Drake

She had found something that would mean she'd never be poor again - but there was a catch. There was always a catch. Gods know they would come back to bite us in the rear. A pretty big bite too.

Most days I found her leaned against the stop sign between Kennewick and Mardown. Her hair was a fire red, with a temper to boot, and the most stunning green eyes. Though I never could get her to keep my gaze long enough to really see anything she held inside them.

Where she stood was a block across from my office window, so I usually had my eyes on her while I worked. We had never met. Not officially. Not unless you count the time I took a detour on my usual morning run and she was out early. She had a cigarette between her lips, hands behind her back while her shoulders were pressed onto the bottom of the stop sign.

Her eyes had locked onto me when I stopped for a breath and she let out a puff long enough to ask me when I would be moving along because it was ruining business and I had responded with a simple “soon” to move things along. But she was back to smoking within the seconds it took for me to reply and her mind and vision was somewhere else off in the distance towards Kennewick.

Ever since then I couldn’t get her to talk to me. All our conversations were one sided. Well, me-sided. I would talk up a storm but she always turned down the attempts to start up anything between us. Instead she would ignore me to a certain level till she finally decided to just walk away and head down Mardown.

Guess business was too slow to keep her motivated to talk to me. That or she didn’t enjoy my company. Probably the latter. Still, there was just something there that kept me coming back, and not only because she was there on my way to work, but because she was a mystery I wanted to figure out. Why was she standing there? Why did I not see her anywhere else in the city?

“Officer Drake!”

My mind was scattered alongside my papers when my hands flew across the desk and they’re sent to the floor. Staring down at them in defeat, I hopped off my chair to collect them while Officer Mason entered the room. When he spoke, more like yelled, my name again I tried to peek my head over my desk, only to have the top of my head hit it.

Groaning, I rubbed at the sore spot, peeking over the top of the desk at him. His arms were crossed, face in an upset frown. Uh oh. What did I do this time? Slowly I stood, papers in my arms in a misshapen mess. My eyes tried to look at anything but his face.

“Yes, sir?” I asked sheepishly, finally meeting his gaze.

“Where’s the report on the drug bust we snuffed out last week? I have Charles’s report and Officer Vince but yours is overdue. As is every report you’re assigned to write, and now I am forced to be reminded as to why I still pay money to keep you here?” He closed the gap between my desk and himself while speaking, face growing red while his voice rose.

 I tried not to recoil at his words, but it was difficult. Flinching when he set his hand on my desk I started to bite my lip. I looked at the file up on my screen and turned it towards him.

“It’s right here sir. I was about to email it to you.”

His eyes ran over the screen a few times. “And you sure it’s completed. Everything needed to know is in there?”

I bit my lip a little more, nodding as he finally stood straight again. Clearing his throat, he fixed his tie and we both looked to our left to see everyone in the building had stopped what they were doing to peek in on us. There were stares from every angle and my cheeks were starting to glow a heavy pink. We had managed to cause a scene. Well rather, Mason had, but I wasn’t ready to point fingers knowing I would lose each one if it came down to it.

“I better see that report in my email by noon, or you’re fired,” He pointed a finger in my face, voice darkening. He kept his eyes on me while he left the room, till he looked forward and shouted over his shoulder at me, “By noon, Drake!”

Sighing I plopped into my seat, wheeling my chair back in front of my computer. I fixed the monitor, watching the words stare back at me. I was distracted a lot lately. Mainly by my mysterious guest that called the street corner her home, but I wasn’t going to tell Officer Mason that. Not in a million years. I would be fired on the spot for not taking my job seriously.

Years spent at the academy, only to be put behind a desk and in charge of filing reports of the latest bust. Busts I never got to partake in. I flicked my pen at the picture frame beside me on the desk. The object withheld the attack, wobbling slightly but came to a rattling stop. My eyes looked back at me in my graduation uniform. I was so excited to start my next stop in life. Little did I know it would be here in the middle of the city behind a desk.

My eyes flickered back to their usual spot during the day and I found them zeroing in on the red head. She was in a full conversation with a taller male. He stood a good foot above her.

I looked down at the clock on my monitor. Eleven twelve. I had forty minutes to complete my report. I didn’t lie to Mason, I was about to send it off to him earlier today, but I just couldn’t seem to remember how I wanted to finish off the report. So, I had spent the better half of the day staring off at my favorite red head and struggling to get focused on finishing it.

Deciding it was better to just end the report rather than lose the job I worked my butt off for, I typed an ok-ish ending to the report and sent it his way. Not my best report to file in, but having something there was better than nothing at all.

Eleven forty-three. I had time to clock out early for lunch. Maybe stop by the nearest gas station for a sandwich. I sighed at the mess of my station and thought better of it. Organization wasn’t my strong suite but at least I kept things in neat piles that I could sort through with a breeze. Call it organized chaos if you would. My whole office was like that. There was a place for any and everything though if you stood back you wouldn’t be able to see it. I would. I knew where everything was in my office and others had learned not to move a single thing in here.

