"Hey partner." I hear Jamie's voice trail behind me as I make my way down the precinct steps. I turn once I reach the sidewalk to see him not far behind, examining his phone. "Bridges says I'm riding with him tomorrow," he says, confusion lining his forehead. "What's up with that?"

"Yeah. I'm taking tomorrow off. But I'll be back for our late shift Friday night." It's all I offer him and I adjust my bag on my shoulder, glancing away because I can feel myself giving him a weird look.

Sliding his phone in his pocket, he nods and slants one eyebrow like he's waiting for more of an explanation.

I smile, but dammit that face. One look from him can crack anybody. I swear, he could get confessions from one of those silent British palace guards with nothing but a cute quirk of one cheek.

"Everything okay?" He asks.

"Yeah. Yeah, just… taking a vacation day, that's all."

"Alright."

I feel my eyes light up with this fake innocence I'm affecting. I nod at him, but I know I've already given myself away.

"I figured you'd give me a heads up, that's all."

"I wasn't sure who Sarge would pair you up with," I explain. "Hey, you get a break from me. You can eat all the salads you want."

"Eddie!" A female voice calls out over my shoulder and I see Jamie shift his gaze to spot the source, a moment of recognition briefly registering there.

I turn as Hailey approaches, hurrying over to me and I smile to greet her with a quick hug and peck on the cheek. "Hey!"

"Are you officially off the clock?" She wonders, excitement shining in her dark eyes.

"Yep. I was just heading out." I glance over at my bystander who's witnessing all of this, intrigued. And I haven't forgotten the two of them had a semi-date a few years ago that somehow ended with Jamie walking me home and us kissing on the sidewalk. Hopefully we're all beyond that. At least Hailey is. "You remember Jamie, right? My partner."

"Sure, of course." She smiles.

"Yeah, Hailey. How've you been?"

"Great. I'll take good care of Eddie up in Westchester," she assures him and I manage a hard swallow, attempting to determine how I can steer us out of here before she lets Jamie know anymore details.

"Oh, okay." He nods. "Headed out to the suburbs, huh?"

"We're gonna find her a good firefighter. A hot one. Don't hold it against her, Officer." She teasingly points to him.

Jamie's head tilts as he makes a face, narrowing his gaze at her, then me.

"Alright, alright," I groan with a laugh, hook my arm in my friend's and tug. "Officer Reagan here doesn't need to know."

"Wai-wai-wait." A smirk starts to curve along his face and he reaches out to stop me. "Now I gotta know."

"My boyfriend's a firefighter with the White Plains Fire Department," she explains and I cringe, glancing down because there's no stopping her now. "And tomorrow, they're holding a car wash fundraiser. All the firemen… washing cars. I'm assuming with their shirts off. For a good cause!" She's so giddy about this information, and I'm just wishing I had told her to meet me somewhere else.

I see Jamie's mouth open and it's like he can't decide which part of this announcement he wants to give me shit for first.

I reach over and give Hailey's arm a squeeze. "It's her event. Hailey's an event planner. I'm going for moral support."

She shoots Jamie this doubtful look and shakes her head.

Jamie's chest puffs up and he crosses his arms there as he looks down at me, amused judgment all over his face. "That sounds-"

"Reagan," I warn.

"Really charitable of you." A smile curves along his lips and I return the look with a heated glare.

"There will be lots of good guys there," Hailey cuts in. "Jamie, don't you want to see Eddie with a good guy?"

He drops his hands, resting them low on his hips and I see his throat clench with a swallow as he nods thoughtfully. "Mm-hm. Definitely."

I set my jaw and attempt to telepathically relay to him not to even start.

"New York's finest, right?" Hailey beams with a suggestive arch of one eyebrow.

"That's cops," I mutter.

Jamie points to his chest. "Yeah, that's us."

"Oh." Hailey shrugs. "Whatever. Cops, firefighters. You're all friends, right?"

Jamie clears his throat and I have to glance down to restrain my giggles. "Well hey," he says. "Have fun on your day off. Hopefully nothing catches on fire in Westchester while all the firefighters are washing cars."

I bite down on my bottom lip because I can feel the smirk starting there. I didn't miss the slightly jealous note that crept into his voice. I've heard it before. "Keep the streets safe, partner."

"Somebody has to," he shoots back.

If I was closer to him, I would have given him a little tap on the ribs to shut him up. But instead, I simply point a finger at him before I turn with Hailey to lead her away.

"It's good to see you, Jamie," she smiles over her shoulder and he leaves her with a nod of his head before we head up the street for dinner.

Hailey and I had grabbed dinner in the city before heading out on the Metro North to my home town. She had chatted animatedly about the event, all the preparations, and how she could use my help with last minute promotion around town tomorrow morning. Then we spent a good bit of it talking about her boyfriend, Chris.

It was sweet to see her so in love, happy. I'd known the girl since high school and for a long time, we were single parters in crime, breaking hearts, too young to care. It's funny to me to see her settled down, dating someone in uniform no less.

That night, I glance around my old room as I lounge back on my bed, the same bed I had as a teenager in this house. It's quiet with only my mom living here all by herself. Before I can get too sentimental about how different my life was when this was my room years ago, my phone at my side pings with a message alert.

I settle into my pillow and pick up my phone to open the text.

Jamie: Something tells me you didn't want me to know where you were going tomorrow.

I have to roll my eyes because I can't even imagine how smug he is knowing what I'll be participating in. But I don't miss the little flare of heat in my chest that blooms when I see his name on my phone. I hate that I can't control that.

Eddie: I just wouldn't want you to get jealous.

Jamie: Ha.

Jamie: Hey, Westchester County firemen are pretty tough. Lot of trees… lot of cats out there in the suburbs.

Eddie: Lots of time to wash my car.

Eddie: For a good cause. ;)

Jamie: Are you letting them wash the Porsche?

Eddie: Why wouldn't I?

Jamie: I thought your Porsche and I had something special. That hurts my heart a little bit.

Jamie: But it's cool. I'll move on.

Smiling, I bite down on my lower lip and I have to shake my head as my thumbs fly over the keys to respond.

Eddie: She got tired of waiting for you. She's a catch, you know.

Jamie: The one that got away. If it's meant to be, she'll find her way back to me.

Eddie: Oh yeah? If you live your whole life that way, you'll never get what you want. Sometimes you gotta make moves, Reagan.

Jamie: Hmm…

Eddie: I'm sure she will always think of you fondly.

Eddie: Don't miss me too much tomorrow.

Jamie: I'm sure with all the stimulating conversation you'll be having out there, you won't miss me one bit.

Eddie: When the NYPD holds a stimulating conversation fundraiser, I'll be sure to put your name on the volunteer list.

Jamie: There'd be a line around the block.

Eddie: I'm going to bed now, smartass.

He merely leaves me with the eye-rolling emoji, a frequent favorite of ours, and I set my phone aside to settle into bed.

I have no idea whether he really is jealous. As well as I know him, he still masks his true feelings better than anyone. A part of me kind of hoped that Jamie would find out. That it would reinforce the reality he chose for us that we're partners and nothing more. I tried to convince myself it was a mutual decision. But if that night, when I told him that I had feelings for him and that he's so much more to me than a partner, had he echoed the sentiment, I'd transfer in a heartbeat. Instead, he insisted he valued our working partnership more and exploring those feelings he had was a bad idea.

The bigger question was… am I going to this fire department fundraiser to make him jealous? Or do I genuinely want to see some shirtless firefighters wash cars?

I mean, there are worse ways to spend a day.

A/N: Thanks for reading! More to come. :)