One for the road || F&F x Chicago PD

12

chapter 12 - the past

brian sat at a stool at the bar, 8:15, his watch read as he sipped at the corona bottle infront of him anxiously bouncing his foot as he glanced to the door again. it was only fifteen minutes. he knew ash had a habit of being late so tried to compose himself. what questions he should ask first? if he should ask any at all?

minutes past, taking the final sip of his beer he looked down at his watch again the time now reading 8:23. sighing he ran a hand through his hair. the older man behind the bar walking up to him.

"another beer?" the man asked with a cheerful smile, his silver hair and checkered shirt made brian question why out of all bars did ash ask him too meet at this one. maybe he'd heard it wrong.

"yeah thanks a lot" brian nodded, the man took the empty bottle in front of brian. seconds later coming back with another bottle of the signature corona.

"look stressed, bad shift?" the man behind the bar asked, confusing brian. bad shift? furrowing his brows he glanced around the room noticing an axe attached to the wall in a far corner.

"this a firefighter bar or something?" he chuckled taking a sip of his beer as the man before him nodded, ash a cop, hanging out at a firefighter bar. maybe she was a complete different person then she was 6 years ago. maybe she was someone brian wouldn't recognise.

"firefighters cops doctors whatever you wanna call them they call come to this bar. so what's up kid?" brian sighed, looking at the man trying to fathom the fact he was a firefighter.

"just waiting for a friend" brian countered not wanting to give much information to the man behind the bar, his anxiety now starting to get the better of him where was she.

" I'm Christopher. what's your friends name if they come in here i can point you in there direction" brian could tell he was a nice guy, but people in chicago were clearly different then people in LA, completely different and that was something ash had learnt.

"ash. ashley" brian watched as Christopher's eyes widened, he'd never seen ash speak to him before. brian looked down at his watch the time now reading, 8:31.

"ashley quinn? intelligence?" Christopher questioned looking at the younger man, brian nodded taking another sip of his beer.

"ask kelly" Christopher looked over to the other side of the bar before he continued and called out, "kelly come here"

brian scanned the room for the man who Christopher had just called out to, his eyes landing on a man he didn't recognise.

brian watched as the man, an attractive one smiled to the woman he was speaking too before making his way over to brian and Christopher. brian couldn't help but think kelly was ash's new boyfriend. he couldn't judge her, if she was the one who moved on first, even 6 years later.

"where's ash?" Christopher asked the man who looked at brian intrigued as to why his colleagues herrmann was asking him where his best friend was. kelly looked down at his phone for the time before looking back up.

brian refused to believe ash stood him up. after all these years, if she didn't want to meet him why agree. his leg bouncing due to the anxiety rushing through him. anxiety wasn't something brian ever suffered with. but something was different here.