The entire house smelled of cinnamon as Grandma Rita took the candied yams out of her oven and placed them on a cooling rack. Mama Winston had set the pot roast and mashed potatoes on the dining room table and was buttering the handmade biscuits.
Olivia tried to busy herself with rearranging copies of her grandma’s Soap Digest in the living room. She checked her cell phone again, hoping it would ring at any minute.
She closed her eyes for a moment and thought back over the day and last night with Maureen. She couldn’t believe the last twenty-four hours--a meth trailer burned to the ground, three more arrests, and a girlfriend who was as tough as she was smart. And making love with her girlfriend who had grown up just minutes away. Olivia felt like she'd been dropped into a movie with a script she couldn't have imagined.
She and Maureen didn’t talk much after they’d left the squad room for the evening. Maureen had picked up her things from Olivia’s place and left to have dinner with her aunt and uncle. She told Olivia that she wanted to spend some time with them before the weekend ended. She would then drive back to Richmond. Olivia thought Maureen seemed distracted but didn’t think much of it. She knew they had experienced more in one day than most officers would experience in a career.
“Okay, it’s time to eat,” Grandma Rita announced. “Ollie, tell Harold everything’s ready.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Olivia went to her grandma’s den. “Dinner’s ready, Mr. Brooks. Who’s winning?”
“The Wizards are up by two baskets.” Mr. Brooks turned off the radio and followed Olivia to the dining room.
Everyone took their places at the table, and Mama Winston said a prayer for her Haitian students. Olivia, knowing her family, readied herself for the hundreds of questions that everyone was dying to ask about her case--and about Maureen.
***
Olivia turned on her radio to stay awake and grabbed two pillows from her couch and lay down on her living room floor. It was a quarter to nine, and she was still waiting to hear from her lieutenant. Marcus had texted her saying he would stay at the squad room for another hour then go home.
Her phone rang just as the radio DJ finished the weather report and cued up an Anita Baker ballad. She, of course, recognized the calling number.
“Hey, gorgeous, are you home yet?”
“I’m leaving now,” Maureen said. “I just wanted to call…for an update.”
“We’re still waiting. The wheels of justice turn slow on weekends.” Olivia could tell there was more. “You okay?” she asked.
Maureen sighed. “I’m just irritated with this case--my case. Every week the news slams my agency about these crooks ripping off taxpayers. And no matter how many we catch, another one pops up like some damn mole. We’re always playing catch up with these guys, and I’m sick of it!”
Olivia waited a moment before speaking. She then said, “Feel better now?”
Maureen sighed again. “Not really.”
“Maureen, remember what you said to me about Leslie Collins? You said it was good I still had compassion.”
“I remember.”
“You care about what you do, Maureen. If you didn’t, this case wouldn’t bother you so much.” Olivia realized she sounded like her mom. “Did I just sound like a school teacher?”
Maureen gave another sigh. “I can tell you were raised by a very good one.”
“I’ll tell her you said so.”
“Thanks for not letting me have my way about tailing Malley. It was a bad idea.”
“I knew you wouldn’t respect me in the morning if I did.”
“There’s something else, Olivia.”
Olivia sat up at the tone in Maureen’s voice. She swallowed hard and listened.
“I’ve been thinking about us,” Maureen said, “…us making love last night. Olivia, I haven’t been in a real relationship in a long time. So I don’t know if I’m moving too fast--”
Olivia had to interrupt to get her heart out of her throat. “Are you having regrets? Just tell me if you are.” She leaned against the couch to stop a sinking feeling she hadn’t experienced since her breakup with Kendra years ago.
“No, Olivia, I’m not having any regrets,” Maureen said. “I know how I feel about you. I just never thought I’d be in love again so quickly. And…I don’t want it to end when your case is over.”
Olivia put her hand on her chest and felt her heart pounding. She lay back on the pillows and smiled for a moment as her sense of humor kicked in. “Are you saying I should’ve made you more marinara sauce before you let me see your ta-tas?”
Maureen laughed. “Not exactly, but it’s close. I just want you to know I’m serious about us.”
“I’m serious about us too, but I understand if you want to slow things down to catch your breath.”
“I don’t want to slow down, Olivia. I just want to know if we’re moving at the same pace and in the same direction.”
“I’m right beside you all the way. I would tell you if I wasn’t. Okay?”
“Okay.”
Olivia exhaled just as she heard Maureen do the same. Her call waiting beeped. “Hold on, Maureen.”
“Tell me you got good news, partner.”
“It’s done,” Marcus said. “The papers are being sent to Atlanta as we speak, and I’m outta here.”
“See you in the morning.” Olivia clicked back over to Maureen. “We got it!”
“Finally. I guess we’ll be in Atlanta together?”
“I totally forgot about that. This case has got me sleep-deprived.” It hadn’t crossed
Olivia’s mind until now that their lieutenant would send her and Marcus to extradite Malley back to Goslyn after the IRS questioned him about his brother Ronnie. “We’ve got some time before his bus arrives,” Olivia said. “Anything else on your mind?”
“Only you. But I really should go home before I’m too sleepy to drive.”
“I’ve heard that line before.”
They both giggled like teenagers.
“I promise we’ll have another sleepover,” Maureen said. “Good night, Olivia.”
“Good night, Maureen.” Olivia put her cell phone next to the pillows. It was going to be another long night.