too pretty

Nikola Finch. Twenty-Eight. DEA. “Why the DEA? Is that a serious–I mean, you read my file. You know. Do I really have to–fine. Drugs ruined my life. Everything I’ve ever lost, I lost because of drugs and the people who push them. That’s why. Satisfied?”

[manolovasquez-blog]

agentholder:

Fuck. Here we go.

Jamie grabbed Tata’s hand, offering her half a smile. “You look perfect,” he promised, squeezing her hand tightly as he opened the door. “Manny!” Jamie greeted, laughing when he felt Manny smack him on the ass. It was typical Manny behavior. One he wasn’t too concerned with. “How many times do I have to tell you not to hit on my wife?”

Jamie smirked. He knew Manny didn’t mean any harm by it. Once he’d pulled away from Tata, Jamie hugged Manny, patting him on the back. “Thanks for coming,” he said, his eyes wandering over to the door. Spotting Nikola. He pulled away from Manny, taking a step back and running a hand through his hair. Yeah, she looked… pretty good, actually. The fact that she’d decided to show up was enough alone to worry Jamie. Ever so slightly.

Jamie didn’t bother greeting her at first, but the stiffness in the air was so overwhelmingly thick that he had no choice. Tata would notice. Manny would notice. “Nikola,” he greeted, pursing his lips together. And that was that. But Jamie wasn’t about to be intimidated. Fuck that. He was a DEA agent. He could handle one dinner.

“Well, come on in, sit down,” Jamie said, awkwardly stepping past Nikola to shut the front door. He led them to the dining room, where the table had been set by him a few minutes prior to their arrival. “Drinks? What do you guys want? Beer, wine?”

She smiled when she heard his response, a slight rosy tint appearing on her cheeks. No matter how many times he compliments her, no matter how many years they’ve been together, she still blushes whenever he gives her a compliment. It still means so much to her. She looked away from her husband to the door and a great smile appeared on her face. 

“Manny!” Tata also said excitedly, letting go of Jamie’s hand so that she may hug the big dork. “I’ve missed you too. You’re looking extremely sharp, my friend.” When she saw Manny slap Jamie’s ass and then heard Jamie’s words to him, the brunette laughed. “Boys, boys. You’re both beautiful and I love you both so much.”

Finally, she saw the blonde. She got out of Manolo’s embrace so that she may hug Nikola, her smile never fading. “I’m so glad you made it! You look absolutely gorgeous.” However, once she hugged her, something seemed off. Something seemed… “What kind of perfume are you wearing? It smells so familiar, yet I can’t place it…”

As they headed to the dining room, she made sure to get out the alcoholic beverage, the soft drinks, and some sparkling grape juice.

“Hey, if you don’t keep up with it, somebody has to step in,” he laughed, teasing.

Though he was bound to sense something sooner or later, Manny was still as happy as a child on Christmas. Not necessarily for presents, but the warmth that came from his friends’ hospitality. They were his family, truly. The only ones in the world left looking out for him. 

He even approached Nikola for a quick and courteous hug, just to be sure she wouldn’t feel left out completely from the love. It wasn’t often their party of three brought a fourth to the table, but the young officer had gained Manny’s approval long ago when they’d met. 

Once in the room, Manny grabbed himself a beer and gravitated towards Jaime. As he stepped closer, he could feel his buddy tensing. While the ladies were still within earshot, he decided to help play it cool– whatever the hell it was. 

“I missed this house, man. Have you turned my room into an office yet?”

[nikfinch-blog]

Entering the house after the awkward greeting, Nikola noticed how beautiful it was; Tatiana had a knack for interior design. Or, at least, Nik thought she did. “Oh,” she said, to her, smelling her wrist. “I’m not sure. It’s in a little glass bottle and it’s pink. That’s about all I could tell you,” she answered with a laugh. As she followed the family, because the three of them were clearly all a family, Nikola was grateful when Tatiana brought in the drinks.