The last guy I sent running off with a string of unhealthy cuss words and a stapler to the back of his head. I couldn’t find any of my reports for nearly a week and Mason had thrown his usual threats of firing me around the room. I swore, if the man could find the perfect reason to fire me, he would.

I had been told multiple times, not only by him but even coworkers that he wanted to clean my office out and boot me to the closest police station that would take me instead so he could turn my office into a supply closet or even an evidence room. Something of which we already had, but I wasn’t going to tell him that. Hell no.

I collected the papers up, stacking them neatly to my right side, tapping them against the desktop to straighten them out. Pencils were organized into misshapen lines and each a different size. What can I say? Some pencils were more favorited and used than others.

Once satisfied with my desk I pushed away from my desk and shut down my laptop for lunch. I collected my wallet from my drawer and phone, sliding both into my purse.

With the tapping of my boots I locked my door behind me and headed towards the entrance. Mason called my name before I could reach the door and I let out a groan under my breath.

Fortunately, it was good news. He met me by the door and congratulated me on the excellent report but ended it on the note not to be late again. Once excused I ran out the door as quick as my legs could carry me and I stopped at the crosswalk across from the seven eleven.

I tried to bounce between my toes and heels to keep my positive momentum going, only to stop when a thought occurred to me. I had always seen my mysterious red head with a cigarette yet never a pack in her pocket or any bags of food or water. Either she ate before coming to stand at her usual spot, or she rarely ate at all.

My eyebrows furrowed at the thought. Well, that was going to change and I was going to make an effort to start up a conversation with her. With my mind set on it I waited till the crosswalk light lit up, allowing me to cross without worry of being hit by a car.

Oh jeez, I forgot to even introduce myself with how crazy the day had started so far. My name is Alisa Drake, but everyone in the office just calls me Drake. Well everyone except Zeus, but he calls everyone by their first name. Something about him wanting to be a unique cop? I don’t know. Never could understand the guy.

Crap, crap, I was off topic, again wasn’t I? Sorry. My mind goes at like a million miles an hour everywhere. I just can’t seem to stop thinking so much. Anyhow I graduated from our local police academy a good few years back and I wanted nothing more than to be a cop since I grew up watching COPS on the tv with my parents.

I wanted to basically be a real life super hero. Someone that protects the people but in a realistic way. I mean, let’s face it, you really can’t have laser vision or the ability to fly. Sorry Superman. Not to point fingers but, you just can’t.

So, I did what I thought was completely logical and went into the police force. My parents supported me all the way. My father was a firefighter for twenty years. I say was, because he’s retired now. A burning building had collapsed on him during one of his rescues and he managed to save the person but the building paralyzed him from the waist down and now he’s a hero to the station and participated in training videos for the newer firefighters.

Mom sold baked goods from her kitchen and has written a good handful of cook books. She was pretty popular around my old town and everyone was constantly itching to get ahold of her baked goods or recipes.

I’m an only child though, so that was the only lifestyle I knew. Of course, though my parents supported me all the way, there was a little bit of doubt. I was, still am, a little clumsy. Okay, okay… super clumsy. It’s a surprise I even passed some of my physical tests at the academy without having knocked over, shot, and/or maimed anyone.

At least that’s what my fellow trainees said at the time.

Oh, and here forgetting my introduction again. So, I stood at an average of five foot six with a somewhat athletic build, but I had some places I could go to the gym to fix. I blamed the late nights I spent with my favorite pint of ice cream and old reruns of my favorite episodes of COPS.

I had chestnut hair and brown eyes, with a freckle or two there across the bridge of my nose. My hair hung down to my shoulders, though I was often found with it in a bun whenever I could. Having your hair down usually looked unprofessional when on a mission. Not that I would know. I had yet to even receive a mission myself. My life behind the desk was all that it was. I was on a need to know basis and that’s how things stayed.

After a bit of a walk I finally made it to the gas station and snagged my favorite chips off the shelf, alongside with an extra bag. Then grabbed two of the freshest sandwiches, some bottles of water, and guilty as I was, a pack of smokes. I didn’t know what she liked, but maybe she wouldn’t be too picky.

With the payment out of the way, I was on my way towards the stop sign where my favorite red head stood. Honestly, I was crossing my fingers in hopes that she was still standing there, and to my luck she was. Her arms were crossed as she watched traffic. She didn’t have a smoke, nor any food or water nearby. I tried to keep the frown off my lips as I approached her.

Her eyes met mine and I almost froze in place. It was better to see her from this angle. Her eyes were not green, but green and blue. Her left was green and her right was blue. Both grew curious as I fixed the bags in my arms.

“Oh, it’s you again. You lost?” She leaned back, eyebrow raised.

I just forced a smile through my nervousness and sat down by her feet, “No, I just figured you want some food. You’ve been out here awhile.”

Her face twisted into something rude and she opened her mouth to probably say something along the same lines, but it shut just as quick when she noticed the smokes in the bag. She knelt down, trying to reach for them but I snatched them out of reach.

