What's It Like In New York City? Part 2 Oh It's What You Do To Me
Fandom: Women’s Murder Club
Title: What’s It Like In New York City
Part 2: Oh It’s What You Do To Me
Pairing: Lindsay/Cindy
Summary: AU Neither of them can admit that the awkward tension around them multiples when they see each other again because admitting it means they were never ‘just friends’ like they are always pretending to be. A lot of people are blind to a lot of things others perceive as obvious.
A/N: Title taken from Plain White Tee’s ‘Hey There Delilah’
A/N 2: sequel to ‘Chapter In Your Life Entitled San Francisco’ and ‘What’s It Like In New York City’ Part 1 ‘I’m Miles Away'
A/N 3: I know it’s really vague about well a lot of things but I know what I want to happen it’s just hard to write it so it’s working/perfect, anyway I’ve decided since the muses keep zapping me with ideas that there will be more to come.
A/N 4: LAST ONE I SWEAR: this style is different and also it’s been written practically since I posted the last piece so if it’s odd or miss matched or whatever then I’m sorry but I wanted to get this out there since it’s suddenly become much bigger than it was originally and now it’s this huge thing that I’m really into and want to finish and do right so here this is, I hope you like it, please READ & REVIEW!
SLIGHT TIMELINE CHANGE: I know in ‘Chapter In Your Life’ and ‘What’s It Like In New York City’ Part 1 ‘I’m Miles Away' that Cindy and Lindsay were together for three months but that seems a little short to me for them to be having the reactions my muse are forcing me to make them have (and as epic as they are I’m not sure three months is enough for them to give your heart to someone so much that you don’t get it back when they/you move across the country - then again in some cases it is I just thought it would work better this way), so I did some reworking to the timeline, they were together for five months but the last month or so wasn’t so great because Cindy was getting sick of being a secret and Lindsay was getting scared of being out in the open… moving on I give you part 2 of possibly more ramblings.
DISCLAIMER: I don’t own Women’s Murder Club books or television show or characters, I don’t own the bands or songs used for titles either. I own nothing, this is for fun not profit, please don’t sue.
“Cindy, someone’s here to see you.” The copy girl Sasha said, Cindy looked up.
“Oh.” She said the bright smile slipping from her face as she noticed who it was, Sasha looked between the reported she’d become friends with and the woman who’d asked to see her and sensing the tension she left.
“I’ve got a lot of work to do today Lindsay I can’t really stop and chat.” Cindy informed her, thinking to herself ‘just three more days then she’ll be gone and you can move on with your life’, she didn’t stop to think about why having Lindsay near her was affecting her so much because it wasn’t, not really, just like they weren’t anything back in San Francisco, not really, Cindy knew she was getting off track she stopped thinking about it, she’s mad with Lindsay she remembered so she focused on that as she finished typing her sentence and saved the article.
“I know you’re busy but I was hoping that you’d have time to hear me apologise though.” Lindsay said, Cindy looked up at her curiously, Lindsay rarely apologised, not even when Cindy had become a part of the ‘inner circle’ and a member of the not-a-club but she was now and Cindy was touched, not that Lindsay didn’t have anything to apologise for, she did, but she was apologising and that was the part that mattered.
“Go on.” Cindy said casually as she went through some of the papers on her desk.
“I shouldn’t have pried into your business like that last night.” Lindsay said and Cindy looked up.
“That’s what you’re apologising for?” she asked the papers in her hands falling slack.
“Yes you have a life here that I have nothing to do with.” Lindsay said forcing herself not to sound like she was swallowing glass as she said it, forcing her fists not to clench at the thought of Cindy with someone else, that bartender or whoever she was.
“Fine I accept your apology.” Cindy said tightly as she stood and moved to the other side of the room, Lindsay followed frowning deeply.
“That’s funny cause it sure doesn’t sound like it.” she said.
“Well what should you care if I do or I don’t?” Cindy asked harshly, she wasn’t with Lucy, they had gone out a couple of times, more because of pestering from Joanne and Shannon than interest from Cindy but yes, they had gone on a couple of dates and they had slept together, Cindy just wished she hadn’t been thinking of Lindsay that night, just remembering that made Cindy madder, at herself, at Joanne, at Shannon, at Lucy, at Lindsay, especially Lindsay, Cindy stalked back to her desk but stopped to turn and explain some things to Lindsay but once she did she ended up pressed against the detective and all the ‘only-half-true’ truths she was going to unleash about how Lindsay had no right to traipse through her life and pull it apart at the seams because this was New York and New York is different from San Franscico because it’s New York, (which makes much more sense in her head) fell away. Lindsay grabbed onto Cindy out of reflect to stop them both stumbling but then as quickly as Lindsay’s hands had been on Cindy they were gone again, Cindy stepped back, with all the anger inside of her gone, replaced now with an awkward silence that she had no idea how to deal with and even as she stood there, trying to keep her breathing even, deep red handprints with all the lines and whorls and fingerprints of Lindsay Boxer appear on her hips, the tingling spread through her body saying ‘she touched you here’ and all Cindy could do was try not to react to the rest of her body saying ‘here too, and there and there and there too’, everything from her ear lobes to the skin between her toes lit up reminding her of the things she wanted to forget, wasn’t she anger a moment ago? Yeah she was but now she was angry at Lindsay’s ability to make her forget all the reasons she was mad at her in the first place.
Coming back to the here and the now of being in New York and having Lindsay in her work place, touching her things, (she sounded like the childish she knew but she didn’t care), Cindy only just noticed that Lindsay had bent down to pick up the papers Cindy dropped to the floor as well, scrambling to grab the papers and put them back in the folder they fell from, because they were hers, not Lindsay’s and this wasn’t San Francisco the not-a-club share and share-alike mentality did not fly in here. All but one of the papers were collected and Cindy looked to find the missing piece in Lindsay’s hands, Cindy grabbed it back.
“These are confidential.” She informed the brunette putting it back in the folder and standing, she crossed the rest of the way to her desk quickly and put the folder on her desk, dropping a stack of papers and files over it with more force than necessary, Cindy’s message was clear but Lindsay had a one track mind and right now the track it was on was ‘case’.
“How long ago was she killed?” Lindsay asked transforming in front of Cindy’s eyes to ‘cop mode’ but Cindy had never been as intimidated as she had always seemed by the gaze, or a least she wasn’t going to be in New York, not in her new life.
“What should you care? It happened in New York and you have no jurisdiction here.” She pointed out coolly.
“I’m not just being nosey Cindy I need to know.” Lindsay said. That was the wrong thing to say, not for any insult just for Cindy’s memory and her current mood.
*
“Cindy I swear one of these days you’re going to get yourself into a mess I can’t get you out of.” Lindsay said.
“I was fine Lindsay.” Cindy protested.
“You were being held at gun point by the king pin of a major drug cartel, then again from the girl who dated the boy who held her hostage I suppose fine has different meaning.” Lindsay ranted.
“I’m also dating you or is that a bad call on my part as well?” Cindy asked and tried not to be offended when Lindsay looked around (not at all subtlety) to see if anyone heard, Cindy sighed and rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. Maybe it was a bad call after all but she pushed those thoughts from her head.
“I should have you arrested.” Lindsay said, her left hand touching the handcuffs on her belt as if she was honestly considering that option.
“It wouldn’t be the first time.” Cindy pointed out, Lindsay must have thought she was joking but the reporter in front of her was just stating a fact.