Happy she remembered Nikola drank beer, she grabbed a bottle and opened it, taking a quick sip. “You have a beautiful home,” she said, mostly to Tatiana, but also to Jamie. Though, she couldn’t help the way her eyes said I don’t know why you would try to ruin it. Nikola knew one of them would be questioned on the tension between them eventually. They’ve barely exchanged two words. That either had to change or one of them would have to come up with a damn good excuse.

Nik decided to do something about it. “So you and Manny have been partners for a while, right? Don’t you ever get sick of each other?” she teased with a smile on her face. 

Nikola knew that the only way to make things right was to treat him exactly the same way she did before. Manny would notice if something was off; Tatiana would notice if something was off. And as much as Nik hated Jamie, she didn’t want to hurt his wife. Not in her own home. 

Jamie would be responsible for that.

[deliriousmistakcs-blog]

Oh, I see. Family’s important and all that, right? Why don’t you ask him to move here so you wouldn’t have to go through all that trouble.

[nikfinch-blog]

“He can’t move here...he’s in prison.”

[deliriousmistakcs-blog]

That’s a really long way from home. You must really need to get away.

[nikfinch-blog]

“I’m visiting my father, actually. I haven’t seen him in a while. It’s about time I head down.”

[agentholder-blog]

       Holder Family Dinner: Jamie, Tata, Manny, and Nikola

Jamie couldn’t really understand why Tatiana had decided it was a good idea to have Nikola and Manny over for dinner. Manny? He could deal with. Manny was… his brother. Best friend. Partner. Nikola? The girl he’d been cheating on his wife with. Thankfully, Jamie had ended that. It hadn’t ended well. And he didn’t expect to start doing it again anytime soon. Or ever. He stared at his reflection in the bathroom for a couple of seconds. He sighed. Did he really have to do this? Muttering a few curses under his breath, Jamie finished getting dressed. He wore a simple button up shirt - one of Tata’s favorites. She insisted that he look nice for the dinner. He didn’t really think it was necessary. But he did so anyway. It was just another minor inconvenience he’d live with to make her happy. 

Jamie stepped out of the bathroom, wandering down the hall at an agonizingly slow pace and into the kitchen. “Smells great,” he told her, doing his best to keep a happy face. For her. There was a knock at the door, and Jamie tensed up immediately. “Uh. You want me to get the door?”

[micorazonxtata-blog]

Tata was, without a doubt, beyond excited for tonight. When Nikola had told her that she was single and when she remembered that Manny was also single, the blue-eyed beauty began to plot. She thinks (okay, hopes) that the two will like each other and possibly start dating. It honestly surprises her that the two are still single, but if tonight goes well, then that status shall change.

She finally got the last batch of garlic bread cooked and was pulling it out of the oven when she heard Jamie’s remark. She grinned at him and was placing the garlic bread on a plate. “Thank you. You look extremely handsome, mi corazon.” She grabbed the plate and placed it on the dinner table with the other food (chicken alfredo, broccoli, and corn) before taking off her apron and hanging it on a hook in the kitchen. She smoothed her dress with her hands before looking back at her husband, her smile a bit sheepish. “Is it alright? Did I overdo it?”

She looked at the direction of the door before back at her husband, holding her hand out to him. “Let’s do it together.”

[manolovasquez-blog]

For Manny, it had been far too long since he’d had the pleasure of sitting at the Holders’ table for supper. The last time he could recall was more than a few months ago, and it wasn’t for their lack of trying that their day-dreamed plans never came together. Work was consuming, of both mind and strength. He saw tonight as a sort of blessing; a flicker of hope for the days to come. 

It was his plan to leave as early as possible, to arrive as early as possible. But the first time he stepped out the door, there was a flood of second thoughts. Did he wash his face? Brush his teeth? Make sure nothing was sticking out of anywhere on his person? He did it all twice– just to be sure– for Tatiana. Not necessarily for Jaime, though, as Jaime had seen Manny at his baddest and ugliest many times over.

