Chapter Text
Nicole placed the picture frame on top of the bookcase, arranging it next to a candy skull ornament she’d picked up on a trip down to Mexico. She’d finally finished putting the case together this afternoon after unpacking her last few boxes, listening to Amy Winehouse while Calamity Jane snoozed nearby.
Usually, assembling Ikea furniture was torture, but she’d enjoyed getting this place in order. Living in the sticks had its advantages. She would never be able to afford the rent on a house like this in the city. Accepting a position in Purgatory wasn’t an obvious choice, but she was convinced that it was the right one for her. In a small town, she could distinguish herself as an officer instead of getting lost in the shuffle. She was going to sponge up everything she could while she was here.
There were people, Shea for one, who didn’t agree with her decision. Shea said that Purgatory was a dead-end town and she’d go crazy from not having anything to do. There might be a grain of truth to it, not that she’d let on to her ex.
Nothing was ever open here. There was not so much as a cinema, and she was friendless. Right now, the sun was going down as the day edged its way into Saturday night, which was when she usually microwaved a frozen pizza and cracked open a beer in front of the TV.
As much as she was happy with what she’d done this afternoon, she needed to get out before cabin fever set in. Maybe she could just go out and walk around for a while. Or, she could drop into one of the town’s only restaurants or bars. She showered and changed into black jeans and a blue button-up shirt.
In front of the mirror, she drew off the elastic holding her messy ponytail and brushed her hair out until it shone. She put on some light make-up, hoping to strike a balance between looking good and not trying too hard.
Who was she kidding? Waverly was working tonight. She wouldn’t be idly wandering around. She’d be heading straight for Shorty’s.
***
After she introduced herself to Waverly, Nicole didn’t seriously expect her to call. There were a couple of days during which she allowed herself a glimmer of hope that she might. There was the way Waverly had looked at her, and how flustered she’d been by Nicole’s attention. There was a spark; Nicole was sure of it.
The optimism was a little stupid, though. Waverly was clear about the fact that she wasn’t available.
The next time she saw Waverly, it was at the station. Nicole had listened to enough local gossip to understand that she was visiting her sister. The only contact Nicole had with the older Earp was in the kitchen, where Wynonna offered either sarcastic greetings or grunts. She reeked of whiskey half the time; Nicole couldn’t fathom how on earth she’d wound up working for a government agency.
When Nicole saw Waverly at work, she smiled at her but didn’t approach. She figured that given Waverly hadn’t called, she’d admire her from a distance. Seeing her around the station brightened Nicole’s days, taking the sting out of whatever boring paperwork she’d been saddled with.
She got a kick out of the way Waverly reacted to her not-so-subtle flirtatious looks. When they made eye contact, Waverly ducked her head, and almost blushed. It was adorable.
Then one day Waverly came to the desk wearing a big, nervous grin and holding a tray with a couple of coffee cups. She was still wearing her light blue coat, the shoulders dusted with snow.
Nicole put down her pen and smiled back. She noticed the way Waverly’s nose crinkled up as she grinned. God, she was so pretty.
“Hey, Waverly, how are you doing?”
“Great, great, thanks. I figured I owed you that coffee we talked about, so I bought you a cappuccino. That’s your order, right? That’s how you like your coffee?”
“It’s perfect. Thank you.”
Nicole reached across the desk and took the cup. Waverly’s hair was half pulled up, her cheekbones so beautifully sculpted that Nicole couldn’t stop staring.
“You’re welcome. And welcome to Purgatory by the way. You just got here, right?” Waverly asked. She lifted her own coffee cup from the tray and sipped.
“I did, a couple of weeks ago. What about you? Did you grow up here?"
“Uh-huh. I’m a lifer, I guess! Born and raised, right here in Purgatory.”
They made small talk for a few minutes, leaning across the desk toward one another while Waverly recommended the best hiking trails close to town.
“Anyway, I should get back to it,” Nicole said, gesturing toward the report she’d been working on. If she had her way, she’d talk to Waverly all day long, but she was conscious of Sherriff Nedley in his office nearby. She’d been working hard at making a good impression.
“Oh, sure!”
“Thanks again for the coffee, I really appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome.”
As Waverly walked away, Nicole’s heart sank. Waverly had just come through with Nicole’s suggestion about buying her coffee so, she definitely wouldn’t call. It meant that there was no reason to talk any time again soon. There was that hope again; so misplaced.
Waverly took off her coat, hanging it on a hook by the station’s entrance. She was still dressed for her job at the bar in her Shorty’s shirt and high-waisted jeans. Waverly turned, and Nicole quickly snapped her eyes upward. Waverly stepped closer to her again.
“Hey. I was going to say you should stop in at the bar again sometime when we’re open! If you wanted to, I mean. I know there’s not much to do around here, but we have a pool table, and a dart board.”
“Sure, I’ll definitely do that sometime. It’d be nice to come by for a drink.”
Waverly shrugged, a smile on her lips. “Cool. I’m working tomorrow night.”
“Cool.”
When she left, Nicole let out a breath slowly. It was a very loose invitation, but it was something.
***
Nicole’s boots crunched on the snow as she walked down the quiet street toward Shorty’s, her hands shoved in her jacket pockets to warm them. She’d never minded being alone. The only child of absent parents; she’d nurtured the skill of walking through the world by herself. Now, as her step quickened, she admitted to herself how much she’d been longing for company since she’d moved here.
