The Academy: Detective Stories - Part II

Chapter 7. What We Are Fighting For

Jackie turned in front of the mirror, admiring her reflection in the tight green dress that perfectly matched her sparkling eyes. Why don't I wear dresses more often? She had been so focused on work, but now she felt more like a woman, and she liked it.

As Jackie pulled her hair up, she debated whether to leave it down or secure it with hairpins. Ultimately, she decided to pin half of her hair up and let the other half cascade freely over her shoulders.

Outside, the warm summer night filled the air with the fragrance of blossoming flowers. The guardians must have already arrived at the pub, with almost everyone present except for several guys on night duty. Jackie felt ready to face Walter and put an end to their misunderstandings.

Even though she still didn't know why that mystery man was coming out of the Guardian House, she was confident that Walter would find a way to investigate it. Despite everything, he was a good detective. Jackie was still slightly shocked by his reaction earlier that day, but she hoped her pretty dress would soften him tonight. She took one last look in the mirror, grabbed her purse, and walked outside.

* * * * *

In the pub, Jackie had to navigate through the crowd using her elbows to reach the far table where the guys were seated. They were dressed in their usual black guardian uniforms. There were twenty-three men, including five guardians on practice, who had gathered here this summer. Howard sat in the corner, engaged in conversation with the red-haired cadet from Santos.

Meanwhile, Walter was placing an order at the bar, so Jackie made her way over to the guardians' table. All eyes turned towards her as she approached.

"Jackie!" Howard exclaimed in admiration. "You look fantastic."

"Thank you," she replied with a humble smile.

Jackie placed her purse on the table, eagerly anticipating Walter's arrival to begin celebrating his birthday. He had assured her that he would calm down and they would work things out. Little did she know what he had in store for her.

As the room fell silent, Jackie noticed Walter approaching her from behind. She turned to face him, only to see him carrying a tray with a glass of red wine. To her surprise, her red panties were provocatively displayed on the tray for everyone to see.

"Look what I brought you," Walter said, a wide grin spreading across his face.

Jackie's breath got caught in her throat. It was hard to believe that this was actually happening. "What's that?" she managed to ask.

Walter handed her a glass of wine, and she accepted it, fighting the urge to slap him. She knew that was what he wanted – to provoke her outburst, so she clenched her teeth and remained where she stood.

Pointing at the panties on the tray, Walter spoke, "I brought it back to you."

"I thought we had a deal," Jackie replied, lowering her voice, though the hushed atmosphere made it easy for everyone to hear their conversation.

"Exactly," Walter said, placing the tray on the table. "And if I recall correctly, you claimed you only read me when we had a little misunderstanding."

"Yes."

"Wrong answer," Walter retorted.

After a moment of hesitation, Jackie conceded, "Okay, I've never read you. Are you happy now?"

Walter gave her a scornful look. "It's even worse."

"Why are you doing this to me?" Jackie asked, her voice tinged with desperation.