“Thanks,Ace.Sweetdreams.”
* * *
It was because of that interview that we didn’t get to see each other for three more days.They’dloved her phone interview so much that they’d asked her to fly out for an in-person interview.Despitethat, we still talked every night.Favoritemovies, music, food—you name it, we talked about it.Shewas so easy to talk to that time flew by with such ease.
One thing we didn’t discuss much was the trial.Ihadn’t wanted to bring her down, especially because the trial put me in a bad mood.Butshe knew the jury was set to begin deliberation tomorrow and offered to meet me for a celebratory drink after the verdict was read.
* * *
Sitting just outside the courtroom the next day, as the jury continued deliberation, my phone buzzed with a text fromAce.
Ace:
OMG!Igot the job!Bakersfieldoffered me the reporter job!
Archer:
Congratulations!Celebratorydrinks for sure tonight :)
Archer:
How did the interview with the newspaper go?
Ace:
I think it went well, butIalso got the vibe they wanted someone with at least a little experience.
Well, crap.Iwas torn.Iwas happy for her, butIalso didn’t want her to leave.Ispent much of the next hour googling how farBakersfield,California, was fromVegasand any other informationIcould get about long-distance relationships.Partof me knewIshould probably just back off and walk away—we’d only known each other a few days—but the other part of me couldn’t.Therewas just something about her.I’dnever felt this connection with any other woman.
I knew if the jury didn’t go in my favor,Iwould be in a piss-poor mood, butIwanted to see her so badly,Ididn’t even care if the trial outcome wasn’t whatI’dhoped for.
WhatIhadn’t known was how bad the trial would go.Paganoshould have gotten twenty-five years to life for murder, plus a few more years for the racketeering, bribery, and extortion charges.Instead, due to a technicality, he only got eight years…total.Andknowing how overcrowded prisons were, not to mention how connected he was, he would likely be paroled before that.
These were the daysIhated being a cop.Justicewas so unfairly balanced in this country.Ifyou had money or connections, the justice system meant nothing to you.
The only saving grace was thatPaganoand his entire family seemed shocked he was even found guilty at all.Thesheer disbelief on their faces that he was actually going to prison was the only bright spot of the day.Thatwas, untilAceshowed up at the bar.
Manny andIwere already half drunk when she arrived.Mannyhitched a ride home with a friend of ours,Tyrone, who had just gotten off shift and had met up with us to hear all about the trial verdict.
Ace sat down with a smile on her face, and that was just the medicineIneeded.SheandImoved from the bar to a private booth, and she listened to me replay all the sordid details of the trial.
Needing a topic change,Iasked her to tell me all about her new job inBakersfield.Theexcitement on her face was contagious, despite my shitty day.
“You’re beautiful,”Itold her, watching her smile as she spoke about her trip to visit the station. “Themost beautiful thingI’veever seen.”
“AndIthink you might be drunk,” she informed me.Iwasn’t, butIwas probably close. “Howabout we get out of here?”
I didn’t want to.Iwanted to stay right whereIwas and enjoy her beauty and the joy she brought me. “I’mnot ready for this night to be done.Idon’t want you to leave.”
She giggled, and it was the most beautiful sound. “Ididn’t mean let’s be done for the night.Ijust meant let’s leave here and maybe go for a walk.”
Oh, okay.Icould do that.
We grabbed some drinks to go—a perk ofLasVegaswas that it was legal for you to consume alcohol while walking down theStrip.Igrabbed her hand in mine, and we walked down the street, enjoying casual conversation and taking in some of the sights along the way.Whenwe finished our drinks, we grabbed another round from a street vendor and continued our peaceful walk.
“We might want to think about getting a cab home,” she mentioned.
“Why?”Iquestioned.
