The Rookie Page 3

  Maybe the guys were right, maybe I am in the shit. My body should not be responding this way to her right now. I’ve not longed for a woman since senior year of high school.

  I will not be longing for Rory Fucking Holmes.

  I just need to get my dick wet; it’s been a few weeks. Yes, that is exactly what I need to do.

  I turn around and catch a glimpse of her looking at me in the mirrors.

  Oh shit. I hope she did not just see me checking out her ass.

  The smirk on her face tells me she saw exactly that. Great.

  Why is it whenever women exercise, they look ten times sexier than a man would?

  It might have something to do with those yoga pants.

  Or her.

  I shake my head and close my eyes before walking to the front of the room.

  “Okay guys, to attention,” I shout, silencing the room in seconds.

  The rookies stop what they are doing and run over to the practice mats and stand in front of me.

  “Your training is going to be split into several different sections. First we are going to work on your attack and defensive skills, then we are going to work on weaponry and surveillance before we move on and focus on your mind and intelligence skills,” I say as I walk, weaving in and out of the recruits.

  “To be on my team you need the ability to shoot, protect and you need a focused mind.” I clear my throat “An intelligent one.”

  I continue weaving in and out of the recruits, stopping when I get to Rory.

  “Clearly, you have intelligence,” I say looking at her directly. “It just depends if that intelligence is useful to me.” I say before looking at her for a few more seconds. “It depends on whether or not you can outsmart me…and that has never happened before.”

  I walk back to the front of the recruits and cross my arms over my chest.

  I might be making this up, but I swear I see Rory’s eyes dilate as she watches my arms cross my chest.

  “Any questions before we begin some training exercises?” I ask.

  I chuckle as every hand except one goes up.

  You guessed it.

  All hands except Rory’s.

  I go around the room answering everyone’s questions one by one, ensuring I answer them thoroughly. I continue answering until I get to the redhead. Charlotte.

  “Yes?”

  “This might be an inappropriate question, but I couldn’t find the answer in the handbook.”

  I move my hand, motioning for her to carry on.

  “What is the rule on recruits having a relationship with someone already in the academy?”

  Ballsy. I like her already.

  I smile and walk towards her, her breathing increasing as I get closer. Wait, is that her breathing or Rory’s? “As long as the relationship doesn’t jeopardize your job or those around you, there are no rules against it.”

  “Good to know,” she says, the biggest smile on her face.

  “Just remember,” I say as I walk back to the front of the room, “Keep work and your personal lives separate. Don’t bring shit in here. If you are going to sleep with someone, make sure it doesn’t impact what we do here. Think before you fuck.”

  The recruits nod and agree with my words.

  Once again, all except one.

  Instead, this one is staring at me with her arms crossed, pushing her tits up, giving me a great view of the cleavage she did not have in high school.

  I spend the rest of the session going through basic moves, making the recruits partner up and practice with their buddy. I walk around the training room and observe the rookies fighting, judging every move they make, criticising every error, helping them correct inadequacies.

  If they want to be on my team, they need to be the best and the brightest.

  The crème da la crème,

  The Jack of all trades.

  ◆◆◆

  I’ve been training the rookies for three weeks now and I’ve not been able to get one of them out of my head. Rory, go figure. She’s on my mind every minute of every day and I’m finding it harder and harder to ignore her and harder and harder to stay away from her. There’s definitely some kind of magnetic force trying to pull us together. Rory herself has tried many times to communicate with me outside of training, but I’ve brushed her off every time.

  I’m very good at holding a grudge.

  I don’t forgive easily, and I do not forget. Especially when people hurt me or wrong me and Rory definitely hurt me.

  I’m a calculated person and I weigh up the pros and cons to every situation and talking to Rory is definitely making the warning lights inside my head flash more than anything else. On one hand I want to make amends and be her friend again, but on the other I don’t want to go there. I don’t want to open myself up for her to just knock me back down again. It took me a long time to build myself up.

  It took me a long time to forget her. To get over her.

  Did you ever really forget her though?

  It’s the weekend, so I actually have time off work to do something. Usually when I am on a case, I rarely have my weekends to myself but because I am an instructor at the moment, I actually get to enjoy my weekends for the next six months.

  I pull my car into the parking space in front of Café Nice, before shutting off the engine and walking inside.

  A brunette with glasses greets me as I get to the counter, “Hello sir, welcome to Café Nice on this fine day. What can I get for you?”

  I smile and quickly scan the board even though I get the same thing every time I come in here. “A black coffee, no sugar and a pineapple juice please,” I say as I pass her a ten-dollar bill over the counter.

  She smiles and goes to hand me the change, “Keep it,” I say with a big smile on my face, her cheeks flush red.

  I’ll never understand the effect I have on some women. They literally melt in front of me. I don’t even have to do anything other than smile and bang, they’re molten.

  I’m not exactly complaining as it’s got me laid a fare few times. Okay, more times than I would like to openly admit. My job is hard, get over it. I don’t want to commit to one woman so obviously I am going to fuck beautiful women who are willing to partake of course.

