Work Text:
Before we even walk into Shorty’s, it’s worth noting that Officer Haught kept a diary when she first moved to Purgatory (sadly now defunct). In it, she mentions that she knew Waverly worked at the saloon and had seen her around town. Nicole says she was sent to investigate a disturbance from the night before, which would have been the altercation between the Earps and Red. However, when she walked through the door, Nicole was instantly distracted by Waverly. The subsequently flirting resulted in not accomplishing any of the police work she was sent to do.
(Cue: Secular Love [Strange Majik Remix] by The Casket Girls) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqM15DZK8sI
It's the morning after it the confrontation with Red in Shorty's Saloon. Waverly prepares for her shift by wiping down the bar. Her Shorty's work shirt awaits her beside the steins, and the chairs are all up on the tables. The jukebox in the corner plays a catchy toon by The Casket Girls.
It looks like a screw on the Big Rock rooster tap is loose, and as Waverly wipes it down it falls and sprays brew everywhere! It takes her a couple tries to stop the flood while she hisses curses at the tap. Damn those taps. Damn that cock.
Cocks are nothing but trouble.
There are quite a few "I work customer service" faces in this scene. This is one of them.
Waverly: Yep. This is how my day is going to go today.
Oh, Waverly, you don't know how your day will turn in a few. You just wait baby girl. Your life is about to change completely.
"I didn't know Shorty's had wet t-shirt competitions."
Waverly: Holy crap someone's in the bar!
Waverly hadn't heard the door open, nor the sound of police-issue boots on the hardwood.
Officer Nicole Haught has a knack for showing up and startling Waverly right from the very beginning. Her stance is very posed, against one of the swinging doors no less, and her hands fiddle with the Stetson she has already removed. Nicole is already in "making a move" mode, which is the first of many signs that she had some idea that she'd run into Waverly here today.
This how you make an entrance. Yeehaw Nicole!
Waverly: Ha. Haha. Figures. Customers.
Initially she isn’t taken by Nicole so much.
Waverly politely acknowledges the person that's come waltzing into the bar and seen her get sprayed. We’re kind of surprised the door wasn’t secured like most places before it opens, but hey, you do you Shorty’s. Also worth noting, Nicole is a cop. If anyone has a right to be here before the place opens, a cop would be one of them.
Nicole approaches the bartop, her eyes never leave Waverly once. Look at her face. She’s enchanted.
Waverly has entered customer service mode and politely pays attention.
When she asked if she's okay, Waverly responds, yeah, she's fine.
“Had a...a crazy night.”
Her gaze lingers a fraction of a second.
Waverly: Damn. I’m soaked. And why am I suddenly embarrassed?
"Sorry I wasn't here to see it."
Nicole approaches the bartop and places her Stetson down gently. The Officer has come packing. Nicole's front right pocket is exposing her intentions to us, while the card remains just out of sight for Waverly.
Nicole: Wow. I’m looking at an angel. I swear.
Nicole looks Waverly over. We all know she’s a gentlewoman, but her gaze does linger a little lower than Waverly’s face as she tries to take it all in. Beer soaked and adorable.
It's quick, but Nicole's face does a kind of pause and blink as she realizes she’s ogling. Poor Nicole. She's already falling over the edge.
Nicole: Pull yourself together, Haught
While she doesn't outwardly look it, the small pat of the counter is the first sign of nerves. Nicole makes a futile attempt to ground herself to what she came here to do in the first place. Her job.
Nicole: I am a respectful police officer. Get your panties out of your buns, Haught.
The macho high confidence is a cover for Nicole's extreme nerves.
“I’ve been..uh...I’ve been meaning to introduce myself....”
When Nicole looks up again, she reaches her hand out for a handshake. To avoid accidental eye wandering, she focuses on Waverly’s hand as well.
How many people greet a bartender with a handshake instead of a nod or "gimme a whiskey"?
Waverly: That's rather nifty. This cop is well put together.
The fact that she looks down at Nicole's offered hand like "how unusual" says that she's not used to visitors coming in and introducing themselves this way. Waverly immediately has an appreciation for the new cop in town. But her expression betrays her. She's beginning to noticing something else.
Nicole: Make direct eye contact now. All confidence Haught.
“I’m Nicole. Nicole Haught.”
