"It's only for dinner, Tim. Geez, you act like we do this all of the time."
"We? Where'd this 'we' stuff come in? You're the one setting up these dates for him, not me. Don't include me in this grand scheme of yours." He tried to look peeved, but it was just an act he was putting on and Joy saw right through it.
Joy put her book on the nightstand and turned off the light. Snuggling against him, she said, "Don't worry about whose idea it was. I'll make it up to you afterwards. Of course," she said as she slid her hand between his legs, "we could get started early if you like."
Tim laughed softly, "I'd love to go on a double date tomorrow night."
"I thought you would," she replied as she settled next to her husband for a night of loving.
Nancy woke late Saturday morning, savoring another day off from the hospital. She still loved her job, but her patient load increased almost every year and she was now taking care of twice as many patients as she had when she first started eight years earlier. And of course, almost every decision she made while on duty had a direct impact upon the patient, so any mistake, no matter how small, could cause a life or death situation. She couldn't say for sure that she was getting burnt out, but she found it harder and harder to want to go to work. Nancy prayed and hoped that her day would be mistake free and that she would be able to give her patients all of the attention that they needed.
Perhaps that is why she was looking so forward to an evening out with Joy, her husband, and of course, Joy's brother, Eric, her date. She really needed a fun night out with friends and maybe this would lead to something better with Eric. She surely hoped so. It had been a long time since she had been in a meaningful relationship and she missed the thrill and excitement of being in love, to be loved. Joy had painted a pretty even picture of Eric for her, telling her the good and the bad, although he didn't seem to have too many faults, and Nancy was grateful for her truthfulness.
She made herself a couple of scrambled eggs and toast and ate absently while reading the newspaper. After she finished her meal and the paper, she noticed that it was close to one o'clock, so she put the dishes in the sink for later and headed to the bathroom for a quick shower.
Eric whistled softly as he pulled out of his apartment complex, turning left at the driveway, and headed to his sister's house. He was in a great mood as he looked forward to the evening. Even if the date didn't work out, he always enjoyed getting together with Joy and Tim. She was his only sibling, one year older, and they had always been close, even in the teenage years. He and Tim shared many interests and could often be found on a golf course or on a fishing pond in Tim's boat on the weekends..
Looking ahead to his right, Eric saw a Wood County sheriff's car stopped with it's lights flashing. A vehicle was in front of it with its driver's door open. He didn't see an officer or anyone else around and Eric thought it was strange. Cop instinct took over as he moved over to the middle turn lane while looking for an officer or suspect. As he passed the two cars, he immediately saw the problem as an officer was on the ground between the cars flailing around with a larger suspect.
"Shit!" Eric hissed as he jammed on the brakes, pitching himself forward as he slammed the car into park. Forgetting his leg and everything else, he quickly glanced right before racing across the two lanes, hearing sirens in the distance. As he approached, he could see a female officer on her back, her hand on her holstered gun with the suspect's hand over hers trying to pull it out. She was trying to kick him off, but he was too large for her to handle.
Wide eyed, she saw Eric heading towards them with a full head of steam. Eric hit him low and hard in the ribs with a body block, knocking him off of the officer. Both went sprawling as Eric landed on his knees but felt nothing with his adrenaline pumping. The dazed suspect was trying to get up from a seated position, but Eric scrambled behind him slipping an arm around his neck and cradling his head with the other arm at an odd angle. Eric applied pressure, effectively cutting off the man's air supply while painfully stretching his neck.
Eric growled in his ear, "You even twitch and I'll snap your neck like a twig! You understand?"
"Yeah," the man gasped, barely audible.
The officer had recovered and had her gun drawn in front of her, shaking slightly.
"Now, you're going to slowly roll to your left and then onto your stomach. Make any sudden moves and I can assure you that I will kill you or this officer will gladly blow your brains out. Got that?" Eric looked at the officer, his eyes reassuring her that he was in control of the situation. She nodded back to him.
"Yeah," the suspect gasped once again, trying in vain to get more air.
