Her Eyes

Chapter 6: OPEN DOORS

It had been a few weeks since the whole Keith Summers/Deputy Shelby incident had blown over, but Alex still couldn't shake the thought of Norma Bates from his mind. Little did he know, she'd been thinking about him as well.

            Alex returned from a convenience store robbery to find he had a message from Norma Bates. He rolled his eyes when his heart began to pound at the mention of her name. He wasn't going to call her back—he didn't owe her that. Just the thought it made him sweat. What could she possibly want from him?

            Not long after his return, Norma showed up at the station asking for him. Regina appeared at his office door. "Sheriff Romero, Norma Bates is here to see you," she said with a smile.

            "Send her back," he mumbled, fumbling with some paperwork.

            Within seconds, there she was standing in the doorway. "Sheriff," she greeted.

            His blood began to rush at the sight of her. "Have a seat." She took the seat across from him and waited for him to speak first. "So what can I help you with Mrs. Bates?"

            She laughed at this. "Oh, call me Norma, after everything we've been through." Alex stared back at her confused. They barely knew each other, and she was the prime suspect in the murder he had just closed. "You know I called your office this morning." He stared back at her unenthused. "I was coming into town anyway. I thought I'll just pop in and see him," she laughed.  Was she flirting with him? He chose not to move a muscle, if he moved he'd loosen up and he couldn't loosen up in front of this woman. His tenseness clearly made her uncomfortable. The whole situation was uncomfortable. Why was she even there? "Anyway you know I bought the motel a few months ago and no one told me at the time that the city's building a new bypass that would basically take my motel off the map." She waited for his face to change, and when it didn't she bit her lip nervously. Alex felt his insides twist at her actions. "I'm just trying to figure out a way to fight this from the inside." She batted her eyelashes at him. If this woman thought she could get something out of him, she was dead wrong. "There's an open seat on the city planning committee," she continued awkwardly. "I wanted you to put me forward for it." And there it was—the real reason she had come.

            It didn't shock Alex. "Why would I do that?" he mumbled indifferently.

            She looked around the room, searching for the correct answer. "Because I thought you would."

            Alex laughed at this on the inside, but maintained his stoic appearance, he had to—he couldn't let this woman in. "Why?" he asked plainly.

            She seemed stunned by his reply. "Because of what we've been through. Because we know things about each other," she urged. She seemed a bit scared to say anything further.

            Alex knew that she was after something the second she stepped in his office—the women in his life were always after something. "We don't owe each other anything. We're not friends. You don't know me in any social sense other than as your sheriff. Don't assume differently just because I was kind enough to save your ass once," he growled at her.

            "Excuse me, but weren't you saving your own ass at the time," she shot back loud enough for the people in the hall to hear. Alex got up and shut the door. "Your deputy was doing all these things right under your nose and you knew nothing about it," she shouted.

            Alex took a seat on the corner of his desk. He hated to admit it, but she was even more beautiful when she was angry. Alex shook the thought away and glared at her. "Are you trying to say that you have something on me. Because if you are that really wouldn't be good for you," he threatened. She pulled back from him as he leaned in. And then she bit her lip once more, driving him insane. "Don't ever try to intimidate me. Don't walk into my office and ask me for political favors based on nothing." He hoped he hit something deep in her. "You and I have no connection. We're not on the same playing field. Don't ever assume we are." He watched her eyes travel up and down his form. "I know what you're doing." He waited for her to make eye contact. "Go home, Mrs. Bates." 

            She got up with a huff and walked out the door. Alex's eyes glued themselves to her back. When she was finally gone, he let out a sigh of relief. He couldn't stand the tension anymore; he needed a release—something he knew he wasn't going to get anytime soon.