“And the diving?”
The flash of a quick grin erased whatever lingering melancholy she saw in his face. “That’s the fun part of being a cop.”
“Risking your life and diving in the shockingly disgusting waters that surround our wonderful city is fun?”
“Why does everyone focus on that part?” Gavin reached for his sandwich, taking a large bite, the direction of their conversation apparently having zero impact on his willingness to finish his dinner.
“The dirty part?”
“Yeah.” He waited until he was done chewing his bite. “It’s getting better.”
“Than what? A vat of toxic waste?” She picked at a small corner of her pita, unable to hide a smile of her own. “Or is that an insult to toxic waste?”
“It’s not quite that bad. And yes, as the Harbor team we’re encouraged to avoid opening our mouths or allowing any water to get past our lips. I also have a few extra shots each year to ensure my safety and physical health.”
Sera shuddered at that. “And that’s just the water risks. What about the other risks?” Her eyes widened as a new risk popped into her mind. “What about animals? Sharks? Eels?”
“No sharks. Eels yes. And feral goldfish, to name another.”
“No way! Goldfish can be feral?”
“Absolutely. I’ve seen some that are as large as four pounds. Where do you think all those innocent little fish won at street fairs go?”
“I assumed the trip down the toilet and on into the sewer system was too much for them.”
Gavin set down his napkin and leaned back in his chair. “Perhaps all aren’t up to the trip, but a lot of people think taking their fair winnings and dropping them in a body of water themselves is a good idea. News flash. It isn’t.”
“I’m not sure I can keep eating.”
“Which is another important fun fact. Women under fifty are encouraged to avoid any and all fish pulled out of local city waters.”
Although she knew it was a reference to child-bearing age, Sera couldn’t resist teasing him. “What about women over fifty?”
“They should plan their menu at their own risk.”
It was a silly, innocuous conversation, and Sera was surprised by how good it felt. Especially because when she’d started down this path, the need to question him—to know him—had felt weighted somehow.
“See,” she said, unable to hold back the smile even as the creepy concept of a four-pound goldfish would likely haunt her for days. “That wasn’t so hard. A few fun facts about Gavin.”
“Which means it’s my turn. Tax, title, license.” He made a come-hither motion with his hand. “Come on.”
She knew this moment would come. Turnabout, after all, was more than fair.
Yet now, faced with the chance to tell him something that mattered, she felt the mental noose tightening around her neck.
What should she actually tell him?
That she was a workaholic with an unquenchable need to prove herself? Or maybe that she was a semi-loner adult whose guarded attitude had resulted in minimal friendships?
Or perhaps she should just go for it and watch him walk out the door. After all, who didn’t wonder about a person who’d been abandoned by their parents?
Oddly, she felt the need to tell him all those things and so much more.
It was a first for her and no matter how much she believed he’d listen, a lifetime of not sharing those aspects of her life held her back.
“I’m a lawyer, which you know.”
“I do.”
“But you may not know why I chose public defender.”
“I assumed it was your unerring need for fairness and justice.”
“Not too far off the mark.”
“Then what is it?”
“It’s people, Gavin. I have a need to believe in people. In their innate goodness. Their ability to be fair when really pressed to the wall. And that even if they make a bad decision, they don’t have to be defined by it.”
“And what about you, Sera?”
“What about me?”
“Do you give yourself the same credit?”
The conversation had turned far deeper, far more quickly than he’d have anticipated.
And yet...
