After they met Lynn, she led the two officers out the car that had driven
them earlier that day. Harm opened the back door and Mac and Lynn slipped
into the back seat. The short drive to the Embassy was amiable as they
were all in good moods. They walked into the lobby at precisely 1800 and
the Admiral was already waiting for them.
The Admiral barely looked up from the file he was reading when they entered, but he did acknowledge them with a small wave. He was dressed in his dress blues and appeared to be ready to leave for the opera, but his facial expression looked infuriated.
"Take a seat," he curtly, still looking at the file. Harm and Mac sat in chairs facing the Admiral. Lynn remained standing behind the chairs, but the Admiral didn't notice because he was still engrossed in whatever it was that he was reading. "Colonel, you did well this morning," he said, "But now the press knows that you two are here and they know your schedule, so you'll be under scrutiny. Can you handle that?"
"Absolutely, sir," Harm said strongly.
"Colonel?" he asked, even more sourly that before, as he looked up.
"Yes, sir," Mac answered determined, "I can handle it."
"Well, you certainly clean up nice," he smirked as he looked over Mac, and Harm's blood boiled.
Mac swallowed the retort she wanted to make, and simply nodded her head so the Admiral wouldn't see her blazing eyes. The Admiral put the file he had been reading into his briefcase and rose from the chair, followed quickly by Harm and Mac. "Let's get going," he snapped, "The car is waiting."
Harm and Mac fell in behind him and Lynn brought up the rear as they all left the lobby, walked down the corridor and out of the Embassy. They all slid into a limousine that had pulled up: Lynn first, followed by Harm, then Mac, and finally Admiral Grant. The Admiral didn't say anything during the half hour it took to get to the theater, and as he said nothing, neither did the others.
When they pulled up to the entrance, after waiting in a line of limos for ten minutes, they filed out in reverse order. The press was gathered along the red cord ropes snapping pictures of everyone who was entering the theatre, but when they saw the Admiral's uniform they started shouting questions as well as shooting pictures as fast as they could. The Admiral just nodded to them and held his hand out for Mac to clasp as she exited the limo. Mac took his hand, and made a perfect exit: she kept her knees tightly together and her back straight so she wouldn't reveal anything. The Admiral put Mac's hand into the crook of his arm and they stepped out of the way so that Harm and Lynn could exit the limo. Harm stepped out and came to his full height, nodded and smiled to the crowd and offered his hand to Lynn, who like Mac exited the limo perfectly. The Admiral turned to walk up the carpet and into the theatre with Mac on his arm, Harm following behind them with Lynn. The reporters shouted questions about the case, and the photographers clicked, but the group just smiled at them and walked into the theatre.
Once they were inside, the Admiral continued to keep Mac's hand in his arms. He greeted other diplomats and introduced Mac as 'Sarah Mackenzie', leaving out the fact that she as an officer in the US Marine Corps. Harm followed behind the Admiral, but the Admiral forgot about him more often than not, which was a new experience for Harm. When the Admiral blatantly forgot to introduce him, Lynn stepped in after the Admiral had walked away, and introduced Harm. Most of the diplomats were polite, some were even friendly. Harm shook hands with more people than he could remember, and kissed the hands of he didn't know how many ladies.
"Don't worry, sir," Lynn whispered, "Just a few more minutes."
Harm nodded and he smiled sincerely; if he still had doubts about her, they were laid to rest for the moment. They caught up with the Admiral who was now leading Mac up the stairs to where they'd find their seats in a reserved box. Harm could tell by the rigid tension of her back that Mac was fuming.
When they'd reached the box, Mac would have smiled, for it looked just like the ones she'd seen in movies: the door, complete with red curtains, and the red cushioned chairs facing the stage. The Admiral let go of her arm and moved to the front seat nearest the railing.
Harm allowed Lynn to slip her hand from his elbow and take a seat, so he could take the opportunity to talk with Mac for a moment. She glanced at him, and Harm could see the anger in her eyes, knowing that she was just barely keeping her cool. "Easy, marine," he whispered.
Mac closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The tension left her and when she opened her eyes, she looked gratefully at Harm, thanking him without words. Then, she took her seat next to Admiral Grant and Harm insisted that Lynn sit near the rail before he took his seat. In about five minutes, the house lights dimmed, the audience fell silent and the opera began.
