| Moving On Episode 8 |
| ** "Who is the blonde?" Antwon asked, admiring her long legs as she walked off the barge with Nash's arm around her waist. "With Nash? Beth Collins, Van Guard's ex." Harvey had seen the picture Rachel had found, Van Guard was definately a lucky man. "Oh. Is that all?" Antwon was confused, last time he checked Nash and Rachel were still together and Cassidy was still oblivious to it. "She came to us with the info, she needs protection from Van Guard." He was pretty sure that Rachel and Nash were still an item, but hadn't seen them around the SIU much together. "Does Rachel know?" Antwon didn't know what he was getting into, but he'd hate to see Rachel two-timed by Nash. He had heard how Nash was, and she certainly didn't deserve to be treated that way --- especially when guys like Harvey were waiting to take her out. "About Beth?" Harvey knew where this was going, but he really didn't want to go there. "About Nash... and Beth. Looks a little more then protection." Antwon looked at him, knowing very well how Harvey felt on the issue. "I'm staying out of it, brother" he sighed, "I'm going to head in and see if I can find anything on Van Guard's current whereabouts." He starts to walk away. "I'll be in soon." Antwon looks out over the bay, sure he is working in a on-going soap opera. ** "So, tell me about your marriage to Van Guard." Nash looked at Beth as she carefully and precisely cut her salad. The two had gone out for brunch to discuss more of the case, she just didn't feel comfortable in the SIU. "What do you want to know?" Beth waited, "I mean, how personal or general do you want the information to be?" "Just the basics, anything that might help us out." Nash really did want to know more but he wouldn't pry, he was attracted to her --- she was a very beautiful woman and the idea of a damsel in distress was very appealing. "I met him not long after I divorced Frank, my first husband. A whirlwind romance of sorts. I thought it was love..." she pauses, as years of hurt and pain come back to her mind. "But it wasn't. Let me guess, he married you for the money and the stocks?" Nash had read up on some of the information Rachel had found. "Yes, that and well, sex." She looks at Nash in dismay, "nothing that I am too proud of." "I see," he tries to think of a better way to ask but can't, "so when did things get bad?" "He got more powerful and started drinking, socially at first but it became worse as he made more 'connections' in the industry. He wanted a socialite to give dinner parties and attend company functions, but at the time I was still very much involved with other things." "So you left him?" Nash was slowly beginning to piece together the incidents of her life. "Yes, he hit me a few times and I refused to take anymore. I decided to leave him and never look back." "That took a lot of courage," he pauses "so what made you come forward?" Beth looks at him sternly, "I want to see him pay for what he did to myself and my family. ** "So that's the notorious Mr. Bridges." Renee looks across the dining room of L'Homme, and sees Nash sitting their with an attractive blonde as Rachel acts like she doesn't notice. "Huh?" Rachel continues to play dumb and tries not to look over in Nash's direction, even though he is there with a 'client' she doesn't want it to appear as if she is stalking him. "Oh come on, that's him, right?" Renee notices he's attractive and why Rachel would fall for him. "Rache?" Rachel sits there, biting her nails to distract herself from looking towards Nash as he heads out the door. "Rache?" "What?" She looks at Renee, slightly aggravated with her persistent pushing of the Nash-issue. "Why'd you go for him, instead of someone like Harvey?" Renee smiles at her, knowing that Nash was probably a little more Rachel's type but either way, she had a flare for workplace romance. "I don't know, he offered." Rachel smiled, wondering why Renee would be asking her about Harvey. "So how are things with you and Harve?" She couldn't resist asking, and desperately wanted to change the topic from her own lovelife, or lack there of. "He's a great guy, he really is - but I think he's a little too dedicated to his job for my tastes. It's almost like he is a male version of you," she pauses and smiles, " and that's scary." She folds her napkin over and laughs, "so, you back on the market yet?" "Why? Who wants to know?" Rachel questions her suspiciously, never knowing what to expect. They had several mutual male friends, but none whom Rachel would ever consider dating despite the offers. "Blind date." Renee had someone in mind, and thought she'd be doing Rachel a favor by setting her up. "No way. Forget it," she laughs, "remember... I'm married to my work. You said so yourself." "Maybe Harvey's your type of guy then..." ** "Harve, have you seen Rachel or my dad?" Cassidy walks past Harvey's desk slowly, trying to scope out the SIU for her missing partner or father. It's just about closing time and