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The little diner, Picante, had a lot of vacant seats at that hour, but it was one of the few that still operated 24/7. It was a little run down but cared for, and it was on the cheaper side—always a real treasure, seeing as how you never could quite tell if the food was good or not in a place like that until you'd had it. For a small place so out of the way, it was quaint enough and rather decent.
It was one of the few places V had such good memories in her teenage years. She could always rely on this place to make a great second impression.
That was exactly what happened when she could see River eyeing their surroundings on their way in. She wasn't sure if he thought of it as much, but the moment that coffee hit his lips, she could see him being corrected instantly.
"Good, right?" She asked with a little pride.
"That is pretty good, not gonna lie," he nodded, immediately taking another sip.
"Just wait til you have the real thing. Tastes even better, does its job," she explained, taking small sip of her coffee, cursing silently for it being too hot. "Not to mention the food, God."
"You come here a lot?" He asked her.
While she had been a little bubbly, maybe even smiling a bit, she noticed that he did not share the same enthusiasm. Well, it was his loss. The diner was perfect for her. "Yeah, sometimes. It's great for when I don't feel like cooking or haven't eaten all day and need to grab something quick. Coffee here works wonders for consciousness, even when you're running on four hours' sleep for 49 hours straight."
"That actually happen to you?" He sat forward a little.
"Oh yeah. Yeah it was during a real tough, uh..." She looked him in the eyes, seeing that appraising look he gave her. It was as though he was studying her more than listening to her. Hearing what she was saying but looking for things beneath it all. She looked at him and remembered that he was a cop, and her sudden urge to tell him her life story immediately diminished. "Just... It was a tough couple of days and I didn't have time to rest."
V sat back once more, her gaze now focused on her cup. If she'd wanted awkward, she'd have gone and danced a jig in front of Padre or professed her love to a JoyToy. Anything but having to figure out how to converse with a cop would have been better in that moment. The quiet, pregnant pause between them was lengthened by a tiny older woman, Alice, bringing them their food. Simple, greasy goods in the form of fries and chili with a sprinkle of 'ganic meat. V could not bring herself to start eating first, wondering what was behind his reluctance.
Then, he had to go and make it worse.
"Let's not pretend this is anything different than what it actually is," River broke the silence, setting down a half empty cup beside his full plate.
V sat there a moment, a little confused. Her hand clenched under the table out of habit, knowing this was about to turn unpleasant. "The chili fries?" She joked, though her tone and expression did not share in on that humor.
"Come on, V," he sighed, leaning his elbows on the table. "I get it. Look, I'm no stranger to the streets or the city, I know how this shit works. It's always good to have a badge on your side, isn't it?"
What did he just say?
"Especially in your line of work," he continued.
That was about as much as she could handle. "You know what? Fuck you." V stood up immediately, blood boiling as she began to walk away, but her mind was racing. She had so much to say to him and she wasn't one to shy away from confrontation. Absolutely fuming, she walked back up to the table and pointed at him. "You're just like every last one of them."
"One of who?" River asked, hands clasped in front of him, brows furrowed and eyes ever-watching.
"Every other goddamn badge in this city," V replied. "We kids of the street have always been looked down on. Cops always treated us terribly, you all think we're always out to take advantage. We're from the streets so we must be just as dirty, right? So of course I couldn't have possibly called you for any other reason than to enable my bad habits. Put you in my pocket."
River then stood up as well, his posture more calm and collected to hers, his chest rising and falling smoothly while hers was heaving. "Then what exactly are we doing here?" He asked her.
"Do you care?" She hissed.
"I'm asking, aren't I?" He countered.
She wanted to punch him in the 'ganic eye, glaring at him the way she did. "Maybe I was stupid enough to think I could actually trust you."
River folded his arms, face now twisted into a frown. "I don't even know if I can trust you."
V's eyes were locked with his as she kept on glaring at him. Whatever she wanted to say to him was not going to matter. She wasn't going to sit there and share her favorite spot while defending herself. V looked at Alice, "Whatever else he gets tonight, it's on me. Put everything on my tab." She then looked at River. "I ain't owing you a god damn thing." She then turned around, marching toward the exit.
The moment she stepped outside, she was shocked by the chilling touch of rain pouring on her. She walked a few steps out to the curb, growling as she clenched her fists. "Ah, fuck off!" She yelled in frustration, now shuddering in her clothes. This fucking city and its erratic, polluted skies.
V looked around, needing to keep an eye on her surroundings if she was to walk home. These were her streets, but that was exactly why she knew she had to be careful.
A moment later, the front door to the diner squeaked open behind her and she turned to see River coming out. Instead of walking back to his truck, he took a few steps towards her with his hands now in his coat pockets.
"What the fuck do you want now?" She called, standing there in a drenched sweater, her long, pale pink hair now hugging her freckled skin.
"You left your food behind," he replied loudly over the rain.
"How kind of you to care, now fuck off," she turned around, ready to walk right into the street, but she felt a sharp tug on her arm pulling her back—right in time to avoid a passing car. For some reason, instead of feeling grateful, she was infuriated. V ripped her arm out of his grasp with a growl and gave him an incredulous look. "What do you want?" She howled.
"Let's go back inside," he replied, motioning over to the door.
"I'm not going in there with you," she folded her arms. "It's my favorite spot, I don't want to see you in it."
A stupid, sly smile tugged at River's lips. "So you'd rather just freeze out here?"
"Yes, that's the plan," she barked, turning away from him.
She waited and waited to hear his footsteps, for him to walk away, but the waiting went on for seconds. Finally, she heard him take a few steps, but he moved closer. "This... Jackie," he began, earning her attention, "you two close?"
"Yeah..." She replied with a questioning look, "I mean, kinda. We've known each other for a few weeks."
"A few weeks? And you did all that just to get him out," he opened his arms in a wide gesture.
"What's your point?" She huffed.
"Nothing, just..." He shook his head, seeming amused. "Seems like all you keep trying to do is help people. Woulda made a great cop."
"That's not the compliment you think it is," she rolled her eyes.
"Alright," he raised his hands in front of him passively, "I deserved that a little bit."
"River," she said, now facing him and looking him in the eyes. "What. Do. You. Want?"
"I want you to come back inside and finish your food. Can't have mine if you don't have yours, that's... Just a waste," he shook his head like it was a shame. "You wanted me to try this place after all, right?"
V could not place his intentions all in that moment. His attitude toward her was starting to give her a whiplash from how quickly it kept changing. First he wanted to arrest her, then they were playful, then he was cold, and now trying to—
Well she wasn't exactly sure what he was trying to do, and that scared her a little bit. Still, the rumble in her tummy couldn't be denied. She shuddered a little bit and kept her arms wrapped tightly around herself. "Fine. But only for the meal."
"Only for the meal," he repeated in agreement, motioning her over to the door. "And maybe no cop talk for now."
She felt those words tug at her amusement, pulling her out of her anger briefly. God, she would prefer that. Maybe they could actually get through a conversation long enough for her to figure him out. She nodded and began walking toward the door, seeing him rush forward to open it for her. God, she must have looked like a soggy towel, a sewer rat, a—
He smiled.
Oh.
Oh, she was in deep trouble.