Plumber Prequel (4 page)

She hoped her mom would
lay off, because her life was stressful enough as it
was.

As a woman, she had to
work longer and harder at the police station to prove herself.
Everyone doubted her ability to be a strong partner. The men at
work sidelined her. And she had to fight tooth and nail to be taken
seriously.

The only person who was
supportive was Ryan, her partner. He’d been patient and helpful,
acting both as a mentor and a partner. It’d been a tough year for
Ryan when Cassandra passed away. It pained Paula to see how Ryan
had changed. He was more aloof and kept mostly to himself, only
discussing work with her. She wished she could do more for Ryan, if
he’d just open up and let her help.

Her parents, both
executives at a film studio, didn't understand her career choice as
a detective. Especially her mom, one of the few top-level female
executives at a major film studio. She remembered her mom's last
conversation with her.

"Paula, you're not getting
any younger. Thirty-two-year-old with no boyfriend. I married your
dad at twenty eight. He was already established and successful.
Like marries like. At your job, you're meeting cops and criminals.
Neither is ideal husband material. It's not too late to go to
business school and change your career."

Paula thought about her
parents' glamorous life, wining and dining A-list Hollywood stars
and socializing with rich and famous studio heads. It was a
pretentious world she never wanted to be a part of.

No thank you mother. I
think I’ll be fine where I am.

She took out the heated
lean cuisine from the microwave, and grabbed a cold coke from the
fridge.

She was about to take a
bite, when the doorbell rang.

Paula glanced at her
watch. 7:35 pm.

He was 10 minutes
early.

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MORE CHAPTERS

Plumber begins with the double
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