Lacey
I woke up the next morning with a beautiful red head in my arms, I laid there a smile finding its way to my face, I can't believe I asked her out on a date, and she said yes. It's got to be perfect I really want to get to know her better and have her get to know me, I can't explain this, the feelings I've had towards her from the very first moment I saw her, it's just so hard to explain. I've only ever had this feeling once before when I was with Jackie.
Jackie, my mind drifted back to the years we spent together in high school. How happy we were, the plans we had for our future and the night that changed it all. The only time I actually spoke to her after the incident was in the hospital when she made me promise not to tell anyone the truth about what happened. No matter how much I told her I'd always be there for her, how nothing could make me feel any different about her and how much I still loved her, but she refused to see me after that.
Weeks of showing up only to be turned away by her father with the same response every time. "She doesn't want to see you please respect her wishes," I remembered the day I went to her house for the last time. That day changed everything for me. He answered the door, I asked to see Jackie as I've done every time he answered, be immediately broke into tears. "She's gone, Lacey."
"Wh-What?" I asked my voice sounding unfamiliar to my own ears as it broke. "What do you mean she's gone?" I asked again, this time, feeling the anger build. "where did she go? why didn't she tell me?" I started yelling all the while tears fell from his face.
"She's gone, gone Lacey," he said, "she said she couldn't take it .... " he shook his head. "Sh-she left this for you," He said handing me an envelope.
"NO!." I cried. " I don't believe you," I said trying to push me way past him.
He held on to me as I fought. "she's gone Lacey, she's gone." she whispered holding onto me as I broke down. I felt everything around me spin as my heart broke all I could think is I failed her, 'I failed her.' I kept repeating to myself as everything went black.
I felt the tears run down my face as I remembered, I quickly wiped them away as I look back down to the sleeping beauty in my arms. "I won't fail you," I whispered as I placed a gentle kiss on her cheek and slowly remove myself from the bed without waking her.
I got dressed and grabbed my phone and keys. I placed a note on the pillow beside Amelia letting her know breakfast was waiting for her upstairs and that I would be picking her up when she got off of work.
I set the alarm for her to get up with enough time to get ready and eat and headed up to make her and Lauren some breakfast before I left. Just as I finished preparing the breakfast Lauren walked into the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee.
"Good morning Lace," she said still half asleep.
"Morning sis, can I make you a plate before I leave?" I asked
"No I'll wait for Amelia to come down," she replied I looked at her and turned away quickly which of course she caught. "What?" she asked.
"she's asleep in my room, " I spoke softly not looking back at her in an attempt to keep her from questing me. "um I got to go," I said as I hurried to grab my jacket.
"Lace," She called making me stop.
"Hmm." I hummed still not turning towards her as I reached for the door handle.
"Have a good day." she chuckled, I felt the heat spreading across my face and I knew if I turned she'd see me blushing.
"er, thank's you too," I said pulling the door open and hearing her still chuckling as it closed. I rushed to my car starting it up and shook my head. 'sisters' I muttered. I pulled up my email on the phone and checked on the information from Mr. Lewis. Brads' flight is in a few hours I forwarded the email to Morgan and headed to the closest Starbucks to wait and look over the information a little more.
I pulled into the Starbucks parking lot got out and lifted the hood of my car where the storage compartment was located, pulling out my laptop before heading in. I ordered a drink and found a comfortable corner and got online to go over the information on Brad once more.
He lived in an apartment just outside of the city which was set up for him by the company. I was given the access codes and schematics' for the building along with instructions for gaining access to his office in the city. Thirty minutes into reviewing the information received a text from Morgan asking me where I was.
Morgan: Hey, I'm in your area of town are you home?
Lacey: Starbucks 4365 W Irving Park Rd.
Morgan: Be there is 15.
I jotted down the important information and started packing up my laptop when Morgan arrived. "Hey Lace," she said leaning down and hugging me.
"Captain," I answered.
"You know Lace you don't have to address me as Captain anymore we're civilians." She smiled. "Yeah until they call us back," I grumbled knowing although I was discharged the military was still able to call be back without notice for a few years.
"True but you served longer than the required years so it won't be long till your free unless you do something stupid like signing up again." she laughed.
"Hey it wasn't a stupid idea the first time, it made me who I am, stronger. smarter, I don't regret it I just want a normal life now that's all. ' I sighed.
"With Amelia?" she asked all joking aside.
"I don't know, maybe," I answered honestly.
She looked saddened by my admission and turned to look out the window, blowing out a breath she turned back to me. "I'm happy for you Lacey, you deserve to find love again." She smiled. "now fill me in on this Bastard and what does he have to do with your girl." I smiled at the thought of Amelia being my girl, I could only hope.
We sat in Starbucks for a couple of hours, I explain the situation with Brad and what he and his friends tried to do at Amelia's party last month, I told her of the encounter with him before we met up with he last night and how he mentioned the video. She was shocked, to say the least, and understood now why I was so adamant on going through his files.
We went over the plan, part of Morgan's team was set up outside of the apartment doing surveillance., while the others were going to work on hacking into the buildings security. "My client owns the building I'm sure would be willing to assist us with anything we need," I told her.
"That may be true but whatever we find we don't want him implicated in any way, " she answered. "Depending on what we find my team doesn't work directly for him, we can fill you in on the details and he can file a complaint or follow the process his company should have in place for situations like this."
