Love Between Law and Life

Chapter 12: A Dinner Date? It wasn’t like that!

            “Why are you staring at me?”

            “Noooothing.” Leo draws out, turning his head back to watch the broom he was mindlessly moving back and forth to mimic some semblance of doing work. It was a quiet day finally, the first one in a while. No cases, no getting dragged out of the bookstore to talk to people, no awkward conversation with Captain Akamu. She even dropped Kaleo off to school without any problem. It should’ve been a quiet day… but from the looks Kahula and Leo have been shooting her whole morning, that wasn’t going to happen.

            “Uh-huh.”

            “Come on boss, spill it. You know we’re going to pester you whole day, right?” Kahula walks up to the cash register, leaning over just enough to block sight of all the comic books Florence had been trying to sort through before lunch break started and people came in while they had the chance. The psychic met their eyes unflinchingly, she sticks her tongue out after a few seconds, causing Kahula to falter in their staring contest and start snickering. “Seriously though, nothing?”

            “I don’t even know what both of you are talking about?” Florence’s voice is a little shrill and stressed as she tosses her cleaning cloth at Leo in hopes of wiping off the big grin that was spreading across his face. He skilfully catches it, but winces as the broom falls instead, ignoring it in favour of walking over to the desk that had somehow became a gossip corner.

            “You know what.” He snorts. “My informant, Kaleo, talks.”

            “Kaleo is eleven, that’s considered a good thing. Besides, lot of things happened, what did he talk about?” Florence already out the pieces of the puzzle together the moment they mentioned him, but she wasn’t going to let them get any information easily.

            “Bobbie staying over!” Kahula groans, rolling their eyes so sassily, Florence was about to offer the glue from on the table in case they fell out. She knew if she made that joke at this moment, she was definitely going to lose her own, however. “So, did anything happen?”

            “No, of course nothing happened, my son was there!” She snaps her teeth at them with a harsh growl. Not unkindly, just playful enough that it left two of them giggling like middle school children reading their first romance book. They’d won and they were planning to enjoy the spoils of war. Honestly, the pair of them were a nightmare. No one would guess they were easily over twenty.

            “So, what did happen?”

            “Dinner, a movie, and then sleep. Nothing else.”

            “Except, she stayed over and then you went to her house.”

            “Wha- how did you know that?” Florence glares at Leo, tempting to wipe off that grin with another well aimed cloth. Kahula lets out a low, conspirator ‘ooooo’ as they let a snarky grin spread on their face.

            “I didn’t, I just guessed. Guess I guessed right.” He didn’t show it too often, but Florence had to remember that under all that dark clothes and angsty façade, Leo was actually smart as hell. He definitely knew when to use it to get what he wanted though, and with no remorse. “So?”

            “So, no.”

            “Come ooooon.” They both groan in unison, going back to respective places to get what little work they had left done. They knew Florence could be as stubborn as a bull when she wanted, especially if she didn’t want to share. Their only advantage was that Florence was itching to tell someone else her dilemma and who better than two people you’ve practically adopted as your kids?

            “Fine. But only because I’m dying here.” She sighs and drops the comics in her hand onto the desk with a thump, the sheet she’d been trying to record everything on getting frayed edges as she fiddled with it. “She stayed over ‘cause I had a bad vision and I asked her to.”

            “Oh damn, you good?” They knew how bad bad visions could get, usually she’d take a break from the bookstore if something like that happened which is why it was probably surprising that she had one and they didn’t know.

            “Yea, but I wasn’t even really bothered by that. Literally all I considered when I was going home was that Bobbie never really had anything to like in this place since she got here, so I was like ‘what about a home cooked meal?’” Florence stared at that floor as she recounted her side of events. If she were physically capable, her face would be red. “And she said yes, what was I supposed to do?”

            “Inviter her.”

            “And I did, well the invitation was out first, but she accepted. It was only supposed to be dinner and then she went home, but then Bobbie looked sad about the idea of having to leave and Kaleo offered a movie and-“

            “Wow, breathe.” Kahula chuckles, holding their hands up in surrender. “As much as I am loving how much you have the hots for the detective, I don’t want to explain to said detective why you passed out from lack of oxygen.”

            “I don’t have the hots for her.”

            “You totally do. I mean, dinner, movie, cuddling up to each other.” Leo grins lecherously, earning that second cloth to the face this time. “Shame, you had a date and didn’t even realise it.”

            “My son was there!”

            “And? By the looks of it, he likes Bobbie.” Kahula frowns, “Kaleo is pretty picky about who you have over, and you bend backwards to make sure he’s never uncomfortable. Don’t you find it odd that the kid has no problem with her?”     

            “He’s a kid, I don’t know. I mean, he and Bobbie were talking about superheroes and stuff when they first met. But yea, now that you mention it, Kaleo hasn’t seemed uncomfortable in the slightest with Bobbie.”

            “The kid’s jacked with powers like you, he’d have been able to tell if Bobbie had any bad intentions. I think this like some kind of voodoo ‘I have found you a date, just take the damn thing’ sign. Or at least the closest thing you’re gonna get to it.”