When he finally did show up, it was still good and (about seven minutes) early as he’d planned. He stepped up to the door quickly and listened for a moment, just to see if he could hear any voices inside. Then he gave a knock.

“Tatiana!” Her name leapt from his mouth as he went in for a hug. Keeping an arm around Tata, Manny shot his hand out to slap Jaime on the ass as they moved by. “I missed you, sexy lady. What’s cookin’?” 

[nikfinch-blog]

Nikola knew agreeing to dinner was a mistake. She agreed when she and Jamie were still together. That was dumb in itself; now that they ended their fling, messily at that, the dinner was even worse to think about. She tried to think of a decent excuse, but with work out of the question, Nik had nothing to go with. She was absolutely screwed. But, if she was screwed, Jamie would be, too.

Nikola made sure she looked good. She dressed sexily without screaming “I’m a whore.” She painted her lips red and defined her eyes with dark liner and large lashes. She needed to show him that he didn’t break her.

When she arrived at the Holder residence, the door was ajar and she heard the happy voice that could only belong to Manolo Vasquez. Nikola walked up behind him and felt out of place instantly. Though, that wouldn’t have changed if she wasn’t the adulterous bitch Jamie made her out to be. Manny had the familiarity. Nikola just felt like a stranger.

“It smells great in here,” Nikola chimed in. “Tatiana, you look amazing.” Nikola smiled and approached the woman for a hug as soon as Manny broke his hold on her. “Thank you so much for having me over.” The one thing Nikola didn’t want to do was make eye contact with Jamie. Not yet. So soon in the night and she’d give him a scowl no one in the room would have been able to miss.

[king-castillo-blog]

“In that case,” said Gabriel, sliding into the seat directly across from Nikola, turning his attention to the server. “I’d like to pay Agent Finch’s bill forward. It’s the least I can do. And I’d like a double order of the waffles. To-go, por favor.” He smiled as the server stepped aside, jotting down the ‘order’ on her notepad.

“I hear that they serve the best breakfast in town here. I thought I’d decide for myself.”

[nikfinch-blog]

Nikola physically tensed when Gabriel sat down across from her. “That’s really not necessary,” she said, tightening her fists at her side. “The breakfast is great when you’re not being harassed by criminals...sorry. Alleged criminals.”

“I’m actually headed to the USP. You can join me if you want. We both know how that’s where you belong.”

[edenmarques-blog]

It had only been a few years since Eden decided the Roadside wasn’t too unfashionable for her carefully-crafted image. A good breakfast was a good breakfast, she’d learned, and two-dollar coffee could wake her up just as well as a cappuccino with four names. Once every few weeks, she’d come early to the diner instead of the gym– a treating of sorts. 

It was pure good luck finding Nikola before her server came by, and once they’d said their hello’s, Eden knew exactly what to order after the officer. 

“God, Blondie, I don’t know how you can look so good right now,” Eden remarked with a subtle envy. “It took like, twenty minutes to get the puffiness out of my eyes when I got up. I still feel horrible.”

“Where are you headed?”

[nikfinch-blog]

Eden was a girl that Nikola enjoyed. A bartender at The Billiard Room, she’s seen a lot of mafia and gang related incidents, but she still had a sense of naivety and wonder about her. It was refreshing to have around. Most people Nikola knew were jaded and bitter. Eden still had life in her. 

“Lots of practice,” Nikola said with a wink. “Also, I’m not up tending bar all night.” The waitress came back with her coffee she took a large sip. “Coffee also helps.”

“I’m actually off to visit my dad,” she answered. Not really providing more details than necessary.

[micorazonxtata-blog]

Tata caught how awkward the word “thrilled” left her mouth and became concerned for the woman. “Is everything okay? He’s not giving you a hard time, is he? I’m sure that if there’s anyone who’s able to handle it with grace, it would be you. But it is very understandable. 12 years of dealing with it.” She chuckled a little, yet she understand where Nik was coming from. 

