Choices and Chances (a ppg fanfiction)

Chapter 12

"It's grand!” Kevin Ryan was looking all around beautifully arranged City Hall.
“Constructed a hundred years ago. Yet age graced it well.” Someone said behind him. He turned to meet the speaker.

“Damn, Rhea. You want me to faint?” Kevin was looking at elegantly dressed Rhea Timmons, who was wearing long night blue dress and silver dangling earrings. Her beautiful hair slightly curled but loose. Natural make up was giving her graceful appearance. She was pretty before but at banquet night, she was looking divine.

“You look good too, Kevin.” She politely said.

“By the way where is Arias?” she asked.

Kevin looked around and then replied.

“There. Talking to Madam Mayor.”

She saw Arias talking to Mayor Roxanna Bellum. She walked towards them
.
“Madam Mayor.” She greeted civilly.

“Rhea, honey. How are you?” Mayor Bellum pulled her in a gentle hug. ‘How come you here?’ Mayor asked her in her mind.

“I work alongside Officer Callahan in the KKK case.” She told her vocally. Mayor looked at her confusingly and then at Arias.

“Oh, you look lovely, darling.” Mayor in an instant changed her thoughts and her emotions, leaving both Arias and Rhea stunned for a while.

“Thanks, ma'am. You too.” Rhea politely said.

“I’ll leave you to celebrations.” Mayor Bellum saying that went away.

Arias looked at Rhea with intensity. Slowly a smile formed on his face.

“You look nice, Rhea.” He softly said. She blushed slightly.

“You too look handsome.” She looked at his almost black suit with a light blue shirt but no tie.

“I have to speak to the public. Had to dress up.” He said indifferently.
His thoughts were fixed on her. He was noticing her grace and beauty for the first time, not in a scientific way but in an admiring way. Seeing herself through Arias's mind made her blush deeper.

Rhea, for the first time, wanted to look right in Arias' honey eyes. She wanted to stop thinking that he was her enemy in the past. All she wanted was to be with a nice, rock-loving, strong police officer who was her partner. Arias wasn’t understanding her emotions. That was something new to him. A warm, deep feeling. He couldn’t tell if that was a new feeling was his or Rhea's. They both were looking at each other and very slowly were leaning towards each other.

“Now. Officer Callahan will tell you about the case.”

The spell broke.

They both left their enchanted circle and came back to reality. Arias turned around and walked towards rostrum. Rhea went to stand near Kevin. Kevin had two glass in his hands. She not even asking him to take one and gulped down to fought her nervousness.

“No! No! No! God damn it, Rhea!” Kevin quietly yelled. “why you took that from me?”

Whatever were the contents of the glass, they tasted bitter and burned her throat.