Fic: Naked Cops III: Adam's Pickle :D

[bradygirl_12]

Title: Naked Cops III: Adam's Pickle 😁 (1/1)

Author: BradyGirl_12

Pairings/Characters: Libby Kingston, Frank/Adam

Fandom: Naked City

Genres: Fluff, Historical, Humor, Slice-Of-Life

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: None

Spoilers: None

Summary: Frank enjoys eating Adam's pickle. 😁

Original DW/LJ Date Of Completion: May 11, 2025

Original DW/LJ Date Of Posting: May 20, 2025

Disclaimer; I don't own 'em, Screen Gems does, more's the pity.

Original DW/LJ Word Count: 1196

Feedback welcome and appreciated.

The entire series can be found here.

"I guess we're really in a pickle now."

Chick Stevens

In

"Take Me Out

To The Ball Game"

Columbia Pictures

1941 C.E.

January 27, 1961

Googie.

Libby liked the word. She had read it in a Village magazine. It was a form of futuristic architecture that had really taken off after the war, evoking jets and car culture and now the Space Age. The McDonald's franchise that had started in California in the mid-fifties was slowly spreading eastward, its golden arches a perfect example of Googie.

Here at Idlewild Airport a new restaurant had opened with the Googie look, so when Adam had invited her to have lunch with him at the new place, she had hopped into a cab and now here she was, watching the planes come and go while enjoying a turkey club and potato chips.

Adam was enjoying a hamburger loaded with mustard, ketchup, tomatoes and lettuce with a side order of fries and a big deli pickle. They drank Cokes and Adam said, "The Chicago Police Commissioner's flight will land in an hour. I've got a car for him. I'll give you cab fare back."

"Thanks."

Libby chewed a bite of turkey thoughtfully. A week ago today, John F. Kennedy had been inaugurated. New beginnings, which included her, Adam and Frank.

She was their shield, their 'beard', as the slang went. Homosexuals (known as gays among themselves) needed as much protection as they could get. An exposed homosexual could lose his job, his family, and even go to prison in some states.

Libby was perfectly okay with protecting Adam and Frank. Now that she was over her anger about Adam pretending to be her boyfriend, she was all in in being a protector. She valued their friendship too much not to do so.

Libby looked around. "This restaurant is so Googie "

"Googie?" Puzzlement.

She explained.

"Wow, they're always coming up with something new." Adam frowned and picked up the bottle of ketchup and poured some on his French fries.

"It fits. Curving walls, form-fitting chairs, even the curved struts under the tables."

"Hmm, it's like a Miss America pageant."

It was Libby's turn to be puzzled. "How so?"

"Plenty of curves."

Libby groaned while Adam laughed. She had walked right into that one.

She was pleased to see her intense friend laugh. Making jokes, too.

She suddenly smelled Old Spice aftershave. "Hello, Frank."

"Do you have eyes in the back of your head, Lib?" He walked around into her field of vision. "Mike wants you to call him," he said to Adam.

"He sent you all the way out here to tell me that? Why not just page me to go to a phone?"

Frank shrugged. "You know Mike."

Adam sighed and put down his hamburger. "I do." He rose and put on his fedora. "Be right back."

Frank took his seat after doffing his hat and overcoat, placing them on an empty chair. He picked up the half-eaten hamburger and took a bite. Frowning, he picked up the bottle of ketchup and poured a generous amount on the French fries and added more to the hamburger.

"So Adam won't be returning?" asked Libby.

"Oh, he'll need to get his coat." Frank dipped a fry into the ketchup.

"He won't mind you finishing his lunch?"

"Nah, he won't want it to go to waste." Frank picked up the half-eaten pickle and enjoyed the crunchy goodness.

Libby shook her head. "If I didn't know you two were knocking boots, I'd know now."

"How so?" Frank took a sip of Coke.

"You're eating Adam's hamburger!"

"Yeah, but it's only half, and he cut it into two halves."

"His French fries!"

"Anybody can eat a friend's French fries."

"You're eating Adam's pickle!"

He was drinking the Coke and coughed. "Wha...?"

"His pickle!"

Frank stared at Libby. Was she pulling his leg?

"It's a good pickle. Thick, with a lot of juice," he said.

It was Libby's turn to cough. She hastily took a sip of water. Frank crunched down on the pickle, trying to hide his smirk.

The waiter came over to their table. "Everything okay, Miss?" He seemed startled to see Frank instead of Adam as Libby's dining companion.

"Just fine. I love the Googie look of the place."

The waiter, a dark-haired, slender man in his thirties, smiled brilliantly. "Thank you, Miss. We try to be up-to-the-minute."

"Even the food?" Libby laughed.

"Yes, we offer Tang and concentrated dinners in pill form."

Libby's blue eyes sparkled. "I know you're joking about the latter, but Tang is cool."

The waiter chuckled. "Exactly, Miss. Just like the astronauts drink. Now, would you care for a dessert menu?"

"Yes, please."

The waiter left and Frank asked, "What the heck is a Googie look?"

"Architecture characterized by bold shapes and a futuristic appearance influenced by the Space Age. McDonald's is a prime example."

Frank shook his head. "I identify with McDonald's hamburgers. Not sure about some fancy-dancy architecture. Art Deco isn't good enough anymore?"

"It's still good, but the Space Age needs something new." Libby took her last bite of her turkey club.

Frank polished off his hamburger. "How would you describe the Precinct's architecture?"

"Early American Dump."

Frank grinned.

The waiter brought the dessert menus.

"Hold on, garcon, I'd like the lemon meringue pie," said Frank.

"Chocolate mousse for me," said Libby.

"And coffee."

"Me, too."

"Very good." The waiter disappeared with the menus.

"Lemon meringue pie? That's Adam's favorite." Libby dipped her Coke.

"We'll be sharing so I figured order his favorite."

Libby raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

As the waiter was serving the desserts Adam showed up and took the third seat. "The Commissioner's flight will be in later today. In the meantime Mike says I ought to hang out here. You, too," he said to Frank.

"What, Mike didn't have something for me to do back in the city?"

"Guess not." Adam realized his hamburger and fries were gone. He waited patiently for Frank to take a bite of pie, then Frank handed the fork to him. Adam took a bite of pie.

"Libby's been telling me about Googie architecture," said Frank as he sipped his coffee.

"Great, it's very stylish." Adam took another bite of pie.

"I'm an Art Deco man myself."

"I hear you. Art Deco is classic. Though I must admit, Googie is fun." Adam took the coffee cup for another sip.

"That's you!"

"Huh?"

"Classic but fun."

Adam blushed shyly. Libby had always loved his shy demeanor. Frank grinned, obviously loving it, too. Adam picked up the fork again.

"Now this is perfect, all this fluffy cream topping a tart lemon filling."

"You like fluffy cream?" asked Frank.

"Oh, yeah " Adam took a bite of cream. "Mmm. I like it whipped."

Frank choked. "Sweet and tart floats your boat?"

Adam nodded. "Tart keeps things interesting." He smiled. "Especially tart tongues. Toppings, too."

Libby rolled her eyes. Men! Homosexual or heterosexual, sex was always on their minds.

She took a bite of silky, chocolatey mousse.

Give me a mousse over a man anyday.

____________________________________

"There are eight million stories in the Naked City. This has been one of them."

This story can also be read on AO3.



Crossposts: https://bradygirl-12.livejournal.com/1590178.hmtl