She turns to me with a kind smile and gives me a little wink before pointing at each detective in front of them, forcing me to properly look at them.
“So here are most of our detectives. Some of them are off, some of them are out on the field, and some of them are… Late. But you’ll get to meet and know them with time. So, here is Jacinda George, Matthew Edwards, Daniel Jones, Sam Colliard, Jude…”
The door opens and she stops, her focus turning towards it.
“You’re late, Ortega.” She snaps with a frown. “If you need more time to get your shit together, I’ll have to put you on sabbatical.”
“Sorry Chief. There was a car crash on the main road because of the rain. I stayed to help until the ambulances and officers arrived. Gomez and Morelli can confirm I was there until they showed up.”
My blood freezes in my veins as I glance in his direction, not daring to move the rest of my body.
Maybe his vision is based on movement. Maybe he won’t see me, next to his supervisor, facing the whole lot of them. Please, bookcase god, I call upon yourinvisibility gifts. Please?
“Alright,” Jane mumbles, “Anyway, so here is Prudence, and her contact sheet will be on the board.”
I force myself to stare at anyone or anything but him. Even though I can feel his gaze burning my whole stupid face. He saw me.Useless bookcase god.
I can faintly register her speaking but I’m too focused on not looking at “Not-so Grumpy Late Ortega” to hear anything.
And then, she places her hand on my back to lead me out of the room. I’m quick to follow, especially if it means that I get to escape him.
Fuck, how life can be a bitch.
Seeing him randomly yesterday was one thing. But himhere? Adetective? Probably a lying and cheating one? Fuck this. I need to go home. Now.
“We’ll see you one Monday for your first week,” Jane says, handing me her hand to shake. “It was a pleasure to meet you, and I’m counting on my team to welcome you with open arms.”
I force a tight smile.
“Thank you. I’ll see you next week, then.”
I can’t walk out of here fast enough. I almost run to the front desk and stab the elevator button a few times, like it will make it go faster.
“Come on, come on…” I mutter to myself.
When the door chimes open, I jump inside and stab the underground parking button. Once. Twice. Ten fucking times.
The doors start to close and I release a shaky breath. But just as they are about to fully close, an arm stops them, and they open back up.
No. No, no, no, no, no…
My eyes are wide as I watch “Ortega” step inside and press the “close doors” button I did not see.
His breath is labored, as if he just ran ten miles. It makes me remember another time I heard him breathe like this and I cringe.
That’ll teach me not to have casual sex with strangers.
“Prue, can we talk?” he asks when the doors are closed behind him.
I grit my teeth, trying to ignore him, eyes focused on the numbers above the door.
3rd floor.
“Look, I know how it looks, okay? I should have come to talk to you yesterday. Explain myself. But I kind of freaked out. My wife was there, and…” I close my eyes briefly and exhale slowly through my nose. “I mean my ex-wife. Girlfriend. I don’t even know.”
2nd floor.
“Whatever you‘re thinking, I did not lie. And for the records, I was pretty upset to find out you left before I woke up and I tried to find you. But you weren’t working and your boss wouldn’t tell me how to reach you and…”
