0630 London Time
Commons Hotel
London, England
Despite their late night dinner and conversation, Mac awoke the next morning feeling energized, so she dressed for a run, and knocked on the door between her and Harm's room. She smiled when he answered right away.
"Hang on, I'm tying my shoe," he said, but his reply was muffled by the door.
"Hurry up. I'm ready," Mac called back.
Harm opened the door and stood before Mac in his sweatpants and long sleeved t-shirt. "Marines are too damn pushy."
"First out," Mac quipped as they exited her room.
It was cold outside, with it being December. When they left the courtyard of the hotel, they saw a giant Farris wheel that was at least eight stories high, which they later learned was called the Eye of London. As they ran they saw Parliament across the river Thames and behind it the steeple of Westminster Abbey rose. They continued to run along the river, occasionally they would pass another runner and after their first two miles, they saw Tower Bridge.
"Hey, it's London Bridge," Harm said.
"Nope," Mac replied, "London Bridge is in Arizona."
Harm looked around for a sign, but when he didn't see one, he ran to catch up with Mac. After another mile on the trail, they turned back to the hotel. Six miles was a dismally short run for them both, but it was now almost 0700. When they were just a block from the hotel, it began to pour. It was as if floodgates had burst open in the sky.
"Ugh," Harm groaned, and he ran faster.
Mac picked up the pace as well. "Damn English weather."
"We should have known it would rain."
They dashed into the hotel courtyard and into the lobby. The footman, who had seen them coming, held the door open for them. Mac was surprised when he addressed them.
"Colonel Mackenzie, Commander Rabb," he said cordially, "Would you like some hot breakfast sent up to your rooms?"
Harm looked bewildered. "Yes, please," he replied, "How do you know our names?"
"Miss O'Connor informed me this morning," said the doorman, who Mac suspected wasn't a doorman but a trained valet, "I'll go see about that breakfast. Hot coffee and tea as well, I presume?"
"Yes, thank you," Mac said, trying to keep her teeth from chattering.
"Your servant, sir, ma'am," the valet dipped his head and left.
"We have a butler, Mac," Harm joked after the footman had disappeared through a door.
"Harm, right now I don't care if his name is Alfred, I'm freezing," she said, her voice wavering as she shivered.
Harm saw the goose bumps on her neck, and the way she had wrapped her arms around herself. He led her to the elevator, and when it finally opened, he laid his hand on the small of her back as they stepped into it. She really was shivering.
"What happened to that extra body fat?" Harm asked.
Mac gave him a dirty look. The elevator opened to the third floor and they walked quickly to their rooms. Mac opened the door to hers and walked straight toward the bathroom.
"Harm, would you mind." she paused and turned to her partner who was just as soaked as she was.
"Mind waiting for the breakfast," Harm finished for her, "Sure, go on."
Mac smiled gratefully and closed the bathroom door. While she was stripping out of her soaked clothes and running a hot shower, Harm went over to his room and changed into a dry pair of sweats and a t-shirt. He'd shower after breakfast. About 15 minutes later, a young waiter pushing a trolley with two trays on it showed up outside the door. Harm let him in and thanked him, and, after he left, poured himself a cup of steaming coffee.
"Aren't you going to eat?"
Harm turned around to see Mac standing behind him in a bathrobe. Harm shifted his weight. "I can leave so you can get dressed," he said.
"I though you could help me with that," Mac teased as she walked over to the closet. She smiled knowing that Harm was blushing as she pulled her uniform and her undergarments out of it. She was careful not to reveal her bra and underwear to Harm as she turned to go back into the bathroom.
"All the worrying about what to pack," Harm sighed dramatically and smiled, "And that's what you brought?"
Despite their late night dinner and conversation, Mac awoke the next morning feeling energized, so she dressed for a run, and knocked on the door between her and Harm's room. She smiled when he answered right away.
"Hang on, I'm tying my shoe," he said, but his reply was muffled by the door.
"Hurry up. I'm ready," Mac called back.
Harm opened the door and stood before Mac in his sweatpants and long sleeved t-shirt. "Marines are too damn pushy."
"First out," Mac quipped as they exited her room.
It was cold outside, with it being December. When they left the courtyard of the hotel, they saw a giant Farris wheel that was at least eight stories high, which they later learned was called the Eye of London. As they ran they saw Parliament across the river Thames and behind it the steeple of Westminster Abbey rose. They continued to run along the river, occasionally they would pass another runner and after their first two miles, they saw Tower Bridge.
"Hey, it's London Bridge," Harm said.
"Nope," Mac replied, "London Bridge is in Arizona."
Harm looked around for a sign, but when he didn't see one, he ran to catch up with Mac. After another mile on the trail, they turned back to the hotel. Six miles was a dismally short run for them both, but it was now almost 0700. When they were just a block from the hotel, it began to pour. It was as if floodgates had burst open in the sky.
"Ugh," Harm groaned, and he ran faster.
Mac picked up the pace as well. "Damn English weather."
"We should have known it would rain."
They dashed into the hotel courtyard and into the lobby. The footman, who had seen them coming, held the door open for them. Mac was surprised when he addressed them.
"Colonel Mackenzie, Commander Rabb," he said cordially, "Would you like some hot breakfast sent up to your rooms?"
Harm looked bewildered. "Yes, please," he replied, "How do you know our names?"
"Miss O'Connor informed me this morning," said the doorman, who Mac suspected wasn't a doorman but a trained valet, "I'll go see about that breakfast. Hot coffee and tea as well, I presume?"
"Yes, thank you," Mac said, trying to keep her teeth from chattering.
"Your servant, sir, ma'am," the valet dipped his head and left.
"We have a butler, Mac," Harm joked after the footman had disappeared through a door.
"Harm, right now I don't care if his name is Alfred, I'm freezing," she said, her voice wavering as she shivered.
Harm saw the goose bumps on her neck, and the way she had wrapped her arms around herself. He led her to the elevator, and when it finally opened, he laid his hand on the small of her back as they stepped into it. She really was shivering.
"What happened to that extra body fat?" Harm asked.
Mac gave him a dirty look. The elevator opened to the third floor and they walked quickly to their rooms. Mac opened the door to hers and walked straight toward the bathroom.
"Harm, would you mind." she paused and turned to her partner who was just as soaked as she was.
"Mind waiting for the breakfast," Harm finished for her, "Sure, go on."
Mac smiled gratefully and closed the bathroom door. While she was stripping out of her soaked clothes and running a hot shower, Harm went over to his room and changed into a dry pair of sweats and a t-shirt. He'd shower after breakfast. About 15 minutes later, a young waiter pushing a trolley with two trays on it showed up outside the door. Harm let him in and thanked him, and, after he left, poured himself a cup of steaming coffee.
"Aren't you going to eat?"
Harm turned around to see Mac standing behind him in a bathrobe. Harm shifted his weight. "I can leave so you can get dressed," he said.
"I though you could help me with that," Mac teased as she walked over to the closet. She smiled knowing that Harm was blushing as she pulled her uniform and her undergarments out of it. She was careful not to reveal her bra and underwear to Harm as she turned to go back into the bathroom.
"All the worrying about what to pack," Harm sighed dramatically and smiled, "And that's what you brought?"