Chapter Text
Carlos was secretly happy that Jill had told him to meet her at the police station at 6pm. It gave him time close the shop, take down the decorations and have a quick shower at home. And if he was to be completely honest with himself, he was nervous as fuck. He wasn’t actually expecting to be successful. God, he didn’t know what to wear. Was it going to be a casual or formal date? Carlos shook his head, clearing his thoughts as he stared into his open wardrobe. Casual was best for a first date, formal would just make it too awkward. With that in mind, he picked out a long-sleeve grey henley shirt and dark wash slim jeans. Pushing the sleeves up to expose his forearms, he checked himself over in the mirror and nodded in approval. Not to toot his own horn but the choice in shirt did wonders in showing off the results of his time at the gym. Throwing on a leather jacket, he grabbed his keys and headed out.
Jill stepped out of the police station, wearing a change of clothes she kept stored in her locker just in case something happened to her uniform. She wore a dark green long-sleeved T-shirt that was tucked into high-waisted jeans with a tan trench coat keep her warm in the chill of spring evenings. She spotted Carlos waiting at the bottom of the stairs, a single rose delicately held between his fingers at his side.
“Is that for me or is there another girl you’re waiting for?”
Carlos startled, spinning to face her with wide eyes, “Nope! I mean yes! This is for you…”
His arm shot up, presenting the flower to her which she accepted with a smile. She gave the rose a sniff, enjoying it’s floral aroma, before giving him a once over. He cleaned up nicely.
“So where are we heading hot stuff?” She asked.
He offered her his arm which she gladly took, “I was thinking somewhere not too fancy, save that for when I want to woo you on the third day,” he sent her a playful wink, “so how does bowling sound? I know this great place that has a bar that serves meals. We can play, have a bite to eat, a couple of beers. Nice and chill.”
Jill shot him a lopsided smile, “Perfect.”
Jill had to admit, she was really enjoying herself. Her and Carlos were tied neck and neck on the final round, winner takes all. So, of course, a wager was made after sharing a platter of fries and burgers with maybe one too many beers in their veins. Winner gets to make a request of the loser. Jill was no loser. She watched as Carlos lined up his shot, appreciating the view as he bowled the weighted ball. And she smirked when his ball guttered for the first time that night. Carlos mumbled curses under his breath, blaming the alcohol for his poor luck.
Jill stood up and picked a ball, taking her time to make sure she aimed it just right before doing her run up and releasing the ball from her grip. It sped down the lane and made contact with the pins, the force knocking them down. Strike.
“Looks like I win Romeo.”
Carlos chuckled, “You sure do, Supercop. So, what’s your prize?”
Her smirk returned, “You’ll see.”
Like a gentleman, Carlos walked her back to her place, which turned out to be an apartment building not far from his coffee shop, the conversation turning to the topic of his business.
“What made you want to hire those kids?”
Carlos shrugged, “Just passing the kindness paid to me forward. When I was younger I was neck-deep in trouble trying to earn money to keep my mother and I afloat. Sure, my grandparents owned land but they didn’t have the money to do anything with it so they couldn’t help us. One night I broke into a store but I was stupid and didn’t check to see if anyone was in there.”
“Ah, you were a thief.”
“I was more than just a thief back then, bonita. Anyway, turned out the owner was there. An old man called Mikhail. He caught me and literally beat some sense into me. And while I was led there on the floor, he offered me a job.”
“...That’s a strange way of being ‘kind’ Carlos.”
He laughed, shifting his weight from foot to foot awkwardly, “Might not sound it but it was what I needed at the time. Turns out I wasn’t the only troubled kid he took under his wing. Found myself working with a guy named Tyrell, now my finance manager. He paid us more than what most people would. I was able to support my family and save a decent amount of family.”
Jill couldn’t think of a response, she opted for switching the topic, “Am I going to get a kiss goodnight?” She asked playfully.
“Is that your request chica?” She shook her head no. “Then if you’re okay with it, sure.”
“I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t want it.”
Carlos placed a hand on her cheek, tilting her head upward, thumb caressing it as he lent down and closed the gap between them. Her lips were just as soft as he had imagined over the past year. The taste of ketchup and beer lingered on them.
He pulled away with a grin, “Is that what you wanted?”
Jill bit her lip, suppressing her own smile, “Hmmm… not quite… I think I’ll make my request now.”
He raised a brow, “Oh?”
She took his hand, walking backwards to the apartment building door as her free hand fished for her keys in her coat pocket, “Show me how you make your Colombian coffee,” she said with a wink.