A Delayed Flight

Chapter 2

Waiting patiently was definitely not one of my strong suits. For the third time since I've been sitting here in this small café, I checked my phone for a notification of some sort. I needed an indication that my waiting wasn't going to be in vain. Just for safe measure, I pulled up the conversation we had yesterday, wanting to double check the times and make sure I was sitting in the right place while simultaneously resisting the urge to text her and see if she was alright.

R: How does the coffee shop on 44th Street sound?

E: Perfect. Is 2:30 a good time for you?

R: It works just fine. I look forward to seeing you soon, Detective Swan.

E: The same goes for me, Miss Mills.

Glancing outside the window, which my seat was conveniently sitting right beside, I saw the street sign not that far away. Okay, I'm in the right shop and my watch says it's 2:35 so I'm certainly not late. Maybe she changed her mind, decided she didn't want to send me the wrong message. She had already changed her mind about going for burgers and asked if coffee were better. I mean, she was certainly a stunning woman, even in the face of danger, so perhaps a better offer came about and she just didn't have the heart to tell me, fearing I might take it hard. But before I could run through every worse-case scenario, the little bell on top of the door rang as someone walked in and my head shot up while my lungs pushed out a breath of relief; it was her.

She glanced around for a moment before our eyes connected and she smiled at me. I tried not to seem like I had just been impatiently patient and returned the smile as she walked over and sat across from me. "Sorry I'm a few minutes late. Henry's school called and reminded me that it was my turn this month to plan their field trip next week. So I had to listen to their principal spew out all the rules and regulations again as if I were new at this. How are you?" The entire time she talked, she simultaneously took off her coat, placed it and her purse on the chair beside her and picked up a menu while my eyes never tore away from her. I was too marveled at how easily she seemed to do more than one thing at one time.

When I took too long to answer, because I was too busy thinking about how beautiful she was and how it should be a crime to look that good, she waved a slender hand in front of my face, finally snapping me from my self-induced trance, I blinked a few times and shook my head, "Sorry about that, I'm alright. This one case is slowly driving me clinically insane. So where are you going to take the kids?" I asked, showing that I had been listening while reluctantly shoving my eye sight down to the menu so I wouldn't suffer another embarrassment like that but judging by the constant grin on those ruby rose lips and the lack of grimace appearing on her face, she either hadn't thought ill of me yet or didn't mind that I was looking.

"I was thinking about the museum. They just opened up a new exhibit about retro cartoons and I think it'd keep the kids entertained." She answered, still studying the menu. "Oh now that does sound like a lot of fun. I'm a big Bugs Bunny fan myself." I smirked, though on the inside I was mentally face-palming myself for being such a dork. There was literally no reason to be this nervous, but me being Swan, I just had to over think things. "Really?" Even though I hadn't looked up, I could tell that she was looking at me now and her lips were stretched into such a beautiful smile, "Daffy Duck has always been my favorite." There was a short pause before she folded her arms across her chest, by now I had given her my undivided attention, "Y'know, I could use some help on the field trip if you're interested..."

Part of me wanted to say no, the side that feared rejection, that kept telling me to stop now before feelings get involved and things take a turn for the worst, but my heart spoke up first, "Yeah, sure. I don't mind helping keep an eye on the munchkins." That earned me a laugh and I'll be damned, she was even more beautiful. "Slow your roll, Swan. You don't even know if she's interested in women." I reminded myself within the confines of my hard-as-a-brick head. "You don't know how glad I am to hear that. Perhaps this time I won't have to call the authorities once a child decides they want to play Hide and Seek and disappear from the group since you'll be with us, Detective."