“No, no. These are for you if you sit and eat with me.” I stuffed them into my purse carefully, trying my best not to break them.

Her eyes seemed to be lost when searching my face, “Wait what? That’s all I gotta do for those?”

“Well yeah, what else did you expect you had to do?” I raised a brow, unwrapping part of my sandwich, “And, uh, look I didn’t know what kind of sandwich and chips you liked so I just grabbed the same as me.”

I’d never seen her move so quick. She planted her butt down in front of me, digging through the bags to find her own sandwich, only to witness her tear it open and dig in.

From that point of view, I could make out the bones in her collarbone protruding out a little too far and her ribs doing the same. And even something else I never got to see from my window, she looked a little pale skinned and bags under her eyes. They were prominent but enough to make out at that distance.

She was done with half her sandwich in the time it took me to blink and remember my own sandwich. She opened her chips with the same gusto as her sandwich, only to stop and slow down. She licked her lips, looking me over.

“So, you swear there’s nothing else you wanted in return for this?” Then her eyes caught onto the badge I carried in my purse and she nearly jumped to her feet, “Oh hells, you’re a cop. Look officer, I didn’t do anything.”

I set my purse aside, enough in be out of the way but enough to be in view. I just shrugged, continuing eating my lunch. “I know that. Like I said, I just wanted to sit and eat. Honest. Cops code, or whatever,” I shrugged again and watched her.

I didn’t bother to coax her into sitting back down. I knew eventually she would on her own. And I was right. With time she did return her butt to the curb and continue eating with me. Though I could feel her guard up and I didn’t blame her. Some cops could give off a threatening vibe. But me? That’s a laugh. The day I gave off any kind of vibe like that, well, that would be the day.

“Hey, wait, I’ve seen you before,” Her eyes slanted while she thought and she pointed a piece of bread at me, “Aren’t you that woman who jogs by here every morning?”

Wow, I’m genuinely surprised she remembered.

“Yeah, that’s me,” I blushed. Not to mention, I’m also like, down the street and watch you every day. …Yeah probably shouldn’t mention that.

“So you’re a cop. Huh.” She shrugged and tossed her trash into the empty bag.

“You say that like it’s hard to believe.”

She snorted. “Well yeah. Look at you. You don’t even give off the cop vibe and you’re not even the least bit intimidating.”

“W…Well I could be!” I stuttered out, huffing so my cheeks puffed out.

“Yeah, yeah. Look I ate with you. Can I have those smokes now? I’ve been dying for one all day.”

I sighed to myself. So much for lunch and a chat. I dug through my purse for them, finally finding them. I held them in one hand while collecting up my own trash, stuffing the bag of trash into the side pocket of my purse. I would toss those in the nearest dumpster on the way back to work.

Though I hesitated when going to hand the pack to her. She raised a brow, hand outstretched to take it from me. I finally took a deep breath and met her gaze, feeling determined.

“Give me your name and you can have these.”

She scoffed, crossing her arms. “What’s with this weird obsession you have with me, huh? I ain’t giving my name to a cop anyhow.”

“Look, do you want the smokes or not?” I tried to sound tough but it came out a little short of a baby bear. She was right. I wasn’t the least bit scary or tough.

She grabbed them from my hands, moving nearly so fast I almost didn’t catch it. Digging a lighter from her back pocket she lit it and took a long drag, sighing after.

“Sierra,” She spoke up. “My name is Sierra.”

I grinned ear to ear, thrusting my hand out, only to have my thumb caught on my purse and have it fall to the ground. The contents spilled out. My wallet, keys, and female products. I inwardly groaned, kneeling down. Sierra chuckled, flicking her cigarette.

“Super clumsy I see. Damn, how did you make it out of the academy?”

Beside the snide comment, she knelt down beside me and helped collect my stuff, dumping them into my bag for me. But not without a smug grin my way when she flicked her wrist and showed my driver’s license between her fingers.

Her colored orbs gazed over them at a reasonable speed as she read over it, lastly handing it back to me. When did she have the time to take that from my wallet? Fast reactions. I had to keep my eye on this woman. Like I wasn’t already…

“Your lunch has got to be over by now, officer. Better head back to your building,” She continued her stand at the stop sign, “Before you’re missed.”

Trying to fight the growing blush I could only find myself nodding, gathering the rest of my stuff and walking back. Sierra was quiet as I walked, though I couldn’t shake the feeling she watched me go. I wanted so much to look back, and it took every ounce of my attention to keep from doing so.

It’s when I reached the doors to my building that I looked down the street I had just walked and found myself meeting her gaze. She gave me a one-sided smirk until she focused her attention back to the city.  

Reviews

[csquires]

This is the first thing I've found on this sight that I enjoyed reading lol. Though I can't understand why a police officer finds a prostitute so mysterious... I guess I'd need to read more to find out.

[Squishy Lesbian]

She's grown up in a small town so hookers aren't exactly in her mind to know much about. So she doesn't know that Sierra is one lol per say not yet