[nikfinch-blog]

“Oh, no. Everything’s fine. It’s just it might feel like work is following him home, is all,” Nikola said with a shy smile. “But, he’ll just have to deal with it.”

“Maybe when I get more settled at work. Right now, it’s all I really care about. I can’t even think of splitting my time between the job and a love life.”

[micorazonxtata-blog]

Tata made sure to make a mental note of her answers, her excited smile never faltering. “Great! I can’t wait to tell Jamie about this. How have you been? Any update in the love compartment? I can’t remember if you were seeing someone or not the last time we saw each other.”

[nikfinch-blog]

“I’m sure he’ll be thrilled,” she said, hardly able to hold in her grimace. “Oh, god...totally single. It’s hard to keep up any serious relationship with the job we have.”

[agentholder-blog]

This kind of reaction was the opposite of what he’d expected. A part of him had hoped she’d just leave his office and that would be it. But no. He was in for an earful.

“I love my wife. I’d never do anything to hurt her,” Jamie spoke defensively, because he knew he was in the wrong. This was his fucking fault, but he somehow believed he could still come out on top of this argument. “You will never disrespect me or my wife again, do you hear me? Go take your fucking daddy issues to someone who gives a shit. Preferably not married. Because I’m done here.”

[nikfinch-blog]

“You’re disgusting and pathetic,” she said quietly. Bringing up her father was low. Regardless of the situation. She turned around to head out the door. With her hand on the knob she stopped. “See you at dinner,” she said, leaving his office. She stood still for a moment outside the door before walking back to her desk. She was worried her face was still red, but frankly, she didn’t care. A small part of her hoped someone would ask what happened in the office. She’d have no qualms spilling the truth after what he just said to her. But, she couldn’t think like that. He was still her boss and she still had a job to do.

So, that’s exactly what she did.

[agentholder-blog]

Jamie paused momentarily. She seemed fine with it. He should’ve just let her walk out.

“Yeah. There’s something else. I’m taking a week off because my wife doesn’t think I love her anymore.” Jamie was blunt. He’d raised his voice ever so slightly. Not enough for everyone outside to hear, but enough so that it was a shock even to him. “Another thing? Stop fucking married men, Nikola. You almost ruined my fucking marriage. Go be someone else’s whore.”

[nikfinch-blog]

As the spiteful words left Jamie’s mouth, Nikola could feel heat rise up her body. She could tell her cheeks were flushed, but she tried her damnedest to keep her cool. All that went out the window when he called her a whore.

“Go fuck yourself,” she said, venom coating her words. “You’re the fucking whore here. You’re the married man with the dutiful and faithful wife. You fucked her over. Not me. We both know I wasn’t some succubus slut who lured you in with my vagina. You can try and blame me for your ruined marriage all you want but it won’t help ease your guilt. You chose to cheat. You wanted to fuck me just as much as I wanted you. You don’t get to call me a whore. That title belongs to you.”

[agentholder-blog]

Jamie didn’t really know where or how to do this. So he led her back into his office. He shut the door behind her. The blinds, too. Jamie didn’t even bother telling her to sit down. This wouldn’t take long.

“This… us? Outside of work. It’s done, alright? We’re not screwing around anymore.”

[nikfinch-blog]

Nik stood for a moment without saying a word. Slowly, she nodded. “Okay.” She knew it would happen eventually. She just didn’t expect it to be so soon. It was probably for the best, though. End it early before either of them got too attached. 

“Anything else?”

[deliriousmistakcs-blog]

“Leaving town?” Salvatore asked out of pure curiosity sipping from his coffee, himself waiting for his food, which seemed to take forever to arrive.

[nikfinch-blog]

“Yeah, actually,” she said. “I’m headed to Marion for the day. It’s a little under five hours if I’m lucky.”

[micorazonxtata-blog]

“Wonderful!” For the first time in awhile, she was happy. Tata found herself becoming excited for this, for this opportunity with getting to know her. “What is your favourite meal? Are you allergic to anything? Any drinks that you particularly prefer? I’m so excited for this. I think that we can become wonderful friends, Nikola.” 

