"Sir!" Collins announced from behind City South's front desk. "That report on the Jones Incident from City Central came through - the document you requested for Miss Fisher?"
"Yes, thank you Collins." Jack came out of his office to retrieve the papers and took his coat and hat with him. "I'll be delivering this to Miss Fisher - she'll be glad to have it."
"Ah, sir! If you're going over there… Dottie's made brownies this morning. When you stop by, you should try some."
"...Have you tried them already, Collins?"
"Yes! This morning… Dottie delivered some this morning… to the station…"
"And… how many did she deliver, Collins?"
"...A few."
"And are there any of these 'few' left?"
"...Dottie mentioned she made three whole trays this morning."
"In that case, I'll be sure to try some of your fiancée's baking. If it's anything like her pound cake, I'm sure I'll enjoy it."
Hugh almost began drooling at the thought of Dot's pound cake as well, but was brought back to reality when the doors to City South slammed behind Jack, causing Hugh to subconsciously wipe his mouth and go back to his papers.
Jack walked up the steps of the Fisher household and knocked on the door, waiting patiently for someone to answer as he looked over the information of the Jones Incident.
"Inspector!" Mr. Butler answered the door and took his coat. "Come inside. I'll inform Miss Fisher that you've arrived. And, if you're feeling a tad peckish, Dorothy made brownies this morning. They're in the kitchen."
"Thank you, Mr. Butler. I've already heard positive remarks about her baking." As Mr. Butler walked up the stairs, Jack carefully hung up his hat and made a beeline right for the kitchen, where he found Dot.
"Oh! Inspector! Miss Fisher should be down any second." She put the last plate away and hung a dish towel back up.
"Yes, I'm aware. I also heard that you've made brownies this morning."
"They're in the oven. But… didn't you already get some today, Inspector?"
"I'm afraid that Collins neglected to mention that you had delivered some to the police station this morning, Miss Williams."
"I told Hugh not to eat the whole plate! I'm sorry, Inspector Robinson. They're still warm, if you'd like to try some for yourself. Excuse me."
She left in a huff, as if she was going to go give Hugh a piece of her mind over the telephone.
Jack, left alone, set the papers he held down on the kitchen table and moved to pull one of the brownie trays out of the oven. Placing one onto a plate and taking a fork from a nearby drawer, he sat down to begin eating. He closed his eyes and paused for a moment, content, and prepared to eat his brownie.
It was at that moment that Miss Fisher decided to make herself known.
There was a single moment of silence as they stared at one another and shared a smile, but when Phryne's eyes traveled to his plate, she frowned at what she saw.
"...What do you think you're doing?"
Jack looked down at his plate, wondering what could possibly be wrong with the square piece of chocolate dessert before him. "...I'm eating a brownie."
Phryne rolled her eyes. "Excellent observation Inspector, but you're doing it wrong!"
"I've got a fork," Jack stated indignantly, holding up his eating utensil.
"Jack. I've been all around the world. I've tried enough kinds of foods to make my taste buds go dull. I've tried combinations that I doubt your body could stomach. There is so much I have experienced, and out of those experiences, I found that there is one food combination that I will always stand by.
"Brownies must be eaten with ice cream."
"Absolutely not," Jack said as she went to the ice box to get a tub of vanilla out. "I will try Miss Williams's brownies without ice cream." With that, he ate a chunk of the brownie, much to Phryne's offense.
"Jack!"
"What?" He swallowed the brownie bit and realized that Phryne was beginning to scoop out the ice cream. And then he was distracted by the chocolate. It was really good. He could see why Hugh had eaten the whole plate by himself.
Phryne could only retort with a glare before sliding Jack's plate towards herself.
He slid it back. "Miss Williams's baking is something to be adored. I'd rather like to eat some more before you smother it with ice cream."
Phryne slid it over to her side and held the ice cream precariously over the brownie. "You're supposed to be enjoying it with ice cream."
Back again. "Without." With that, he pulled the plate further out of her grip, proceeding to take another forkful of brownie.
"You're like a stubborn five year old who's unwilling to try something new."
"On the contrary, I like trying one new thing at a time. Miss Williams's brownies are something I've never had before and I'm rather enjoying them alone."
"Fine then," Phryne said, getting a fork for herself out the drawer. "I'll have to show you."
Sitting on the corner of the table, she took a piece of the brownie for herself and placed it on the spoon with ice cream.
"Now eat it. It won't kill you."
"About the Jones file you asked for…"
"Jack. Eat it. Now."
"No!" At his response, she tried to push it into his mouth, but he backed away. "Phryne!"
"Fine." She backed away and allowed him to eat another piece of the brownie.
As he raised the fork up, she deftly swooped her finger through her bowl of ice cream and brownie, and waited until the piece was securely inside his mouth.
"Jack," she purred, causing him to turn his head in her direction.
Then, to his surprise, he found that a finger had been immediately thrust between his lips, and was currently enveloped within his mouth.
After only a moment, he became aware of a powerful sweetness that coated the finger currently pressing against his tongue.
Looking up at her face, Jack could see Phryne's smirk, as she watched his reaction to her finger's sudden intrusion.
Jack remained silent as she slowly pulled her finger out of his mouth. Leaning down to his ear, she whispered, "Did you like that, Jack?"
Jack then cleared his throat and replied, "Well, Miss Fisher, that was certainly the most... interesting flavor combination I've ever had."
"Would you want some more?"
Jack only gave her a look, and Phryne took the fork in hand and fed him another piece of brownie before scooping more ice cream out of the bowl with her finger.
This time, he was willing to take her finger in, and lick at it for far longer than last time. Phryne almost looked to be closing her eyes with pleasure before she slowly pulled her finger out, despite Jack's attempts to suck it back in.
"You're going to lick every crumb off at this rate, Jack," she whispered, finally pulling her finger out. "Leave a bit for me, I enjoy ice cream and brownies, too."
"But you haven't got any brownie in your mouth." Jack reached a hand up to the back of her neck and held it there for a few moments. "Should I put some in there?"
Before Phryne could point out the fact that he'd already swallowed his brownie, he pulled her closer and gave her a small, short kiss. She found herself almost sad when he pulled away and stared up into her eyes, but she resisted the urge to pull him close and kiss him again.
"This is a much better tasting combination," Phryne said, looking down to his lips. "But I should try it again, just to make sure."
"Be my guest, Miss Fisher," Jack said, watching her as she slid off the table to sit on his lap and put her arms around his neck, lightly holding herself there.
All that was shared was a few short moments before she began kissing him again, more passionately, without a care for who might walk into the room and have a heart attack upon seeing their current actions.
Tightening her hold on his neck, Phryne tilted her head to allow Jack more space, and he responded in kind. And while they did so, the hall clock chimed the hour.
"Three o'clock?" Jack sputtered, breaking the intimate kiss far too quickly for Phryne's liking. "Miss Fisher, I only came here to deliver the Jones file. I have to get back to City South."
"But you've only just arrived!" Phryne protested as she was eased off his lap and back standing. "You've haven't finished eating."
"I intend to finish later, when I come back tonight." He took her hand and gave it a kiss, smiling up at her. "Promise. Save me another brownie, will you?"
With that, he kissed her once more on the lips, and was out to the foyer to get his coat and hat.
Phryne looked after him, with a small smile on her face.
He was far better than brownies and ice cream.