Even though they couldn't understand the words of the singers, Harm and Mac sat in complete awe. The music reverberated around the theatre in its glorious tones, and it seemed to fill them completely. It washed over Mac and she forgot that there was anyone else around her as her head swayed with the music.
All too soon, it was intermission.
When Mac stood, Harm watched as the muscles in her back, smooth and strong, contracted and stretched. He shook himself and rose to his feet as well. "So, what do you think so far?" He asked her.
"It's amazing, beautiful," she replied, her voice distant as if she was drifting through the music.
Lynn smiled as she watched the exchange, and then she leaned forward and addressed the Admiral. "Sir, if you'll excuse me, I need to powder my nose."
The Admiral grunted his approval and Lynn began to leave the box.
"Lynn," Mac called, before turning to the Admiral, "May accompany her, sir?"
The Admiral grunted again. Harm gave Mac a pleading look and Mac smiled apologetically. Harm retook his seat and absorbed himself in the opera program as the Admiral had apparently done.
Lynn and Mac walked into the ladies restroom and were surprised to find no lines. When they returned the sitting room, Mac touched up her hair and straightened her dress and Lynn did the same.
"If tomorrow is this much fun, I shouldn't be paid for it," Mac confided to Lynn.
"I know what you mean, Mac," she said.
"Do you see many operas?"
"Yes, but not a lot of premiers. This is the first one I've attended," Lynn admitted as she paused to reapply some lipstick. "The Admiral doesn't seem to care for it, though. He didn't move at all through the entire first act."
Mac didn't say anything because she knew it was one thing to share with Harm what she really felt about the Admiral, but she would never say anything inappropriate about him to anyone else.
"I'll take your silence to mean that you noticed, too," Lynn said smiling, and Mac couldn't resist smiling in return. "I'll meet you back out there. I need touch up my hair."
"Alright," Mac said and left the room. Mac walked slowly back to the box and on her way up the corridor she noticed that most of the other boxes' doors were open and their occupants had stepped into the corridor to talk. She wove her way through all the people and finally made it back to her seat. Harm was glad when she returned because now the silence didn't seem so uncomfortable.
"Where's Miss O'Connor?" the Admiral asked gruffly, not looking at them.
Harm just raised his eyebrows , and Mac said, "She needed to."
Suddenly someone out in the corridor yelled, "Help! Someone stop that man!"
The Admiral barely looked up from the file he was reading when they entered, but he did acknowledge them with a small wave. He was dressed in his dress blues and appeared to be ready to leave for the opera, but his facial expression looked infuriated.
"Take a seat," he curtly, still looking at the file. Harm and Mac sat in chairs facing the Admiral. Lynn remained standing behind the chairs, but the Admiral didn't notice because he was still engrossed in whatever it was that he was reading. "Colonel, you did well this morning," he said, "But now the press knows that you two are here and they know your schedule, so you'll be under scrutiny. Can you handle that?"
"Absolutely, sir," Harm said strongly.
"Colonel?" he asked, even more sourly that before, as he looked up.
"Yes, sir," Mac answered determined, "I can handle it."
"Well, you certainly clean up nice," he smirked as he looked over Mac, and Harm's blood boiled.
Mac swallowed the retort she wanted to make, and simply nodded her head so the Admiral wouldn't see her blazing eyes. The Admiral put the file he had been reading into his briefcase and rose from the chair, followed quickly by Harm and Mac. "Let's get going," he snapped, "The car is waiting."
Harm and Mac fell in behind him and Lynn brought up the rear as they all left the lobby, walked down the corridor and out of the Embassy. They all slid into a limousine that had pulled up: Lynn first, followed by Harm, then Mac, and finally Admiral Grant. The Admiral didn't say anything during the half hour it took to get to the theater, and as he said nothing, neither did the others.
When they pulled up to the entrance, after waiting in a line of limos for ten minutes, they filed out in reverse order. The press was gathered along the red cord ropes snapping pictures of everyone who was entering the theatre, but when they saw the Admiral's uniform they started shouting questions as well as shooting pictures as fast as they could. The Admiral just nodded to them and held his hand out for Mac to clasp as she exited the limo. Mac took his hand, and made a perfect exit: she kept her knees tightly together and her back straight so she wouldn't reveal anything. The Admiral put Mac's hand into the crook of his arm and they stepped out of the way so that Harm and Lynn could exit the limo. Harm stepped out and came to his full height, nodded and smiled to the crowd and offered his hand to Lynn, who like Mac exited the limo perfectly. The Admiral turned to walk up the carpet and into the theatre with Mac on his arm, Harm following behind them with Lynn. The reporters shouted questions about the case, and the photographers clicked, but the group just smiled at them and walked into the theatre.