[nikfinch-blog]

Nikola laughed, being bombarded with Tatiana’s questions. “No allergies, I’m a beer drinker...but don’t ever tell my grandmother...and I’m sure whatever you cook will be excellent,” she smiled, a bit overwhelmed. It was finally starting to set in that she was going to have a meal with the guy she’s fucking and his wife. What the hell did Nikola get herself into?

[agentholder-blog]

( @nikfinch​ )

After his and Tata’s conversation, Jamie knew what he had to do. He had to cut Nikola off. He’d already informed the chief he’d be taking a break. A week long break. Jamie didn’t like sharing the details of his personal life with his workers, so he kept his speech to the chief vague. Due to personal reasons, he’d be using his vacation days. A week. He could do a week without checking in on Castillo. Any and all new information should be taken to Manny, and he was not to be bothered.

Jamie was getting some personal belongings that he’d left in his office. He strung a duffel bag over his shoulder, grabbing the keys off his desk. There was still one more thing he needed to do.

He walked over to Nikola’s desk. “I need to talk to you.”

[nikfinch-blog]

Nikola knew something was wrong. From the moment Jamie walked into the office that day, something had changed. She didn’t know what, but it was clear that he wasn’t the same person he was the day before. He walked differently. Something happened. When he came over to her desk, Nikola knew she was about to find out. 

“Yeah...sure.”

Nikola finished writing the sentence she’d started and stood up to follow him. “What is it?” She asked.

[agentholder-blog]

“Yeah, me too. About the sleeping thing. Can’t remember the last time I slept in a bed, and not on my fucking office couch with case files in my hand.” His neck ached, but sometimes it was better than making it all the way home. Castillo was wearing him down, but he wasn’t ready to give it up yet. Not even close. Jamie parked his car a few buildings down from their destination. “Let’s see what we can find.”

[nikfinch-blog]

Nik hopped out of the car and started walking down the street. The building look deserted. Graffiti plastered the walls and the front of the store was boarded up. From the look of the outside, anyone passing by would have assumed it was abandoned months ago. Nik and Jamie were there to see just how abandoned it truly was. “There’s a back door,” she said, remembering the layout from the plans. 

The door was locked, to her dismay. Though, that didn’t mean they couldn’t get inside. Pulling a few pins from her hair, Nikola fashioned an instrument to pick the door’s lock. When the door opened, she smiled, satisfied. “I used to break into my grandmother’s liquor cabinet every once in a while,” she said, explaining her little hidden talent. “It’s better than breaking a window.”

[agentholder-blog]

“Mine,” he said, rising from his chair. He opened the top drawer of his desk, grabbing his gun. Tucking it into the back of his pants, Jamie led the way out of his office. Everyone else was gone. Thankfully. Jamie and Nikola leaving together might’ve looked a little strange.

Once they were in his vehicle, Jamie made sure that he had a spare set of flashlights in the backseat before taking off. Jamie already knew the location fairly well. He’d visited a few times, but never on the inside. “What the hell’s got you at the office so late anyway, Finch?”

[nikfinch-blog]

“I didn’t realize the time, to be honest,” she said, resting her head on the passenger seat. “I just sort of looked up and almost everyone was gone.” She laughed slightly, turning her head to look at him. “I probably would’ve stayed late anyway. I have a hard time sleeping when I’m so focused on something else.”

[micorazonxtata-blog]

“I was wondering if you’d like to have dinner with Jamie and I sometime in the future? You’re quite a lovely person and I would love to get to know you more.” However, her was completely unaware of the golden-haired beauty in front of her was fucking her husband behind her back.

[nikfinch-blog]

“Oh, my God...I would love to.” She said, a smile on her face. The invitation seemed like a gift from up above, the opposite of what she was expecting. With no accusation in sight, Nikola was at ease. So much so, it didn’t occur to her how absolutely and terribly awkward a dinner with Jamie and his wife would be. “It’s so kind of you to invite me.”