Apparently my idea of flirting had diminished in recent years, only coming up a little more recently when I met Opal. Even then, it wasn't my best, more so just talking, joking around and getting to know her.
So, I guess I had forgotten the two universal forms of flirting: smiling and eye contact.
Damn it.
The brunette continues her strut towards our table, adding a bit more of sway into her hips, as she somewhat teeters on her heels. She's attempting confidence even though I can tell that's not really her thing. Makes me think about Opal's effortless ability to come across as confident even when she doesn't feel that way. It's nothing she has to try for, it's just a natural ability.
"Well, well," Cooper mutters under his breath, only loud enough for those of us at the table to hear. I notice the grimace that crosses his face as Janie uses her foot under the table to kick at him. I guess there is something going on there. Still too weird to me.
"Excuse me." The high pitch voice coming from the brunette who is now leaning both palms onto our table.
Janie speaks up first. "Can we help you?"
The woman doesn't acknowledge Janie, but angles towards me a bit more. "You're that cop aren't you? The one that got shot in the big drug bust."
"That's him alright," Cooper tells her, a smile across his face, seemingly missing the glare I toss his way.
"I'd recognize those ocean eyes anywhere," she says. "But I've gotta say, they're even better in person." She leans over a bit further, attempting to give me a closer look at her plunging neckline. "Can I buy the hero a drink?"
Never in my life have I been more thrilled by the vibrating phone in my pocket. "Excuse me," I say as I stand, pull out the cell and walk away, breathing out in relief as Opal's name flashes across the screen.
"Hi gorgeous," I answer the call.
"Hey handsome," she responds. "How's the night out going?"
"It's, well, it's going," I stammer out. "That's about all I can say at this point."
"I didn't want to interrupt, I just wanted to hear your voice. I'll let you go," she starts.
"No!" I yell out as I walk completely out of the bar. "Please don't go yet. Tell me about your day." In a weird way I'm hoping that the longer I can keep her on the phone the Minnie Mouse sounding woman will have left our table and shimmied off to another.
Opal giggles over the phone. "You sound a little off, officer Evans. What's going on?"
"Just some unwanted attention," I admit, leaving out the part that I may have inadvertently caused it myself.
"Oh, really. Someone hitting on you," she asks confidently.
"Something like that." I groan as I see the door to Decker's open with the brunette looking around. She notices me and begins her walk over. "Play along to whatever comes out of my mouth right now, okay?"
"No, babe. Don't wear the black one. What do you mean why? Because your butt looks better in the red. You know I can't keep my hands off of you when you wear that red dress." This is not all a complete lie as Opal's butt looks amazing in everything. "Baby, you can't say those kinds of things when I can't be there with you," I moan out, and yet the brunette still stands in front of me. I pause, listening to Opal chuckle on the other side. She's gonna rag me for this, so I might as well go big. "Sounds like you're asking for a punishment. I'll be home in fifteen. You know what to do." I'm having trouble keeping my own laughter at bay as I hang up.
"Dominant, I like it," Minnie says with a lift of her brow, one hand on her hip. I'm guessing she's attempting to look sexy.
Not working, sweetheart.
"So does my bride. Good night," I say before turning away from her completely, headed back to my apartment.
~~~~~
Opal POV
I don't exactly know who (or what) Chris was trying to deter from that one sided conversation, but man did it light up my face. It was truly enjoyable, even if he didn't actually mean what he was saying. Guess that'll be a conversation for later.
I decide to wait for his return call and make a cup of hot chocolate. Once that's finished I grab a blanket and go to sit out on my back porch. It's a bit cool, nothing like what I experienced recently in Boston, New York or even Atlanta. Lows in North Florida only hitting around 50 at this point in the year, remembering that our two cold weeks of winter should be coming up soon. I make a reminder in my phone to check over our freezing weather protocol at the Inn tomorrow, making sure I get ahead of the game.
While trying to type in the reminder my phone alerts me to a FaceTime call from my Greek god of a boyfriend. "So, I'm getting punished, huh?" I answer his call.
"I knew this was coming," he says as he flops onto his bed. "Let me have it."
I think about how far to actually take this, feeling almost giddy for this moment of playful banter. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm just curious of my punishment, Officer Evans." I take note of his deep inhale at the words, his eyes closing for just a moment. When he opens them I know he sees my devious smirk.
He shakes his head slowly, watching me. "Nope. We're not doing this. Not now, anyways," his turn to smirk. "I had made the mistake of smiling at a woman and she thought that meant I was flirting I guess. Your call came at just the right time for me to excuse myself without actually speaking to her, but then she followed me outside."
I don't hide the smile, it's impossible when I can actually see him. "And I'm guessing you had to actually speak to her? Did you tell her you're just a pretty face? Not a good lay at all?" His eyes narrow at my last comment. "Like I would know!" I laugh out, unable to control my fit of laughter over his expression.
I notice he sits up a bit straighter on his bed. "I'll have you know," he begins, using his finger to point at me through the camera phone, "I did no such thing." His attempt at being stern with me failing miserably as his finger drops out of screen and he laughs. "When I hung up with you she mentioned how I sounded dominant and that she liked it. I told her so does my bride. Bid her good night and came home. I guess I should text Spencer and let him know I left."
"Who is this bride you speak of?" I ask bravely with a quirk of my brow, sinking further under my blanket.
"Bride, future bride, really same difference. You're always talking about how demanding I am, so I went with it."
I just hum as I watch him send a message off to whoever he was with tonight. Pondering the thought that there probably is a bit of a dominant side to him when it comes to intimacy.
"So, did Spence mention anything going on with him and Laura?" I ask curiously, wondering if he opened up to Chris at all the way Laura did with us last night.
"Yeah, which by the way young lady, you could've given me a heads up."
I shrug my shoulders. "Where's the fun in that?"
"So, rings," he says, offering me a shorthand version of the conversation.
I nod in agreement. "Rings."
"Any idea when?"
"I was kind of hoping he would tell you that part. Laura seems to think by Valentines, but that's only two weeks away." And horribly cliche if you ask me.
"All he said to us was they went looking at rings. Then the annoying brunette walked over and interrupted the rest of the night."
"You've got a type I see, officer," I tease. Inside I actually feel self conscious, knowing that another woman turned his head.
"I see the gears turning, Ope. Knock it off," he says strictly. "I didn't go looking. I was actually remembering the night we met at Decker's. She just happened to turn and see me." I watch as his body almost shutters. "Can we not relive this moment?"
"Of course, but," I pause. "I'm still curious about this punishment."
I double over in laughter at the sight of Chris' face turning a deep shade of red.