Unexpected Love (Jo's Story) (5 page)

“Your afraid people will get all excited and get crazy?”

I laugh, “Something like that.  They would all get crazy because I am on a date.  I try to avoid dates.”

“So does that mean I won’t hear from you after tonight?”

“If I was going to kick you to the curb I would not have wasted a perfectly good unpacking night to spend with you in the first place.  And I would have thrown your number away at the bar last night.”

He looks at me surprised but amused.  “Well I am glad you didn’t do that.  You actually made my night when you text me.”

“Oh whatever,” I try to hold back the sarcasm in my voice.

“You did.  I thought that you would throw it away to be honest.  Writing me off as some creeper or something.”

“No, I didn’t think you were a creeper, I did have a feeling you were after a booty call though.”

He shakes his head.  “You read too many gossip magazines.  Not all guys that have money are after one night stands and booty calls.  Do me a favor?  Please throw all stereo types you have about me out the window because I won’t live up to any of them.”

“Now that just isn’t true.” I laugh.

“What do you mean?”

I look out the window and at the very sporty and expensive car parked in front of my house, “that is your car sitting right there isn’t it?” I point.

“That doesn’t count, everyone has to get from place to place.  My transportation is just a little nicer than most,” he tries to defend himself.

“Ok if you say so,” I smile again.  He’s so down to earth; I am truly amazed at how easy it is for me to talk to him.  “You really aren’t what I expected at all.”

“Oh really?”  I see his interest peak. 

“Yeah, I'm not going to lie, I thought for sure you were going to be stuck up and full of yourself.  I find it weird to be sitting here having an actually very normal conversation with you.”

“I told you, I am not what you think I am.”

“I know, but I think most guys would say that no matter how they really are.”

“Not all guys.  But your right, most of them would.  Especially to get a date with someone like you.”

“Ok, you’re going a little overboard now,” I giggle.

“No, I don’t think I am.  I'm not going to lie I wasn’t the only one that was checking you out last night.  A couple of the rookies thought you were very attractive.  And that dress you had on last night was amazing.  I'm glad it was me that broke your fall and not someone else.”

My face gets red.  “It really wasn’t my fault.  Annie pushed me and I lost balance because I was trying to take my shoes off.”

He laughs at me.  “I know, I saw her.”

I look at him, in shock.  “Seriously?”

“Yeah, that is why I gave you such a hard time about it.  I thought it was quite funny actually.  Not many girls go to those lengths to meet a guy.”  He takes a drink, “I knew there was something different about you last night when I saw you.  You are a lot more down to earth then a lot of girls when it comes to being around someone like me.”

“Well you said you are just trying to be a normal guy.”

“Yeah, I try but I don’t always succeed.  Most girls throw themselves at me.”

“I believe that.  I was surprised there weren’t more girls there last night.”

“Oh, there were.  They were all upstairs.  That is why I stayed downstairs.  Besides, the girls that where there were working.”  He looks at me.

“Hookers?”  I ask him, shocked.

“Yeah, all thanks to the rookies.  They think it will help them get in with the old guys,” he laughs. “Doesn’t work with me, but it does with some of the guys.”

“Well that is interesting to know.  And I didn’t know we had that many of those kind of girls around here.  I thought most of the young ladies around here had some self-esteem, apparently I was wrong about that.”

“Oh, you would be surprised.  I bet a lot of the guys on the team could give you the names of probably a good one hundred girls in this area.”

I look at him questioningly.  “That is a lot.”

“Yeah, I know.  But think about it, this is a big city.  There are a lot of girls that need to pay bills.”

I am just about to ask him if he ever paid for one of those girls when my phone starts ringing.  I see it is my mom and answer it.  “Hi mom.”

“Jo, what are you doing?”  She asks me in a panic.

I sit up; my first thought is something is wrong with one of the girls.  “I am relaxing watching a movie.  Why what’s wrong?”