Once they were inside, the Admiral continued to keep Mac's hand in his arms. He greeted other diplomats and introduced Mac as 'Sarah Mackenzie', leaving out the fact that she as an officer in the US Marine Corps. Harm followed behind the Admiral, but the Admiral forgot about him more often than not, which was a new experience for Harm. When the Admiral blatantly forgot to introduce him, Lynn stepped in after the Admiral had walked away, and introduced Harm. Most of the diplomats were polite, some were even friendly. Harm shook hands with more people than he could remember, and kissed the hands of he didn't know how many ladies.
"Don't worry, sir," Lynn whispered, "Just a few more minutes."
Harm nodded and he smiled sincerely; if he still had doubts about her, they were laid to rest for the moment. They caught up with the Admiral who was now leading Mac up the stairs to where they'd find their seats in a reserved box. Harm could tell by the rigid tension of her back that Mac was fuming.
When they'd reached the box, Mac would have smiled, for it looked just like the ones she'd seen in movies: the door, complete with red curtains, and the red cushioned chairs facing the stage. The Admiral let go of her arm and moved to the front seat nearest the railing.
Harm allowed Lynn to slip her hand from his elbow and take a seat, so he could take the opportunity to talk with Mac for a moment. She glanced at him, and Harm could see the anger in her eyes, knowing that she was just barely keeping her cool. "Easy, marine," he whispered.
Mac closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The tension left her and when she opened her eyes, she looked gratefully at Harm, thanking him without words. Then, she took her seat next to Admiral Grant and Harm insisted that Lynn sit near the rail before he took his seat. In about five minutes, the house lights dimmed, the audience fell silent and the opera began.
Even though they couldn't understand the words of the singers, Harm and Mac sat in complete awe. The music reverberated around the theatre in its glorious tones, and it seemed to fill them completely. It washed over Mac and she forgot that there was anyone else around her as her head swayed with the music.
All too soon, it was intermission.
When Mac stood, Harm watched as the muscles in her back, smooth and strong, contracted and stretched. He shook himself and rose to his feet as well. "So, what do you think so far?" He asked her.
"It's amazing, beautiful," she replied, her voice distant as if she was drifting through the music.
Lynn smiled as she watched the exchange, and then she leaned forward and addressed the Admiral. "Sir, if you'll excuse me, I need to powder my nose."
The Admiral grunted his approval and Lynn began to leave the box.
"Lynn," Mac called, before turning to the Admiral, "May accompany her, sir?"
The Admiral grunted again. Harm gave Mac a pleading look and Mac smiled apologetically. Harm retook his seat and absorbed himself in the opera program as the Admiral had apparently done.
Lynn and Mac walked into the ladies restroom and were surprised to find no lines. When they returned the sitting room, Mac touched up her hair and straightened her dress and Lynn did the same.
"If tomorrow is this much fun, I shouldn't be paid for it," Mac confided to Lynn.
"I know what you mean, Mac," she said.
"Do you see many operas?"
"Yes, but not a lot of premiers. This is the first one I've attended," Lynn admitted as she paused to reapply some lipstick. "The Admiral doesn't seem to care for it, though. He didn't move at all through the entire first act."
Mac didn't say anything because she knew it was one thing to share with Harm what she really felt about the Admiral, but she would never say anything inappropriate about him to anyone else.
"I'll take your silence to mean that you noticed, too," Lynn said smiling, and Mac couldn't resist smiling in return. "I'll meet you back out there. I need touch up my hair."
"Alright," Mac said and left the room. Mac walked slowly back to the box and on her way up the corridor she noticed that most of the other boxes' doors were open and their occupants had stepped into the corridor to talk. She wove her way through all the people and finally made it back to her seat. Harm was glad when she returned because now the silence didn't seem so uncomfortable.
"Where's Miss O'Connor?" the Admiral asked gruffly, not looking at them.
Harm just raised his eyebrows , and Mac said, "She needed to."
Suddenly someone out in the corridor yelled, "Help! Someone stop that man!"