Chapter 9

   I get to the Security Suite. I walk in and find my Sergeant and a casino manager standing there waiting for me. Fuck, I might be in trouble I think to myself.

   "Amy" the casino manager says to me, "Thank you for handling that situation the way you did. We need more people like you who can handle a high stress situation like that, and get it out of the sight of the guests as quickly as you did! With that being said, there is audio and video surveillance in the interview rooms. Please try to refrain from calling guests fucking cunts." He finishes laughing at me. 

   "I didn't even realize I did that, I will try to watch what I say in the future. Thank you!" I replied back.

   "We need your report on the incident as soon as possible," my Sergeant informs me.

   "I will do it right now, if you can rearrange my next post." I tell him. 

   "128 will switch with you, When you finsh your report move outside to parking lot walks, 189 has moved out to rove in a car if you need anything you can call him." he says and then made the call.

   I do my report making sure to leave nothing out. The fact that the woman had to be treated at the hospital for her head, I needed to make sure all the details were in the report so the casino was not held responsible for injuries sustatined. I turn my report in and then switch to channel 4 on my radio.

   "144 to dispatch and 189"

   " Go ahead 144." I recieve answers from both.

   " I am 10-8 in the parking garage starting on 4th level."

   "10-4." I hear dispatch respond

BING my phone goes off

   "Stay where you are, I am on my way." Keith says

I wait on the fourth level of the parking garage, bouncing on my toes, waiting for Keith to pull up. 

   "Get in." He tells me

I get in the car and his presence and the heat blasting in the car is so welcome I melt into my seat. I look over at him as he scans the cars as we drive around each level of the garage. He looks over to me and smirks.

   "I figured you would be cold so I thought I could provide some heat for you." he smirks over at me.

   "Yes, I appreciate it, I hate the cold, it hurts the bones," I respond lazily.

   "Your first night on 3rd shift has been eventful. Do you think you will like it?" he asked me.

   "Very, but I have done this kind of stuff before now. I like it, but I don't like the overnight shift." I tell him honestly. I fill him in on what the Tribal officer showed me and how I got in trouble for calling the guest a name. It was very comfortable talking to him even though just being in the truck with him made my body respond in some not so comfortable ways.

   We rode around together for the rest of the shift calling in some people passed out in their cars, dumping alcohol found in parking lots and just talking. I found out he has children, 2 boys and a girl. He does homeschooling for his kids which was interesting because I was looking into it for mine. We listened to music and talked about previous jobs we had. We were both in the Army, both had law enforcement in our backgrounds. Safe subjects only, we steared clear of my exes and of his wife. That conversation was being saved for Tomorrow night when we were supposed to meet after his training. 

   Before he dropped me off at the entrance, he stopped me.

   "Amy,"

I froze it was the first time he had said my name. I looked over to him waiting for him to continue.

   "Thank you for riding with me tonight, I enjoyed talking to you." he told me.

I smiled at him and went into the building. He came in after parking the car and I was waiting for Karen to get to work so I could get my youngest daughter from her before heading back to my apartment.

   "What are you waiting for?" Keith asked me when he noticed I wasn't leaving.

   "Karen brings my daughter to me in the mornings when she gets here for her shift." I answered.

   "You don't have a babysitter?" he asked.

   "No its a little complicated." I told him feeling a little self concious.

About that time Karen came in with my daughter. 

   "MOMMY!" My daughter yelled running towards me.

   Keith watches us with worry and intrigue on his face. Kaye noticed him watching and to my surprise reached out to him. I tried to distract her away feeling awkward and protective but she just kept reaching. Normally Kaye is shy and doesn't like to be away from me, She just turned 2 and her reaction to Keith was a shock to me. Keith looked at me as if asking for permission. I shrugged and he reached out to Kaye. She nearly flew out of my arms as Keith tucked her onto his hip and motioned for me to follow him out the door.

   Keith started walking towards the parking lot babbling along with Kaye as she made big hand motions and talked his ear right off. When we got to my car Keith, opened the door and expertly buckled her in, telling her something I didn't catch when she started to fuss that made her happy, and she clapped her hands.

   "What did you just say to her?" I asked smiling at him when he stood up.

   "I told her that if she was a good girl for you that the next time she seen me I would have a surprise for her." He told me shrugging.

   "Thank you for that, and I am sorry she did that, Normally she is a "Stranger Danger" baby, I have never seen her reach out to a complete stranger before." I tell him.

   "Her and I have kindred spitits." He tells me coming around to my side of the car. "When are you going to sleep if you have her during the day,? He asked.

   "Oh, I can usually get her down for about an hour around 11, but then we will be up until the other kids get off the bus. Then when Karen gets home around 5. I will hit the gym, then take a shower, and get a couple more hours before coming back in." I tell him.

   "Oh, that is not a very healthy schedule, where do you live? He asked.

   "I live an hour North of here." I tell him not giving him an exact answer.

   "Message me when you get home, please I won't sleep until I get your message." He orders.

Feeling awkward, a little annoyed, but also touched by his concern I say, "OK, will I see you tomorrow?"

   "I am looking forward to it." he says as he opens my door for me to get in and walks away.

   I get to the apartment and start making Kaye some breakfast. As I am waiting for her food to get warm I remember to text Keith.

   "Made it home, Feeding Kaye some breakfast, then I will try to relax and get her to sleep some with me. Hope you made it home ok, get some good sleep." I type out quickly and hit send.

   "I will now that you are home safe." he responds. 

The next day, Keith tagged me in a meme. It was the Ronald McDonald clown holding a Taser. It said, "Which is scarier?"

I replied "Definitely,  the Taser, Calories do not scare me haha."

   "What about clowns?' He asked

   "Nope, unless they are standing outside my window with a knife, but then I have a gun! So still no." I say matter of factly.

BING! My phone alerts to a message.

"That's kinda sexy." Keith messaged me privately abandoning the public conversation on f******k. "What kind of gun do you have?"

   "I just have a little Ruger 9mm." Its what I carried when I was a reserve Police Officer.

   "Oh, thats good you carry, makes me feel a little better." He replied. "So I have been thinking about tonight and I have an idea."

   "What is your idea?" I ask.

   "I think we should kiss first thing tonight. If there is no chemisrty in the kiss we can go our separate ways, and not have that conversation, and waste our time." He tells me.