"So Kate, What do you think?" Tony adopted a thinker style pose, one foot on his chair, elbow on his knee and head on his hand – it was a pose typically struck by the cheapest corniest catalogue models, complete with cheesy grin.
McGee looked on smiling.
Kate stifled a laugh. Tony was an egotistical chauvinist, an irritating partner and a bully to subordinates when Gibbs was not about. He was also kind, thoughtful and she trusted him completely – and he made her laugh too - though sometimes he had no idea he was doing it.
She looked at him, amused and bemused by turns. "Sorry Tony. What do I think of what?"
"C'mon Kate." Dramatically he ripped off his sunglasses with one hand before putting them back on. "Classic Raybans baby! Three hundred bucks a pair and worth every cent! Oh yeah!"
She chuckled "I'm quite sure Tom Cruise would have absolutely loved them…..twenty years ago!"
Tony moved from his stance by his desk and coolly swaggered over to Kate's removing his sunglasses, waving them at Kate to emphasize a point. "There are certain classic designs that never go out of fashion Kate." Again he slid the glasses on. "Iconic styles that will forever remain objects of desire!"
"Quite right young man. Some things will always appeal to a beautiful woman!" The voice, to his surprise, had come from his right side. He turned to see who had addressed him. He was used to being ambushed by Gibbs but he prided himself that nobody else could manage it - until now that was.
In front of him stood a tall gentleman of around six feet four inches, of indeterminate age and military posture. He was older than Gibbs though certainly and still obviously fit and active. He had short grey/white hair cur short and neat and a perfectly trimmed goatee beard. He had an English accent with a burr of Scottish inflection to it.
He wore a dark blue double breasted blazer and Royal Navy tie with grey pants and highly polished black shoes.
He had dark twinkling eyes and the charismatic winning smile he shot towards Kate made Tony feel a slight, irrational surge of jealousy.
"I'm sorry, do I know you?"
"Don't be so rude to our guest DiNozzo!" Gibbs clipped him smartly about the back of his head, knocking his glasses off.
"Dammit!" Tony muttered to himself, bending down to pick up his glasses, fingering the cracked lens. Ambushed twice in two minutes!
Walking to the side of his guest Gibbs said "Allow me to introduce you to my colleagues. I'm afraid to say that they will be assisting us sir!"
Tony, Kate and Tim immediately sprang up to attention. They had picked up on Gibbs calling him sir – that meant they were in the company of someone that Gibbs felt deserved the moniker and they were pretty few and far between.
"This is Special Agents Tony DiNozzo, Timothy McGee and Caitlin Todd!"
The visitor reached and shook the hands of Tony and Tim before taking Kate's offered hand and drawing to his lips kissed the back of her hand saying "Always a pleasure to meet such a beautiful woman!"
Kate flushed to her roots and smiled, unable to say anything.
'Man! this guy is good!' Tony thought to himself.
"I'm sorry, I didn't catch you name?" Tim asked, somewhat self consciously.
"How rude of me!" the visitor answered. He let go of Kate's hand and addressed them all. "I was a commander in Her Majesty's Royal Navy. My name is Bond, James Bond!"