Misery Business
“Miss… Kiramman? Is it?”
Caitlyn stands opposite of a desk where a very stern looking woman sits. Her hair is graying slightly at the roots and her cold face is decorated with scars like cracks in a statue.
“Yes, that’s me.”
“Have a seat.”
Caitlyn hesitates slightly, but then sits in the chair across from the woman’s desk. Caitlyn sets her hands politely in her lap, waiting for the woman to speak again.
“You’re interested in working here, what section?”
“Detective, ma’am,” Caitlyn says, her voice unwavering but soft.
“Detective…” the woman trails off, scanning through Caitlyn’s resume. “You have all the credits… police academy and your time serving as an officer. Oh, and you’ve passed your detective exam.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Why this precinct and not your previous one?”
Caitlyn takes a deep breath to steady herself before she speaks. “This police department interests me in a lot of ways that my previous one did not. Also, I have a friend who is interested in applying here as well and she and I want to be partners.”
“Ah, I see,” the woman says, still not making eye contact with Caitlyn as she scans the folder. “Your friend is interested?”
“Yes, we were in the academy together and she recently applied here.”
This caught the woman’s attention, her eyes flicking from the resume to finally meet Caitlyn’s. The woman’s hard demeanor finally breaks and she smiles slightly.
“Mel?”
“Oh, yes,” Caitlyn says.
“That’s my daughter,” the woman replies, her hands slowly closing Caitlyn’s resume and setting it on the table.
Caitlyn’s face can’t help but display a slight hint of shock, but then she nods, trying to collect herself. She tucks her hair behind her ears, not wanting to be the one to say something next in the conversation.
“You know, I don’t often do this but, you’re hired,” the woman says, standing to shake Caitlyn’s hand.
Caitlyn doesn’t quite process what the woman has said for a few seconds, so she sits there. Then, when her mind finally catches up to her legs, she stands and shakes her hand.
“I… Thank you so much! I just want to make sure this isn’t because of-”
The woman shakes her head. “I don’t make decisions based on my daughter. She mentioned you, however, I just didn’t realize it was you. You start Monday, okay?”
“Yes, that’s perfect. Erm-”
“Captain Medarda,” she says, informing Caitlyn of how she should refer to the woman.
“Thank you, Captain Medrada for this opportunity.”
“I will have someone be in contact with you about getting your uniform, badge, etc. on Monday so keep an eye out for that. It’ll be a pleasure working with you,” Captain Medrada says, leading Caitlyn towards the door.
Caitlyn just nods, shaking the Captain’s hand again. She cannot wait to text Vi and Mel.
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“Cheers! To my super hot, sexy, beautiful newly detective girlfriend and her new badass partner in crime!” Vi says, holding up a beer bottle to cheers.
“Cheers!” the rest of the group chimes, clinking their glasses together.
“I’m so proud of you, cupcake,” Vi leans over and whispers, planting a small kiss on Caitlyn’s cheek.
Caitlyn blushes. “I can’t wait for this,” Caitlyn says, mostly to Mel who sits across the table, Jayce’s arm around her.
“I’m glad we’re both getting this opportunity. My mom can be a little-”
“Mean?” Jayce cuts in.
Mel glares slightly at her boyfriend and shakes her head. “Not ‘mean’ perse… just intense.”
Jayce glances at Caitlyn and Vi and mouths the word ‘mean’ to them, causing the girls to chuckle slightly. “No, but I am super proud of the two of you.”
“Thanks, babe,” Mel says, kissing Jayce.
Caitlyn and Vi awkwardly glance away at each other, both smiling and flushed in the face. Vi grabs Caitlyn’s hand and squeezes it three times to say ‘I love you’ and Caitlyn squeezes her hand four times back to say ‘I love you too’.
“Alright! Enough! We’re in public!” Vi laughs as Jayce and Mel’s kiss continues on. “I know it’s a celebration but save that when you’re home!”
Mel pulls away, some of her makeup smudged across Jayce’s face. She wipes at it, chuckling. “I know, maybe he and I should…”
Jayce smirks slightly. “We’ll catch you guys later!” Mel and Jayce get up from the booth at an incredibly fast speed. “Also, I’m closing out the tab, all the drinks are on me. Congrats to you and Mel!”
Before Caitlyn and Vi can thank him, Mel grabs his wrist and practically drags him out of the bar. Vi finds herself laughing hysterically and Caitlyn wraps her arm around Vi’s waist, leaning her head on her shoulder.
“You know…” Caitlyn trails off.
“Celebratory sex?” Vi asks quickly.
Caitlyn purses her lips, but she’s smiling. “I was thinking that might be-”
Vi cuts her off by kissing her. Their lips are pressed together like pieces of a puzzle perfectly fitting. Caitlyn pulls away, gasping for air.
She giggles. “Not here, Vi!”
“Just setting the mood, cupcake,” Vi says, helping Caitlyn get out of the booth.
The walk back to their apartment feels like an eternity to the two of them, an energy of desire and sexual tension between them as they walk. The second they enter their apartment, and the door is closed, their lips are on each other’s.
Vi presses Caitlyn against their door, her leg in between Cait’s as her lips trail kisses along her jawline and down her neck. Caitlyn is grabbing tightly at Vi’s hair, letting out small huffs and whimpers as Vi nips at her sensitive skin.
“Clothes off. Now,” Caitlyn commands.
Vi chuckles, flicking her eyebrows as she pulls away from Caitlyn. She slowly pulls off her top, almost teasingly and Cait can’t help but smile and roll her eyes.
Caitlyn lets her fingers trace along Vi’s defined abs as Vi works on taking off her pants, leaving her just in her underwear.
“Your turn.”
“I’m having fun though,” Caitlyn says, continuing to trace Vi’s abs, her fingers going higher and higher towards her nipples.