“Turn on one of the local stations.”  She says sternly.  I take the remote and pause the movie and turn on one of the local channels.  My mouth drops open when I see a new flash that a convict has escaped from one of the local jails.

“The fugitive was last seen headed south on Sunset Avenue.  We are advising anyone in that area to lock all doors and windows and call the cops if you see any suspicious activity.”

I mute the TV. “Mom, I have to go, I will call you back.”  I hang up my phone, grab Jake’s hand and pull him up to my room.

“What is going on?”

“This is Sunset Avenue, and from the helicopter view that they had on the live report he was last spotted not far from here.”

“So what does that mean?” He sits on my bed.

“That means that he is close.  And I don’t want to take the chance of either one of us getting hurt.”  I grab something out of my closet and go toward the door.

“Where are you going?”  I hear a little bit of panic in his voice.

“To lock the doors, and make sure my neighbor is in her house with the door locked.”  I grab my phone and dial my neighbor, Lilly’s phone number.

“Hello?” She answers.

“Hi Ms. Morrison, this is Jo Lewis.”

“Oh, yes, hi Jo.”

“Hi,” I smile briefly as I remember what a sweet old lady she is.  “I just wanted to make sure that you saw the live report and have all your doors locked?”

“Yes, I did see that.  I am hiding out in my basement, working on some blankets for my grandkids until I hear that this guy is caught,” I hear a smile in her voice.

“Ok, good.  I just wanted to make sure.”

“Well thank you dear.  Hope you have taken the proper precautions as well my dear.”

“Yes, ma’am, locking my doors and turning of lights as we speak.”

“Good.”

“Goodnight Ms. Morrison.”

“Good night Jo.” She hangs up the phone.  I'm glad she is safe.  Now, to deal with Jake.  I realize that he has no idea what I do for a living.  And right now, that is my best defense.  I walk back up to my room and just as I get to the top of the steps I hear cop cars outside the house and the helicopter is right over head.  I run back to my room and shut the door.

“What the hell is going on?”  He looks at me.  “This guy must be close there are like ten cop cars outside.”

I turn on the TV to the station I had on downstairs and see the live footage.  I see Jake’s car on TV and run to my dresser and grab my gun.  I turn around and look at him.  As I suspected he is staring at me in disbelief.  “I will explain,” I say and turn to my bedroom door.  I pull it open just enough for me to fit through.

“Jo, where are you going?”  He whispers.

“I will be right back, whatever happens, stay here.”  I say as sternly as I can.  I am freaking out.  I have not had to deal with something like this in a really long time.  I close my bedroom door.  I quietly walk down to the front window.  As I suspected there are police officers surrounding my house.  I look out and see a couple guys I recognize.  I grab my badge and tap on the window.  The officer standing right by the window looks at me and nods.  She points to my garage door.  I realize that I never locked the outside service door to the garage.  Just as I remember that there is a crash and the suspect comes into the house.  I duck down behind the chair that is right there.  Right now I am wishing that I had a radio.  I move the curtain and tap on the window again and motion to the cop that he is now in the house.

Before I realize what I am doing I stand up, drawn my gun, and yell “POLICE! FREEZE RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE!!”  I see the guy throw his hands up.  I turn on the light switch closest to me.  I hold my gun out still pointing at him as I walk closer.  I see him fidget a little.  “Don’t move, or I will shoot!”  I hear movement behind me and assume that the cops that were outside my house are now moving in.  I see my Chief walk up next to me out of the corner of my eye.

“Brown, cuff him and get him out of here,” Chief Lorenz says.  He puts his hand on my shoulder and I relax.  “Nice job Jo.” I don’t look at him but I can hear that he is smiling.

“Thanks Chief.”  That is all I can say.

“How did you know he was coming into your house?”  He pulls out a stool at the table for me to sit at while the rest of the team does a sweep of the rest of my living room and kitchen.

