The Detective and Her Bachelor

Chapter 17

Reacting quickly in a stressful situation is one of the reasons I was good at my job. I wasn't known for thinking through things before jumping into action. I knew when to duck, to lie, to hide, to ask questions, and to fight back. And each reaction had its place in my detective job. But sometimes when you have to react instantly, you make the wrong call and cause things to become so much worse.

Like the time I thought I was tackling an intruder inside a church but in reality, I accidentally took down a priest and punched him in the face before I realized who he was. Or when I thought I was being followed by what turned out to be a large balloon that had somehow attached itself to a squirrel scurrying down the sidewalk behind me, don't ask...

The point is, life sometimes needs an 'act first think second' type of response, but the risk of doing something idiotic grows a whoooooole lot when you do things that way. 

So as the shadow approached the window, threatening to reveal my terrible lounging spot, from where I sat trapped on the window ledge, I decided that attacking my room intruder was better than trying to land on the ground below without breaking any bones.

So as the windows opened outward, nearly knocking me off the ledge, I tackled the shadow blindly, jumping into the room like a stealthy deranged cat and we both crashed to the ground, bodies spilling into the room. I landed on top and was half a second from punching the intruder in the face when I found myself staring down at a bemused and half terrified Michale, his glasses now askew on his face. 

His hands were thrown up over his face. "Whatever you do, spare my face! My cheekbones are immaculate!" Michale said in a fast panicked voice, eyes scrunched shut. 

I rolled off of Michale and bounced to my feet, guilt and confusion washing over my body. "What are you doing in here?" 

"ME!?!" he squeaked before he cleared his throat and attempted to speak at a non-chipmunk volume. "YOU ARE THE ONE THAT'S BEEN MISSING FOR HOURS!" 

"Michale, calm down," I said and was instantly rewarded with an enraged glare as he scrambled to his feet.

"I don't care if the cameras and the sound equipment hear us!" he replied, dusting off his deep red suit with a look of disgust, before adjusting his glasses across his face so they no longer sat askew. 

I glanced down at my wristwatch. "The cameras and microphones should still be down for another thirty seconds—"

Michale grabbed my arm, dragging me towards the bathroom before I could even think about escaping his angry wrath. "Good, then I still have thirty seconds to yell at you." 

He let go of my arm and yanked me into a hug, crushing me to him fiercely in a relieved and angry hug. "You ridiculous creature! You scared me half to death!" 

Then he took a step back, slammed the bathroom door with both of us inside, and threw on the shower to cover the rage and terror in his words. "NEXT TIME YOU DECIDE TO GO ALL DISAPPEARING DETECTIVE ON ME, LET ME KNOW! I didn't know if something had happened to you! And it's not like I can ask someone about you! I AM ON YOUR TEAM YOU CRAZY MYNX! START ACTING LIKE IT!"

I winced at the volume of his screaming but had nowhere to retreat to.

"What's going on?" Decker asked, hearing Michale's high-pitched terror through the earpiece.

"Michale is yelling at me," I muttered, feeling rightfully chastised. 

Michale yanked the earpiece from my ear, yelling directly into it. "YES DECKER! AND I SHALL YELL AT YOU TOO! I ASSUME YOU ARE THE REASON SHE IS COVERED IN CUTS AND BRUISES AND..." HE PLUCKED A PETAL FROM MY HAIR. "FLOWER PETALS!" MICHALE LOOKED AT ME MORTIFIED. "DID YOU GET TO SECOND BASE WITH A PLANT!?! HONESTLY DELLE! YOU HAVE TO BE DOWNSTAIRS IN TWENTY MINUTES! AND YOU CURRENTLY LOOK LIKE A FOREST DWELLER!"