"Go ahead and set that there, my dear," Nikki instructed.
My dear...
I thought as I placed the grocery bag of chips on the kitchen counter. Everything about this visit to my field training officer's house felt off, but now it felt
very
wrong.
"Okay," I said and began to empty the bags of chips and bottles of soda from the paper grocery bags. I had already marveled at her impressive whiskey bar in her living room on my way in. There must have been a hundred bottles organized on the heavy oak bar against the wall. It made sense. Nikki always talked about whiskey at work and this was where they held the weekly Whiskey club meetings. I had always been more of a wine girl.
Nikki came out from the hallway and stepped into the kitchen, giving me pause. If the vibe of Nikki's house didn't confirm my worries, then Nikki's appearance sure did.
I had always known Nikki was gorgeous, especially as a middle-aged woman, but this was the first time I had seen her outside of a police officer uniform. She wore a white blouse buttoned just high enough to keep her nipples from being exposed. Her brunette hair was recently done, and it dusted her shoulders as she walked, and her black skirt wisped in the air with every step. While Nikki had always been alluring as my immediate supervision on the force and the woman I shared a patrol car with, now she was all-consuming of my attention.
"Um, wow, you look, um, nice," I said, trying to find the right word that was professional and yet complimentary.
Nikki's red lips smiled condescendingly, "Nice, just nice?"
I shied away, looking down at what my hands were doing as I tucked a loose strand of my blonde hair behind my ear, "Well, you look very pretty," I mumbled, feeling my cheeks warm.
"Hm, well, thank you," Nikki said, stepping into the kitchen as she sipped at her whiskey drink. Her high heels clacked with every step.
"H-How long until everyone arrives?" I asked.
Nikki looked at her microwave and saw it was quarter to eight at night. "Anytime now," she said, taking a final sip before setting the glass down.
Nervous didn't begin to describe how I was feeling. While I wasn't staying for the entirety of this Whiskey Club meeting as I was not a member, I was about to do a meet and greet with many of its members, who ranked among them some of the most powerful women in Indianapolis. This included the lieutenant mayor, the chief of police, a congresswoman, and several other rich women who I'm sure had more connections than I could fathom. I, after all, was just a twenty-one-year-old girl, fresh out of the police academy, and barely have been a cop for two months now.
I intended to make my career on the merits of my work. However, Nikki advised me that getting anywhere in life is more about
who
you know rather than
what
you know, so I begrudgingly took her up on her offer for this little meet and greet. If nothing else, in the coming years, when I put in for a promotion, perhaps the chief will remember my name, and it will grease the wheels a bit.
"You look quite lovely as well," Nikki said as she clacked around the kitchen island. It was a beautiful kitchen Nikki had--really a beautiful house. Just outside of the city, the house looked about average on the outside except for the well-landscaped back and front lawns, but inside, everything was freshly decorated and modern. The walls, cabinets, and furniture were a wash of whites, grays, and blacks like they had been staged by a professional just a week prior. Her stainless steel appliances glistened as if they were meticulously cleaned daily.
I knew Nikki worked a lot of overtime, but I didn't think she worked this much over time...
"Thanks," I giggled uncomfortably, shifting my weight from one foot to the other as I continued fidgeting with the grocery items on the counter. I wore a simple cream-colored blouse and a nice pair of jeans, which looked somewhat professional yet casual. My blonde hair was up in a bun, and I wore modest gold hoop earrings to accentuate my neckline.
Nikki looked me up and down like I was a meal to be had. I knew she was interested in me as soon as I set foot in her patrol car and learned I was a lesbian, but I was not about to begin my career by sleeping with my coworkers, especially not my supervisors! No, I was going to do this right.
"Don't tell me you got all dressed up just for this?" Nikki asked, stepping closer.
I smiled, "No, well, sorta. I'm meeting some friends at a bar later tonight."
"Oh, I see," she said as she took a step closer to me.
I shrugged my hands nervously, "But I'm not driving, though," I giggled. Nikki had always told me from day one that drunk driving ruined more cops' careers than anything else.
"Well, that's good, dear," Nikki said disinterestedly. She stepped behind me as I faced the counter, and instantly, I felt a wave of vulnerability wash over me. She was taller than me without the heels, but with them now, Nikki stood a full head higher than me. "Why are you so nervous, hun?"
Nikki asked as her hands fell on my shoulders and began to rub up and down, the pressure grew with her touch as her grip tightened. I could feel her fingers rub my collar and her thumbs massage the back of my neck.
"Um, I-I don't know, I guess just n-nervous to meet everyone," my voice quivered as Nikki's hands rubbed down my back, briefly circling my hips before working their way back up.
"Oh, I wouldn't be worried," Nikki purred, and I felt her breath behind me, "After all, I'm here to protect you..."