The sirens were coming closer as Eric shifted his weight slightly to allow the man to roll to his left as directed. As the man moved to his stomach, Eric reached his hand out for handcuffs and the officer gave him a set. As he handcuffed the individual, three police cruisers squealed to a halt nearby. Eric looked up and was relieved to see them as they helped him to his feet and took over the scene. Officer Pam Ridley holstered her gun and was visibly shaken by the ordeal. The sergeant on the scene took her by the arm and led her a few feet away to let her get composed enough to tell him what happened. Eric was questioned by the other officers and he gave a detailed account of the incident. Most of the officers recognized him from the academy or had worked with him when he was still a deputy. Eric glanced at Ridley and the sergeant from time to time, her head down, hands on hips. Periodically, the sergeant would pat her on the shoulder offering encouragement.
After a few minutes, Eric wandered over to her when their conversation was finished. Eric recognized her from the academy, but he couldn't remember anything in particular about her. When he drew near, she reached out and hugged him.
"Thank you," she said in a low voice. "I don't know how much longer I could have lasted."
"You did good," Eric replied. "You stopped him from getting your weapon and you survived."
"Maybe only because of you," she said, her emotions starting to get out of control.
"What happened?"
"He ran a light at London and Wellersby, so I pulled him over. He was fine until I brought him back to the car. I thought I saw some pot on the floorboard, but I wasn't sure. That's why I had him step out. He spun on me and took me down before I could react. I hit my '99' button when we hit the ground. I'm so lucky you showed up!"
Eric smiled and they talked quietly for a few moments. Eric liked the way she looked at him, flattered that a woman as young and pretty as she seemed to enjoy his company. If only he was younger and not going on a date, he probably would have asked her out. Date?!? Eric quickly looked at his watch. "Damn!" he exclaimed as he saw the time.
"Something wrong?"
"I'm late for a date. I need to make a call."
"I'm sorry," she said, head own once more.
Eric reached forward and lifted her chin gently. "Don't you be sorry for anything. I can be late for a date." Pam tried to smile, but couldn't, her gray eyes starting to fill with tears, tears from her brush with death and tears from the frustration that the man who saved her life was dating another. The crush that she had on him at the academy had not left her in the six months since her graduation.
Eric pulled out his cell phone and dialed Joy's number. She answered on the first ring. "Hey Joy, it's Eric."
"Eric! Where in the world are you? It's after five-fifteen!"
"I got tied up with some police work. I'll explain later. Listen, I've got to go back home and get cleaned up, so I'll meet you guys at the restaurant. Can you pick up Nancy for me?"
"Sure Eric, what time?"
"Where are we eating?"
"Francisco's on Main Street."
"I'll be there by six-fifteen."
"Okay, but you better have a damned good excuse!"
"It's a good one, Joy, believe me. I'll see you in a little bit."
"Okay Eric, bye."
Eric stayed long enough to talk to the sergeant for a few minutes and also to Pam again before he left the scene to go back home. Once there, he took another shower and changed into clean clothes. His knee was aching slightly, so he made sure he had a bottle of extra-strength Tylenol in case it got worse. When he felt that he was sufficiently groomed, he left for the restaurant.
Nancy was irritated and disappointed when Joy called to say that they'd be late. She was nervous already and this would just prolong her anxiety. She had been ready for over an hour after taking extra care with her hair and makeup. Wearing a tan short-sleeved blouse and black dress pants, Nancy looked nothing like she usually did in her drab green hospital scrubs. The form fitting blouse showed off her well-defined shoulders and arms and it narrowed down to her slim hips. Nancy did weight training three or four times per week and she was proud of her physique. She had always been athletic and weight lifting was her newest outlet, having been active in it for the past three years. No matter how tired or busy she was, Nancy always made it a point to work out for at least forty-five minutes each session.
They met at Nancy's at six o'clock and from there, they headed to Francisco's, an Italian restaurant in the heart of the city. Not only was it known for it's excellent food, it was small, quaint, and romantic. They were shown a table in a quiet corner and Tim ordered a bottle of red wine for them. Joy looked at him questioningly.