she is ready to leave, but she has some papers to run by them before she can. "Sorry, I saw Rachel when she came back from lunch earlier but not since she left to do some work at home. Anything I can do?" "I wanted to run this information from the warehouse by her and my dad, but --- I can't seem to find either one of them." She looks impatiently towards the door, "I saw my dad earlier and he said we'd talk." "Last time I checked, he had a meeting with Beth Collins." Harvey certainly didn't want to insinuate that Nash and Rachel might very well be together and out for the evening. "I can take a look, if you think it would help." He holds out his hand to accept the files, but Cassidy doesn't look like she is willing to share. "That's okay, it can wait. I'll just bring them by his place later on and I'll call Rachel." "Suit yourself." At times, Harvey really couldn't stand Cassidy. He couldn't understand why she had to specifically check with Nash and Rachel when he and Antwon were just as involved with the case. "I'll be here if you need me." He leaned back in his chair, there was nothing more to say. "Thanks, Harve." She gave a half-smile and walked away, wondering if the rumors about her dad and Rachel were true. She thought to herself, 'how could they do this to me...' ** "Antwon, long day?" Rachel smiled at him as he sat stooped over on the bar, she notes he obviously had a little too much to drink. "If you only knew, I was stood up..." he pauses and quickly changes subjects, "man, where has Nash been all day? I've searched San Fran up and down for him." He looked at Rachel as if she would've known, since they were 'together.' Rachel looks at him, a little surprised. "I wouldn't know, he did have lunch with Beth Collins and after that... its anyone's guess." Antwon looks at her, a little confused by her being there with him at the bar that evening while Nash was out with some blonde all day and hadn't returned. "You're not worried?" He sits up, worried he had a little too much to drink. "He's a grown man and can take care of himself. Why would I be worried?" Rachel can see where Antwon is taking this, but really doesn't want to address the issue if she doesn't have to. "I just thought that you two were..." Rachel cuts him off. "We're not... he's free to see all the women he wants for all I care." She smiles at him, "so what about being stood up?" "It was brutal." He picks up flowers from the stool next to him and shows her, "she didn't even leave a message or call. I hate women." "Excuse me?" Rachel gives him her mischevious grin, the one Harvey always pointed out to him. "What's your excuse?" "I was supposed to meet Cassidy, but - I guess she forgot." Rachel was a little late, but she would've expected Cassidy to have waited at least a few minutes for her. By now she is seated next to Antwon and has refused a drink from the bartender. Antwon looks down at his watch and starts to get up, a little unsteady. "I should probably get going. Its late and we have to be in early tomarrow. Boss' orders." "I should probably drive you home," she smiles as she looks up towards him, "you think?" "I'll be al..." just then he stumbles, "not a bad idea." Rachel gets up from her stool and Antwon loosely drapes his arm around her as they head towards the door. "You know, for a woman --- maybe you're not half bad. I can see why Harvey really digs you." Rachel was a little taken with the comment. "What?" Rachel and Antwon walk out the door as she waits for a response to his comment. ** Rachel walks through the SIU, carrying some reports she had printed early that morning and is looking for Nash. She finds walking Beth Collins to the door, his arm conveniently wrapped around her waist. She watches as he hugs her in the doorway and opens the door for her. She waits a moment before approaching him. Rachel walks up to Nash and hands him the reports. "Here." "Good morning,Rachel, I was just going to check on these. Thanks." Nash opens up the folder and starts reading her finds. Knowing she shouldn't be bothered since they were no longer together, but aggravated at his idea of "protection" she can't hold back any longer "I see Beth is being well cared for." "She needs all the help we can give." Nash thinks to himself a moment, wondering if Rachel had seen him with her. "You know what I mean." Nash looks up at her and knows she saw them together, but he can't think of a reasonable explanation or even a good lie. Rachel glances back at him and walks away. ** "So, how things going with Renee?" asked Antwon, in between bites of his sandwich as they sat in the Navigator. Nash had sent them out to stakeout the warehouse that afternoon. "Uh, it's over." Harvey took another bite from his sandwich, figuring he already said enough. "Already? I thought things were going well?" Antwon was surprised, he knew that Harvey liked Renee and he wondered what could've changed the situation. "Yeah, it just didn't work out for us." Harvey shrugged his shoulders