CHAPTER TWO

a day off before the next

The doorbell rings having me kick my way out of my bed sheets, apologizing to Marci who had been sleeping under my foot as I crankily made my way to open the door for the unexpected visitor. I wasn’t really an early riser, especially at five a.m. in a typical Saturday morning. Marci even dropped beside me resting her muzzle on her paws as she staggered her tail back and forth lazily at the familiar on the front door.

Nathan revealed himself smiling brightly under his casual clothing other than a suit: Sweats �" which matched him perfectly since unlike me, he was sporty in his free time. He was even more attractive in them, having the material cling onto the most attractive parts of his body. I half scowled and smiled at the man before me who in return smirked, “Someone’s still half asleep.”

I nodded making way for him to head inside as I started for the couch, feebly falling onto them. “I got coffee and pastries.” He alleged flashing them right in front of me as if I hadn’t already smelled and seen the box logos. He was sweet as always, even sweeter than the fresh treat he had on hand, but I’m not even hungry. In fact, I was still longing for the comfort of another few hours of sleep.

Even so, he went through all the trouble to deliver them, I can’t make him feel bad and waste such a blessed offering and so I took one steaming creamy bun and popped it in my mouth. “Why up so early prosecutor?” I teased but it seemed that he had humored my accent behind the stuffing inside my mouth as I leaned my head against the head support of the couch. Since I’m nocturnal, I tend to have a headache waking up this early, but I guess his presence made a slight exception having that painful feeling pass.

Nathan wore a sheepish expression biting his bottom lip as he rubbed the back of his neck guiltily. “Well, I was out for my usual morning jog and passed by a coffee shop a few blocks away,” he popped the cap of the plastic cup open handing it over to me as I thank him taking a sip as he continued, “I thought that I’d drop by and get you motivated to join me.”

I frowned playfully at the man who always wore a soft expression whenever he was with me, “You know I hate getting sweaty.” I scolded, glancing over to his direction. His expression flushed it was obvious he mistook my words. There was an exception to that rule and we both knew that, slapping him lightly he broke into a residing side smirk. “You’re nasty minded as always.”  

We both exchanged the same admiring graze and fell into awkward silence. In order to avoid any more of the ‘silence-filled-with-awkwardness’, I downed the steaming liquid, without even thinking that it was still flaming hot, and immediately spat it on the floor… and apparently on myself as well.

Nathan chuckled taking a pink hanky from his back pocket and leaned forward to dab it on my half salivated mixed with coffee wet lips. We were in a close distance, and Marci (who I always thought to have a human mind of her own despite being a dog) supposedly kicked Nathan’s firm a*s (Maybe she thought of it that way as well) having him fall on top of me and the greatest position to be at when you are in the sudden morning heat.  Nathan’s face landed well… on my chest, but immediately moved back, glaring at the mutt who had looked away guiltily.

I got up giggling as I planted a kiss on his forehead, “About that date, since you made me get up this early Prosecutor Hayes, I guess I’ll join you for a quick jog and maybe after we could go to a coffee shop?” He nodded already getting up on both feet and started to clear up the mess. “After I take a bath” I winked dragging my feet into my bedroom. It was well…useless to bathe since I’ll get dirty anyways but bathing was just a perfect excuse to dress up a little for the bachelor downstairs.

Speeding up the usual interval of my bathing, I had disposed the sticky clothing onto the wash basket and got into the close enough running attire: a loose lilac shirt and white shorts. Thankfully, Nathan had come prepared with a lilac pair of shoes my size (like he had seen a psychic beforehand and instantly knowing I’d agree to join him) and we started off at six thirty that morning from my home to the park.

Catching my breath, we had stopped at a park bench. I envied Marci and Nathan who still had the stamina to go on. It’s not that I was overweight, I did yoga once or twice a month, but running for miles really got my heart pumping, which is another thing besides sweating I hated.

While we had relaxed for a while, Marci had begun to act strange barking at nothing (no butterflies or dogs or people or anything at all), and gotten loose from her leash, running towards the street where an incoming vehicle had nearly ran over her. I (which I am thankful that Nathan had encourage me on running and it finally paid off) jumped in, hands and legs spread apart to halt the b*****d, seeing that he didn’t bother to stop, Nathan was just in time to save the both of us before I recklessly killed myself.

The driver got off his prized sports car he looked more flustered at the fact that his car had a scratch than I was for him nearly killing me. He looked no older than I did but was somewhere in the range of twenty. He throws his hands up hysterically as if we were the one at fault. Marci growled, as she lay low beside me, thankfully, she wasn’t hurt, but like me, a little sprained by the impact.

“The hell is wrong with you,” He wailed, I can’t help but notice that there was steam coming out of his nostrils “do you want to kill me?” he exhaled looking back at his pack of friends who had snickering inside his hoodless sports car.

Nathan squeezed my shoulder, stepping forward, shadowing the kid who was taller than I was but not as tall as him. “You’re a disrespectful bunch unless you want to see yourself behind the bars, I’d suggest you apologize.” Nathan retorted with a calm expression, he was always good at coping with his feelings unlike me who’d rage easily (hey I can’t help it, I’m a damn prosecutor, and what can I say, my job can be a little stressful).

The kid smirked, conceit overpowering his youthful (I wouldn’t even dare call him handsome) façade. “Then I’ll let you hear from my lawyer.” He said disrespectfully dismissing us with a hand. He brushed the subject away so easily. I could tell he was born from a rich family. The rich kids always had luxury of boasting since they had all the money and because of this, they technically always ‘hid under their mother’s skirts’ when they got in trouble.