“This isn’t a joke Cindy this is real life, not everyone is sunshine and rainbows.” Lindsay began.
“I know that.” Cindy interjected annoyed but Lindsay continued.
“There are bad people in the world, Hector Garcia is one of them, he already killed three police officers, countless rivals, more we don’t even know about, even his own daughter when she went to the police, he would have had no problems shooting a nosey reporter who got in his way.” Lindsay said.
“Nosey?” Cindy repeated, Lindsay sighed, wondering if that was all Cindy got from her speech but upon looking at Cindy’s face the inspector realised Cindy had taken offence from the adjective as well.
“That’s not what I meant.” Lindsay tried to explain.
“It’s what you said.” Cindy pointed out. “I’m nosey am I? Well I’m sorry about that but it just happens to be my job.”
“No it’s not, don’t throw that at me, your job, no this is not your job, your job is to write about what happens not get yourself involved in deadly situations because you want one more leg up on the other newspapers - for God’s sake Cindy you get more exclusives than any other reporter in town.” Lindsay said, Cindy knew what she was implying.
“It’s not just because of you Lindsay, don’t think so much of yourself, I’m good at my job, you know that! My job is important no matter what you seem to think about it.”
“I didn’t say your job wasn’t important-” Lindsay began.
“No but you told me to be happy with your table scraps, well yes you Claire and Jill help me just like I help all of you, telling me to only take what you give me is not ok. Maybe I do get more exclusives and quotes from the coroner and the DA’s office and the police but that doesn’t mean they’re the only cases I should get, that’s like telling you ‘hey Lindsay you get most of the killers of the street shut up and be happy about it’.” Cindy ranted.
“My job is different to yours.”
“All that’s different is that I don’t tell you to do what you have to in order to do it.” Cindy said.
Lindsay was quiet for a moment but Cindy could tell she was still annoyed at her but that was too bad because Cindy was annoyed right back.
“I don’t get headlines because you decide to grace me with a quote, I get headlines because I go the extra mile to get them… no matter how nosey that makes me.” She said and then turned on her heel and left.
That had probably been the beginning of the end.
*
“No not nosey, I have the market cornered in that department don’t I?” Cindy said and Lindsay sighed.
“Cindy you’re a good reporter.” She began.
“That’s kind of you to say.” Cindy interjected but she clearly didn’t mean what she said.
“Please stop, this is important, it’s not personal.” Lindsay said.
“It’s never personal and personal is never important.” Cindy said quietly but still loud enough for Lindsay to hear, Lindsay sighed and looked to the floor which is when she saw another crime scene photo, a closer shot of the body Cindy must have missed putting it back in the folder, Lindsay bent down and grabbed it from under the desk.
“Cindy seriously this is about a case, that girl’s body has the same markings as the victims back home, the exact same.” Lindsay said Cindy didn’t say anything but looked at the photo when Lindsay held it out across the desk, the barrier between them Cindy was grateful for.
“Come on just look here, how can you not see they’re exactly the same?” Lindsay asked pointing out the markings like Cindy couldn’t see them, she could she just didn’t understand the significance. Cindy resisted the urge to snatch it away from the taller woman, she was not a child, it was not time to gather up her toys and leave because things weren’t going her way, still her fingers itched to take the photo and put it with the file, away from Lindsay.
“A lot of people are blind to a lot of things others perceive as obvious.” Cindy said and Lindsay looked over and starred at her, Cindy gently took the photo from Lindsay’s hands and put it on her desk.
“Just something a read off a fortune cookie or something.” She mumbled, it was probably just as accurate to them as ‘you will soon change direction in life’ was to a senior in high school student, the mind takes what it wants and twists it to suit the situation.
“Sounds nice.” Lindsay said then she looked back at the photo. “Didn’t Claire or Jill send you pictures of the markings?”
Cindy shook her head.
“They tried but I couldn’t open the attachment for some reason and then file was too big to send to my phone and after that the killings stopped so there was no point.” She explained.
“They didn’t stop he moved.” Lindsay said adamantly. “It’s the same guy.”
“So you think he’s decided to jump across the country? And on the one week you decided to visit I get the case involving your serial killer?” Cindy asked. “There’s not always a case just because you want there to be.”
“Someone is dead, are you saying that’s not a case?” Lindsay asked, Cindy stiffened then composed her reply.
“It is a case yes but it’s one you have nothing to do with.” She said.
“I do if it’s the same sick bastard that was doing in girls back home.” Lindsay countered.
“It’s not, just because you want something doesn’t mean it happens, just because you think you have a connection doesn’t mean there is one.” Cindy said and her tone let Lindsay know she meant more than just the case.
“But what if there is a connection?” Lindsay asked softly unsure herself about whether she was just talking about the case and if she wasn’t then she was unsure about whether or not she’d have the guts to say what she wanted.
“What kind of connection would that be?” Cindy asked and then Lindsay looked down seeing the photograph.
“Her body has the same markings.” She said quietly fingering the lettering across Cindy’s name plate. Cindy always had the unnatural ability to make her doubt everything in herself, no one else could ever do it in just the same way. Cindy just nodded simply and Lindsay didn’t want to think she was disappointed by her answer.
“Fine you have my lunch break to convince me it’s the same guy.” She said sorting through the papers on her desk and coming up with the file in question.
“It is.” Lindsay interjected.
“Convince me.” Cindy said grabbing her coat and bag. Lindsay gathered the file.
“Where are we going?” Lindsay asked. There were no offices to convene in, Lindsay, Jill and Claire’s hotel was on the other side of the city, they had no ‘club spot’, they had no roots here, not even Cindy, not really, she had a bar (not open for a lunch time drink - not that she would) that wasn’t even really hers it was just somewhere she went.
“Your place?” Lindsay suggested casually then she froze not realising what she’d said and what it meant until it was out in the world.
“Sure.” Cindy said breezily but Lindsay could see through her acting.
“If you’re not comfortable we could go somewhere else.” Lindsay suggested.
“Why should I be uncomfortable?” Cindy asked suddenly on the defence, pressing the elevator ‘down’ button harder than needed.
“I’m just trying to make things easy for you.” Lindsay said. Cindy sighed, all sorts of replies running through her mind, the elevator doors opened and she and Lindsay went inside as the ‘cop out’ reply escaped her lips.
“Where are Claire and Jill?” Cindy asked.
“They rushed off to see the Statue of Liberty, apparently it wasn’t still going to be there tomorrow, a think the term matter of life and death was used but I could be mistaken.” Lindsay explained with a small smile, hoping to lighten the situation, it didn’t seem to work because Cindy remained uncharacteristically stone faced for the elevator ride which wasn’t long, only 12 floors but felt like a lifetime to Lindsay.
“I’ll call them.” Lindsay added quietly and rang Jill’s mobile, she left a short message saying that she had a lead on the case back in San Francisco ad to meet at Cindy’s apartment as soon as possible.
Once out on the street Lindsay looked around for the familiar red beetle, she didn’t see it as Cindy walked out into the street to hail a cab.
“What happened to Maggie?” the tall detective asked, Cindy successfully waved down a cab before answering.
“I sold her back home- back in San Francisco, some college student promised to give her a good home.” Cindy said Lindsay nodded, for some reason when she’d been picturing Cindy in New York, her little red beetle sticking out amount the yellow cabs, it affected her more than it should to find out that it was nothing more than her mind’s creation.