and continued eating. "Your choice or hers?" "Mine. Oh well... back to the dating game." Harvey wasn't exactly having second thoughts about ending things with Renee, but he wasn't thrilled to begin aimlessly dating again either. "So I take it you'll be joining me this evening, go out for a beer or two?" Antwon hadn't planned on going out, but it now seemed appealing. "Maybe. Let's see how today goes." Harvey smiles at Antwon, waiting for some witty remark to come about Rachel as they sit and finish their lunches. ** Nash is sitting on the couch at Beth Collin's house, he had offered to drive her home after their dinner and they had stopped for coffee on the way. Beth appeared before him, presenting him a glass of wine. "Here." "Thanks," he takes a sip, "so, you never said --- did you and Frank have any kids?" Nash was desperate for conversation pieces, so he asked about her first husband before she met up with Van Buren. "Yes, actually. My son, Peter is 20 and is studying in Rome. And Marica, is 18 and lives with her father." She had opened up that much, but wondered about his curiousity. She found herself very attracted to him, pleased he had accompanied her home instead of his partner who joined them for coffee. "And you?" "You met her, Officer Cassidy Bridges. My one and only." Nash smiled, proud of Cassidy joining the ranks. "You must be so proud." She smiles and hesistates for a moment, unable to resist the doubt any longer, "are you married Captain Bridges?" "Nash, please" he pauses and thinks. "I was, twice. One lives in England and the other in France." "Oh," she waits, "I'm shocked you're not taken. You'd be quite a catch." She slowly inches closer to him on the couch. "You'd be surprised." He laughs at the thought, noticing how much Beth has warmed up to him. Nash looks at his watch and his near-empty wine glass, "it's getting late, I should get going." Beth looks at him, not wanting him to leave. "Nash, I'm afraid. Please don't go." "You have nothing to worry about, I've got cops staked out around the place." He smiles, trying to reassure her. "I'd feel better knowing you were here." She looks down at her shaking hands, "Please." "Let me make a couple calls," Nash looks at her, "okay?" She smiles warmly, sure she had won. ** "Antwon, want to grab a beer?" Joe shouts to Antwon from upstairs as he sees him getting ready to leave. He had met with Nash and Beth for coffee, but left his paperwork at the office. "Sure. Isn't the game on tonight at John's?" He looks up to Joe, who was missing from the balcony. A minute later, Joe walks up next to him. "You bet, I got $400 riding on this one --- definately don't want to watch it at home." Joe smiles, knowing his gambling is risky. "I see." Antwon laughs at the thought of Joe having to tell Inger what he did. "Let's go." ** "You're here late." Harvey looked at Rachel, stacking piles of folders on the conference table, well after hours. "I could say the same for you, no hot date?" She looked up at him, giving her mischevious grin that he secretly adored. "No," Harvey changed to a more serious tone,"we decided to part ways and see other people." Rachel's lighthearted look changed to one more somber. "Really?" "Oh, don't look so surprised. You probably talked to Renee already." He smiled at her, knowing she was probably just playing 'dumb' for his sake. "Well..." she smiled back, she had talked to Renee, but not about this. "So, what big plans do you have this evening?" He was almost sure she was most likely going to pull an 'all-nighter' here at the SIU but didn't know since she was seeing Nash. "Working through this pile of stats and data that Beth gave Nash. Care to join me?" Amazing, this woman even made a night of working late sound better then going home to leftovers and the T.V. "No night out with the boss?" He smiled at her, waiting for her reply. He just couldn't resist that comment, he was actually curious as to why Nash wasn't around himself since she was working late. "Very funny, Leek." She waited a moment, not wanting to admit he was right but slightly clue him in, "I believe he is elsewhere this evening.'' "Oh..." Harvey rolled his eyes. "So what about my offer?" Rachel stands before him, ready to pick up the stack of files she had just organized. "Huh?" Harvey had drawn a momentary blank since they had gotten off topic. "My desk or yours?" asked Rachel in a ever-so-seductive voice while bending over to pick up the files, as Harvey's jaw dropped. "Or we can 'do it' right here if you'd like," as Rachel leaned in on the table in a slightly provocative manner and winked at him, smiling with that mischevious grin. Harvey was in complete awe, he knew it was a tease but couldn't say he'd mind if it wasn't --- even if they were at work. "That's dirty, McCabe." Harvey wagged his index finger at her "very dirty," he pauses a moment, "I'll call for take out," he turns around and heads down the stairs. "Wow." ** |
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