Waverly is starting to take notice but is brushing it off. The police officer didn't even hand out her title when she introduced herself. Also…you could drown in those eyes.
( Record scratch : Dom has mentioned that she hadn't met Kat before this scene. The crew wanted it to be a surprise. So this right here could very well be Dom meeting Kat for the first time. There's plenty of fan testimony of Kat's super eyes that say she seems to stare right into you when you meet her. Can you imagine? Anyway, Moving on!)
"And you are Waverly Earp."
Waverly: Yup, that’s me.
Her hand drops with a thud.
Waverly: How does she know my name?
As Waverly pulls away, Nicole gives her fingers an extra squeeze.
"Quite a popular girl around here."
Waverly, the girl voted "Nicest Person in Purgatory": Oh, right. That's how she knows.
Nicole leans in. She's crushing so hard on this girl. Look at those eyes. That’s a crush. Those are Haught heart-eyes.
"Oh you know, it's all in the smile and wave! Haha!"
Waverly says this a bit awkwardly because accepting compliments is awkward for her, despite her accolades. The situation is even more awkward since she is standing there in a soaked shirt.
Waverly gives Nicole a once over. She likes what she sees but isn't entirely understanding what that means yet. Waverly, you crafty fox...
Their eyes meet again, and Nicole trips up a moment. She pauses for almost a full second, just staring back at Waverly. (Yes, that was timed.)
Nicole: Snap out of it, Nicole! Play it cool.
"Can I get a cappuccino to go?"
( Record scratch : Some people might think it's odd that Shorty's would sell cappuccinos since it's a bar. BaggerHeda pointed out that there is a great big old-fashioned espresso maker on the back bar, and it's one of those awesome copper monstrosities. We don't see it in any of these shots with these two amazing ladies. When Gretta comes in demanding the trophy in S2E10, the espresso machine is next to it. Shorty's has food as well. It's typical of a small-town Canadian watering hole, especially for western Canada. Combination of bar and restaurant. The storefront exterior is two blocks from downtown Didsbury, Alberta. Small tidbit on Canadian culture for you. Love Jaymie.)
"Oh sorry, we aren't actually open yet"
Waverly puts on her very best customer service face.
“Oh! Right! Ok! My bad!”
It's such a faux 'oh I'm so silly' reaction because this is not Nicole's first rodeo. It’s pretty damn clear she's taken a few cowgirls down in under eight seconds in the past.
Nicole then smooths out and deepens her voice and takes a bold chance
"It's just uh...when I see something I like, I don't wanna wait."
Waverly: Wait...what?
Her body language says it all. Waverly goes rigid, and her smile freezes as she tries to decipher what Nicole means by her comment.
Waverly: Our cappuccinos don't look that good.
"And your door was open...so..."
Nicole offers a disengaging comment on top of her directly suggestive one, just in case she went too far. She doesn't want to overstep and scare this beautiful woman away.
Nicole: No...it’s not the cappuccino I’m talking about, but...
The penny seems to have dropped because all Waverly can utter out is a quiet,
“Right…”
The first real flustered moment. The cogs are spinning, and Waverly isn't sure what is happening to herself now, but something is happening.
Waverly: She didn't mean it that way, did she?
Suddenly she is very aware of how disheveled she looks as she brushes the suggestive comment aside with humor
“God I’m sopping wet.”
It won't be the last time Waverly stumbles over her choice of words to Nicole. This is not the line she should have picked, but it was the first one that came to mind. She trips a bit over her own words as she attempts to go back to polite conversation and explains that she's been trying to get Shorty to fix the damn taps.
The beer soaked clothing is now uncomfortable. The lovely barmaid could have said "be right back" and head up to her room above the bar or down to the basement and change there, but no. Instead, Waverly decides that nah, right here, is fine. Her brain has short-circuited (or has it?), and Waverly is no longer thinking straight. Perhaps literally.
"Could you just..."
Waverly knows what she was doing. 100%
Waverly: Initiate attraction/pervert test.
"Oh!"
Nicole: Uhhhh...she’s doing this HERE?!
Nicole gets the message and plays along, but she probably didn't expect this to happen. She looks like she caught a glimpse of a demon in a mirror. Nicole is entirely unprepared for this.
Nicole: I’m good. It's fine. No biggie! I am a gentlewoman and respectful law enforcer.
