First Impressions - RIVER CARTWRIGHT

Chapter 2

Three days later, Lexie was still buzzing from her success on the stand. Her testimony had secured great progress for the legal team and they were confident of a conviction. The outcome was due at any moment and she sat with two colleagues refreshing the instant news feed waiting for the outcome when her phone buzzed in her jeans. She’d been taken aback by the way River’s gaze had taken her in at the café. She convinced herself that she'd imagined it – blown it out of proportion and that he had just been surprised that she wasn’t in jeans. Past rubbish experiences and boyfriends had robbed her of any kind of confidence, and growing up in the 2000s meant that the whole new trend of ‘love your body, love yourself’ was a bit of an alien concept. She still had nightmares of not getting her hips into super low rise jeans, and the hell of her hourglass figure developing during her Sixth Form years when the boys in her class had no concept of curves and would snigger and laugh at her. It wasn’t that she didn’t like her body, it suited her just fine - but no one had ever told her that her kind of body was actually desired. Sophie was one step away from having her read ‘my body deserves to be worshipped’ mantras in the bathroom mirror. The media of the last twenty years had a lot to answer for. She pushed aside her teenage angst and reached for her phone. River. She had a feeling it would be.

“Still no verdict?”

“No, I’m going to lose my mind. It’s like waiting for Christmas.”

“287 days. You need a distraction. I have some information for you – are you free later?”

“River, please don’t tell me how long it is til Christmas. I’ve not yet recovered from the last one. I am free… is this real information?”

“What else would it be? A ploy to get you in a pub? – because you’re going to want a grown up drink for this.”

“You’re really selling it. Go on?”

“Not til later. See you at the pub across the road from the café – 6pm?”

As Lexie typed her response, Sky news refreshed. “Lex, it’s in!” Andy dragged her attention from her phone, and stared at the live news feed. The gang, who it’s said managed to convince children as young as 11 to carry bladed weapons into school and had coerced tens of people to move drugs and weapons around the city, have all been found guilty. sentencing is expected next week. “Yessss!” Andy roared, pulling Lexie into a bear hug. She beamed and finished her message:

“See you there…. They’re guilty - get on Sky news - I did that! I’ll make sure to have coffee with you next time I’m in court - you must be a good luck charm!”

In his office, River already had the news refreshing and was waiting to see the verdict. He’d figured out the case being heard when Lexie had left him in the cafe, and he had followed the remaining days of the hearing closely for himself. He smiled at his phone as Catherine passed his office door, her eyes widened.

“River? Are you smiling? Are you ok?” he laughed a little

“All fine here, just some good news for a friend.” Catherine nodded and as she turned to walk away, River heard her mutter,

“Didn’t think you had any friends.”

********

The afternoon at the station had been a delirious combination of going insanely fast, but also excruciatingly slowly. Lexie had been upstairs to receive a congratulatory handshake from her senior bosses, someone had arrived with celebration pizza and she’d called Sophie to squeal and cry down the phone. By the time she left the station and headed towards the pub, she was on top of the world. She spotted River in a corner booth and grinned, raising her hand in the international gesture of ‘another drink?’ he held up a half full pint and Lexie ordered white wine for herself and another pint for River.