[Author's note: After date night (
I04
) Adam and Eve decide to spend some time away from the club to see where their relationship could be heading. Eve's friend Colette (
I02
), is also a cop in the same department as Eve]
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A TRIP INTO THE COUNTRYSIDE
Adam offered to pick Eve up from work. He was waiting in the car on the opposite side of the road as Eve emerged from the building with Colette.
"That's the mystery man, is it?" Colette said, nodding across the street.
"Who?"
"Dark grey convertible, twelve o'clock."
"What makes you think that?"
Colette laughed. "The way he's staring at you."
Eve glanced across the road. Colette was right, Adam had the window down and was watching her intently.
"Either that, or he's got a thing against cops and we're about to be up to our necks in shit."
"What makes you think I've got a mystery man?" Eve interjected.
"Yesterday, when you had that guy against the wall," Colette replied, "Reece got him in the car, and then what did you do?"
"No idea."
"You checked your hair."
"Oh, and that means what? You're suddenly Sherlock Holmes?"
"Woman's intuition. Tell me I'm wrong."
Colette was grinning at her now.
"Because I touched my hair?"
"The new shoes."
"But...."
"The lunchbox."
"Oh, what. Really?"
"Since when did you eat couscous?"
"My mother used to make it all the time when...."
"I'm on the money, Eve. Dead right, and grey convertible just seals it."
"Excellent detective work."
Colette shrugged. "My job. I got a talent. Look, good changes, Eve, all of them. Looking after yourself, it's all good."
She looked across at the car. "Go get 'em tiger."
"You not gonna tell me to be safe? To watch myself?"
Colette laughed, her blonde hair bobbing. "Fuck no. I should be telling him that. Dude's got no idea."
"I just...."
"Have a good weekend, hon."
Eve wanted to argue the point, but it was too late; Colette had already turned and started walking away. She waved over her shoulder, not looking back. Eve watched her go, then shouldered her little bag and crossed the street.
Seeing her approach, Adam jumped out of the car and hurried around to the passenger side to open the door for her.
"No sudden movements, okay?" Eve told him.
Adam frowned. "What?"
"Ah, never mind," Eve replied, sliding into the passenger seat and stowing her bag between her legs. Adam closed her door and strode around the front of the car to climb into the driver's seat.
"Nice wheels," she said.
"Yeah."
"How long you been driving a convertible?"
"This? Uh, about twenty minutes."
"I... oh, so this isn't your car?"
Adam looked startled. She could tell how nervous he was.
"I rented it. I thought you might like, uh... okay."
She watched as Adam seemed to run out of momentum. He looked from the steering wheel to his passenger, suddenly despondent.
"Too much? It's too much, isn't it? I overdid it."
Eve regarded him for a moment, seeing the look in his eyes. She gave him a little smile.
"No, it's perfect. I like that you went to the trouble."
She leaned across and gave him a peck on the cheek.
"Now, drive. Let's get the hell away from this place. I've had enough of law and order for one week."
Adam did as instructed, pulling out into the traffic. Eve rested her hand on his knee as he drove, watching as the tension began to ebb from his body. It was such a curious thing, watching his reaction to normal everyday things, seeing the worry that he was somehow messing it up. But that was the thing about Adam; she had seen him in total control, a polished operator able to do and say quite incredibly astute things. Yet here he was, picking her up from work to have a weekend out of the city, something that most people would cope with easily, and he was going to pieces. She knew that it meant he was trying very hard, it meant that this meant something to him.
"Were you waiting long?" she asked.
"About ten minutes."
"Colette thought you were scoping the office out for a rampage."
"Who?"
"Oh come on. Blonde, my height, the boobs. The one talking to me."
"Oh, yeah. Her. Sorry, I was looking at you."
Adam glanced across at her. Eve gave his knee a squeeze.
"That's either very cute, or incredibly scary."
"Did I look like a psycho?"
"Kinda. Are you a psycho?"
"Sorry. No. I'm not. I'm not a...."
"It's all fine," Eve interrupted, "I'm just teasing. But seriously, you need to be able to pass the background check."
This got a reaction from Adam.
"Background check?"
"Yeah, part of the protocol. The department needs to vet boyfriends."
Adam's eyes widened.
"You got a problem with that, Adam? It's part of the deal with my job."
"Uh, just... uh, fine. I just didn't expect you to say that."
"What? Background check?"
"No, boyfriend."
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