Vi grabs Caitlyn’s wrists, pinning them above her against the wall. “Bedroom, right now, cupcake, alright?”
Caitlyn bites her lip, an idea brimming in her mind. “How about right here, Violet?”
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The snow storm only lasts until the following morning, allowing Caitlyn and Mel to leave work a little after eleven. That night had been strange to Caitlyn and she isn’t quite sure she’s processing everything that happened.
However there are just two blaring thoughts in her mind as she walks to her car in the police precinct lot:
Who the hell is behind all these petty crimes?
Does she need to break off her engagement with Maddie?”
It’s hard… she loves Maddie! Well… no, maybe she doesn’t. Maddie had started as a rebound to recover from Vi, a one night stand that wasn’t supposed to last but now…
Caitlyn glances down at her hand on the steering wheel, the diamond glinting in the cold light. Now, she has a fat diamond on her finger and a wedding that is supposed to happen in three months.
She grips the steering wheel so tightly, her knuckles start to turn white and she presses her forehead down harshly. This is a nightmare. She doesn’t know what to fucking do.
Caitlyn needs someone… not like a mother or a father… Her mom is dead and she loves her father, but he isn’t what she needs right now. Her best friend just made this whole existential crisis and well… she can’t go to her partner. She needs someone like… like a brother.
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“Thanks for meeting with me, Jayce… I know it’s been a very long time,” Caitlyn says.
The two are sitting in a small coffee shop, coffees on the table.
“Of course… I know everything’s been hard. We haven’t spoken much since you and Vi broke up and so did Mel and I… but, I am always here for you, so I’m glad you reached out. What’s on your mind?”
“I’m struggling right now. So you know how I’m engaged?” she whispers, tucking her hand into her pocket as though not trying to draw attention to her ring.
“Vi may have mentioned it, yes.”
“I’m having second doubts.”
Jayce glances up from his coffee, his eyebrows raised high and his eyes wide in curiosity. “Oh?”
“I don’t know if marrying Maddie is the right idea, you see-”
“I need to ask you a question,” Jayce says interrupting.
Caitlyn looks slightly annoyed at his interrupting, but she just nods her head, giving him permission to ask his question.
“Are you doing this to try and get Vi back? Or doing this for Vi in any sort of context?”
“I… don’t know,” Caitlyn whispers.
Jayce takes a long sip of his coffee. “You hurt Vi more than you could ever understand, Caitlyn. I don’t even want to try and explain it. However, I love you more than anything and you need to do what’s best. But I also need to do what’s best for Vi. So I just want to say, if you break off this engagement with Maddie, do not pursue Vi.”
Caitlyn stammers slightly, confused and hurt. “I’m sorry?”
“She misses you, so goddamn much. However, she has so much healing to do. She hasn’t spent any time healing or recovering from your breakup these past two years. She spends her time smoking and drinking, hooking up with girls and hurting her body. And neither have you! You haven’t addressed your feelings or spent time heeling either. And you know what? I know she wants you, so bad. But it is not in her best interest, or yours for a matter of fact, to just go and try and get her again.”
Caitlyn’s eyes drop down to her coffee cup. She feels like crying if she’s being entirely honest. But she doesn’t do that, she doesn’t like to do that. Her breath hitches in her throat as she tries to speak. She takes a sip of her coffee to distract from it, hoping that Jayce will take the lead. He doesn’t.
“I understand, thank you for telling me.”
“If you want to get Vi back, it’s going to take some time.”
“I never said I wanted to get Vi back,” Caitlyn comments.
Jayce doesn’t regard that statement. “Why are you thinking of breaking it off with Maddie?”
“She started as a hook up, a one night stand. Then she… kept texting and calling and it got annoying so I just obliged her and took her on a date then we moved in together and-”
“You do not like the girl, Caitlyn.”
“I… I know,” she whispers. “I used her and I think that’s the hardest part to come to terms with. How do I tell her?”
“You be honest,” Jayce says. “It sucks but… you be honest.”
“I will. I’ll um, talk to her later tonight when she’s off work,” Caitlyn says. She looks back down at her coffee, swirling the cup slightly as she sighs. The tears are still threats in her eyes.
“What’s on your mind? There’s more?”
“Just Vi I suppose.”
Jayce nods, tapping the table which causes Caitlyn to look up, making eye contact with him. “She loves you, Caitlyn, more than I’ve ever seen somebody love another person. Give it time. I know fate when I see it.”
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“Maddie?” Caitlyn calls out as she steps in the house. She sets her keys on the counter as her fiance comes out of the bedroom, a large smile on her face. Maddie leans to kiss Caitlyn, but Cait holds out her hand to stop her. “Can we sit and talk?”
Maddie glances around. “Erm, sure.”
The two walk to the kitchen table and sit down.
Caitlyn takes a deep breath to steady herself and sets her shaking hands on the surface of the table. “Maddie, I need to be honest with you. Which is really hard for me to do, because I don’t want to hurt you. But, I don’t think that this is working. I’m so sorry, I just… I didn’t get time to heal after Violet and it’s just affecting everything right now.”
Caitlyn isn’t looking at Maddie as she says this. When she finishes though, she glances up to see Maddie’s eyes looking cold and unemotional.
“I understand, Caitlyn.”
“That’s… it?” Caitlyn finds herself asking.
Maddie snorts slightly. “Well, what else should I say? Beg you to stay?” Maddie asks. Caitlyn just stares. “I would like the ring back however.”
Caitlyn takes off the ring and sets it down on the table. Maddie reaches across, taking it and slipping it in her pocket.
“And you’re going to have to leave.”
“I…”
“The house is under my name. Get your stuff out in the next two hours,” Maddie commands, standing up and walking out the front door.