Back to posting the FanFiction for PaladinsGamingTeam. I had to take a slight break so that I could write another blog post. Now back to this story until it is finished.
Chapter 2
Sarah brushes her dark brown hair behind her head, setting it in a loose ponytail before she straightens her blue with white skirt and white blouse with a collar and slightly puffy short sleeves, humming to herself. She finishes getting ready for the day then enters her and her husband’s modest bedroom seeing her husband, Eric, getting into his blue suit for work. She smiles and walks over, kissing him on the cheek before she heads to their kitchen to make coffee and breakfast for the two of them.
Eric smiles at the quick kiss, then tightens his tie as he investigates the small mirror on his wardrobe. He pulls down the collar over the tie, closes the wardrobe door, and heads into the bathroom to comb his short hair. Eric puts the comb down and stares into his dark brown eyes for a moment before he shaves the stubble on his chin, wanting to look his best at the insurance office. Eric takes in a deep breath, smelling coffee, eggs, and bacon seeping into the bedroom from the kitchen. His stomach growls at him, urging him to finish shaving and get to the kitchen.
Sarah places a plate of two sunny side up eggs and three strips of bacon onto the table before she gets a cup of coffee and a glass of orange juice beside the napkin, fork, and knife. She then gets her plate together as her husband walks in, unbuttoning his jacket. She smiles at Eric as he takes off his jacket and hangs it from the back of the chair before sitting down. Sarah sets her plate down, then gets her own coffee and orange juice sitting across from him.
“Breakfast smells delicious, Hun,” Eric says as she grabs his fork and cuts into one egg.
Sarah smiles as she places her napkin on her lap before she digs into her own eggs, “Thank you, dear.” She takes a bite of the eggs and then follows it with a sip from the hot coffee.
Eric picks up the newspaper that Sarah had gotten from the front porch and reads as he sips on his coffee and nibbles on the bacon or eats the eggs. Sarah watches her husband, enjoying the quiet morning before Eric must rush off to the office for work. She has a few errands to run, but mostly it is time to get the laundry washed and hung up to dry before they are supposed to have a storm the next day.
Eric finishes reading the finances part of the newspaper and puts it down, “What is today entail for you, love?”
“I have to do the laundry since there is a storm coming tomorrow. I have to run out to do a little shopping, but I want to get the laundry washed and dry before the storm.” Sarah sips on her coffee, “What about you, Hunny? What is on the books for you at the office?”
Eric sits up straighter, “I am seeing a client today and hoping that they sign a new contract with our company as they continue to work on their own business. They run that little restaurant that we love to go to on our Tuesday nights.”
“Oh, Tom and Janet Rogers,” Sarah says as she cleans up their empty plates and cups, placing them in their sink to wash in a moment. “I always enjoy chatting with them when we go there.”
“So, do I,” Eric says as he stands and puts on his jacket. “I always look forward to seeing Tom. Hopefully, today goes smoothly when we discus finances and keeping his business afloat.”
“Afloat? Are they okay?” Sarah turns and looks at Eric sharply, water running into the sink behind her.
“Oh yes, they are fine,” Eric reassures her. “It is just what Tom and I say whenever we have to chat about renewing his contract with us.” Eric chuckles at the inside joke that he and Tom have about the restaurant. “Trust me, they are doing very well.”
“Good! You scared me there for a moment, Eric,” Sarah points her wet finger at him before she returns to washing the dishes. “Tell Tom I said hi and that I will call Janet tomorrow sometime to discuss our little get together this weekend.”
Eric walks over to Sarah and kisses her before he walks over to the front door to snatch his keys off a hook beside the door, “I definitely will. Love you, sweetheart.”
“Love you too, Hunny-Bear,” Sarah says, blowing him a kiss before she hums again and finishes cleaning and drying the dishes, putting them back in the cabinets where they belong.
Eric heads out to his small dark blue Ford and drives off to get to his office, flipping on the radio and dancing to the jazz that spills out of the speakers.
*******************
Kyle stares into the mirror, having had a rough time getting to sleep, the bag under his eyes growing darker with each episode of poor sleep. Since he had been a detective going on 6 years now, his sleep is plagued by nightmares of the victims as he searches for answers. Once he and Adam find the answers, he can return to a good night’s sleep for maybe a week before he and his partner are placed on a new case. It is a constant cycle of good sleep, bad sleep, back to good sleep and he knows it was playing havoc on his health. His doctor has warned him he needs to find a better way of handling his job or he will be forced to tell Kyle’s boss which could get him retired early.
He washes away the rest of his sleep in the sink before he gets dressed in his nice black slacks, a light gray shirt, and his black shoes. He leaves the restroom to enter his kitchen where he pours himself a cup of coffee and sits down at his small rickety table that he swears every day is going to throw out and buy a new one. But it never happens. He gently sets the cup on the table while he scans the newspaper, instantly seeing the headline about the murdered woman.
Kyle reads the brief article, seeing that of course there is nothing that can help the investigation, and sets the paper back down, finishing his dry toast and coffee. He stands and heads for the door, leaving his dishes to do when he gets back, and grabs his fedora and trench coat from the coat rack that sits proudly by the front door. With keys in hand, he leaves the house, locks the door, and heads out to his car, placing the hat on his head, leaving his trench coat placed gently over his left arm. Kyle puts everything inside and snaps his fingers, returning to his house, emerging once again with his holster and gun slung across his shoulder. He knew that if he forgot his firearm again, his boss would have a hissy-fit.
Kyle climbs into his car and heads off to work, waving to a few of his neighbors who are up and getting ready to leave for their own jobs. He makes his way over to the coffee shop where he always meets Adam in the morning to grab some more coffee and something better to eat since all he really had was the dry toast at home. He needs to get out to the store after work today or he will have nothing to eat tomorrow.
Parking in front of the small coffee shop, he spots Adam’s car parked two spaces from his own and he unfolds himself out of the car, entering the shop to see Adam in the back corner as usual, waving at him to join him. He slinks over to the table, placing his hat and coat on the bench beside him before he acknowledges his partner and friend. “Morning, Adam.”
“Morning, buddy, you look like you haven’t slept again,” Adam notes as he hands him a menu even though Kyle always orders the same chocolate donut and strong dark coffee.
Kyle takes the menu, his stomach growling angrily at him as he glances over it, debating if he wants to get something more this morning. The waitress walks over to take their order and Adam orders coffee and a plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. She turns her gray gaze to Kyle, who is still reading over the menu.
“I will have the darkest coffee you have as usual, Jane, and I think today I am going to order the pancakes with a side of hash browns.” He looks up at their usual waitress, handing her the menu.
“Wow is our little Kyle getting out of his donut bubble for once today?” she jokes and heads back towards the little window where she places the ticket for the cook in the back. “Hey Jim, you will not believe this. Kyle actually ordered food this time.”
A head wearing a white hat over his greasy looking black hair peeks out of the window and the man looks over at Kyle gasping, “Kyle, you feeling okay man? You actually want food-food this time around?”
Kyle groans and covers his face, “This is why I rarely order anything from you guys. You always make fun of me.”
Jim and Jane laugh as Jane heads around the shop, filling up coffees and waters before returning to their table with their cups of water and coffee. Adam joins in the laughter, reaching across the table, and slapping Kyle on the arm before he graciously takes his coffee and takes a small sip, enjoying the hot liquid as it scorches his throat with flavor.