  And I’m never short of beautiful, willing women.

  Remember that ego I mentioned before?

  “Here you go,” the pretty brunette says as she passes me my drinks over the counter.

  I look down and read her name from her badge on her chest, “Thank you, Lydia,” I say before smiling and nodding.

  I turn around and walk towards the table closest to the far window. It is kind of my unofficial spot. I sit there whenever I come in and so far, I’ve been lucky that nobody else has been sat there. I take a quick sip of my coffee before I walk to the table.

  I walk around the corner and I nearly drop my drinks.

  Well fuck a duck.

  Why is there a blonde in my seat?

  Fuck, fuck, fuck.

  Why is there a familiar blonde in my seat? A blonde I don’t particularly want in my seat or near me outside of the workplace.

  I walk closer and clear my throat. Rory’s eyes pull up from the tablet she’s staring at on the table.

  Her eyes widen as she takes me in, her eyes lingering on my body. “Theodore.”

  This fucking woman. How many more times do I need to tell her to call me Theo. She’s like a petulant child.

  “Theo,” I growl.

  She laughs, “If you say so.”

  That mouth. That fucking sassy mouth.

  “Are you going to sit?” she questions.

  No, I am fucking not going to sit. Is this woman out of her fucking mind. I turn around and scan the coffee shop, looking for somewhere else to sit. Sure, I could go outside or head home, but I actually like to leave my apartment whenever I can and this is my spot. I continue scanning the room in the hope of finding an empty seat, but nothing comes up trumps. Something must be going against
me today because for some fucking reason, despite there always being seats, every table and chair is occupied.

  I sigh before sulking down into the only available seat. At her table. In front of her. With her and only her.

  Oh Theo, why have you allowed yourself to get into this situation.

  Her face glows and her smile widens as I sit down.

  Christ, why does she have to have such an infectious smile.

  At least one of us is happy, I guess.

  4

  Rory

  “Finally done avoiding me huh?” I ask as I turn my iPad off and put it in my bag.

  Theodore eyes me as he sips his coffee, “Who said I was avoiding you?” he questions.

  Ha, he’s is funny, “That would be you,” I pause, “Bolting in the opposite direction whenever you see me outside of training. That sure looks like avoidance to me.”

  He sighs before running a hand through his hair.

  My eyes follow his hand as he rakes it through his thick, chestnut brown hair. Damn. Why does he have to be so freaking attractive? Luscious hair, emerald green eyes, muscles that would put a Greek God to shame, a tattoo sleeve on his right arm and a chiselled jaw covered with sexy stubble I wouldn’t mind prickling against my body. He always said in high school that he would grow a beard once he could and hell does it look good on him. I mean everything looks good on this man. It’s infuriating.

  He seems to get more attractive every time I see him.

  “I’ve just got nothing to say to you.”

  Ouch. That hurt.

  “Okay then, well I should get going,” I say as I start to clear my things off the table.

  He leans his head back and curses under his breath.

  “Just…Fuck… Stay here,” he manages to grit through his teeth. His perfectly white, straight teeth.

  “But you don’t want to be around me?”

  He growls, “Really Rory, I’m the one who doesn’t want to be around you. That’s rich, coming from you.”

  You what now. Where did that come from.

  I raise my eyebrow, “Excuse me?”

  He scoffs, “As if you don’t know.”

  I really don’t know what he’s going on about.

  “No, Theodore.”

  “Theo,” he interrupts.

  “You are going to have to enlighten me because right now you’re talking in fucking riddles.”

  His mouth parts as the curse word leaves my lips. Yeah get over it shit face, I started swearing.

  “Where to begin?” he ponders.

  Here we go.

  “How about you leaving me to study abroad or what about you not keeping in contact with me, or…or what about you avoiding me at that party a few years ago? Please feel free to stop me Rory but I can keep going.”

  Well, he’s clearly not gotten over me bolting to study abroad. I never told him the reason why I did that, and he is never going to know. He’s never going to know. In fact, I’ve never told anyone why I thought studying at Cambridge was a good idea. Sure, I loved the university and my courses, but it never felt like home. I never felt like I belonged there.

  “You could have kept in contact with me” I argue. At the end of the day, it takes two to tango.

  I know my argument is pointless. Even though I wanted to keep in contact, I couldn’t.

  He nods, “I could have, but I wasn’t wanted, so why would I do that?”

  Winded.

  Well and truly winded.

  He has just knocked me for six.

  What does he mean wanted? Wait, did he want me to want him? Did he want me like I wanted him? Impossible. He could have had any girl he wanted, and I was not one of those. Theodore is way out of my league and everyone, including him knows it.

  “What do you mean I didn’t want you?”

  He rolls his eyes, “It’s not important. At least not anymore.”

  Christ, I forgot how much this man holds a grudge. He really is the worst person when it comes to forgiveness. Cross him once and that’s the end of any relationship.

  “It is important, Theodore. We were best friends once. I miss you.”

