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“Whatcha reading, Havers?” Lynley asked, sounding amused. Havers looked up from the Hunger Games, frowning as she did so. It had only been fifteen minutes since she’d started into the book, and she’d really hoped to be able to get at least halfway. Sighing, she showed him the cover, hoping he wouldn’t mock her too badly for it. He didn’t laugh, but he smiled looking rather amused. “Aren’t you a bit old for that kind of book?” He asked as he stirred his coffee, and she frowned.
“It’s a story about war, Lynley,” She said, not adding in the ‘hunger’ factor. Lynley hated hearing about kids who were starving because adults didn’t care for them properly. He hated any violence towards kids especially, which meant he would likely hate this trilogy, she thought, so she quickly turned the book subject back towards him. “Besides, I bet you’d rather be reading Jack London or maybe Leo Tolstoy, right?” She asked, smirking.
He smiled.
“I have read both of those authors, actually.” He said mildly, helping himself to some coffee nearby. The awful coffee that barely anyone could drink at the police office, but it seemed to not make Lynley ignore it, for he always had at least one cup of coffee. More, if they were working on cases. Havers, herself, generally stuck to tea and cigarettes.
“But personally, I’m more of a Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett kind of guy,” He said, amused at her reaction.
“You’re a Terry Pratchett fan?” She asked, astonished and forgetting about her own book. It slipped onto the desk but she didn’t move to pick it up.
“Terry Pratchett is a knight,” Lynley reminded her. “I had to read his things in school, but those were some of the best books I’d read during that time. It was one of the happiest moments of my childhood, reading those books-amongst others, of course, but I always enjoyed Sir Pratchett’s books the most.”
She grinned.
“I guess that’s two more things we have in common,” She said, happily. He blinked, confused. She clarified. “We both love books, and we both love reading Terry Pratchett,” She said cheekily, and he laughed outright.
“Yes, I suppose that’s true.” His phone rang, and he answered it, causing their conversation to come to a pause. He spoke few words, and then shut his phone and sighed.
“Looks like you’re reading break is over, Havers. We’ve got a case,” He informed her, already reaching for his jacket.
“Can I drive this time?” She asked, as they were heading out the door. Just in case, she snagged two books from her desk-her Hunger Games novel, and-one that she hid in her desk drawer for herself-a Terry Pratchett novel called ‘Going Postal’, which was one of her absolute favorites. She could surprise Lynley by reading the novel on the way to the case, provided that the case was far enough away to get some pages in.
She hoped that Lynley would like her book choice.
At least it would keep them from having another fight.
And maybe it would help further their partnership into something more of a friendship.
She could only hope.
~*~
End