Chapter 4 - Busted

Cate and Jon enjoyed a quiet lunch at a small café just outside the Center’s main gate. After snagging a booth in the back and ordering their food, they began to plan Jon’s training for the next two weeks.

Jon told Cate a little about the role he would play and the plot of the movie, and several times Cate suppressed the urge to roll her eyes at the plot points. Hollywood writers just didn’t get it when it came to law enforcement work. But then again, if the movies accurately depicted a cop’s average day, nobody would go to see them. In fact, the cops in the movie would spend the entire two-hour run time just typing reports, answering the phone, drinking coffee, and cursing at computers.

But overall, this movie didn’t sound too bad, and Jon was obviously excited to have a leading role. He was eager to learn everything he could to make his performance as authentic as possible. Cate smiled a bit to herself as she recognized the driven, perfectionist, Type-A Jon that had made the Jovi Machine run so smoothly and successfully for so long. She just hoped that he could put the ego, the need to be in control, aside for the duration of his training here. Otherwise it was going to be a very long two weeks.

As they ate, Cate outlined a training plan and made notes to herself of things she needed to do when she returned to the office. She knew that most of Jon’s firearms training would have to take place after normal duty hours. Range time was precious, and there was just no way to reserve an entire 20-bay range for one rock-star/actor when there were students who needed training for their real jobs. Likewise mat rooms for defensive tactics, but she figured she would be able to schedule some time here and there between student classes. The raid houses and arson/post-blast training were another matter, though. She’d have to think about that tonight.

As she made notes, Cate felt her Blackberry begin to vibrate a split second before the ringtone sounded.

Shot through the heart, and you’re to blame,

Darlin’ you give lo-o-ove a Ba-yad name…

SHIT! she thought before ripping her Berry out of its holster and raising it to her ear. “What?!?!” she hissed into the mouthpiece. She heard Danny laughing on the other end and closed her eyes, putting her other hand to her forehead.

At the sound of his song blaring from her phone, Jon gave Cate a startled look. Then a slow grin spread across his face. Oh yeah—I’m starting to figure her out now. He saw color creep into Cate’s cheeks as she spoke into the phone.

Cate looked up at Jon, mouthed “excuse me”, then slid out of the booth and strode toward the ladies’ room. Jon chuckled and pulled out his own Blackberry as she walked away.

Cate bolted into the ladies’ room and locked the door behind her. She could feel her cheeks flaming. Get a grip! she cursed to herself silently as she leaned heavily against the vanity counter and focused on Danny’s voice.

“Hey Slick, did you have your ringer turned on?” Danny knew damned well what his ringtone was, and he was delighted to have caught Cate with her guard down in front of her idol.

“Yes, you Ass. He heard it. As I fled from our table he was grinning ear to ear.” Cate closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Jesus, you are a grown woman who could literally kill someone bare-handed – get ahold of yourself!

“Where are you now?” Danny asked, trying to calm his laughter. He knew he was walking a fine line with Cate. She may love him to death, but when he really pissed her off it wasn’t pretty.

“I’m locked in the ladies room at Dawn’s Café.” God, it sounded pathetic, even as she said it. “Danny, what the Hell? I can’t start acting like some blithering idiot, like a fawning groupie around him, or he’ll never take me seriously!!!”

Danny could hear the edge of panic in her voice. That’s what this is about? She’s worrying about him seeing her as a professional? “Cate, calm down. It’s fine. You’ve already proven to him that you can be all about the job. Hell, he saw it first-hand this morning, from what I saw and heard.” He paused and heard her breathing on the other end. “Slick? You okay?”

Cate breathed rhythmically – in, out, in, out – and felt her pulse start to slow. She didn’t know why the Hell she was suddenly so upset. It was just a stupid ringtone! There must be thousands of women in the world who have a Bon Jovi song as a ringtone. Then again, she did have about 25 of them, each carefully assigned to certain callers…. and those other thousands of women hadn’t been “outed” in front of Jon Bon Jovi himself.

“Yeah….” she replied shakily. “I don’t know why I’m freaking out. Sorry, Danny.” She took another deep breath. “This day has just been….weird….” she couldn’t think of a better word, though “weird” didn’t quite sum it up. There had been a reason her mood was so bleak early this morning, before this whole surreal day had really begun.

“Cate…..did you sleep last night?”

Cate sighed. “No. You know what day it is.”

"Yeah, I do.” Danny answered softly. “But you’re here, I’m here for you, and HE’s gone, and good fuckin’ riddance. It’s been three years, Cate.” He paused, remembering the awful day his best friend’s marriage ended. “And I’m not going anywhere.”

“I know.” Cate felt her eyes tearing up and she fanned them with her free hand. No way was she going to go back to that table and let Jon Bon Jovi see she had been crying. Especially not crying over an asshole like her ex-husband. She took a deep breath and blew it out. “Okay, Slick… why exactly did you call me?” Back to business.

“Two things…. One, there is range time open Wednesday night at 1900 if you want me to hold it for you and your “project.” I can come in and Range Master for you, if you want. Two…” Danny paused, then smiled. “You’re welcome.”

“For what?” Cate asked, caught off-guard.

“Your present. Slick, it’s time you got a little joy out of life. I gave you two weeks with the man of your dreams... chill out, breathe, and enjoy them. You are the only woman on earth who will ever get to have this experience. Do your job, but lighten up and live a little, too.” Danny grinned and continued sarcastically, “Jonny was never my type anyway—I’m more of a ‘Richie Boy’.” He snorted into the phone, laughing at his own joke.

Cate was stunned….she hadn’t even thought about the possibility that Danny had purposely asked Floyd to assign her to be Jon’s trainer. She thought back to what Floyd had said, and immediately felt bad about the smart-ass remark she had made about Danny.

“Shit….” she breathed softly. “Danny…. I don’t know what to say. I’m just so overwhelmed, and well, my mind was elsewhere…” she trailed off, the magnitude of what was happening finally starting to dawn on her. “I…. I don’t know if I can do this and not end up looking like a complete fool.”

“Trust me, Slick, you can. All you gotta do is lighten up, and be yourself. The rest will take care of itself.” Danny smiled. “Okay, any names you wanna call me? I gotta go to a meeting.”

Cate shook her head and smiled to herself. “Danny….thanks. I’m gonna need to talk to you – a LOT – the next couple days, alright?”

“Goes without saying, Babe.” Danny paused. “Oh, and Slick?”

“Yeah?”

“Fuck you, too.” Danny grinned. “Have a Nice Day!”

Cate heard Danny hang up, and disconnected her end of the call. She took a deep breath and looked in the mirror. Holy Hell…I’m spending the next two weeks with Jon Bon Jovi. A smile crept to her lips and she started to realize that this just might be a good day after all. Cate set her Blackberry on “silent” and headed back out to Jon.