Chapter Four: We Interrupt This Moment

Mike and Connie snapped out of it and turned to see who had just spoken.

It was Bernard. Lupo was with him.

"Hey!" Connie returned, hiding her disappointment.

"Detectives," Mike said cordially, hiding his disappointment, as well.

"Nice crowd tonight," Bernard observed, looking around the room.

"I agree," said Connie. "Let's just hope it's enough!"

Mike felt a pang of jealousy and hoped to God it wasn't showing on his face. Was he just imagining things, or was Lupo gawking at Connie?

"Great to see the chief of d's and the commissioner here," said Lupo, tearing his eyes away from Connie.

"Yeah!" said Connie. "The D.A.'s from Queens and Brooklyn are here, too! Jack's always been on good terms with the mayor. I wonder if he's here?"

"I bet he is," Mike said. "He should be!"

Connie smiled at him.

"Is McCoy around? We haven't gotten to say 'hi' yet," said Lupo.

"He was approached by a former colleague and left to go talk with her—they were going to catch up. He's lost in this," Connie said, nodding at the crowd.

"We'll find him," said Bernard.

"And so the search continues," said Lupo.

"Use your detective skills," Connie quipped.

Bernard chuckled.

"Yeah, we'll do that," he said. "Good seeing you two," he added. "That'll look really good for McCoy."

Connie exchanged glances with Mike.

"That was our intent," she said. "Good seeing you both, as well. You being here will mean a lot to Jack. I know he has a lot of respect for the two of you."

"Well, we may not always agree, but I've got a lot of respect for him, too. The guy's damn good at what he does," said Lupo.

"That's how I feel," said Mike.

"He is damn good," said Connie. "I don't know how many times I've asked him what his conviction record is—he won't tell me," she added with a smile. "He's like me—he's not cocky."

"I've always wondered how many convictions he's won," said Mike. "And Connie, you have every right to be cocky," he added.

Again, Connie gave him the smile she saved only for him.

"Hey—there's McCoy right there," Bernard said, nodding in the direction of where Jack stood near the podium.

He was still deep in conversation with Abbie, each of them enjoying a glass of red wine.

"Come on—let's go say 'hi' before we lose him again," said Bernard. "Again, good seeing you two."

"Same to you!" said Connie.

"Likewise," Mike told them.

"You sure we should interrupt?" Lupo asked as he and Bernard walked off towards Jack and Abbie. "That woman he's with—she's pretty hot."

Bernard chuckled.

"Nah, he won't mind," he said. "But I'm telling you—you need to go talk to that one paralegal. She's been checking you out all evening, Lupes."

"It's the beard," Lupo quipped.

Connie and Mike watched the two of them until they were no longer visible in the sea of Jack's supporters.

"For the record," Connie said, turning her attention back to Mike, "I've never found beards attractive."

Mike smiled, taking the hint.

"So I know where we can go talk," Connie then said.

"Yeah?"

"There's a terrace here somewhere," said Connie. "One of my former law professors retired a couple months ago, and his party was at this hotel. That's how I know about it. So…shall we go find it?"

"Yeah," said Mike.

He offered her his arm, and she took it. The two of them were carefully making their way through the crowd, when—

"Connie Rubirosa, is that you?" said a woman's voice.

Connie turned.

"Oh my gosh, Dr. Clemmons!" she said brightly, giving the elderly woman a hug.

"Great to see you, Connie!" Dr. Clemmons said, hugging Connie back.

"You, too!" said Connie. "Dr. Clemmons was my favorite law professor," she explained to Mike. "She also coached the mock trial team."

"Connie was not only one of my favorites but also one of my most talented students," Dr. Clemmons told Mike proudly. "I'm not at all surprised she's a prosecutor."

"Me neither," Mike said sweetly.

Connie smiled at him.

"So who is this handsome gentleman? Your significant other?" asked Dr. Clemmons.

Connie blushed.

Mike's heart began to race.

"This is my colleague Mike Cutter," Connie said. "He's the EADA. I'm his partner."

"Roxanne Clemmons," Dr. Clemmons said, shaking hands with Mike. "Nice to meet you!"

"You, too!" Mike said.

"You know, when I was working as a narcotics ADA in Brooklyn, our bureau chief was really something," Dr. Clemmons reminisced.

"Where is he now?" Connie asked.

"He's here tonight," Dr. Clemmons replied. "And our fortieth wedding anniversary is next week."

She gave a knowing smile and then continued on her way in the opposite direction of them.

Neither Connie nor Mike spoke right away. They couldn't look at each other right away, either.

That was…quite a comment, to say the least…

However, neither one of them could keep themselves from thinking, What if?

"So…are you hungry at all?" Mike awkwardly broke the silence.

"I actually ate dinner before I came," Connie replied.

"Me, too…" said Mike.

Another awkward pause came.

"So did you still want to talk?" Connie then asked him.

"Only if you do," Mike replied.

Connie nodded.

"Yeah, I do," she said.