The cab ride was quiet; the driver noticed the tension between the two as his attempts at small talk fell flat with short answers in a monotone from both women so he turned the radio up three blocks into the journey, neither Lindsay or Cindy really noticed. Cindy paid the cab fare and refused Lindsay’s help so the brunette took the time to actually look at Cindy’s building properly in the daylight she found it looked very different from the Google map images, not that Lindsay would admit to knowing anything about Google map images of this building because those searches in her computers history were a glitch. Everything she was imagining about this trip was wrong so far, except the tension between her and Cindy and knowing it was her fault it was there in the first place that was as always ever present.
“I live on the seventh floor and the elevator’s been out for a three weeks, basically since I moved in and I don’t see it getting fixed anytime soon so...” Cindy trailed off and walked inside, Lindsay followed nervously.
*
After a lot of drinks and dancing at a club with Claire and Jill Cindy and Lindsay had caught a taxi back to Cindy’s apartment building.
“I hate my stairs.” Cindy mumbled, then she tripped.
“I think they hate you too.” Lindsay grinned and helped Cindy back up.
“No I don’t hate them cause they’re evil and they make me trip.” Cindy shook her head, only two more flights of stairs until Cindy’s floor.
“Then why?” Lindsay asked, grabbing the railing to pull herself up for a second, the last round of drinks were what pushed them over the edge from tipsy into drunk but with Cindy next to her it was a happy feeling.
“Because it takes us forever to get to my apartment and that means it takes forever to get you and me into my bedroom.” Cindy grinned.
“You don’t you have an elevator in this building?” Lindsay asked suddenly contemplating taking the stairs two at a time, in any other instance she would have, at a run, but she knew if she tried she’d fall flat on her face and that would not get anyone anywhere. “It has to be illegal to have you living on the fifth floor and no elevator, I’ll look into that.”
“Sounds great.” Cindy smiled. “But look into it tomorrow, we’re finally here.”
She was right, they were at her apartment door.
“So we are.” Lindsay smiled and leant down to kiss her.
*
“The girl who’s photos you saw, the one you say has the same markings, she was just a kid, she told me she was 21 but I’d put her closer to 18 than anything else, she died a little less than a month ago, she was nice, I only met her a couple of times, I was looking for information and she told me what she knew, she said her name was Carrie something but she called herself Candy Cane.” Cindy admitted during the three flight walk up, it would have seemed out of the blue if Lindsay wasn’t so grateful to hear her voice after what felt like an eternity in silence during the cab ride. “She was just a kid, she shouldn’t have been selling herself, no one should have to do that.”
“Some people feel like they have no choice.” Lindsay said. “And sometimes the streets are better than their homes.”
“I know all that, they do what they have to and then, well then they die in the gutter.” Cindy said simply and sadly as she opened her front door, Lindsay stood still for a second, shocked, Lindsay didn’t like to think that it was her who broke Cindy’s endearing optimism, to know that would be too much to take, instead she chalked it up to New York that had jaded the young reporter so and made her this bitter.
An awkward half an hour later Claire and Jill arrived at Cindy’s apartment, Jill was wearing an ‘I Love New York’ shirt and Claire had a bag full of souvenirs and was wearing a form statue of liberty crown around her head. It was almost surreal.
“You two are so tourists.” Cindy exclaimed doubled over with laughter.
“Oh please, we’re visitors to the wonderful state of New York, there’s a difference.” Jill protested, seeing the looks on both Lindsay and Cindy’s faces Jill relented. “Fine, we’re tourists, but what about you Cind? What are you exactly?”
“I am a resident, bona fide New Yorker.” Cindy grinned and Lindsay stopped smiling at that realisation. Cindy lived in New York, she knew Cindy wasn’t in San Francisco anymore, (she also knew that was partly her fault), she knew Cindy had moved to New York, (2583 miles away), but even with knowing all that she just hadn’t connected it to the fact that Cindy wasn’t just away she was somewhere else with a new life. Maybe to most it would have sounded like the same thing but to Lindsay there was a distinction, a big one and it hit her hard to realise Cindy’s life was now all but completely severed from hers. Lindsay found herself very uncomfortable with that but forced herself to smile and prayed it didn’t look like a grimace.
“You’ve been here all of three months.” Jill exclaimed.
“Five.” Cindy said softly then she spoke louder, her voice taking a more jovial tone like she was still joking with Jill instead of talking to Lindsay. “Well close enough to it, five months is more than enough for most things to become real, it’s more than enough time for me to become a resident.”
‘More than enough time for most things to be real’ Cindy had said ‘more than enough time for you to admit we were something’ she meant. Cindy had said ‘enough time for me to become a resident’ but Lindsay heard ‘enough time for us to have become a relationship’ and she couldn’t deny that was true. Lindsay looks at Cindy trying to catch her eye, she does for a second but Cindy looks away, Lindsay keeps looking at the reporter sitting across from her, Cindy looks at the Statue of Liberty statue filled with jellybeans Claire had bought for her son instead. They’ve been apart for as long as they were together, if they actually were together, it’s been almost a year since things were normal but Cindy can’t remember a time it wasn’t complicated.
“Well then Miss New Yorker what’s this big new lead in our dead end case?” Jill asked snapping Cindy out of her thoughts.
“I don’t know, Lindsay is the one that says there is one.” Cindy shrugged turning away to the kitchen, “You guys sort it out I’m making margaritas, anyone else want some?”
Claire and Jill exchanged a look.
“Sure, why not?” Jill shrugged.
“Ok then.” Claire nodded, Lindsay didn’t say anything.
“Lindsay?” Claire prompted.
“Yeah, sounds um; sounds great, yeah.” Lindsay said but instead of it being Cindy distracting the brunette this time it was the case file she was staring at intently.
“Alright hand it over.” Jill demanded knowing if they didn’t get a look in now they wouldn’t until Lindsay fell asleep and they pried it from her hands. Lindsay reluctantly handed over her only lifeline from the emotional drama she felt from being near Cindy and Jill looked over the photos of Carrie and was shocked.
“Claire you’d know more than I would.” Jill said and handed the photos over to Claire, Claire looked at it and was shocked.
“The markings are the same as far as I can tell.” Claire said then she looked over at Lindsay.
“So it’s true?” Cindy asked, the three women in her apartment turned to her and watched her face fall, she had been hoping Claire and Jill could prove to Lindsay that not everything would turn into a serial killer show down, she’d hoped the club, (not-a-club, she always corrected herself like that, a habit Lindsay had forced on her that she had yet to even try and curb, she was already trying and failing to break too many Lindsay habits to both with one that didn’t make her feel like crying), could prove to Lindsay she was wrong without making certain situations worse and bringing even more tension to the group but she was the one that was wrong.
“Guess he isn’t dead after all.” Jill said.
“I told you so.” Lindsay said with the sad sort of triumph that came with that fact.
They look at each other and then each brought out their phones, Cindy called her editor, excited hushed tones of a bigger story being blown wide open ‘exclusive information on a serial killer jumping coasts style big’, Lindsay hit speed dial 5 explained the situation to Tom, her never fading determination promises she’ll get the bastard, either through steel bracelets or lead bullets and Tom as always believes her, Denise answers Jill on the fourth ring, the normally cool calm and collected lawyer sighs tired and heavy before she gives the quick clipped profession explanation of what was going on and what was need, Claire’s third year intern left in charge of the morgue is eager to help promising her mentor to have all six Rape-Cut-Kill San Francisco victim files sent ‘express’ to the hotel as soon as possible.