Meanwhile, Nicole's brain is beginning to sputter..
Nicole dutifully turns around. Waverly double-checks to make sure the Officer isn't peeking. Her face is burning slightly with a slight pink tinge.
Waverly: What the hell is going on with me? What is this feeling? Is this...am I..?
Annnnnd stuck. Who the heck gets stuck like this? The one, the only, Waverly Earp. The shirt does have buttons for pete's sake. Not Waverly's finest hour in the wardrobe department. (Jeebus, Dom, those arms are... <3. -Umachica)
Nicole meanwhile is smiling with her back turned. Carefully keep her mind away from images of what may be going on behind her. She is being the gentlewoman and keeps her back to the lovely bartender.
Nicole: Wow, check out the decor!
Waverly grunts as she tries to free herself.
“Oh! Oh crap…um...”
Nicole's back goes from relaxed cop, to ramrod straight in a fraction of a second.
"Uh. Uh, Officer? I'm stuck. So...please?"
Sure Waverly. Your head is already through. Of course, there's the possibility it got caught on you teeny tiny earrings.
Nicole turns around and stares for a half second. Even though her face is barely visible, her heart and brain have both appeared to have stopped working.
Nicole: Oh, my God…
Then she sorts herself out.
"Oh! Yeah! Let me help you."
And that's when we hear it for the very first time.
"I got you."
Nicole carefully keeps her eyes on the shirt, trying to not embarrass Waverly further with the situation.
It's clear Nicole finds this Waverly girl absolutely adorable.
"Oh God. Good job you're not some guy right, or this would be really...really awkward."
Waverly says before she realizes that it is awkward. There is something about this woman before her that is causing her to become flustered.
Waverly: Oh shit. -insert creeping gay panic-
Nicole grins and looks down in an attempt to hide a moment of being flustered herself. The mask of confidence momentarily shows a hole.
Nicole: Hoo boy, woman, this is uh... yeah…
The Officer lets out a breath and looks right into Waverly's eyes. This time, Nicole leaves little room for doubt about her attraction when she looks at Waverly. It's another bold move, and the second time Nicole has had to take a nervous breath.
Nicole smiles to take the edge off again, but also a little smugly because she can see she’s having an effect on the girl in front of her.
Waverly lets out a shuddering sigh before opening her mouth again.
"Um..."
Nicole raises her eyebrows and jutts her head forward in another amused/smug gesture.
Nicole: Yep, you were saying?
"Um...I...I owe you one!"
Waverly scrambles to recover the moment. Nicole’s mask of confidence is back.
Nicole: Well, here goes nothing.
Nicole feigns a pause for a moment to think.
Nicole: Hmm...what favor could I possibly ask?
Nicole’s eyes are carrying a touch of a challenge in them here and her voice adopts a confident lazy drawl at the front of her next line.
"All right, well, how about you buy me that cup of coffee?"
Nicole solidifies that this is a dating proposition with a cute sideways nod and the added line in a softer tone.
"How about tonight?"
Complete and fantastic gay panic spreads across Waverly's face. She didn't miss the intention, sending her brain sparking off in a million directions.
Waverly: Oh! Oh my. Oh dear.
Waverly has come to a terrifying crossroads. Many of us have been there and remember the ice-cold feeling in our veins. She was confident in her world five minutes ago. Now the rug has been pulled out from under her.
"Oh, I can't."
Waverly starts to stammers, then whispers just under her breath as she imitates Nicole’s quiet response with her own.
"No?"
“No…”
She frowns a little, her face embarking on a rollercoaster of expressions.
"I mean I'd love to, but uh..."
Waverly: Uh shit. Did I say that? Oh boy. -gay panic intensifying-
"LIKE...like to...uh...."
"But I have plans!"
"Yep. I'm a planner!"
Waverly's may indeed like to have plans, but this response here in particular is a line of total bullshit. Just by the way she says it. Waverly’s a planner, but she’s flexible enough to shift things around if need be.
Waverly: If I smile big enough will you believe me?
Nicole's dimples, lip-licking, and nod signal that she gets the actual message.
Nicole: Yup. That's a reject. Also, you're still so cute.
"I like to know what I'm doing at least two or three days in advance..."