“I saw the cop cars outside, and then heard the helicopter, and then when I came down I saw the team in the front yard.  I saw Turner in the front yard and showed her my badge in case she didn’t recognize me.  Then the guy busted down my door.  Before I could think about what to do my training took over.”  He sets a glass of water in front of me and sits on the stool next to me.

“Are you ok?”  He looks at me.

I take a deep breath.  “Yeah, I am,” I smile at him.

“Little bit of an adrenaline rush isn’t it?”  He smiles at me.

I laugh a little, “I forgot what it was like.  I haven’t had to pull a gun on someone in a long time.”

He laughs, “Well there might be a little bit of paperwork for you to fill out.  I'm not sure.  Can you stop at the station tomorrow morning sometime?”

“Yeah, I can do that.”

“Chief, the door is put back on and the press is all over the place outside.”  Officer Turner walks in.

He rolls his eyes, “I will take care of them and get them out of here,” he looks at me.

“Sounds good,” I stand up and follow them to the front door.

“Nice job Detective Lewis,” Turner says to me.

“Thanks,” I smile at her.

“Go relax,” Chief says to me as he turns and walks down the steps.

I laugh, yeah right, relax.  I have to go back upstairs and explain this to Jake, who has now been locked in my room for over forty-five minutes.  I lock the door and walk over to the service door and look at it.  He didn’t do too much damage, basically just kicked the hinges off.  They got them back on but I can see the damage to the wall.  I turn and go upstairs.  I open the door to my bedroom and see Jake sitting on my bed watching the live coverage.

“Care to share something with me?” I see a smirk roll across his face.  My mood lightens, he isn’t pissed at me.  That makes me feel better.

“It never came up,” I say innocently.  “You never asked what I did for a living.”  I sit next to him on the bed.

He grabs my hand, “Are you ok?”

I can feel my hands still shaking a little.  “Yeah, just still a lot of adrenaline pumping,” I smile.

“So, a cop?”  He rubs his fingers across the top of my hand.  It distracts me.  His touch makes me feel safe.

“Yeah, on the department for seven years.  But I'm a detective now so I don’t see this kind of stuff that much.  I am usually gathering evidence and visiting witnesses to crimes, stuff like that.  It has been probably almost three years since I have pulled my gun on someone.”

“I guess I pictured you as a secretary or something like that with a nice desk job,” he smiles at me.

“Oh no, not me.  I have wanted to be a cop since I was five years old.  I did my time in the field.  I was four years as a patrol and three years ago they promoted me.  My partner Ryan and I have worked together for six years and we got promoted together to lead this division.  We overlook all crimes that are committed by or underage kids are involved in.”

“Wow I am shocked.  I really didn’t see this coming.”  He slips his fingers through mine to hold my hand.  “I will admit I am a little intimidated by you now,” he smiles his heart stopping smile.

I can’t help but laugh, “Why because I carry a gun?”

He looks at me with those big blue eyes, “actually that didn’t scare me until now.  I was more intimidated by the fact that you know how to shoot a gun.” He squeezes my hand.  “Looks like they are going to talk about it,” he points at the TV.  I look over and see Chief doing a press conference.

“Chief Lorenz, who apprehended the prisoner?”
One of the reporters asks.

“The prisoner broke into a home here on Sunset Avenue.  That house happened to belong to one of my detectives.  Ms. Jodene Lewis.  She cornered the suspect and kept him at bay until my team could get inside and apprehend him.  Thanks to her quick thinking we got him before he could do any harm to civilians or any of the squad members.”

“Good job,” Jake kisses the back of my hand.

I blush, “thanks.”

“You really need to learn to take compliments.”

“I'm not good at it, sorry.”

“Why not?”

I just look at him, what is wrong with me?  This guy is telling me things that I have not heard in a long time, and they actually do make me feel good.  So why am I so bad at accepting what he is saying?  “It has been a long time since I have had someone act like this toward me.”