“I think we’re going to need something stronger than this.” Jill said grimly draining her margarita glass as the others all agreed.
*
The intercom system announces to the airport that the flight to San Francisco will be leaving in two hours, but despite having her luggage checked ahead (she plans to find and destroy the idiot who implemented that master plan) Lindsay wasn’t checking in, only Claire and Jill were getting on the plane and heading back to San Francisco, much to Cindy’s annoyance Lindsay was sure.
At first the NYPD had not been that appreciative of a San Francisco detective from Texas ‘butting in’ to their case but then they looked at the files and when another body showed up they realised Lindsay was right and more than that was an asset, Tom had graciously offered Lindsay to them, she didn’t mind staying in New York but her hotel room had been given away, yes her booking was over but that didn’t mean she didn’t need a place to stay, upon getting ‘there are no rooms’ available she pulled her badge, a raised eyebrow and a small smile was all she got ‘San Francisco?’ the clerk asked, ‘You’re a long way from home aren’t you’ Lindsay refrains from calling him every name she can think of and telling him that’s why she needs the room ‘You’re a bit out of your jurisdiction aren’t you?’ Lindsay growled, she was getting sick and tired of hearing that. Jill however assured her that she and Claire had sorted out a place for her to stay, looking back Lindsay thinks she should have been suspicious.
*
“I’m sorry about this.” Lindsay said as she made the couch into a bed. It wasn’t exactly the best living arrangements, the brunette had a feeling if Cindy had a choice she wouldn’t want her in New York let alone her living room.
“It’s fine, I wouldn’t have offered if it wasn’t.” Cindy said but the truth is she didn’t really offer but what can she say now without coming off as the bitter ex-girlfriend - except she’s not an ex-girlfriend because she was never a girlfriend to begin with so she’s left being the bitter… friend (with-benefits) and that is not a role she wants to play so she smiled as politely as she could and lied about not hating that Lindsay is sleeping on her couch not in her bed, not that’s a whole other problem that Cindy most definitely doesn’t want to deal with at the moment because there’s so much more going on.
“Well you didn’t exactly have a choice… if I’d have known that’s what Claire and Jill were talking to you about I wouldn’t have left them with you to manipulate you like that.” Lindsay said. Out for what was originally supposed to be the farewell lunch for Claire, Jill and Lindsay, which Lindsay suspected that was going to be the highlight of the week for Cindy but since Lindsay had been proven right and Carrie had been added to the list of victims from San Francisco and with another victim found Tom had graciously offered Lindsay to the New York Police Department and Claire and Jill had graciously taken it upon herself to offer Cindy’s couch to Lindsay until someone somewhere would get around to approving the paperwork for Lindsay to have a hotel room comp’d.
*
Lindsay leaves to use the pay phone to yell at Tom for losing her luggage and having her stay in New York, (it was awkward enough the past week with Jill and Claire as buffers it’ll be worse soon enough without them.) Once Lindsay’s left the table Cindy breathes a little easier and relaxes, Jill and Claire both notice, a woman is coming over to the table; Cindy doesn’t pay it any attention, someone headed for another table maybe but then the woman stops in front of them.
“Cindy?” she asks and Cindy looks up, wait, but there’s no recognition.
“It’s me, Tiffany, we met at Ice?” Tiffany explains, somewhat deflated now, nerves kicking in. Jill ad Claire (and Cindy) appraise her - tall, tanned, thin, dark hair, Southern accent, Jill and Claire exchange a look and Cindy looked down at her plate for a minute.
“Oh, Ice yeah, I remember, Tiffany right, of course, sorry.” she exclaims a fake smile plastered across her face, as she looks up, she doesn’t remember this woman at all.
“Yeah.” Tiffany said, a shaky smile now, she doesn’t believe Cindy but it’s clear she wants too. “Well I thought, I mean… we had a good time and I gave you my number - you said… never mind, sorry for interrupting you.”
Cindy closes her eyes and nearly puts her face down in what’s left of her salad, it was embarrassing enough to run into a one night stand - who’s name she completely blanked on - in front of friends but for those friends to be Jill and Claire and that one night stand to look just like Lindsay? Cindy wishes the world would swallow her whole, the only reprieve she has was that Lindsay wasn’t there to meet her look-a-like.
Tiffany walks away just as Lindsay comes back from the phone to explain her luggage is on the way back, they walk right past each other, not realising the significance the other held. Lindsay tells them she’s going to the bathroom, probably to scream at the incompetence of airline baggage handlers and Cindy looks from Lindsay to Tiffany to Lindsay to her plate and repeats the cycle, Jill looks at Claire, a pleading look on her face and Claire gives her the nod, Jill smiles as the ‘leave them be’ speech she got in the cab ride over here officially goes out the window.
“Cindy…” she begins with her ‘court-room-predator-smile’ and by the time Lindsay returns back to the table it has all been sorted, she’s staying with Cindy, neither one of them have much of a choice in the matter.
*
“If you don’t want to stay here that’s fine you don’t have to.” Cindy said defensively crossing her arms over her chest and frowning, Lindsay thought pouting was a more accurate description but didn’t bring that up. Cindy half hoped Lindsay would take the out and head for a hotel but that would be yet another rejection from the woman she still loved (despite her best efforts not to).
“I didn’t say that.” Lindsay protested quickly and she really didn’t mind at all, she truly was a masochist at heart she realised because (not that she’d admit it) she honestly enjoyed being near Cindy despite the tension and the tug at her heart, Lindsay wanted to be near Cindy and even if a lumpy couch was as near as she was going to get.
“I don’t mind where I stay; I just don’t want you to be uncomfortable.” Lindsay said.
“Why would I be the one uncomfortable?” Cindy asked raising an eyebrow and Lindsay decided to do something she’d done only once before and regretted ever since, she backed down and hoped it would have better results this time around.
“Well if we’re both comfortable then I guess I’m staying here.” She said sitting down on the couch turned bed.
“Yeah I guess you are.” Cindy agreed and silently cursed all the circumstances that led them to this, her own pride included, sighing she looked around the apartment just for something to do, scratching her nail back and forth across the table for a moment she then looked to the kitchen and back to Lindsay. “Um… are you hungry?”
A distraction, perfect - they both grabbed hold of it and clung tightly as though it was a lifeline in the sea of tension they were slowly drowning in.
“Starving actually.” Lindsay half-lied but she covers it with a mostly convincing smile.
“Great, me too.” Cindy said far too brightly. “Pizza sound good?”
“Sure, whatever you like.” Lindsay said. Cindy nodded and grabbed the phone from its cradle, dialled a number and waited as it rang.
“Pepperoni and extra cheese? Thin crust right?” Cindy asked but she already knew the answer was yes.
“Yeah.” Lindsay agreed Cindy nodded and smiled, Lindsay smiled back but Cindy turned away and Lindsay sighed.
“Hi can I get a large pepperoni pizza, extra cheese, thin crust and some garlic bread.” Cindy said walking off into the kitchen, the apartment was mostly an open plan but the distance Cindy had purposefully put between her and Lindsay and why was clear to both of them.
The pizza came and Lindsay and Cindy started eating, an awkward silence still hanging over them, Cindy turned the TV so it wasn’t so quiet - it was still awkward.
