It wasn’t until she heard the bartender ask what she wanted that she realized she had ended up in her favorite dive, Franks. She ordered a whiskey on the rocks and made it a double. She eyed the pool table and figured she could challenge herself to a round or two. Between that and Jack Daniels, she may be able to stop her mind from replaying everything she had seen in the past week.
The cool wood sliding between her fingers and the resounding crack and subsequent drop and roll of the seven ball calmed her frazzled nerves, or maybe her second double in as many minutes. She lined up the two ball and sent it into the corner pocket with a satisfying thud.
“So, you’re a night owl too?”
Jordan looked up and saw Rebecca leaning against the doorframe. If she was surprised to see her there, her face didn’t show it. Instead, an almost friendly smile had replaced the ever-present glare that Jordan was getting used to. She had changed into faded blue jeans and a worn out button-down shirt. Jordan had to admit she looked incredibly sexy away from work.
“Yeah, I don’t sleep much anyway, and this case has me all riled up.”
Jordan watched her push off the doorframe and walk towards her. She set her beer bottle down and grabbed a stick. “Up for a game?”
Jordan quirked an eyebrow in disbelief. “Sure. Although, I didn’t think you liked me enough to suffer my company.”
Rebecca laughed, and Jordan felt herself shiver. Her laugh was definitely sexy, just like the rest of her. “Forgive me, Agent, but you will learn pretty quickly that I take my job very seriously, and I don’t like it when I’m stuck in a pissing contest over whose jurisdiction it is, when all I want to do is make the streets a little safer. Besides, beating you will be much more enjoyable than beating myself.”
“Please call me Jordan.” Jordan studied Rebecca’s face as she re-racked the balls. She stood with her hands rested on the top of her stick. “If that’s not overstepping my bounds.”
Jordan winked as she said the words and Rebecca couldn’t help but smile. Outside of work, Jordan was even more of a distraction, and she welcomed the warm feeling that was starting to spread through her body. She wasn’t sure if it was the beer or Jordan, but she didn’t care. “Alright, Jordan it is…outside work.”
Jordan covered a smile. Even off-duty Rebecca couldn’t let go of her control. “Are you always this competitive?”
Rebecca met her gaze and had to force herself to pull away. She realized that looking into Jordan’s eyes was a bad idea. She could see getting lost in them, and that wasn’t something she would allow herself to do. “With four brothers, I had to be.”
Jordan nodded toward the table. She studied Rebecca’s movements, imprinting them in her brain. Her movements were fluid, almost feline, with a calculated fluidity that made Jordan wonder if she hadn’t been a ballerina at some time. She watched her lean over the table, the stick held gently between her thumb and forefinger. She pulled back and sent the cue ball flying with deadly accuracy. By the time the break had come to a stop, she had dropped the six and thirteen balls respectively. Rebecca stood up and sent a devilish grin towards Jordan. “You’re in trouble.” She circled the table. “I’ll take solids. Two ball, corner pocket.”
“You didn’t tell me you were a hustler.” Jordan teased and watched her deftly sink the two ball. “So, you have four brothers, huh? Where did you fall?”
“Middle.” Rebecca lined up another shot and sunk her third solid. “We were all born pretty close together, and growing up, I just kind of thought of myself as one of the guys. If they played football, I thought I had to play as well.”
“And win of course.” Jordan’s eyes twinkled playfully. She liked this version of Detective Foxx. The sexy redhead was quickly making her blood boil. She stole a glance to see if maybe the feeling was mutual, but Rebecca was already lining up her next shot. After a particularly difficult bank attempt into the side pocket, she gave up the table.
“Guess I can’t win ‘em all.” Rebecca's face broke into a smile. She felt free for the first time in days. Jordan had a way of putting her at ease and making her forget, for a second, she was a cop. “So what about you? Any brothers or sisters?”
A cloud passed over Jordan’s face then disappeared just as quickly. “Nope. Just me and my mom, when she was around, which wasn’t much.” She lined up over the cue ball and sent it flying, smashing into the eleven and slamming it into the hole so hard it bounced up in protest before dropping with an obliging thud.
Rebecca wanted to push, but she sensed that subject was off limits. There was no mention of her father, which made her heart catch. Rebecca’s own father had been a huge part of her and her brother’s lives until he passed away two years ago from lung cancer. She felt Jordan withdraw and needed to bring her back. She liked the warmth and comfort she felt with her, and she didn’t want to let it go as quickly as she had felt it. “So, what brings you to a place like this? And no, that isn’t a bad pickup line.”
Jordan’s face broke out in a grin, and Rebecca could see where women would find her quite handsome. “Damn, I was hoping you were hitting on me.”
Her gaze seared through Rebecca, and she had to swallow the lump in her throat before she could speak without her voice shaking. “Not gonna happen, Agent Gray. I’m not interested in dating you.”
Jordan furrowed her brow then quickly pulled her eyes from Rebecca’s face. She wondered if she was not interested in her or not interested in women. It didn’t matter though, Jordan wasn’t interested either. At least, that was what she kept telling herself, although her heart pounded a little faster when the Detective was around. “Good. We won’t have to worry about our relationship getting in the way of working together.”
Rebecca hid her disappointment. She wasn’t sure what she had expected Jordan to say in response to that, but agreeing with her wasn’t Rebecca’s first choice. “Glad that’s settled.”
Jordan felt a tug in her chest again. She pushed it down. “I live right around the corner. It’s kind of been my haunt for the last few years. How about you? Is this your first time in here?”
“Nah, just haven’t been here in ages.” Rebecca took a swig from her beer and watched Jordan miss just to the left of the side pocket with her fourteen ball. “Normally, I hang out with the Jonesy and the guys at Stan’s, but tonight I needed to get away from work. You can’t there. I live right around the corner on Arlington.”
“No shit.” Jordan laughed. “I live on Halstead.”
“So let me guess, you’re here a lot?” Rebecca leaned over and lined up her shot and sent the four ball cleanly into the corner pocket. “This place suits you.”
Jordan quirked an eyebrow. “I’m not sure if I should take that as a compliment.”
Rebecca chuckled innocently. “It is. It’s uncomplicated…like you.”
“Guess that pretty much sums up my life.” Jordan smiled sheepishly. “Things were too complicated growing up and I like it much better this way. Keeps me from going crazy.”
“It’s hard in this line of work.” Rebecca tapped the seven into the side pocket and studied the table. She walked around and stepped in front of Jordan to line up her next shot. She made the mistake of getting too close to Jordan, her breasts brushing across her arm. She tried to ignore the jolt of electricity that shot through her body. Suddenly, she was aware of their closeness, and she tried to back away, but she felt her bottom hit the edge of the table.
Her next mistake was looking up into Jordan’s eyes. Instead of her practiced air of nonchalance, there was a hint of desire, and it made Rebecca shiver. Jordan licked her lips and didn’t break the connection that crackled between. She leaned in closer, and Rebecca could feel her warm breath against her cheek. She smelled like whiskey and peppermint gum and something else she couldn’t quite place, but it reminded her of danger.