            “You all are the worse.”

            “We try.” Kahula snorts, “So, what’s her house like?”

            “Nice, it’s like really nice, whole beach front and everything.” Florence ignores Leo’s snicker. “But the whole place is under the HPD, they own the thing. It’s for anyone from the mainland that’s working with them.”

            “So, she doesn’t have her own place?”

            “No… she’s not planning to stay forever.”

            “Then give her something to stay for.” Leo’s smile was genuinely this time, and the psychic couldn’t find it in her heart to find a next cloth and aim it at his head, or that might just be her laziness. “I mean, you said she lost her partner and everything, right? I’m just saying, give her something to feel like she’s welcomed here anytime, you know?”

            “Leo, as dense as he tries to act sometimes, has a point. Even if things don’t work out between you guys, she’ll still have a place that she feels like she belongs… and that way you’d stop trying to pull out your own heart.”

            “She’s just so cute.” Florence whines as she allows herself to collapse onto the desk, sprawling out and playing dead as well as she could manage. “Seeing her sad is like someone kicked a golden retriever and it’s not fair. It does things to said non-existent heart.”

            “To be fairly honest, I wonder if we’re talking about the same person most of the time considering Bobbie looks that the kind of person that could take out ten people with her fist and be grinning like a maniac after.” Leo shoots her a slightly horrified look, huffing as Florence bangs her head on the desk.

            “She does look like that to, which is why my heart can’t handle this. It’s so not fair.” She raised her head enough to be heard clearly, ignoring the paper stuck to her face. “She irritates the hell out of me, she pulls me out of the bookstore without warning, she never gives be a proper plan on anything she’s doing and just the other day, I got pulled into a car chase!”

            “You like car chases though.”

            “Who doesn’t? But that’s not the point!”

            “But you still like her.” It wasn’t a question, just a statement that summed up all her problems. It still hit her like a ton of brick though, Florence had never considered dating since she got her life together, she didn’t even know if she had the ‘game’ anymore. If she ever had it, that is.

            “…I do.”

            “Then take her out on a date.”

            “Were you not listening to this entire conversation?” Florence groans and lets her head thumps back onto the table again. She could practically hear Kahula rolling her eyes all the way by the bookshelves.

            “I mean on an actual date, but you don’t have to tell her. One evening, just ask her out for drinks, take a walk on the beach and test the waters. What could go wrong?”

            “Sooooo many things.”

            “I’ll throw in the deal of taking Kaleo over for a sleepover with my cousins. Besides, it’s been a while since the kid has had chance to just spend the night playing games, I think he could do with that.” Kahula offers, accepting Leo’s silent askance if he could attend. Kaleo was safe with them, Florence had been over to both their places so often, it’s a wonder if they had any personal space. Honestly, it’s a wonder the two of them had even made it alive so far with how much trouble they could get up to in their free time. Leo, it was sort of expected, but one would have believed that Kahula was the better logical side.

            “I don’t-“

            “If you don’t do it by the end of the week, I’ll tell Bobbie personally that you like her.”

            “Please don’t”

            “Fine, I’ll break in the bookstore at night and paint the walls in a neon disaster.”

            “You… I wouldn’t actually be surprised if you did that so that one is actually a threat.’ Florence sighs, “Just leave the kids’ side alone. Find paint for that side is hard.”

            “What’s happening to the kids’ side?” The door opens, the bell clicking in the otherwise quiet store. Florence raises her head up in surprise, batting clumsily at the sheet of paper stuck to her face. Kahula whistles low in surprise, Leo dropping the broom again. Bobbie stands uncertainly at the entrance, one hand fisted around the handles of a bag. “Am I interrupting something?”

            “Not at all.” Leo’s smile is bright and mischievous, this time really earning the cloth to the face. Florence clears her throat and sends a warning glare at the unbothered Kahula.

            “What’s up?” Yea, that didn’t come out as smooth as she would have liked, but it would do.

            “Ah… nothing. It’s just that I got a free lunch and I thought I’d check on you guys.” She holds up the bag in her hands, the smell of takeout and spice reaching them already. It definitely got their attention. “I hope you don’t mind.”

            “Not at all, you could come by every day.” Leo was very luck Florence couldn’t get her hands on another dust rag, next time, she was going to keep a dish rag with her. The extra ‘oompf’ would be music to her ears. Thankfully, Kahula – ever the people charmer – was already guiding Bobbie to the table usually meant for kids, settling around it in an odd familiarity. Florence and Leo followed shortly after, mind more on food than words.

            “While I do enjoy good takeout, it’s still good to have you over.” The psychic smiles, taking pride in the way that Bobbie’s ears go red even as her face remains cool and mostly emotionless. “Just a social call, I hope?”

            “You know, about a month ago, if I said social call, you’d already have my head on a plaque on the wall of this bookstore.”

            “Nah… I’d never leave your head where kids could see it, plus, your scary face will mean I’d have no more customers. That’s not good for business.”