She trails off as her eyes meet Nicole’s again. Nicole can tell that she’s not totally off base with this girl. We can’t see her face, but one can imagine it’s still those soft eyes, maybe with a touch of disappointment. Which may be why Waverly finds it important to soften the blow of rejection by telling Nicole that it’s not because she’s not nice, it’s just...
"I'm in a relationship! With a boy! Man!"
She looks confused at her own words, trying so hard to convince herself that what she is feeling towards Nicole is NOT attraction. She slips and calls Champ a boy (which he is, really) and corrects to call him a man because that sounds more serious.
"A boy-man."
Everything clicks into place. Just like that, Nicole can tell what's going on. She knows Waverly is ‘straight’, but she also knows Waverly is interested, and is trying to convince them both of them that she's not. She also knows Waverly’s Freudian slip is probably pretty accurate. Definitely not a hopeless situation. She likes these odds.
Amusement spreads across Deputy Haught-to-Trot's face. She knows this stage. Nicole was there once, trying so hard to convince herself she was "normal." But now, she knows what she wants. And she is about to do a sexy saunter past this beautiful lady she knows she's put a spell on.
"Yup! I've been there!"
Waverly eyes remain fixed on Nicole as the Officer begins to positively swagger out from behind the bar. Gettin’ a little cocky there, officer!
Nicole chuckles. She knows this isn't going to work right now, but she also knows overall this is can go down in the books as a ‘win’. There's interest there. There's a connection. Waverly has been looking at her with hungry eyes.
"It's the worst."
She stage whispers, letting Waverly know that she knows what's going on. One last trick up her sleeve remains...more accurately in her pocket.
"Ok, well."
Her voice is higher pitched, back to a casual conversational tone. Waverly still rooted to the spot...struck dumb. Her mind is no longer working.
"Some other time."
Nicole picks up her hat and in one fluid sexy motion, she sets her card down on the bar in front of Waverly, looking directly into her eyes again.
Waverly’s mouth hangs open a bit. Her mind is reeling.
Waverly: Wow, this girl's confidence is kinda hot. She's sexy. She's amazeballs. God, if I WERE gay...
"I mean it."
Nicole tosses a playful grin over her shoulder and put her hat back on with a touch of flair. She knows how to work the yeehaw as she flashes one final dazzling smile over her shoulder.
Waverly watches her leave. Wow that butt looks good in those khakis. She likes that the card has been left, is definitely going to check it out, but she doesn’t want Nicole to know she’s interested. Can’t look too eager, right? Besides, she's in a relationship. A straight relationship. Because she's straight. Yeah. Buuuut...
She picks up the card anyways and smiles as she takes a look
Waverly: Can't hurt to check it out. Let's see now.
The card is dog-eared and worn in the middle. Nicole's been carrying this card for this reason for a while now. Not a two minute trip in a pocket. Nicole could have given her one of the other pristine cards she likely carries in her wallet or duty belt, but this one was meant for Waverly. Officer Haught knew she was coming into the bar and possibly coming into contact with a crush she's only seen at a distance. It's been toyed with while Nicole was working up the nerve to go inside.
"Officer Haught ..."
"Of course."
Then the look of somewhat knowing, but not acceptance. Not quite. A little grin and a blush. Waverly might like this feeling, but it means a whole relook into her life. In the back of her mind, she is terrified of what this all means.
She hopes she sees that officer again.
And then we fade out…
***
Bonus : Now think about Nicole as she stands outside on the unshoveled walk-way, her heart racing harder than she's ever felt it. A woman has never undone her so quickly before, and her mask of confidence nearly shattered several times. She should ticket Waverly for the snow under her feet, but she can't bring herself to do it.
Nicole: I mean...I could write her a citation, but I can't go back inside now. Oh man, maybe I should have done that instead of the card. Might have been a bit dickish, though. Or sexy...
She's planted the bait. Now Nicole waits patiently, willing to be reduced to only exchanging soft looks with Waverly whenever she sees her. Maybe it'll all work out in the end.
Then she remembers that she was visiting to ask questions about the previous night's disturbance.
Nicole: Ah, crap. I forgot to actually do police work!
Nicole pulls her Stetson down slightly in embarrassment, gets into her waiting cruiser, and drives off to the station. One thing Nicole does know is that this girl is making her fall. And hard.
***