"So you're just going to pull some black ops shit and leave me sitting on the sidelines?" I growled. "not going to happen."
"Look, Lace, I know this is your assignment, but this is bigger than you and me if this guy is the one involved in the theft he needs to be stopped and it needs to be done right, " she countered. I clenched my fist still angry but knowing she was right. "Anything I find on Amelia I will retrieve or delete, if necessary, you know I'll do whatever it takes Lacey." She sighed.
I nodded and reached into my laptop bag pulling out an external hard drive the size on my palm. "This is for anything relating to Amelia and only if it doesn't put the assignment in jeopardy," I said handing it to her.
Despite being left out of the investigation, I am deeply grateful that Morgan brought me to my senses. Leading into things with your emotions instead of your head can sometimes do more harm than good. Something she taught me in the field, it has saved my life several times over the years.
"So why don't you go home and take some time to relax," She said, "I'll call you if anything comes up."
"Relax, right." I mumbled more to myself "I asked her out on a date, how am this was supposed to help me relax". I leaned back in the chair and blew out a deep breath. I looked back across the table to see Morgan with a smirk on her face. "What?"
"A date, I'm so proud of you, My baby girl is all grown up." She cooed. I glared at her as she just grinned back. "when is this date?" she asked
'Tomorrow" I sighed. "Maybe I should just cancel, I don't know what I was thinking."
"Why are you having second thoughts Lace?" she asked. "I can tell you like her and I tell by the way she looks at you, she feels the same."
"I-I'm just." I sighed once again. "it's been a long time, I haven't been on a date since Jak.."
She cut me off " You need closure, my friend, she's gone, she left you, you need to let it go." She said angrily, "It's been nearly seven years Lacey, I'm not going to let you fuck this up," she reached over placing her hand on mine. "she wasn't the only one hurt that night, you needed her just as much."
Morgan was the only one I've told about that night. The truth about that night. The only time Jackie talked to me about that night was when I woke up in the hospital, she made me promise not to tell anyone what really happen that night. She told me they found us in the car and believed we had an accident. Soon after she distanced herself from me and never looked at me the same, finally she refused to see me at all.
I felt a hand brush across my cheek pulling me away from the memory as it wiping away the tears I hadn't noticed I've shed. "So this date of yours," she kindly changed the subject with a smile. "I'm going to help you, so what does this girl of yours like to do?"
"I really have no idea," I answered honestly. "After she kissed me she sort of distanced herself from me." I sat there thinking about that morning. "That night I brought her with me when I came to see you, was the first time in weeks I've spoken to her."
I turned back to my friend to find her grinning again causing me to raise my eyebrow in question. "She kissed you? the way you two look at each other I would have thought it was more" she laughed
"Shut it. I thought you were helping me here."
"ok, ok I'm sorry," she laughed again she sat there for a moment and snapped her fingers when she appeared to have an idea. She grabbed my laptop and rapidly started typing. "Do you have her email address?" she asked
"No, but I can get it," I answered.
She continued typing then looked up at me. "What are you waiting for?" I texted Lauren and asked her for the email address, within minutes my phone rang. my sister instantly started interrogating me with a million and one questions when I answered. I groaned causing Morgan to stick out her hand and motioned for me to hand her my phone. I hesitantly handed it to her. "Mind grabbing me a refill," she pointed to her coffee cup as she looked at the caller id. " Hey Lauren, I'm Morgan a friend of your sisters." I heard her say as I got up and walked towards the barista.
I reached the table just as she hung up the phone. "There all done," She said as she looked at her watch.
"What's all done," I asked skeptically.
"This may sound a little Cliché and be a little bit high schoolish." She chuckled as she turned the laptop towards me. "Ever played twenty questions?"
I looked over the word document she created "really, is this necessary?" I asked as I read the title.
Just a pre-date warm-up, answer a few questions ask some of your own, five to start more to follow.
1. Which do you prefer Art or Music?
2. What is your Favorite / least favorite food?
3. What's your favorite place in the entire world?
4. What is your favorite way to spend a Saturday?
5. With Halloween around the corner. What is the coolest thing you have ever been for Halloween?
"What is this supposed to accomplish?" I asked being clueless.
"Well for starters it's cute, and it will help give you an idea of what she likes," She answered. "Make it a little easier to choose where to take her, plus I have these." She placed four tickets on the table.
"The Orange Ball?" I questioned.
"It's a LGBT Halloween party, you're going to ask her to be your date hence the last question," she smiled. "We can even make it a double date I've already got an idea of who to bring."
"I don't remember dating being this difficult." I complained. "what time are you heading out?" I asked causing her to look at her watch.
"The team will message me when they are ready, in the meantime I guess we could hang out, maybe wait for an email reply." she wagged her eyebrows causing me to groan in embarrassment.
"Well, why don't we head to my place I'll make us some lunch," I suggested and started packing away the laptop.
She nodded as we stood and made your way to the door. "this is going to be so much fun, I haven't helped anyone with a date since high school." she giggled like a teenager.
I let out loud groan as got In the car. "What have I gotten myself into." I moaned while pulling out of the parking lot with Morgan following me in her truck.
A/N: Let me k ow what you think... and Yes I haven't edited :D