Title: What’s It Like In New York City
Part 2: Oh It’s What You Do To Me
Pairing: Lindsay/Cindy
Summary: AU Neither of them can admit that the awkward tension around them multiples when they see each other again because admitting it means they were never ‘just friends’ like they are always pretending to be. A lot of people are blind to a lot of things others perceive as obvious.
A/N: Title taken from Plain White Tee’s ‘Hey There Delilah’
A/N 2: sequel to ‘Chapter In Your Life Entitled San Francisco’ and ‘What’s It Like In New York City’ Part 1 ‘I’m Miles Away'
A/N 3: I know it’s really vague about well a lot of things but I know what I want to happen it’s just hard to write it so it’s working/perfect, anyway I’ve decided since the muses keep zapping me with ideas that there will be more to come.
A/N 4: LAST ONE I SWEAR: this style is different and also it’s been written practically since I posted the last piece so if it’s odd or miss matched or whatever then I’m sorry but I wanted to get this out there since it’s suddenly become much bigger than it was originally and now it’s this huge thing that I’m really into and want to finish and do right so here this is, I hope you like it, please READ & REVIEW!
SLIGHT TIMELINE CHANGE: I know in ‘Chapter In Your Life’ and ‘What’s It Like In New York City’ Part 1 ‘I’m Miles Away' that Cindy and Lindsay were together for three months but that seems a little short to me for them to be having the reactions my muse are forcing me to make them have (and as epic as they are I’m not sure three months is enough for them to give your heart to someone so much that you don’t get it back when they/you move across the country - then again in some cases it is I just thought it would work better this way), so I did some reworking to the timeline, they were together for five months but the last month or so wasn’t so great because Cindy was getting sick of being a secret and Lindsay was getting scared of being out in the open… moving on I give you part 2 of possibly more ramblings.
DISCLAIMER: I don’t own Women’s Murder Club books or television show or characters, I don’t own the bands or songs used for titles either. I own nothing, this is for fun not profit, please don’t sue.
“Cindy, someone’s here to see you.” The copy girl Sasha said, Cindy looked up.
“Oh.” She said the bright smile slipping from her face as she noticed who it was, Sasha looked between the reported she’d become friends with and the woman who’d asked to see her and sensing the tension she left.
“I’ve got a lot of work to do today Lindsay I can’t really stop and chat.” Cindy informed her, thinking to herself ‘just three more days then she’ll be gone and you can move on with your life’, she didn’t stop to think about why having Lindsay near her was affecting her so much because it wasn’t, not really, just like they weren’t anything back in San Francisco, not really, Cindy knew she was getting off track she stopped thinking about it, she’s mad with Lindsay she remembered so she focused on that as she finished typing her sentence and saved the article.
“I know you’re busy but I was hoping that you’d have time to hear me apologise though.” Lindsay said, Cindy looked up at her curiously, Lindsay rarely apologised, not even when Cindy had become a part of the ‘inner circle’ and a member of the not-a-club but she was now and Cindy was touched, not that Lindsay didn’t have anything to apologise for, she did, but she was apologising and that was the part that mattered.
“Go on.” Cindy said casually as she went through some of the papers on her desk.
“I shouldn’t have pried into your business like that last night.” Lindsay said and Cindy looked up.
“That’s what you’re apologising for?” she asked the papers in her hands falling slack.
“Yes you have a life here that I have nothing to do with.” Lindsay said forcing herself not to sound like she was swallowing glass as she said it, forcing her fists not to clench at the thought of Cindy with someone else, that bartender or whoever she was.
“Fine I accept your apology.” Cindy said tightly as she stood and moved to the other side of the room, Lindsay followed frowning deeply.
“That’s funny cause it sure doesn’t sound like it.” she said.
“Well what should you care if I do or I don’t?” Cindy asked harshly, she wasn’t with Lucy, they had gone out a couple of times, more because of pestering from Joanne and Shannon than interest from Cindy but yes, they had gone on a couple of dates and they had slept together, Cindy just wished she hadn’t been thinking of Lindsay that night, just remembering that made Cindy madder, at herself, at Joanne, at Shannon, at Lucy, at Lindsay, especially Lindsay, Cindy stalked back to her desk but stopped to turn and explain some things to Lindsay but once she did she ended up pressed against the detective and all the ‘only-half-true’ truths she was going to unleash about how Lindsay had no right to traipse through her life and pull it apart at the seams because this was New York and New York is different from San Franscico because it’s New York, (which makes much more sense in her head) fell away. Lindsay grabbed onto Cindy out of reflect to stop them both stumbling but then as quickly as Lindsay’s hands had been on Cindy they were gone again, Cindy stepped back, with all the anger inside of her gone, replaced now with an awkward silence that she had no idea how to deal with and even as she stood there, trying to keep her breathing even, deep red handprints with all the lines and whorls and fingerprints of Lindsay Boxer appear on her hips, the tingling spread through her body saying ‘she touched you here’ and all Cindy could do was try not to react to the rest of her body saying ‘here too, and there and there and there too’, everything from her ear lobes to the skin between her toes lit up reminding her of the things she wanted to forget, wasn’t she anger a moment ago? Yeah she was but now she was angry at Lindsay’s ability to make her forget all the reasons she was mad at her in the first place.
Coming back to the here and the now of being in New York and having Lindsay in her work place, touching her things, (she sounded like the childish she knew but she didn’t care), Cindy only just noticed that Lindsay had bent down to pick up the papers Cindy dropped to the floor as well, scrambling to grab the papers and put them back in the folder they fell from, because they were hers, not Lindsay’s and this wasn’t San Francisco the not-a-club share and share-alike mentality did not fly in here. All but one of the papers were collected and Cindy looked to find the missing piece in Lindsay’s hands, Cindy grabbed it back.
“These are confidential.” She informed the brunette putting it back in the folder and standing, she crossed the rest of the way to her desk quickly and put the folder on her desk, dropping a stack of papers and files over it with more force than necessary, Cindy’s message was clear but Lindsay had a one track mind and right now the track it was on was ‘case’.
“How long ago was she killed?” Lindsay asked transforming in front of Cindy’s eyes to ‘cop mode’ but Cindy had never been as intimidated as she had always seemed by the gaze, or a least she wasn’t going to be in New York, not in her new life.
“What should you care? It happened in New York and you have no jurisdiction here.” She pointed out coolly.
“I’m not just being nosey Cindy I need to know.” Lindsay said. That was the wrong thing to say, not for any insult just for Cindy’s memory and her current mood.
*
“Cindy I swear one of these days you’re going to get yourself into a mess I can’t get you out of.” Lindsay said.
“I was fine Lindsay.” Cindy protested.
“You were being held at gun point by the king pin of a major drug cartel, then again from the girl who dated the boy who held her hostage I suppose fine has different meaning.” Lindsay ranted.
“I’m also dating you or is that a bad call on my part as well?” Cindy asked and tried not to be offended when Lindsay looked around (not at all subtlety) to see if anyone heard, Cindy sighed and rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. Maybe it was a bad call after all but she pushed those thoughts from her head.
“I should have you arrested.” Lindsay said, her left hand touching the handcuffs on her belt as if she was honestly considering that option.
“It wouldn’t be the first time.” Cindy pointed out, Lindsay must have thought she was joking but the reporter in front of her was just stating a fact.
