1,000 Times

Chapter Two

Maya

I changed out of my uniform and put on a pair of jeans and one of my Seattle homicide shirts.
I heard a knock on my front door, and rolled my eyes, knowing DeLuca was here.

I walked to the front door and opened it to see a smiling Carina holding a bag of what I could guess to be Chinese take out.
"Ciao bella!" She said cheerfully as she walked in.
"You brought food." I stated as I led her to the kitchen.
"Sì. I figured we could eat and I could get to know you a little better." She set the bag on the counter, and began taking out the contents.
"Um yeah okay. Want a beer?" I asked as I grabbed myself one out of the refrigerator.
"Detective, are you trying to get me drunk?" She wiggled her eyebrows at me. I felt something in my stomach that I hadn't felt before.

"Is that a yes?" I asked her as I grabbed her a beer and handed it to her.
"Grazie." She popped the top off with no trouble, and handed me a container of food.
"I remembered your favorite order from that case a while back." She said as I led her to the couch.
"Ah the Beckett case." I sighed as I remembered the details.
"So. What does Captain Bishop do when she gets off work?" She asked as we started eating.
"This. I come home, change, usually order take out, and watch tv."
"That's it? No boyfriend?"
Why the hell would she be asking about a boyfriend?

"Uh no. Definitely no boyfriend." I stated quickly.
"So... girlfriend?" She inquired.
"What does this have to do with the book DeLuca?" I asked. I was getting annoyed.

"Just trying to get over the walls you've put up." She took a bite of her food, and studied my face.
"I don't have walls." I scoffed.
"My observations say otherwise."
"Okay, DeLuca. Since you wanna play detective, what do your observations tell you about me?" I settled back into the couch and motioned for her to speak.

"You don't have books in your living room, which confused me because I know you keep a few books in your desk to read when things are slow. So I can only assume that they're in your bedroom, which usually means nothing else exciting is going on in there. You have pictures in your living room, but only of Detective Herrera, Victoria, and yourself. That tells me you're not in a serious relationship, and you don't speak with your family often, or even at all. All your doors that go to other rooms are closed. You don't want anyone to see that part of your personal life. So yes, you have walls."

I stared at her in disbelief. This woman just profiled me. And I hate to admit it, but it was kind of sexy.
"So, am I right?" She raised her eyebrows as she took a drink of her beer.
"Maybe."
"Just admit it Detective. I'm one of the few people who can read you."
"You think you know me just because you spouted out a few facts about me?" I scoffed.

"Ah, so I was correct. The things I said, they're facts?"
"Shut up." I muttered as I poked at my food.
"Nothing to be ashamed of Detective. We all have walls. Some are just higher than others."
"You don't seem to have walls." I put my food container on the living room table and turned to face Carina on the couch.
"I definitely do. I'll let you in on my secrets since I debunked yours."

"No, let me guess." I studied her for a minuet.
"I've noticed you wear rings all the time. But only on your right hand. You're saving your left hand for someone special. Which means you're not in a serious relationship either. You always wear your hair down and in your face. Even when it's one hundred degrees outside. You're hiding something. Probably nothing bad, but you don't want people to 'see you'. You interject yourself into many conversations, probably trying to get a rise out of me. You flirt, a lot. But I've noticed only with select people. Vic, Andy, and I seem to be your main targets. Which either means you're just a natural flirt, or you're definitely interested in women."

"Very good Detective. Accurate." She gave me a coy smile as she took another drink of her beer.
"I'll grab us more." I stood up and walked to the kitchen.

Did I really just say she's definitely interested in women? What the fuck Bishop? I don't even know why I'm talking to her this much. I can't stand her.

I walked back into the living room, and handed her a beer. Our fingers touched for a second, and my body felt as if I had stuck a fork into an electrical outlet.
"So what about you bella?" She asked.
"Are you a natural flirt, or do you have 'targets' as you called them?"
"For one, I don't flirt. For two, I don't have targets because I don't date." I said with a shrug.
"You don't date?" She asked.
"Monogamy is for the weak, or the very dedicated. I am neither. The only thing I'm dedicated to is my job. I've busted my ass to get where I'm at, and I can't let a girlfriend get in the way of that." My eyes got wide as I realized I just lured myself.
"Ah, so you are part of the community as well."
"Nobody really knows that except for Andy and Vic, so I'd appreciate if you kept that between us."
"Don't worry detective. I don't kiss and tell."
"Whoa, who said anything about kissing." I awkwardly chuckled.
"I'm kidding detective. Besides, you couldn't handle me." She winked at me as she took a drink of her beer.
"Excuse you? You think I couldn't handle you?" My eyebrows shot up.
"No, I really don't. You hold yourself back too much. I'd have to make the first move, which you wouldn't like because you see yourself as a top. But, Detective, you definitely wouldn't be a top with me."