MAMI ✔️

Chapter Five

"Wise choice, I'll do the same. Good thing Jada is a lightweight, two beers and she will be ready to go home." Tom says as he starts the car.

"She will never admit that though." I laugh joining Tom in making fun of his fiancé.

Jada thinks she can handle her alcohol but she once passed out at brunch after having three mimosas. At least she's a cute drunk who doesn't give us any trouble when she is intoxicated.

The drive to Ben's bar takes forty five minutes due to traffic but Tom is good company and has me cracking me up the whole way. By the time we arrive, I am already over my sadness after the fact that Darius wasn't there to receive the medal for himself.

"Finally, we've been waiting for over an hour." Jada exclaims as soon as we walk up to the bar.

Renee and Ben are also present but baby Taylor is nowhere is sight. It's a packed night so she's probably at home with a babysitter.

"Sorry baby, we got stuck in traffic." Tom apologizes pulling her in for a kiss and a hug.

"Let's see the medal." Renee requests once we get the hellos out of the way.

I smile as I open it and hold it out for everyone.

"Wow, Darius did good." Ben declares.

"Yes he did and for that lets all celebrate. Ladies what will you be having?" Ben asks as he steps around the bar to get our drinks.

"I'll have one beer, Darius favorite. I have a surgery in the morning so I can't drink much." I reply.

I sit back as everyone else makes their orders as Darius' medal is passed around so they can admire it.

After Ben is done serving us, he asks one of the bartenders to cover for him as he joins us at a table so we can all sit and talk.

"Tom, any luck with a new partner?" Renee asks repeating the same question I had earlier.

"I don't want one." Tom replies taking a swig of his beer.

"Is that even allowed?" Ben inquires.

"Not really but they are cutting me some slack because of what happened to Darius. I have to chose soon though." Tom answers.

I can see how much Tom is struggling. Darius was his partner for seven years, they were practically brothers so asking him to replace that is hard on him. He needs more time but the department can only compromise so much.

"Maybe you should get a female partner this time." Ben suggests.

"Over my dead body." Jada protests.

"Jealous much." I scoff bumping her shoulder with mine.

"It's not jealousy, it's possessiveness. I trust my man, it's the woman I won't be able to trust. I already had to share him with Darius and he was a man, just imagine if it's a woman." Jada defends.

"I'm all yours baby." Tom consoles kissing her.

Jada melts into him and its obvious that she is smitten with him. I understand her reservation about Tom getting a female partner. Before Darius partnered with Tom, his partner was female and they did more than be partners on the job. It was all sex though and they were only partners for a year before she transferred to another state. Darius wasn't really a settling down kind of man but he wasn't a jerk either. He was just not ready to settle down and now that he is gone, he won't ever get there.

"How about a cute male partner? We can set him up with Hannah now that she is single and no longer dating that douchebag." Renee suggests.

Her words and the mention of my name pulls me out of my depressing thoughts.