“This isn’t a joke Cindy this is real life, not everyone is sunshine and rainbows.” Lindsay began.
“I know that.” Cindy interjected annoyed but Lindsay continued.
“There are bad people in the world, Hector Garcia is one of them, he already killed three police officers, countless rivals, more we don’t even know about, even his own daughter when she went to the police, he would have had no problems shooting a nosey reporter who got in his way.” Lindsay said.
“Nosey?” Cindy repeated, Lindsay sighed, wondering if that was all Cindy got from her speech but upon looking at Cindy’s face the inspector realised Cindy had taken offence from the adjective as well.
“That’s not what I meant.” Lindsay tried to explain.
“It’s what you said.” Cindy pointed out. “I’m nosey am I? Well I’m sorry about that but it just happens to be my job.”
“No it’s not, don’t throw that at me, your job, no this is not your job, your job is to write about what happens not get yourself involved in deadly situations because you want one more leg up on the other newspapers - for God’s sake Cindy you get more exclusives than any other reporter in town.” Lindsay said, Cindy knew what she was implying.
“It’s not just because of you Lindsay, don’t think so much of yourself, I’m good at my job, you know that! My job is important no matter what you seem to think about it.”
“I didn’t say your job wasn’t important-” Lindsay began.
“No but you told me to be happy with your table scraps, well yes you Claire and Jill help me just like I help all of you, telling me to only take what you give me is not ok. Maybe I do get more exclusives and quotes from the coroner and the DA’s office and the police but that doesn’t mean they’re the only cases I should get, that’s like telling you ‘hey Lindsay you get most of the killers of the street shut up and be happy about it’.” Cindy ranted.
“My job is different to yours.”
“All that’s different is that I don’t tell you to do what you have to in order to do it.” Cindy said.
Lindsay was quiet for a moment but Cindy could tell she was still annoyed at her but that was too bad because Cindy was annoyed right back.
“I don’t get headlines because you decide to grace me with a quote, I get headlines because I go the extra mile to get them… no matter how nosey that makes me.” She said and then turned on her heel and left.
That had probably been the beginning of the end.
*
“No not nosey, I have the market cornered in that department don’t I?” Cindy said and Lindsay sighed.
“Cindy you’re a good reporter.” She began.
“That’s kind of you to say.” Cindy interjected but she clearly didn’t mean what she said.
“Please stop, this is important, it’s not personal.” Lindsay said.
“It’s never personal and personal is never important.” Cindy said quietly but still loud enough for Lindsay to hear, Lindsay sighed and looked to the floor which is when she saw another crime scene photo, a closer shot of the body Cindy must have missed putting it back in the folder, Lindsay bent down and grabbed it from under the desk.
“Cindy seriously this is about a case, that girl’s body has the same markings as the victims back home, the exact same.” Lindsay said Cindy didn’t say anything but looked at the photo when Lindsay held it out across the desk, the barrier between them Cindy was grateful for.
“Come on just look here, how can you not see they’re exactly the same?” Lindsay asked pointing out the markings like Cindy couldn’t see them, she could she just didn’t understand the significance. Cindy resisted the urge to snatch it away from the taller woman, she was not a child, it was not time to gather up her toys and leave because things weren’t going her way, still her fingers itched to take the photo and put it with the file, away from Lindsay.
“A lot of people are blind to a lot of things others perceive as obvious.” Cindy said and Lindsay looked over and starred at her, Cindy gently took the photo from Lindsay’s hands and put it on her desk.
“Just something a read off a fortune cookie or something.” She mumbled, it was probably just as accurate to them as ‘you will soon change direction in life’ was to a senior in high school student, the mind takes what it wants and twists it to suit the situation.
“Sounds nice.” Lindsay said then she looked back at the photo. “Didn’t Claire or Jill send you pictures of the markings?”
Cindy shook her head.
“They tried but I couldn’t open the attachment for some reason and then file was too big to send to my phone and after that the killings stopped so there was no point.” She explained.
“They didn’t stop he moved.” Lindsay said adamantly. “It’s the same guy.”
“So you think he’s decided to jump across the country? And on the one week you decided to visit I get the case involving your serial killer?” Cindy asked. “There’s not always a case just because you want there to be.”
“Someone is dead, are you saying that’s not a case?” Lindsay asked, Cindy stiffened then composed her reply.
“It is a case yes but it’s one you have nothing to do with.” She said.
“I do if it’s the same sick bastard that was doing in girls back home.” Lindsay countered.
“It’s not, just because you want something doesn’t mean it happens, just because you think you have a connection doesn’t mean there is one.” Cindy said and her tone let Lindsay know she meant more than just the case.
“But what if there is a connection?” Lindsay asked softly unsure herself about whether she was just talking about the case and if she wasn’t then she was unsure about whether or not she’d have the guts to say what she wanted.
“What kind of connection would that be?” Cindy asked and then Lindsay looked down seeing the photograph.
“Her body has the same markings.” She said quietly fingering the lettering across Cindy’s name plate. Cindy always had the unnatural ability to make her doubt everything in herself, no one else could ever do it in just the same way. Cindy just nodded simply and Lindsay didn’t want to think she was disappointed by her answer.
“Fine you have my lunch break to convince me it’s the same guy.” She said sorting through the papers on her desk and coming up with the file in question.
“It is.” Lindsay interjected.
“Convince me.” Cindy said grabbing her coat and bag. Lindsay gathered the file.
“Where are we going?” Lindsay asked. There were no offices to convene in, Lindsay, Jill and Claire’s hotel was on the other side of the city, they had no ‘club spot’, they had no roots here, not even Cindy, not really, she had a bar (not open for a lunch time drink - not that she would) that wasn’t even really hers it was just somewhere she went.
“Your place?” Lindsay suggested casually then she froze not realising what she’d said and what it meant until it was out in the world.
“Sure.” Cindy said breezily but Lindsay could see through her acting.
“If you’re not comfortable we could go somewhere else.” Lindsay suggested.
“Why should I be uncomfortable?” Cindy asked suddenly on the defence, pressing the elevator ‘down’ button harder than needed.
“I’m just trying to make things easy for you.” Lindsay said. Cindy sighed, all sorts of replies running through her mind, the elevator doors opened and she and Lindsay went inside as the ‘cop out’ reply escaped her lips.
“Where are Claire and Jill?” Cindy asked.
“They rushed off to see the Statue of Liberty, apparently it wasn’t still going to be there tomorrow, a think the term matter of life and death was used but I could be mistaken.” Lindsay explained with a small smile, hoping to lighten the situation, it didn’t seem to work because Cindy remained uncharacteristically stone faced for the elevator ride which wasn’t long, only 12 floors but felt like a lifetime to Lindsay.
“I’ll call them.” Lindsay added quietly and rang Jill’s mobile, she left a short message saying that she had a lead on the case back in San Francisco ad to meet at Cindy’s apartment as soon as possible.
Once out on the street Lindsay looked around for the familiar red beetle, she didn’t see it as Cindy walked out into the street to hail a cab.
“What happened to Maggie?” the tall detective asked, Cindy successfully waved down a cab before answering.
“I sold her back home- back in San Francisco, some college student promised to give her a good home.” Cindy said Lindsay nodded, for some reason when she’d been picturing Cindy in New York, her little red beetle sticking out amount the yellow cabs, it affected her more than it should to find out that it was nothing more than her mind’s creation.
