"Ugh. Fucking what." Jennifer slammed the pen down on her notepad and looked up at the receptionist that had just interrupted her work for the millionth time today. They'd taken Charlie away from her as her partner, and it had doubled her workload. So she was irritated at not only having to do more work, but the fact that she didn't have Charlie around to work with.
"There's a gal up front who is looking for a job, it sounds like. I called up to the brass to see what they wanted to do with her, and they said to send you." The girl was timid. It made Jen angrier. Mostly because it made her feel bad for snapping.
"Now I have to interview new employees?"
"I'm sorry."
"No." Jen sighed. "Marie, it's not your fault. I'm not mad at you. Okay? Just. Let's go."
She closed the file she'd been looking at and scribbled a note to herself to send something to Charlie out there on the beat. On the beat. Punished because they'd fucked around during that stupid festival. He'd gotten in trouble and somehow she hadn't. He'd been demoted to blues and she was still in this fancy office being the detective that he actually was.
Jennifer followed Marie to the front where she spotted the woman who she'd been told about. Even if there had been other people in reception, Jennifer would have known it was she that needed somebody to talk to. She had all the baring of a law enforcement officer. Young, but that wasn't always bad.
"Hi." She smiled. "My name is Jennifer Government. Want to come back to my office and chat?"