[Chapter 2: Just Like You Thought]
"...Everybody, look over here."
Pier Park at Barreto Point.
A tall, graceful, and strikingly beautiful woman with chestnut hair, wearing a fitted black blazer and glasses with gold frames, lightly tapped her hands three times. She was the probation officer in charge.
She motioned to the dozen or so community service workers picking up trash nearby to pay attention.
"Alright everyone, your community service shift is over for today."
Her gaze swept over the group. When no one responded, she continued, "I expect all of you to be on time at the work site tomorrow. Got it? Don't cause yourselves any trouble!"
Seeing all of them nod obediently, she said, "Good."
Then, she announced the end of today's work.
Turning around, she headed toward two NYPD officers standing nearby.
"Is it time? Oh, it's already 4 PM -- yeah, that's clock-out."
A female NYPD officer walked up to the probation officer with a smile. "Hey, Ms. Cuomo, looks like you're done for the day."
The probation officer smiled warmly, addressing the female cop and her partner, "Thanks, Emily and David."
"It's our job," David, the male cop, replied quickly, eager to please.
Emily chimed in, "David's right. This is what we're supposed to do."
As members of the New York Police Department, Emily and David had been stationed mostly in the Bronx recently, assisting probation officer Daisy Cuomo from the Northern District Prosecutor's Office.
They watched over about twenty minor offenders sentenced to community service.
Under Daisy Cuomo's supervision, they monitored the community service workers while also protecting Daisy, given the Bronx's reputation for being rough -- even during the day.
Over time, the trio had gotten to know each other pretty well.
Especially as two women, Emily and Daisy had become friends.
They'd even grabbed coffee together a few times.
So at this moment, both as friends and wanting to stay on good terms with Daisy's promising career, Emily noticed the dark circles under Daisy's eyes looking particularly bad lately.
Even with makeup, they stood out.
She couldn't help but ask, "Hey, Daisy, you haven't been sleeping well these last few days, huh? I know this great wellness clinic over in Brooklyn Heights. Their massages work wonders for people who have trouble sleeping at night."
Hearing Emily's concern, Daisy paused for a moment.
Then she realized she had noticed those dark circles herself earlier that morning.
Hadn't she been carefully covering them up with makeup?
Guess it just wasn't enough.
Daisy smiled and said, "Yeah, I've been staying up late these days, but luckily, tomorrow's the weekend. I figure a good rest will clear the dark circles right up."
"Sleep is so important," Emily said with a smile. "Hope you have a great weekend!"
"Thanks!" Daisy answered with a bright smile.
Just then, a somewhat abrupt but youthful voice sounded near the three of them.
"Hey, sweetheart, looks like you're off the clock?"
The trio immediately turned toward the source.
A white teenage boy was approaching quickly.
Emily and David instantly recognized him.
---
The boy was Orlando Keller.
He was one of the community service offenders recently released -- not long ago, in fact, part of the group that had just dispersed.
He had been under the watchful eyes of both the two NYPD officers and probation officer Daisy Cuomo.
One reason Emily and David recognized him instantly was because of how incredibly handsome he was.
He had thick black hair, dark eyebrows framing bright blue eyes, a straight nose, and full lips.
He looked just a little boyish but with refined features and skin even paler than David's.
The other reason was that since last week, Emily and David had noticed how close Orlando seemed to be with probation officer Daisy during their community service shifts.
They often saw him hanging around Daisy, joking and laughing with her.
Daisy often looked utterly delighted, breaking into expressions that didn't exactly fit with her professional, uniformed image.
Privately, Emily and David had even speculated about whether Daisy was into dating someone way younger.
David, pushing forty, admitted the kid definitely had the kind of charm that made women notice him.
Emily, in her twenties, quietly fantasized about it too.
When Orlando's community service had ended a couple of days ago, and he stopped hanging around Daisy, their gossip fires had died out.
But now, Orlando was back -- and the first thing he did was call Daisy "sweetheart."
David and Emily's gossip instincts flared up again, blazing hot.
---
"Hey, sweet... sweetheart," Orlando grinned.
The NYPD duo's internal gossip sparks made Daisy visibly uncomfortable.
Still, she smiled brightly, both embarrassed and pleased, walking toward him.
As David and Emily suspected, this woman twelve years older than Orlando -- Daisy, a probation officer with a promising future at the Northern District Prosecutor's Office -- was genuinely involved with him, the just-turned-eighteen ex-offender.
"I'm off work now, uh... mmm..."
Bracing herself, Daisy accepted Orlando's bold kiss.
He held it for several seconds before pulling away.
For a moment, the three of them just stared at each other awkwardly.
Finally, Orlando smiled at the two cops, "Hey officers, good afternoon. We meet again."
"G-good afternoon!"
Emily's eyes practically sparkled with gossip energy.
Her fingers carefully measured Orlando against Daisy, comparing them both.
"Keller, right? And you and Ms. Cuomo..."
"As you can see," Orlando said with a smile, "We're together. We're in love. Didn't I say that, Daisy?"
Daisy's exquisite and composed face was flushed red.
She was both helpless and approving, indulging her young boyfriend's possessiveness.
"Yes, we're together."
Her confirmation left Emily and David with jaws dropped in surprise.
At that moment, Orlando looked back the way he came.
Sure enough, the guys from his old crew -- James and others -- didn't dare approach.
Orlando smirked inwardly and turned back to Daisy.
"Sweetheart, since we're off the clock, how about we head back?"
"H-head back..."
Daisy's legs suddenly went weak.
She thought about the wild nights she'd been having lately.
Her dark circles? Those were carved out of those sleepless nights!
Luckily, she had made some plans.
"Sweetheart, I just remembered. I already arranged dinner with Seymour Stein tonight."
"Wow, the Seymour Stein you mentioned before..."
"Yep, the same Seymour Stein who helped Ciccone become Madonna!"
"Thanks, darling. Thank you so much..."
*****
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