  I’m done hiding. I know I shouldn’t be here, but I wanted to come home.

  “Clearly,” he says as he drinks the black coffee in front of him.

  God, this man drives me insane.

  “You know what, Fuck you Theo. There’s no point even trying with you,” I say emphasising the use of Theo. God, I hate shortening his name.

  He sits back, a smirk taking over his stupidly handsome face.

  Well there’s those butterflies that invade my tummy whenever I’m in the same room as him.

  “What are you smirking at?” I huff.

  “You, obviously.”

  “God, Theodore, you are so aggravating.”

  He laughs, continuing to drink the coffee in front of him with no care in the world.

  Really what is this guy’s problem. Yes, I moved away, yes, I fell out of contact, yes, I avoided him at a part... Oh shit, that’s it. That is why he is so annoyed at me. I blanked him at a party a few years ago. That is why he is holding such a grudge. I remember nearly dying on the spot when I saw him walk into the room. I didn’t expect him to come as I saw on social media that he was in Florida, but he turned up, looking as handsome and as breath-taking as ever.

  It was the first time, since high school that we were in the same room together. I was excited. I couldn’t believe that he was there. I was going to go over to him. I was going to apologise to him and profess my underlying love for him, at least until a gorgeous woman walked up to him and he graced her lips with an enviable kiss.

  I was jealous and I was angry. I couldn’t talk to him. I would have lost it. I would have capitulated and fell to pieces.

  It was easier to become strangers. It was easier to hide my love towards him. It was easier, safer and cleaner to bottle up my emotions and wipe him from my life. I had no choice but to do that. At least that was the case until I turned up to the academy and he happened to be my instructor.

  “Just forget it Mallory,” oh shit, he is using my full name and not the nickname he gave me when we were six.

  “This is about that party isn’t it?” I question.

  His eyes grow wide and his breathing increases, “What about it?” he asks. God, he is such a liar, he knows exactly what I’m talking about.

  “You’re acting like a dick because I blanked you right?”

  He scoffs, a sound I am getting all too familiar with, “Please, I’m a dick to everyone. You’re not getting any special treatment there, blondie.”

  “Theodore, can you please act like an adult for five minutes,” I blurt out.

  He holds his hands up in defeat, “Fuck, Rory. Sure, I guess that’s one reason.”

  Okay, we are getting somewhere. I can work with this.

  “I was going to speak to you,” I say.

  He doesn’t look convinced.

  “It’s just. . .”

  “Just what, Rory?” he practically growls.

  I’ve been hiding my feelings long enough, there’s no point hiding behind them now.

  “I don’t know if you realised, but back then I was a lovesick puppy and you had another woman hanging off your arm. I was in love with you, so seeing you with a woman who wasn’t me hurt me more than it should have. I know I had no right to be mad as you weren’t mine, but it was still too much.”

  He falls back and slumps into his seat, “Wait, so you were-.”

  “Jealous,” I interrupt him. “Yes, I’m not afraid to admit that.’

  “Why?”

  “Why, what?” I question.

  He clears his throat and sits forward, “Why are you not afraid to admit that?”

  “Because that was in the past and I don’t feel that way anymore. I’m not in love with you anymore.”

  Liar, liar, pants on fire.

  “Good to know,” he says as he stands up and tucks the chair under the table.
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  “Where are you going?”

  “I’ve got places to be,” he says.

  Before I can even respond he is out of the door quicker than the fucking flash. Appropriate use of words there. He’s always been one to run away from commitment and the truth, but I didn’t think it would chase him out of the door. At least not now anyways.

  I can’t believe I just admitted to being jealous that he was with another woman and that I used to be in love with him.

  Well that definitely makes staying away from Theodore slightly easier. If he wants to avoid me, if he wants to hide, then I am going to do the same.

  One person is no longer playing this game.

  The anti has been upped mother fucker and there’s now two contenders.

  And fuck him if he thinks he’s going to win.

  He may be stubborn and resilient

  But so I am and then some.

  He’s found his match within me.

  We may be back in the same town, but I don’t know him anymore. The Theodore I used to know would never avoid me.

  If he doesn’t want to be friends, I am fine with that.

  I may have loved him once and maybe, stop lying to yourself, those feelings are still there but he hurt my feelings. I’m not going to let a man determine my happiness. Especially ones who look like Greek Gods.

  Game on Theodore Riley, game on.

  ◆◆◆

  I can’t believe I’ve been at the academy for a month. I have loved every moment of it. Well, nearly every moment of it. He who shall not be named has definitely dampened my experience, but other than that, I have loved the training. This is definitely my calling. I can see myself working here, I can see myself making a difference, one case at a time.

  It will be a privilege to be able to protect someone and give back.

  I walk down the hallway towards the lunchroom, my footsteps getting pacier with every step I take. I am freaking starving. I walk into the lunchroom and my chest hits the back of something, or someone I should say. I look up at the giant standing in front of me and my eyes lock on a pair of crystal blue eyes.

  “I beg your pardon,” he says, stepping back to put some distance between us.