The cab ride was quiet; the driver noticed the tension between the two as his attempts at small talk fell flat with short answers in a monotone from both women so he turned the radio up three blocks into the journey, neither Lindsay or Cindy really noticed. Cindy paid the cab fare and refused Lindsay’s help so the brunette took the time to actually look at Cindy’s building properly in the daylight she found it looked very different from the Google map images, not that Lindsay would admit to knowing anything about Google map images of this building because those searches in her computers history were a glitch. Everything she was imagining about this trip was wrong so far, except the tension between her and Cindy and knowing it was her fault it was there in the first place that was as always ever present.
“I live on the seventh floor and the elevator’s been out for a three weeks, basically since I moved in and I don’t see it getting fixed anytime soon so...” Cindy trailed off and walked inside, Lindsay followed nervously.
*
After a lot of drinks and dancing at a club with Claire and Jill Cindy and Lindsay had caught a taxi back to Cindy’s apartment building.
“I hate my stairs.” Cindy mumbled, then she tripped.
“I think they hate you too.” Lindsay grinned and helped Cindy back up.
“No I don’t hate them cause they’re evil and they make me trip.” Cindy shook her head, only two more flights of stairs until Cindy’s floor.
“Then why?” Lindsay asked, grabbing the railing to pull herself up for a second, the last round of drinks were what pushed them over the edge from tipsy into drunk but with Cindy next to her it was a happy feeling.
“Because it takes us forever to get to my apartment and that means it takes forever to get you and me into my bedroom.” Cindy grinned.
“You don’t you have an elevator in this building?” Lindsay asked suddenly contemplating taking the stairs two at a time, in any other instance she would have, at a run, but she knew if she tried she’d fall flat on her face and that would not get anyone anywhere. “It has to be illegal to have you living on the fifth floor and no elevator, I’ll look into that.”
“Sounds great.” Cindy smiled. “But look into it tomorrow, we’re finally here.”
She was right, they were at her apartment door.
“So we are.” Lindsay smiled and leant down to kiss her.
*
“The girl who’s photos you saw, the one you say has the same markings, she was just a kid, she told me she was 21 but I’d put her closer to 18 than anything else, she died a little less than a month ago, she was nice, I only met her a couple of times, I was looking for information and she told me what she knew, she said her name was Carrie something but she called herself Candy Cane.” Cindy admitted during the three flight walk up, it would have seemed out of the blue if Lindsay wasn’t so grateful to hear her voice after what felt like an eternity in silence during the cab ride. “She was just a kid, she shouldn’t have been selling herself, no one should have to do that.”
“Some people feel like they have no choice.” Lindsay said. “And sometimes the streets are better than their homes.”
“I know all that, they do what they have to and then, well then they die in the gutter.” Cindy said simply and sadly as she opened her front door, Lindsay stood still for a second, shocked, Lindsay didn’t like to think that it was her who broke Cindy’s endearing optimism, to know that would be too much to take, instead she chalked it up to New York that had jaded the young reporter so and made her this bitter.
An awkward half an hour later Claire and Jill arrived at Cindy’s apartment, Jill was wearing an ‘I Love New York’ shirt and Claire had a bag full of souvenirs and was wearing a form statue of liberty crown around her head. It was almost surreal.
“You two are so tourists.” Cindy exclaimed doubled over with laughter.
“Oh please, we’re visitors to the wonderful state of New York, there’s a difference.” Jill protested, seeing the looks on both Lindsay and Cindy’s faces Jill relented. “Fine, we’re tourists, but what about you Cind? What are you exactly?”
“I am a resident, bona fide New Yorker.” Cindy grinned and Lindsay stopped smiling at that realisation. Cindy lived in New York, she knew Cindy wasn’t in San Francisco anymore, (she also knew that was partly her fault), she knew Cindy had moved to New York, (2583 miles away), but even with knowing all that she just hadn’t connected it to the fact that Cindy wasn’t just away she was somewhere else with a new life. Maybe to most it would have sounded like the same thing but to Lindsay there was a distinction, a big one and it hit her hard to realise Cindy’s life was now all but completely severed from hers. Lindsay found herself very uncomfortable with that but forced herself to smile and prayed it didn’t look like a grimace.
“You’ve been here all of three months.” Jill exclaimed.
“Five.” Cindy said softly then she spoke louder, her voice taking a more jovial tone like she was still joking with Jill instead of talking to Lindsay. “Well close enough to it, five months is more than enough for most things to become real, it’s more than enough time for me to become a resident.”
‘More than enough time for most things to be real’ Cindy had said ‘more than enough time for you to admit we were something’ she meant. Cindy had said ‘enough time for me to become a resident’ but Lindsay heard ‘enough time for us to have become a relationship’ and she couldn’t deny that was true. Lindsay looks at Cindy trying to catch her eye, she does for a second but Cindy looks away, Lindsay keeps looking at the reporter sitting across from her, Cindy looks at the Statue of Liberty statue filled with jellybeans Claire had bought for her son instead. They’ve been apart for as long as they were together, if they actually were together, it’s been almost a year since things were normal but Cindy can’t remember a time it wasn’t complicated.
“Well then Miss New Yorker what’s this big new lead in our dead end case?” Jill asked snapping Cindy out of her thoughts.
“I don’t know, Lindsay is the one that says there is one.” Cindy shrugged turning away to the kitchen, “You guys sort it out I’m making margaritas, anyone else want some?”
Claire and Jill exchanged a look.
“Sure, why not?” Jill shrugged.
“Ok then.” Claire nodded, Lindsay didn’t say anything.
“Lindsay?” Claire prompted.
“Yeah, sounds um; sounds great, yeah.” Lindsay said but instead of it being Cindy distracting the brunette this time it was the case file she was staring at intently.
“Alright hand it over.” Jill demanded knowing if they didn’t get a look in now they wouldn’t until Lindsay fell asleep and they pried it from her hands. Lindsay reluctantly handed over her only lifeline from the emotional drama she felt from being near Cindy and Jill looked over the photos of Carrie and was shocked.
“Claire you’d know more than I would.” Jill said and handed the photos over to Claire, Claire looked at it and was shocked.
“The markings are the same as far as I can tell.” Claire said then she looked over at Lindsay.
“So it’s true?” Cindy asked, the three women in her apartment turned to her and watched her face fall, she had been hoping Claire and Jill could prove to Lindsay that not everything would turn into a serial killer show down, she’d hoped the club, (not-a-club, she always corrected herself like that, a habit Lindsay had forced on her that she had yet to even try and curb, she was already trying and failing to break too many Lindsay habits to both with one that didn’t make her feel like crying), could prove to Lindsay she was wrong without making certain situations worse and bringing even more tension to the group but she was the one that was wrong.
“Guess he isn’t dead after all.” Jill said.
“I told you so.” Lindsay said with the sad sort of triumph that came with that fact.
They look at each other and then each brought out their phones, Cindy called her editor, excited hushed tones of a bigger story being blown wide open ‘exclusive information on a serial killer jumping coasts style big’, Lindsay hit speed dial 5 explained the situation to Tom, her never fading determination promises she’ll get the bastard, either through steel bracelets or lead bullets and Tom as always believes her, Denise answers Jill on the fourth ring, the normally cool calm and collected lawyer sighs tired and heavy before she gives the quick clipped profession explanation of what was going on and what was need, Claire’s third year intern left in charge of the morgue is eager to help promising her mentor to have all six Rape-Cut-Kill San Francisco victim files sent ‘express’ to the hotel as soon as possible.