Stepping into Shorty’s, she forced herself to take off her jacket and stamp her boots on the mat before she looked around for Waverly. The bar was full and buzzing, country-rock music drifting heavily over the room. When she found her, Waverly was pushing a beer toward a grizzled man propping up the bar.
Nicole stood in place, just looking. What was it about this girl that attracted her so much? Waverly stepped away from the customer, gaze darting around to check on everyone’s drinks, and then they were staring into one another’s eyes from across the room.
For a beat, Waverly’s expression was almost grave, though it held its usual warmth.
Then a smile broke out on her face, big as the sun, and she gestured toward an empty stool. Nicole hung her coat on a hook underneath the bar and settled herself in.
“Hey, what can I get you?” Waverly asked brightly.
“I’ll take a beer thanks. What do you have on draft?”
Waverly reeled off a few names, and when Nicole didn’t immediately answer, she jumped in. “I can get you some tasters if you like?”
“Thanks, I’ll just get a Kokanee, please. Careful with the taps.”
“Haha,” Waverly said, eyes sparkling before she drew the beer and put the frosted glass in front of Nicole.
Nicole slipped a note onto the bar, and Waverly shook her head. “It’s on me.”
“You already bought me a coffee! Thank you, but I can’t accept that,” she said, balling the note in her fist and pushing it forward.
Waverly’s hand closed over her own. “Seriously, your money’s no good here.”
There was a brief tussle as their fists moved back and forth, each of them laughing, and then Waverly moved their joined hands firmly across the bar. Waverly’s skin was warm and soft where her touch lingered.
“It’s a welcome to Purgatory. Okay?”
“Thanks,” Nicole said.
So, she’d learned something new about Waverly. She could be stubborn.
When Waverly turned to another customer, Nicole allowed her gaze to drop to check her out. Though she’d been doing her very best to be respectful, she couldn’t help looking at those toned arms and her midriff, coupled with the soft curve of her breasts.
Pulling herself away, Nicole made small talk with the middle-aged man to her right, while Waverly served other patrons. Now and then their looks snagged on one another’s, and they’d smile. Out of the cold with a crisp beer in hand, Nicole couldn’t imagine anything she’d rather be doing.
She ordered a second drink, which Waverly accepted payment for this time. When Waverly was done serving her, she stared for so long that Nicole swiped at her nose self-consciously.
“Do I have something on my face?” Nicole asked.
“No, sorry, it’s just…your hair. No braid.”
“And thank Christ for that, I hate that thing. It’s regulation.”
“I like it both ways. It’s nice like this.”
Waverly reached out and sifted the ends of Nicole's hair through her fingers. Nicole sat dumbly for a moment.
“Thanks.”
With Waverly’s encouragement, Nicole ordered a third beer, enjoying the buzz. She was halfway through it when thoughts intruded that she should be heading home soon. The worst thing Nicole could think of was looking desperate. As much as she was sure Waverly was flirting with her too, at the end of the day this was a girl with a boyfriend.
“Can I get you another beer?” Waverly asked.
“Thanks, but I’ll close out.”
“Sure! You’re not driving home, though, are you?”
“Of course not. Too much to drink for that.”
“I’ll be off in half an hour. I can give you a ride home.”
“That’s so nice of you, but it’s really not far. I’m just down on Victoria Street,” she said, waving her hand.
Worry passed over Waverly’s face. “This town isn’t the safest place to walk alone at night. I’m surprised nobody’s told you that.”
They had, of course, and Nicole thought it was strange. It was true that Purgatory seemed to have more than its fair share of lowlives, but when even the Sherriff told her to be careful, she felt like laughing at how much living in a small town could alter your frame of reference.
“Waverly, I’m a cop,” she said, leaning across the bar to make herself hard. When Waverly leaned toward her too, she could smell her shampoo, soft and honey-spiced. “And I always carry a gun whether I’m on duty or not, strapped to my ankle.”
Waverly’s eyes flared for a second, and she shook her head. “Sometimes, around here, that wouldn’t make such a difference. Wait for me. It’s not long.”
Nicole shrugged. She wasn’t about to turn down the chance to spend more time with Waverly. So, she sat and eyed her discreetly while she settled bills and collected tips, looping around the bar as gracefully as a dancer. Soon Waverly was shrugging on her coat and nodding toward the door.
“You really don’t have to do this, but I appreciate it,” Nicole said when they were exiting the bar.
“It’s no trouble.”
Was it just her or did Waverly seem a little jittery when she slid behind the wheel of her Jeep? She was staring straight ahead, not looking at Nicole when she joked that it was a shame Purgatory didn’t have Uber. Because she lived only a few blocks away from the bar, the trip was over before it began. When Nicole pointed out her place, Waverly pulled over to the curb and left the car running.
“Thanks again for the ride. Thanks for the beer, too. I had fun tonight.”
“Anytime!”
Nicole wondered how Waverly could look so beautiful even in the scant light that spilled in from her porch. What she wouldn’t give to be able to lean over and kiss her goodnight.
Nicole unbuckled her seatbelt. “Well, I’ll see you around, Waverly.”
When she was getting into bed after showing and brushing her teeth, she checked her phone.
Hey, this is my number!
There was a smiley face emoji afterward, and Nicole sent one back then smiled for real, into the dark.
She’d kept it. Waverly still had her card.