Want You to Stay || Chenford / The Rookie

Part 12

Tim smooths down his tuxedo jacket and shifts back and forth on his feet, his dress shoes stiff. He's standing in the lobby of the upscale hotel where the gala is happening, waiting for Ashley to arrive and wondering why fancy clothes have to be so goddamn uncomfortable. He pulls at his collar. Or maybe it's the waiting for Ashley that is making him feel so on edge.

He had been thinking about this morning's conversation all damn day, and he's still not completely sure why her words had sent him reeling. He's not the type to date casually for months on end. He genuinely likes Ashley, and he wouldn't be with her if he didn't see this going somewhere. And yet there was something about it — something about her very real feelings and the suddenly tangible next step of it all — that made Tim feel like he was going to be sick.

And then there was the dream, still gnawing at the corner of his mind no matter how hard he tried to push it away. The only good thing about today was that Lucy had the day off so he had ridden with Nolan instead. But even that... Tim doesn't know what to do with the fact that he sometimes feels relieved to get a break from seeing Lucy. He doesn't know what to do with the fact that she's a steady fixture in his dreams. He doesn't know what to do with the hard truth that, as much as they try to act like everything is normal between them, it really isn't. And that also has him on edge more than he wants to admit.

Tim spots Ashley stepping through the hotel's rotating door and he forces himself to plaster on a bright smile. She gives him an answering smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes as she walks toward him, looking lovely in a long, pale pink gown. Just then, a flash of familiar dark brown behind Ashley catches his eye, and Tim's mouth suddenly goes dry.

Lucy steps into the lobby wearing a sleek navy blue dress that dips low in the front, showing off the ample curves of her breasts. The fabric hugs her hips like a second skin, and there's a slit that shows off one of her smooth thighs. Her long tresses fall around her shoulders in loose curls, and her lips are painted a deep shade of red. She looks stunning — and so goddamn sexy that it takes Tim a moment to realize with a start that he's staring. He flits his eyes back to Ashley, who is tilting up on her heels to press a soft kiss of greeting to his cheek, her expression unreadable.

Meanwhile, Lucy is also advancing toward him, and Tim finally notices that she's holding hands with someone. A handsome man dressed in a crisp black suit with a long, thin tie. Tim meets Lucy's eyes from across the room, and there's an aching hesitance in them. But before he can even process the way his throat feels suddenly thick, Ashley is turning around.

"Oh, Lucy — hi!" she says. Tim thinks he hears a hint of relief in her voice. "Wow, you look amazing."

Lucy's steps falter. Then she's continuing toward them with a tight-lipped smile, her hand still clasped tightly around her date's. "So nice to see you again, Ashley. You look really nice too." She shifts back and forth on her heels for a moment, and the four of them lapse into an awkward silence for a few beats. At least, Tim thinks it's awkward. Maybe it all feels perfectly normal to Ashley and —

"This is Chris. Chris Sanford," Lucy says suddenly, like she's just remembered he is standing right next to her. Chris doesn't seem to notice though, he just grins and reaches out a hand toward Tim.

"It's true, that's me," he jokes. Tim gives Chris a brief, but firm, handshake just as Lucy says —

"This is Sergeant Tim Bradford. My, ah, boss," she says. Tim's eyebrows briefly lift at the formality of the introduction before he schools his face back into a more neutral expression. "And this is his girlfriend, Ashley," Lucy continues.

"So nice to meet you both," Chris says smoothly, shaking Ashley's hand as well. The lobby bustles all around them as the four of them stand there for a few seconds. Tim glances down at Ashley, whose smile still is tight around the edges as she occupies herself with looking around the room. Then he lifts his gaze to Lucy, who is tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she stares down at her feet. Tim lets out a long exhale, the realization hitting him that this is probably going to be a long, long night.

"Well, let's head inside and get this party started," Chris says cheerfully after a moment, clapping his hands together. "Who needs a drink?"

"I do," Tim, Lucy, and Ashley all say in unison.

***

Chris seems like a nice guy. He's attentive to Lucy, fetching her favorite drink for her without being asked and tracking down another tray of the passed appetizer she really likes. He takes the time to talk to all of her Mid-Wilshire colleagues and seems genuinely interested in getting to know everyone. (Tim sees Angela and Nyla both give Lucy a sly thumbs up from across the room after they chat with Chris for a while.) He's even a Rams fan, which Tim discovers when Chris enthusiastically joins the debate that he and Grey are having about whether the team can make it all the way to the Super Bowl this year.

And Tim can't deny that Lucy seems happy with him. He watches Chris lean in close to whisper something in her ear, his fingers splayed against the curve of her lower back as Lucy tips her head back and laughs. She gives Chris a look that makes him laugh back, and Tim tries to ignore the memories of when he and Lucy used to be able to communicate volumes without ever saying a word.

So yeah, Chris is great. Which is great. It's really, really...great.

Ashley, meanwhile, is definitely being distant. She's smiling and laughing, but Tim can tell she's still upset about what happened this morning. She's putting on a good show, busying herself with chatting with everyone, but she hasn't said much to him all night beyond polite formalities. Which is also great.

Everything is great.