His Purple Heart

16 - Light to his darkness

I woke up early the next day, not because I wanted to, but because I had to. I hated mornings, but then again, who didn't. Trystan probably.

Give me the night, anytime. There was something about dark blue skies with deep hints of purple, twinkling stars and a half full moon that did it for me. At night I got inspired. At night I painted.

I sat down at the counter, hot cop of tea in hand. Special blend, ginger and coconut. Ever since my breakup with Drake, I hated chamomile tea with a passion. It just didn't taste the same.

I waited for the fog of sleep to dissipate from my eyes before jumping into the shower and washing my hair. Mentally, I checked off my to do list for the day to make certain I wasn't forgetting anything and then I got dressed in jeans and a crop top paired with an overthrow cardigan.

At a quarter to eight I entered the city precinct and found officer Gonzales sitting in a standard office with piles on piles of paperwork surrounding him. I knocked on the glass and then poked my head in since the door was slightly ajar.

"They said I would find you here."

Gonzales lifted his head from the paperwork in front of him and rubbed at his right eye by reaching under his glasses, and then letting them fall back on his nose. "Ms. Ames, I was expecting you. Come in."

I approached the desk and avoided stepping on a tower of paperwork sitting on the floor before his desk. "I'm not sure how this works exactly. I don't have a receipt for the repairs. I got my taillight... uh, privately repaired." I felt the heat in my cheeks, but I tried to play it cool, refusing to think about my night with Trystan.

Gonzales crossed his arms over his chest, dark eyes piercing into mine. "Did you get that buff marine guy to fix it for you?"

I blinked. Flabbergasted.

"Never mind. Hand me those papers." He signed on several spots, his hand fast and steady, his signature bold.

"Don't you need to see my car?" I pointed behind me as if he could see my car from behind the walls.

He pushed the papers back at me. "I believe you. Don't forget to get your ticket dismissed in court."

"Do you know how long a court appointment like that usually takes?" I folded the papers and pushed them back into my bag, unsure what to make of his suddenly clipped tone.

"Not long, but I can call ahead if you'd like. That way they'll be expecting you." He dialed using the desk telephone and proceeded to speak with an authoritative undertone layered with a delicate Spanish accent.

I felt an unexpected flutter in my chest. It was shocking, because I didn't think I was actually attracted to officer Gonzales. He was good looking and all with his thick, dark hair and penetrating medium brown eyes. His skin had a golden undertone with a hint of mahogany and when he smiled with his near perfect white teeth, dimples would appear. Right now he was smiling at something that was being said on the other side of the line, but then he looked at me and the smile disappeared.

He hung up the phone. "You can head on over there now, they'll be waiting for you."

"Thank you so much, I'm going to do just that." I meant to turn around and leave, but my feet remained glued to the carpet. His voice was memorizing, commanding even.

I'd gone from never having eyes for anyone but Drake to now having two men in my headlights. I was so going about being single the wrong way. Or was this what it was like to be single? The freedom to mess around with more than one person and not feel guilty about it? This need to sample the goods without any commitment?