“I think we’re going to need something stronger than this.” Jill said grimly draining her margarita glass as the others all agreed.
*
The intercom system announces to the airport that the flight to San Francisco will be leaving in two hours, but despite having her luggage checked ahead (she plans to find and destroy the idiot who implemented that master plan) Lindsay wasn’t checking in, only Claire and Jill were getting on the plane and heading back to San Francisco, much to Cindy’s annoyance Lindsay was sure.
At first the NYPD had not been that appreciative of a San Francisco detective from Texas ‘butting in’ to their case but then they looked at the files and when another body showed up they realised Lindsay was right and more than that was an asset, Tom had graciously offered Lindsay to them, she didn’t mind staying in New York but her hotel room had been given away, yes her booking was over but that didn’t mean she didn’t need a place to stay, upon getting ‘there are no rooms’ available she pulled her badge, a raised eyebrow and a small smile was all she got ‘San Francisco?’ the clerk asked, ‘You’re a long way from home aren’t you’ Lindsay refrains from calling him every name she can think of and telling him that’s why she needs the room ‘You’re a bit out of your jurisdiction aren’t you?’ Lindsay growled, she was getting sick and tired of hearing that. Jill however assured her that she and Claire had sorted out a place for her to stay, looking back Lindsay thinks she should have been suspicious.
*
“I’m sorry about this.” Lindsay said as she made the couch into a bed. It wasn’t exactly the best living arrangements, the brunette had a feeling if Cindy had a choice she wouldn’t want her in New York let alone her living room.
“It’s fine, I wouldn’t have offered if it wasn’t.” Cindy said but the truth is she didn’t really offer but what can she say now without coming off as the bitter ex-girlfriend - except she’s not an ex-girlfriend because she was never a girlfriend to begin with so she’s left being the bitter… friend (with-benefits) and that is not a role she wants to play so she smiled as politely as she could and lied about not hating that Lindsay is sleeping on her couch not in her bed, not that’s a whole other problem that Cindy most definitely doesn’t want to deal with at the moment because there’s so much more going on.
“Well you didn’t exactly have a choice… if I’d have known that’s what Claire and Jill were talking to you about I wouldn’t have left them with you to manipulate you like that.” Lindsay said. Out for what was originally supposed to be the farewell lunch for Claire, Jill and Lindsay, which Lindsay suspected that was going to be the highlight of the week for Cindy but since Lindsay had been proven right and Carrie had been added to the list of victims from San Francisco and with another victim found Tom had graciously offered Lindsay to the New York Police Department and Claire and Jill had graciously taken it upon herself to offer Cindy’s couch to Lindsay until someone somewhere would get around to approving the paperwork for Lindsay to have a hotel room comp’d.
*
Lindsay leaves to use the pay phone to yell at Tom for losing her luggage and having her stay in New York, (it was awkward enough the past week with Jill and Claire as buffers it’ll be worse soon enough without them.) Once Lindsay’s left the table Cindy breathes a little easier and relaxes, Jill and Claire both notice, a woman is coming over to the table; Cindy doesn’t pay it any attention, someone headed for another table maybe but then the woman stops in front of them.
“Cindy?” she asks and Cindy looks up, wait, but there’s no recognition.
“It’s me, Tiffany, we met at Ice?” Tiffany explains, somewhat deflated now, nerves kicking in. Jill ad Claire (and Cindy) appraise her - tall, tanned, thin, dark hair, Southern accent, Jill and Claire exchange a look and Cindy looked down at her plate for a minute.
“Oh, Ice yeah, I remember, Tiffany right, of course, sorry.” she exclaims a fake smile plastered across her face, as she looks up, she doesn’t remember this woman at all.
“Yeah.” Tiffany said, a shaky smile now, she doesn’t believe Cindy but it’s clear she wants too. “Well I thought, I mean… we had a good time and I gave you my number - you said… never mind, sorry for interrupting you.”
Cindy closes her eyes and nearly puts her face down in what’s left of her salad, it was embarrassing enough to run into a one night stand - who’s name she completely blanked on - in front of friends but for those friends to be Jill and Claire and that one night stand to look just like Lindsay? Cindy wishes the world would swallow her whole, the only reprieve she has was that Lindsay wasn’t there to meet her look-a-like.
Tiffany walks away just as Lindsay comes back from the phone to explain her luggage is on the way back, they walk right past each other, not realising the significance the other held. Lindsay tells them she’s going to the bathroom, probably to scream at the incompetence of airline baggage handlers and Cindy looks from Lindsay to Tiffany to Lindsay to her plate and repeats the cycle, Jill looks at Claire, a pleading look on her face and Claire gives her the nod, Jill smiles as the ‘leave them be’ speech she got in the cab ride over here officially goes out the window.
“Cindy…” she begins with her ‘court-room-predator-smile’ and by the time Lindsay returns back to the table it has all been sorted, she’s staying with Cindy, neither one of them have much of a choice in the matter.
*
“If you don’t want to stay here that’s fine you don’t have to.” Cindy said defensively crossing her arms over her chest and frowning, Lindsay thought pouting was a more accurate description but didn’t bring that up. Cindy half hoped Lindsay would take the out and head for a hotel but that would be yet another rejection from the woman she still loved (despite her best efforts not to).
“I didn’t say that.” Lindsay protested quickly and she really didn’t mind at all, she truly was a masochist at heart she realised because (not that she’d admit it) she honestly enjoyed being near Cindy despite the tension and the tug at her heart, Lindsay wanted to be near Cindy and even if a lumpy couch was as near as she was going to get.
“I don’t mind where I stay; I just don’t want you to be uncomfortable.” Lindsay said.
“Why would I be the one uncomfortable?” Cindy asked raising an eyebrow and Lindsay decided to do something she’d done only once before and regretted ever since, she backed down and hoped it would have better results this time around.
“Well if we’re both comfortable then I guess I’m staying here.” She said sitting down on the couch turned bed.
“Yeah I guess you are.” Cindy agreed and silently cursed all the circumstances that led them to this, her own pride included, sighing she looked around the apartment just for something to do, scratching her nail back and forth across the table for a moment she then looked to the kitchen and back to Lindsay. “Um… are you hungry?”
A distraction, perfect - they both grabbed hold of it and clung tightly as though it was a lifeline in the sea of tension they were slowly drowning in.
“Starving actually.” Lindsay half-lied but she covers it with a mostly convincing smile.
“Great, me too.” Cindy said far too brightly. “Pizza sound good?”
“Sure, whatever you like.” Lindsay said. Cindy nodded and grabbed the phone from its cradle, dialled a number and waited as it rang.
“Pepperoni and extra cheese? Thin crust right?” Cindy asked but she already knew the answer was yes.
“Yeah.” Lindsay agreed Cindy nodded and smiled, Lindsay smiled back but Cindy turned away and Lindsay sighed.
“Hi can I get a large pepperoni pizza, extra cheese, thin crust and some garlic bread.” Cindy said walking off into the kitchen, the apartment was mostly an open plan but the distance Cindy had purposefully put between her and Lindsay and why was clear to both of them.
The pizza came and Lindsay and Cindy started eating, an awkward silence still hanging over them, Cindy turned the TV so it wasn’t so quiet - it was still awkward.