Right There Waiting For You

Chapter 3

Stef's POV

It was 7PM, and I was heading home from the station. The perp from earlier that day had been arrested, and Craig had been questioned as well.
I threw my coat on and grabbed my keys. I couldn't wait to get home, because I couldn't wait to see Lena. I didn't even know if I would see here, but all I could do was hope.

"Night Doug." I said to my partner who was still sitting at his desk computer.

"Goin home?" He asked

"Yeah," I said, "it's been a long day. You should go home too."

"I will, soon." He replied. "Get some sleep, Foster."

"Oh trust me, I will." I laughed and turned to walk out to the front.
I said goodnight to my captain and hopped in my car.
On the way home, I was going over different things to say to Lena in my head if I saw her.

I pulled into my parking space at Central Apartments and I couldn't have run into the building faster.
I looked around the lobby, but I didn't see Lena. I hung around for a little while longer reading a magazine, but she never came. I was upset. Why did I expect her to show up in the first place? It's not like I asked her to.

When I got back up to my apartment, I got out of uniform and made myself a cup of tea. After three episodes of Full House, I decided it was time for bed.

Before going to bed, I picked up my phone and pressed "New Message". I typed an "L" and an "e" into the address bar. Up came "Leah", my mom's friend, "Lena", and "Lenny", another guy from the station. But wait a minute...Lena's name had a "😊" next to it. She had put a cute emoji next to her name while putting it in my phone. She was so adorable. 'Maybe she's into me...?' I thought.
But I just got out of a bad relationship....with a man....do I like women...?? No, no. I don't.

Once I selected her name, I typed in the message bar:
"Hey Lena"

'No that's weird.' I thought while I backspaced it.

I typed again:
"Captain says he doesn't want you to come down to the station."

'No, what if she thinks that's mean?'

I backspaced everything, turned my phone off, and went to bed.
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When I got to the station the next morning, I was really missing Lena. I had been hoping to see her in the lobby that morning, but nope. She wasn't there, so I left the building without seeing her for the second time.

When I got to my desk, Doug was already there.

"Perp's going to court." He said to me. "Nice work, Stef."

Stef? Nobody ever called me Stef at work. Just "Foster".

"Thanks, but it was all you." I said. "You interrogated him."

"Yeah, but you were awesome out there yesterday." He got up and started moving towards me. "Just the way you do your job, you know catching criminals, saving victims..." He was moving closer and closer. "...it's just so..." He put his right hand under my chin and his left hand on my hip. "...sexy..." He was about to KISS me.

"Woah," I said turning away. "Um, sorry I have to...sorry." I turned around and walked away as fast as I could. I heard him sigh behind me.

'What the hell was that?!' I thought to myself.
I mean, he was kind of attractive and he's a really good friend, but I didn't want him. I didn't want him the same way I didn't want Paul when we broke up. What was up with me and men lately??

I couldn't go back to my desk now. I went into the bathroom and a couple of tears fell from my eyes. I decided to do the only thing that would make me happy...
I was going to call Lena.

I dialed and the phone started ringing. My heart was beating so fast.

"Hello?" Said Lena, answering the phone.

"Hey, um Lena, hi. It's Stef."

"Oh hi Stef! How are you doing?"

"Doing good, how about you?"

"Doing ok. Still a little shaken up. But I'm better."

I didn't know what to say. I was so nervous. There was a long pause in the conversation. She finally broke it by saying,

"So I'm guessing you're calling because your Captain wants me to come down to the station?"

"Uh, no actually." I said. "I was wondering if maybe you want to grab a quick cup of coffee during my lunch break?"

Oh my gosh. I just asked her out. What was I doing what the heck was happening.
'Please say yes, please say yes.' I was thinking to myself.

"Um, sure! Yeah! That'd be great!" She replied.
She was so enthusiastic and it was so cute.

"Great." I said. "I go on break at 12:30, so I can come pick you up and we can go to the coffee shop down the street from Central. I'll pay. Sound good?"

"Sounds great! But you don't have to pay."

"But I want to. I'll see you around 12:30."

"Ok, bye Stef." She said. It was like I could see her smile through the phone.

"Bye Lena." I replied, and hung up.

I couldn't stop smiling. I had just asked her on a date!
Wait...so I'm gay?
Well no, I don't have to be gay to think that she's beautiful and sweet and kind...or do I?

I walked out of the bathroom and looked through the window to the offices. Doug wasn't there. Maybe he got called somewhere? I went in and sat at my desk. When he came back, he didn't say a word. He didn't even make eye contact.

At around 12:30, when I was putting my coat on to leave the station, he finally said something.

"Look, Foster, I'm sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have...I shouldn't have come on to you like that. I always thought you were interested in me, but maybe I got your signals messed up. Sorry."
He said.

"It's okay, Doug. Stays between us though, right?"

"Of course." He said. "Going somewhere for lunch?" He asked, seeing me pack up.

"I'm going to pick up my, um, my friend." I smiled, thinking of Lena.

He smirked. "C'mon Foster. I can tell it's not a friend'. You got another boyfriend after Paul?"

He looked upset.

"No, um, she's my friend. Her name is Lena."

"Oh. Well, see you after break."

"See ya." I said walking away from the most awkward conversation of my life. On the surface, Lena was just a friend, but deep down, I really wanted to tell Doug that she was my girlfriend. Even though she wasn't.

I pulled out of the station and rushed to Central. When I got there, I took my uniform top off so I was just in my uniform pants and my black v-neck. I didn't want to come across as intimidating, and I definitely didn't want this to be like just an officer talking to a witness. I took a deep breath and got out of my car. I walked up to the front door of the apartment building.

When I opened the door, there she was. The most beautiful woman in the world, sitting in a chair in the lobby waiting for me. She looked up from her phone and saw me. An instant smile overcame her face. She did a nervous little wave and I did one back. The way she looked at me, the way I felt looking at her, the way I thought about her, the way I hoped she thought about me.

For once, I was proud to think what I was thinking. And that was,

'Yup. I'm gay.'

AN: Thanks for reading! Please comment what your think:) more to come!!