The Detective and the Rockstar

Chapter 21

           The sky was clear that night. A half-moon looked down at the city as its residence prepared to call it the end of another day. The palmetto trees below her apartment swayed in the gentle wind. The blare of the traffic became calmer as the streets emptied. The first signs that summer was closing in on the west coast were beginning to show. The air was warmer, and the insects were livelier. For a moment, Annika forgot her troubles.

Standing on the fire escape, she watched the city like a restless tigress dreaming of being released for the hunt. She missed the action and the excitement. She missed putting the bad guys behind bars.

In the distance, she heard the scream of a police siren. She grew bitter with envy. She wanted to be out there, chasing down the criminal elements like those vigilantes in the comic books she read as a child.

Meow

She turned her head, and a smile formed on her lips.

"Hey, Mr. Bongo. Where's Shelly?" she asked the cute orange tabby that visited her sometimes.

She never had a pet because Alice was allergic. She had considered getting a cat once but feared it would affect Alice too terribly.

"Is he yours?" Rio asked as he walked out onto the fire escape.

"No. My neighbor's," she said as she stroked the friendly animal. "He had a crush on Eric. They used to sleep together on the couch." She laughed at the find memory. She observed the singer from the corner of her eye as he watched her. "Does it bother you when I talk about him?"

He leaned against the wall and shrugged. "Not really. He's a part of your past, isn't he? I don't expect you to forget him completely."

"So, how is this going to work? What do you do? Do you announce it or something?"

He smiled loudly, understanding that she was confused. "What do you want to do? Do you want me to keep you a secret, or do you want to become a part of my crazy world?" He sat on the ground with a groan. His shoulder was becoming stiff as the wound healed.

"I don't know. What happens if we tell your fans?"

"You can't stay here, for sure."

"So I have to move?"

"Well, yeah. They'll find you. Trust me, the only thing that keeps them away from me is that gate around my neighborhood. And I have still had the occasional unwanted visitor."

"How do you get used to it? How do you go from a normal person to somebody who is always in the limelight? There's no privacy. Everything you do is under scrutiny. Do you think you can handle it without your publicists?"

"Probably not."

"Where do I move to?" She picked up the soft cat and cuddled him.

He sighed, taking a moment to think about the question. "I wouldn't mind if you want to move in with me. But, if you think it's moving too fast, I'll find you a safer apartment. I'll pay for it."

"I don't want you to have to do that."

"Listen, detective. I know my pay grade is way above yours. You won't be able to afford a place like this."

Annika laughed. His words offended her, but she knew it was true. She swallowed her pride and nodded.

"I've never had a man pay my rent before."

A laugh flew from Rio's mouth. "I get it. I know it's uncomfortable."

"How about we keep this secret for a while? Until I'm ready to be a part of that aspect of your life. I want to get to know the Rio who fell for me in the library that day."