I Don't Date Dragons

Chapter 4

Tiblisi entered her office on a Monday morning with a crisp white shirt and black dress pants on. She quickly headed to her desk with a coffee in her right hand and the files in her left. She felt good, a lot of progress would be made today.  As she sat down at her desk and pressed her computer to life, she found a note from her boss on her desk. This was unusual she thought before reading it. "Tiblisi, please come and visit me in my office at your earliest convenience - Max." Maybe it had something to do with updates on the Drew Smith file. She couldn't wait to sink her teeth into those, she just knew in her heart he wasn't guilty. She had another sip of her black coffee before walking down the hallway to see her boss. Her taste in coffee was much more bland than her taste in after dinner drinks. Usually the cosmo girl after dinner hours, she was during the day at work utilitarian and all business. She made the brisk walk to her boss' office and knocked sharply on the door. He guffawed singling it was okay for her to enter. "Heya Chief, what can I do for you today?" She was eager to await her stomping orders. "Tiblisi, please sit down, we have things to discuss." "If it has to do with the Drew Smith case I think I have an interesting take that you'd be interested to hear." She exaled and hoped this was what this meeting was about. His cold demeanour was reeking havoc on her calm nerves. "Do you remember the Coldwell case? The last case you were on?" 

"Well of course I remember, certainly threw us for a loop that verdict didn't it?" She was beginning to get nervous.

"Certainly did, well the thing is Tiblisi you're a great detective and everything but the family of Louis Caldwell is pressing charges on the department, and we had to let you go" He sighed heavily. HIs too large belly was growing and sagging with every breath. He was a great boss, she thought, until now. How of he could have not averted some of this media attention off of the department. She knew it right after his sentence, and her sentence for that matter fired, fired because someone had to be the scapegoat. 

As she was cleaning out her cubical and placing everything into a cardboard box, how cliche, it was all they gave her. Sometimes cliches are based in reality. As she was placing her items in the flimsy box she was telling herself she was a good cop. This was inter office politics that were completely beyond her control.  Fuck, fuck, fuck, she thought, what now. She had a few friends at the office she couldn't bring herself to say goodbye to right now. She didn't even know if they knew yet. No one was coming over, so that maybe said it all. Maybe they didn't want to be attached to the office pariah. Fuck them, she thought. She was overemotional. She managed to hold in her tears until she was in the car. 

She quickly called Mo, luckily Mo answered. She was born into a fabulously rich family and didn't have to work. Hence Mo's enriching social night life regardless of the day of week.  They agreed to meet at Fredrick's for Mimosa's and appetizers if the mood should hit them. Considering her current financial state Tiblisi knew Mo would pick up the bill. Thank god for good friends with money.  Fredrick's wasn't cheap and was a spot notorious for their delicious Mimosas and discretion.

Tiblisi pulled up to Fredricks not fifteen minutes later. Ottawa was after all a small town. The valet took her car and she was anticipating, in the mood she was in, having to come back tomorrow to pick it up. She was gliding on sheer will. Pushing herself into every action was debilitating. She needed the combination of vodka and champagne badly. 

Mo pulled up shortly after, she was wondering why Tiblisi had called her on a workday. What could possibly be going on? Unless she's had a mental breakdown from all the stupid stress of that job. She put on her lipgloss knowing she would have mimosas but she was trying to exhibit control. In all honestly the thought her best friend was in trouble made her want to micro manage. She needed control even if it was just the Estee Lauder lipgloss and thankfully her looks which she acquired from her Mediterranean mother. She didn't have to reapply that, just the moisturizer she slathered herself every night with. She exhaled, pursed her lips and waited for the maitre dee to open the door. When he did, she spotted Tiblisi right away at their favourite table, which usually was for special occasions, now with Tiblisi looking as frantic as ever, this table was now for traumatic life changing experiences. She pursed her lips and walked to the table.