently. Her actions, however, seemed to suggest otherwise. It was like she was purposely seeking him out and trying to get his attention. Gina was his new partner though. Maybe that’s all it was. Naturally, she wanted to get to know him. Perhaps it was time for him to make an effort as well.
Later that evening, Frank saw Gina standing alone in the kitchen and decided to approach her. By then, everyone else had gotten too absorbed in the game to even notice they were gone.
“I like horses too,” was all Frank could think of to get her attention.
Gina was puzzled by his random comment. “What?”
“Your necklace,” he clarified.
“Oh, my dad gave it to me. I’ve had it since I was a little girl.”
“So, it’s special to you?”
“It’s one of the last things he gave me,” she said, looking down at the floor to hide her emotion.
“May I see it?”
“Uh, sure,” Gina replied after briefly contemplating his unexpected invasion of her personal space.
Frank watched while she gathered up her long hair, pulled it over to one side, and tilted her head back a little for him to get a closer look. “The design is familiar. I’ve seen this before.” He carefully grasped the necklace, taking great pains to avoid touching her, and turned the horse charm over in his hand. The rapid rise and fall of her chest and shallow breaths told Frank that being this close was making her nervous, but he continued to examine the necklace. “This came from the same racetrack my parents took me to when I was a kid. It was my one and only trip to Chicago before I moved here.”
“Really? I was only there once too, but I remember it vividly. I was thrilled to see the horses, and it was one of the few happy times I remember with my dad. It was a day we’d spent together, just the two of us. He placed a couple lucky bets and won enough money to buy us a fancy dinner and this necklace for me. Of course, he left shortly thereafter, and I never saw him again.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.” He gently released the charm and allowed the necklace to fall back onto her chest.
“It’s OK. That was a long time ago. I’ve had a lot of years to get over it.”
“You still miss him.”
“More than I want to. I keep trying to leave the past behind, but it’ll always be a part of me.”
“I know how you feel. Hey, how can I cheer you up?”
“I guess we could go watch some football,” she suggested. “It sounds like somebody scored a touchdown.”
Frank escorted Gina to the living room where they were now forced to sit on the floor. He thought he could detect a hint of moisture in her eyes. It seemed like the passage of time would never be enough to deaden her sense of unfair loss. He still struggled with this in his own life, so he understood her pain. He had come to Chicago to get a fresh start, since he couldn’t stand living in such close proximity to the place where his mother had been killed. So, although the circumstances had been different, this was something they shared.
Gina had also felt the connection. Instead of being an awkward moment, it had helped her reach a certain level of comfort with him. Their conversation had soothed Frank’s nerves too, and he was able to relax and enjoy the remainder of the evening. While the topic of age remained in the back of his mind, it had not entered into her thoughts at all. It certainly was no obstacle to them becoming friends.
