Loves Redemption

can call any of us when needed.”
Lieutenant Hernandez saw the way Jordan’s glance fell on Mark after his comment. He
used the remaining time to go over plans for the current investigation as well as the decision on which detectives to delegate Mark and Jordan’s other cases to. The slayer investigation had top priority, and the decision had been made to devote his two top detectives’ time in its direction.
Mark and Jordan were the highest producers in their division, solving many of their cases
with lauded efficiency. Lieutenant Hernandez was confident of the fact that the acting chief dare not pull Mark off the case. The Halstans, along with their close-knit peers, were known for making or breaking political hopefuls. With this knowledge in mind, the chief was careful not to commit political suicide by posturing and pulling the young detective from the case.
As he dismissed the two detectives to their own work, he sat back and pulled out his
notes, a pensive look on his small features as he went over the information the detectives had on the case, his eyes narrowing in thought.
* * * *
Mark knew Jordan had questions. “Okay, what do you want to know? You’ve been
staring at me since the meeting this morning with Maya and the lieutenant, and I can guess why,”
he said, no longer able to take his partner’s stares.
“How ’bout we grab some lunch and talk. It’s been a long morning and I didn’t get much
breakfast.” Jordan asked, not denying his curiosity.
“Let’s go.”
Jordan took the familiar route to their favorite café. Once inside, after they had given
their order to the waiter, Mark took a long drink of water and waited for the inquisition from his friend.
“So man, what’s going on? With you and Dr. Richardson?” Jordan asked bluntly.
Mark knew better than to play dumb. He valued Jordan’s opinion as his partner and as a
friend. He and Jordan had been together in the academy and had graduated from uniform to plain clothes together. As friends and partners they’d shared a mutual respect for the police force and commitment for their job.
Clearing his throat Mark began to speak. “I’m sure you know something’s been going on
between me and Dr. Richardson.” At Jordan’s nod, he continued, “When she first came to the
precinct, I saw her outside the lieutenant’s door waiting to go in, and man I swear it was like--
Damn!”
“What do you mean, ‘damn’?”
“That was it, Jordan. Nothing else can describe it. I felt like I got sucker punched, and I hadn’t even gotten a clear look at her. At first I saw this figure kind of huddled in the chair, and I thought she was a kid. She looked so damn little sitting there. But then she turned toward me, and I felt like someone hit me. I have never felt like that in my life--you know?” he asked his friend in an abstracted voice.
“I mean she’s gorgeous. Those eyes and those lips--man what I think about when I look
at those lips....” Catching himself he looked at Jordan. “I’ve dated beautiful women before, but there’s something different about her. She’s gorgeous and I don’t know if she knows it, or she just doesn’t think about it too much, like she doesn’t care.”
As the waiter returned with their lunch, both men took a moment to take a few bites
before Mark continued the conversation.
“Maya puts out a different vibe. From the moment she speaks, you can feel that she’s
interested in what you have to say; just in the way she looks at you. I met her under pretty rough conditions, and yet that still came across. When I went to Imani House I saw her in her counseling session, and it was even more obvious. Man, she has a beautiful soul.”
“Damn, Mark, I don’t think you’ve ever waxed poetic like that. She’s made an
impression on you in a short time. What’s the problem? She not feeling the same way?” Jordan asked as he took a long swallow of the sweet tea the waitress had refilled.
“Not a problem. More like maybe a concern. There’s no way she’s not feeling this
chemistry. There’s no way this feeling is one-sided,” Mark insisted.
As he paused and took a healthy bite of his BLT, Jordan asked, “Is it because she’s
black? Is that the problem?” Jordan asked bluntly.
“Hell no. I mean yes. She is black but that’s not a problem. At least not for me. Why? Do
you have a problem with it?” Mark and Jordan were close and their discussions had ranged from politics to religion with no issues. If one of them had a differing opinion, it was handled with good nature; they ribbed each other and let it go.
On the issue of race, Mark always felt they saw eye to eye on most topics. But as a white
man, he knew he’d never be able to understand or see the world through Jordan’s eyes as a black man.
“Man I don’t have a problem with interracial relationships. You know me, I’m an equal
opportunity lover.” Jordan laughed. “But everybody doesn’t feel the same way. I see it like this; we’re on this earth for a blink of an eye. Grab love where you can, and don’t worry about
anybody else’s hang-ups.”
“Now who’s waxing poetic?” Mark laughed, relieved with Jordan’s assessment. It
wouldn’t have altered how he felt about Maya, but it was good to know how his friend felt.
“Maya and I have touched on the issue, but we haven’t gotten too deep with it. So to be
honest, I’m not sure how she feels about it,” Mark admitted.
“Yeah, I can see that. I mean the relationship is new, kind of in the honeymoon stage.
You’re busy trying to get to know her, and she’s doing the same. Everything else will come with time. The deeper you get into the relationship, the quicker reality starts to kick your ass,” Jordan laughed, as he finished his