Nathan nodded, taking the now embarrassed twerp’s shirt from behind. “That’s sounds like a good idea… shall we make a stop at my office first?” Nathan half joked flashing him a serious, but to me I believed it to be a mocking grin as he started for the police station across us.

The kid swallowed hard. Inside my mind, I was just humoring him since he bought such a lame joke. Although prosecutor’s and cops are two different beings, they both work closely together most of the times, and closely enough, Nathan looked like a cop on vacation with that P.T. or Physical Training attire he was wearing.

They had started for the station, Nathan dragging him forcefully inside, while I stayed behind crossing my arms as I glared at the remaining pack of kids who were also in fault, not bothering to get out of the car. Marci growled at them as I stepped closer having them shaking in fear in an instant.

“I don’t give a damn if any of your parent’s is businessmen, movie stars, or even politicians. Cruising at eight a.m. in the morning and nearly crashing a woman and her dog, without even caring you might kill them isn’t nice,” This time I used my thumb to point towards the direction of the police station behind me. “you’re buddy would be in a whole lot of trouble, so you guys better start apologizing before I press charges on you as well.” I snorted, I wasn’t really expecting a decent apology since kids of the next generations were getting more and more disrespectful every year.

“We aren’t scared of you!” The lad in a red tank top, basketball shorts, shades and baseball cap said spitting on the sidewalk on his side of the car window. I matched his glare, crossing my arms over my chest as Marci growled to enhance my vicious aura.

“Of course you aren’t, let’s see… shall I drag all of you to your cells right now, or should I just get your parent’s phone numbers?”

The kid besides the red swagger grunted, “You don’t scare us.” His words were followed by a resounding supportive ‘yeah’ like those in typical action movies where the bad guy have some lame followers who’d repeat or agree to his words.

I sighed, blowing the loose bangs off my head, still giving them a nasty glare. My eyes wandered to the only member of the pack who was shaking and pleading for them to shut up. He turned to me, shaking in fear. “I’m sorry Prosecutor White.”

I broke into a smile; examining him further, I identified him as one of my former client’s son, Max Washington. His mother came up to me a few months back, after her husband’s case was trashed apparently, a highly influenced businessperson from the neighboring town murdered him and got away so easily. As soon as their case reopened and the guilty proven to be at fault, the Washington’s had been giving me a thank you gift for years, even inviting me over for dinner and festives. The Washington’s were known to have an abundance of fruits in their farm and so I’m their number one priority (no matter how much I don’t need them) at times, and with the exception of Max who I’ve gotten close to since he’d deliver them first hand in my office or front door step.

Max puts on a sheepish expression, once more apologizing. His friends looked from one another seeing how they wouldn’t want to mess with a prosecutor such as Moi and nodded when they met my graze. They were embarrassed to say it, but their looks were behind the lines of ‘sorry old lady’ although I really am not that old.

I met up with Nathan who had been arguing with the supposed person who had been speeding and nearly killing me in the station. I sat on the edge of Private George Halibut’s desk, glancing on the thirty year old in his snappy uniform wearing a peevish expression but immediately brushed it away with a smile as he met my graze.

“Hey Prosecutor White, it’s been a while.”

I nodded, “Long time no see Private, anything new besides… well… criminals.”

“Well, honorable Eliana Garner would be facing a thirty year imprisonment without bail. Thanks to our beloved Prosecutor, always ready to serve the right justice in this town.” He boasted giving me a hand salute.

I hear a grunt from behind obviously trying to grab my attention, which really worked since I turned to face the kid who immediately gave me the ‘I-hate-your detestable-guts’ kind of look. He still looked disrespectful and like earlier, headstrong. Private Halibut stood up meeting me outside of his desk.

“Miss White, this is Christian Reynolds the son of Governor Scott Reynolds,” he motioned his hand to the kid and glanced back at me who had hesitated to exchange a simple handshake. “You know that we are equal here, and no one shall be treated higher than the other be it the son of our honorable governor, or our respectable Prosecutor. So,” he paused to catch his breath, “although the chief might bite me at the a*s for putting the governor’s son behind bars, I’d like to ask you, Miss White, if you’ll continue to press charges.”

We all know that if you come from the most influential family from politics or if you had a lot of money to bail them, you could get out of this mess easily. Seeing how Private Halibut feared his position, his words by using guilt, had convinced me to dismiss the incident. As much as I hated Scott Reynolds guts, I couldn’t take it out on his son… even if I hate him even more for inheriting the same detestable attitude.

“Fine, even if I file a lawsuit, I doubt this kid would even stay a night in here, seeing how weak he looks.”

Christian batted his eyelashes (surprisingly enough his were longer than mine were) as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing, my insult had worked perfectly and my words if you had been listening closely, to him it meant he always depends on his parents and like most heirs of a highly influential family, ‘hid under their mother’s skirts’.

In the end, although he looked like he had something to say, he had put away his pride (probably thankful that I didn’t bother to file a lawsuit on him) and everyone had their ways. He didn’t have to deal with a slumber party with the goons behind bars, Private Halibut didn’t have to deal with an early retirement, and I didn’t have to deal with the stress of a useless case like this. I’ll let him slide, for now.

Author's Note

again I apologize if there grammatical errors, I hope you liked this chapter. The next would be a little mature okay?