Coffee and hangovers

"An angel? Me?" Rene boggled to herself. "He really must be drunk," she thought and hid a smirk behind her free hand as she turned and looked at the attendant coming their way.

Once Kyle had sort of moaned his own order out and called her name, she faced the rather obnoxious clerk. "I'll have a regular as well, two creams one sugar please." She forced a smile for the man then turned back to Kyle.

"Ya know, you happen to look like hell warmed over. What the hell have you been doing the last fifteen years?" She let him keep holding her hand, reaching over to lay her other hand atop his. He had been her not-so-secret crush as a child, but now? Well, now he seemed like someone who desperately needed a friend.

'I joined the Navy, I started writing freelance. I'm a journalist here now in the city actually.' He thought deeply, fully aware of Rene's hand on his. 'I was a habitual gambler, but I kicked that habit...granted now I'm a alcoholic.' He whispered the last word, very much embarassed.

He gave her a sad smile. 'I'm actually a very popular columnist. Money is good.' He nodded, as if trying to convince himself of his grand lifestyle. 'Um, married twice, but always looking for another ex-Mrs. Evans.' He laughed but stopped short. That line always came so naturally. Kyle recalled again his appearance and just who he was talking to. He couldnt help but think again, 'little miss rene'.

'I followed a story over here, that's how I ended up in Nachton.' He waved his free hand. 'I still can't prove my story though.' He shrugged.

Curiously he asked, 'Why are you here?'

She listened to his tale, eyes never leaving his face. She couldn't help but chuckle at his line about always looking for another ex. Her face lifted when she realized it was her turn to spill.

"Hmm, why am I here? Well, I got a transfer here to the PD. I was working out in Vegas, but things got a lil weird." Her gaze dropped from his face to stare somewhere over his shoulder, as just how weird things had been ran through her mind.

Brow knitting together, she looked back to his eyes. "Things just really got out of hand, so they put me on leave for a few months. Things didn't get any better, so they offered me this option." She lifted the hand over his to sweep around the room, nearly bumping the tray of coffee the clerk was finally serving. Lips pursed, she looked up at him, daring him to comment with just that gleam in her eyes.

He blinked. 'You're a police officer?' Kyle was impressed. His little buddy Rene had certainly grown up. He admired her, how beautiful she had gotten. 'She had to be married,' he thought to himself, but he didnt see a ring.

'Do you have any kiddos? Or are you...married?' He had hoped that it didnt sound like a pathetic start of a come on. 'And what do you mean a little weird?'

The coffee came just then and he greedily grabbed his own from the clerk. Taking a deep gulp, the liquid warmed his stomach. He knew that stark reality would be setting in as the caffeine did its dirty work.

Rene took her own cup, sipping to make sure the clerk had added enough sugar and cream. Surprisingly, it was a very good cup of coffee. With a small smile and a nod, she dismissed the clerk and leaned back in her chair, both hands wrapped around the cup.

"One kiddo, Alisha," her face lit up as she said her name. It was obvious the child was her pride and joy with just that look. Her face dropped a bit, though, as she sat straighter in her chair. "I was married to her father, but we were divorced when she was about two. He was also my partner on the force, which explains for some of the weirdness. But then he," she paused a moment, staring into her coffee. She wasn't sure how much to tell Kyle. It had been a long time, and she really didn't know the man before her, no matter how well she had known the boy.

He saw the pain on her face, mixed in with akwardness. Kyle didnt know this woman sitting across from him and he understood that she was probably thinking the same thing. He let go of her hand just then and on impulse, leaned across and did something unexpected.

He gave her a soft knock on her cheek and smiled at her. He wondered if she'd remember.

'I understand.' He leaned back, lacing his fingers together. '15 years is a long time.' Kyle looked down at his cup of coffee.

She couldn't help the smile that came to her lips as he gave her that playful lil punch to the cheek. It brought back a memory of long ago, when he had done much the same thing when she had fallen off her bicycle and scraped both knees on the sidewalk. She was probably about six or seven at the time, and he was still in that big brother light at the time, teaching her how to stop her bike without falling over.

It hadn't been long after that, when one night at the dinner table, she had announced to her mother that Kyle was her boyfriend. Rene chuckled softly when she remembered her mother damn near spewing her soda across the table at her before calling Kyle's mother. The adults had determined it was just one of those puppy love cases, and let it go.

Rene, on the other hand, didn't let it go until at least a year after he had moved away, mourning the loss of her 'true love'. Of course once high school came around, she got over it. She'd had a couple boyfriends then, nothing really meaningful. Until she joined the force and met Billy. Sure, partners weren't supposed to date, but you can't stop destiny, or so they say. Not to mention, they'd been seeing each other in secret long before they became partners, so it wasn't exactly like they did it on purpose.

Alas, all good things must come to an end. "Billy and I were married only a few years. I got pregnant almost right after we tied the knot, took leave and had her, then went right back to the force. He didn't like it that I didn't want to stay home and play house wife while he stayed at work. I love my daughter, but I'm just not the stay at home type," she sighed, remembering that fight. "So Ali stayed with my mother while we worked, but things just went downhill. Ali grew, and we grew apart. It happens," she shrugged and took a sip of her coffee. That wasn't even the ugliest thing that had happened, but perhaps she would wait to share that much. Telling someone your ex-husband had been accused of murder then disappeared from a mental ward was probably not considered 'first date' material.

As she talked, Kyle looked at her with a small smile, remembering how she used to be. He didnt like the other kids on the block, actually he didnt like kids at all at that age or even now. She was different. Just the sweetest thing with her crush. Ironically she was the only person who made him feel like a man and worth something. A ten year old. He grinned at the irony.

She continued on about her ex and his grin fell. 'Yeah, divorce is fun like that. I dont have any children though.' He smiled again, 'I bet your's is gorgeous.'

He looked at Rene in silence now. Then he flushed again, realizing he was staring. 'Oh hey,' he reached for his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. Pulling out a card he handed it to Rene. 'If you're staying in town, that's my card. The cell number is good, you can always reach me there.' He ran his hand thru his messy black hair again.

'Can we meet tomorrow,' he checked his watch, 'well later today for lunch or something?' He looked down at his dishelved outfit. A black, wrinkled linen shirt with beer stained jeans. He grinned goofily. 'I clean up pretty nice, I promise.'

She smiled, looking down at her own work clothes. Dark green denim pants and a loose tank top covered by a lightweight blazer. Yeah, she hated the blazer, but it had been her first official day and it was too damn hot for the leather jacket she preferred to sport.

"I promise, so do I," she chuckled and reached for the card. "Make it dinner, and you've got yourself a date. I have to work and have no idea when I'll get a chance for lunch. Haven't exactly broken in the new partner yet to let him know who's the boss now," she winked at him and rose to her feet, tossing a five on the table for her coffee.

Waiting for Kyle, she leaned against the door. "Did you need a lift home?"

(ooc- heading out but waiting on Kyle)

Kyle left his tab and stood. 'Sure, I'm not far from here and yeah dinner works.' He made a mental note to not drink. He couldnt imagine what she must be thinking of him now. Her once knight in shining armor had become a lowly alcoholic conspiracy freak. And he hadn't even gotten to that part yet. He looked at her, once again looking up at him with those beautiful green eyes.

The shakes would be worth it.

((ooc OUT))