Partners in Crime

Chapter six

We walked up a set of spiral stairs until we made it to the second floor. There's no door so your straight away in the room where the function is on. I take a few seconds to scan the room : there's a huge dance floor in the middle of the room, with a mini stage set up at the back wall. There's another bar, similar to the one downstairs and all around the room, there's bar stools and high tables - nothing like I expected from the outside.

"You're here!" Clare gushes, as she speed walks over "and you look amazing."

I grin. "As do you."

"So I bet your wondering who the hell half these people are." She motions towards everyone else, who are busy chatting, or singing to the songs on the jukebox. "This is everyone from our force, some of them are from different shifts. Would you believe this isn't actually everyone, some parents couldn't get babysitters."

"So do you guys do this often?"

She nods. "Harry's is like our place, and it's yours now too. We always try to get out on a Friday night, because we're like a family and it's hard to have outside friendships with our hours."

Understandable.

A few seconds later, a pretty blonde walks up to us. She's around my height and looks about my age, she has her blonde hair flowing down her back in loose curls, and she's wearing a red jumpsuit that accentuates her curves perfectly and a red lip to match.

"You look fire." She grins walking towards us. "I mean I don't know where they got you out of, but they should be worried about this no relationship policy."

I laugh. "I bet you've already been the reason the policy is broken."

She gasps. "With this body, I don't think so."

"Don't believe her Olive." Theo stands beside me. "You see that ring on her finger, it's from her boyfriend who also works with us."

"And you both still work here?"

She nods. "My fiancé works in forensics, and I'm an agent, so after some persuading we got away with our relationship." She extends her hand. "I'm Tammy by the way."

I take her hand. "Olivia."

"Well lovely to meet you Olivia, I feel like we'll be the best of friends."

"Sounds like a great idea."

An hour later, I've been introduced to almost everyone.  I can see why they call themselves a family - everyone bounce off each other with good sense of humours.

"I've been looking for you for ages." Tammy huffs, grabbing hold of my wrist.

"What's up?" I ask, once she's dragged me to a table in the corner.

She shrugs. "Nothing, I just needed to make it look like I had to drag you away from the crowd."

"You ever consider being an actress instead of an agent?"

"Once or twice, but crime has my heart."

"Tell me about it."

"You're from New York right?" I nod. "I've always wanted to go there, but I've never left here my whole life."

"That calls for a girls trip to the Big Apple whenever we get time off."

She grins. "So what do you think of Theo?"

I shrug, looking towards the bar. Theo's laughing with a group of three other men, he's wearing a black shirt, that's rolled up above his elbows - but it's clinging to him showing his god given body through the material.

"Earth to Olivia?"

I silently gasp and turn back towards Tammy. Her way too big grin tells me, she didn't miss me ogling my partner,

"Bet your wishing you were in the forensic department now."

"Let's just say, I haven't met anyone quite like him before."

Tammy nods. "He has that affect on girls, surprisingly though, I've never seen him take any of the barbies home." She glances behind me. "But by the way he's looking at you now, he probably feels the same as you."

I shake my head. "No way! His favourite past time is to be an idiot to me, yet he won't let me go undercover if I've to go home with someone."

"Sounds like self sabotage."

"Oh my god, your more mental than I thought."

She grins. "I give it a month before something happens."

"And then one of us loses our job, I don't think so." I laugh.

"And then no one higher up finds out, so you both won't lose your job."

I roll my eyes, smiling nevertheless "you're crazy."

"Oh hey Theo!" Tammy waves enthusiastically. "I was just saying that Liv looks amazing don't you think?"

Before Theo responds another boy steps up beside Tammy, he's got short black hair, and a matching ring to Tammys on his left hand.

"Should I be taking the ring back." he jokes and she hits him playfully.

"That won't be necessary." She grins "I ain't taking this ring off until it's being replaced by the real thing at the top of the aisle."

"Glad your still feeling that way hun." He pecks her lips, before extending his hand towards me. "I'm Charlie."

"Olivia, nice to meet you." I take his hand.

He nods. "I've heard your quite the badass."

"Can I just confirm, I wasn't the one who told him that." Theo interjects. "Badass is the last word I'd use to describe you."

"More like smart, sexy?" I wink.

"I was thinking more along the lines of unintelligible."

"Your words wound me." I stick my bottom lip out 'sulking'.

He glances at my lips before his eyes snap back up to mine.

"So you're from New York right? Bet this place is tiny compared to your back garden." Charlie interrupts the moment.

My eyes snap over towards him. Tammy looks like she wants to kill her fiancé, while he doesn't seem to notice the tension he just broke.

I should probably thank him.

I nod with a slight smile. "I think I've always known I wanted to move somewhere smaller though, where people know each other you know?"

"Theo told me the same thing when he got here."

"You did?" I turn to him.

He nods. "I mean London's got nothing on New York, but it was still too busy for me."

The reminder of his English heritage causes me to notice his accent again, and my god if it doesn't spell 'take me home'.

I'm a sucker for accents.

"I've never been there." I deduce. "I've only ever been out of the country once, and that was for training."

"Where?" Tammy asks.

"Paris. It was a two night stay and all work, no pleasure."

"So I know Tam's never been to NYC, but what about you two?" They both shake their heads. "My god you guys, that's some bomb club experiences you've missed out on."

"No way, London's way better."

"As if."

"Eventually I'll prove you wrong."

"Well I cant wait to prove you wrong." I retort.

When I look back over at Tammy, she's directing her 'I told you so' smirk towards me.

It doesn't matter though, because no matter what just happened, we both know deep down, that nothing can happen.