            “I see, that makes sense.” She nods sagely as if genuinely contemplating it.

            “Both of you are mentally disturbing, can we eat now?” Kahula and Leo had managed to separate the food according to the initials on top. Huh, that was actually kind of interesting.

            “Oh yea, I know you don’t really like spice, but Kahula told me they did, and I think Leo was fifty-fifty?” Bobbie help up her box that had ‘spicy’ written on the side. Florence lifted her own and noted the lack of the words, raising her eyebrows in surprise. She’d mentioned that in an offhand comment, she had honestly never expected the detective to remember. Interesting.

            “Right on point.” Leo nodded religiously, and for all his words of snark, and sass, he was waiting patiently for everyone to be sorted with their food before he started.

            “Good, that’s good.” The conversation tracked to the side after that, the four of them pulling up topics with ease. It wasn’t a hard thing to keep the conversation flowing since three of them worked in a bookstore and met all sorts of people while Bobbie probably had a million and on stories about her time as a detective.

            It was fun. Calm and relaxing was not something she’d expected today. Florence couldn’t help to take in how easily Bobbie had fit herself into her life. From her work, to her home, it was like she was a part of it for years instead of just over a month. Kahula and Leo were right, Florence had it for the detective and she had it bad.

            Lunch ended without much of a flair, a customer walking in with a nervous look on her face and the pair of works had taken care of it. Kahula talked to her while Leo efficiently cleaned up the area. Florence was going to bid Bobbie a simple handshake farewell and good luck, but Kahula shot her a deadly look with the words ‘neon paint’ muttered under her breath. Her heart had either pitched itself into her throat or landed at her feet, either way, she knew she wasn’t going to get the right words out under the piercing glare of her co-workers, so she walked Bobbie out the door and to her van.

            “Is everything okay? You seem a little off.” Bobbie’s face was filled with genuine worry, eyes already searching for any threat that had presented itself around them.

            “Ah… no, no, I’m fine. I just wanted to ask you something.” Florence twisted her fingers together, Bobbie waited patiently without a word. The best idea would just be to blurt it out. “Do you want to go get a drink?”

            “What?”

            “I mean not now of course you have work and I have to get back to the book store and it’s still like the middle of the week and I just thought it would be a good idea but if you don’t want to-“

            “Hey, hey, hey breathe.” Bobbie grinned, resting her hand on Florence’s shoulder which probably didn’t have the effect the detective had intended because the psychic could feel her face heating even if she couldn’t blush. “And yes, I would like to have a drink at some point.”

            “Uh, would this Friday be good? It’s just that Kahula has Kaleo for the evening. Sleepover and all that?”

            “You’re trusting someone else with Kaleo?” Bobbie meant no ill intention with the words, she just seemed surprised that someone like Florence would let Kaleo be somewhere she couldn’t reach him without ease.

            “Yea, I mean, those suckers around probably going to watch movies or play games whole night and I’ve got to take care of the sugar hangover the next day, but Kahula and Leo are great, so I don’t mind.” She grins, already marking their ‘outing’ in her head. Her face must look so goofy right now, but Florence couldn’t seem to bring herself to care.

            “While that does sound unpleasant, I was meaning to ask. Since you’ve been to my house, I was wondering if you’d want to come over at some point.” Bobbie rubs the back of her neck, glancing at her shoes more often than Florence’s eyes. On someone as strong as Bobbie, the move was so adorable. “You know, you and Kaleo. He could get to play by the beach. Kind of like a return favour for the day you had me over.”

            “Nope. That day was me asking you o come over, no payment needed in anyway, you accepting my food was payment enough.” Florence held up her finger against Bobbie protest before letting her face melt into something soft. “But yes, that does sound nice though. I’ll bring something healthy to eat.”

            “That sounds like a plan since I’m not sure I’ll be able to make anything edible yet.” Bobbie snorts, ducking her head a little bit. “I believe this weekend is a bad idea?”

            “Yea… sugar hangovers are not fun.”

            “For anyone really, I believe.”

            “Next weekend then?”

            “Definitely.” Florence watched from the sidewalk as Bobbie got into her van and drove off, nodding at the exiting customer as she returned to her position in the bookstore. “Yes, she said yes.”

            “Nice!” Leo and Kahula high five, whooping loudly.

            “Looks like the boss is getting laid finally.” And Leo did get another dust cloth to the face this time, Florence didn’t even feel the slightest bit sorry at the bout of sneezing that started.

            “Just drinks, nothing more is happening.”

            “It’s still better than a bookstore five days a week and a kid for seven. At least this way, you won’t be one of those mother in laws all over the whole protecting their sons from there future daughter in laws because you don’t have a husband, partner or wife to bother day in day out.” Kahula shrug, successfully saying the entire paragraph in one breath and looking mighty proud of themselves.

            “I won’t be that bad!” At both of their glares, Florence wilted before puffing her chest out theatrically. “I raised the kid, you can’t blame me for being a little worried about everything he does. I’ve seen him run into a wall with full confidence.”