Part Six: Out of Their Minds
Thankfully, getting into their HQ did not prove to be as difficult as they'd expected. A few well-placed words to the security guard, plus a smile or two, and the man had practically thrown the gate wide open to them.
"I still can't believe he let us inside," Roger said gleefully, as they headed for the lab. "He didn't even look at our ID badges.. he was too busy looking at your legs!"
"I'm sure it wasn't that," replied Tony, looking over his shoulder and smoothing his skirt down. (Neither his nor Roger's left much to the imagination.) "He was just being friendly, to a pair of newly-hired secretaries."
"A little too friendly, if you ask me. But that was a great cover story you came up with. I never thought it would be so easy."
"Good, now all we have to do is get the rest of our stuff and go home."
"And get some lunch," said Roger. "I haven't had a bite to eat since last night. I'm starved."
"Yeah, I could go for something too -- I didn't even have any coffee this morning."
They stopped outside a set of double doors. "Now Rog, I want you to wait out here and let me know if anyone's coming."
"What should I do if I see someone?"
"Whistle, like you did when we used ERIC to find out Jeannie's birthday."
"Jeannie.. boy, I wish she'd get back soon."
"Believe me, so do I -- but until then, we just have to make the best of it."
Roger remained unconvinced. "Make the best of it, he says."
"Just think of it as a learning experience," Tony replied, and stepped into the lab.
Roger stood outside the doors, trying to look like he belonged there. After a few minutes, however, he was starting to get uncomfortable. Some unnamable portion of attire -- one of the inside things -- had something in it that was poking him in the ribs. He reached up under his shirt, trying to readjust whatever it was into a more suitable position.
That was when a tall man in a navy uniform turned the corner.
Roger hastily removed his hand and took a step back, leaning against the doors. He whistled, trying to look casual and relaxed while giving Tony the signal that someone was there.
"Hello, Miss," said the man pleasantly, coming up to him. "I'm Commander Belmont. What are you doing here?"
Roger fought down his attack of nerves, and forced himself to smile. Of course he knew Commander Belmont; aside from working with him, he and his soon-to-be fiancé were the other half of tonight's cancelled double date. "I'm Major Healey's new secretary," said Roger, moving a little away from the doors. "He asked if I could stop by here today and get acquainted with the office, before I start work."
"Major Healey?" he asked, looking him up and down. Then, apparently finding (or not finding) what he wanted, looked him in the eyes again. "Have you seen the Major today?"
Roger shook his head innocently, grateful that the other man didn't seem to have recognized him. "No, Commander -- he's sick, he has laryngitis."
Belmont nodded. "Yes, I know. He sounded terrible on the phone."
He frowned. "I don't think he sounded all that bad, Commander."
"Please, call me Don," he said smoothly, flashing what in any other instance would have been a charming smile. "Do you and the Major know each other well?
"No, Commander -- I mean Don -- we just met this week."
"So.. you're not involved with the Major, then."
He certainly hadn't expected that question; he'd only thought he might be asked if they were related, and it made him laugh. "No, of course not."
"That's too bad for the Major, I'll have to say," he replied. "So, Miss.. you wouldn't happen to be doing anything later, would you? I'd like to get to know you better."
Roger's mouth fell open. Aside from absolutely not wanting to be on the receiving end of the new astronaut's pickup lines, everyone around the base knew that the commander was practically engaged. "Are you.. are you asking me to-"
"To go out with me tonight? Yes, I am." He took a step closer, and Roger backed away. "What's the matter? A pretty little thing like you, nervous about being this close to a real live astronaut?"
"No, of course not. It's just that.. aren't you already involved with someone? Someone named Sharon?" he prompted.
"Oh, we're not really involved.. we just see each other every once in a while. So how about it? You and me, out on the town tonight?"
Roger shook his head vehemently, backing up again and only stopping when he bumped into the wall. "Listen, Don, I really don't think that would be a good idea-"
"Why not?"
"Because," Tony said, as he came through the doors and smashed a clipboard over the man's head, "Roger's not that kind of girl."
They both looked down at the man on the floor, now unconscious. Commander Belmont was down for the count.
Tony shook his head, tucking the files under his arm. "I think we'd better get out of here, before he comes to."
Roger breathed a sigh of relief. "Man, what a time to be irresistible."
Thankfully, getting into their HQ did not prove to be as difficult as they'd expected. A few well-placed words to the security guard, plus a smile or two, and the man had practically thrown the gate wide open to them.
"I still can't believe he let us inside," Roger said gleefully, as they headed for the lab. "He didn't even look at our ID badges.. he was too busy looking at your legs!"
"I'm sure it wasn't that," replied Tony, looking over his shoulder and smoothing his skirt down. (Neither his nor Roger's left much to the imagination.) "He was just being friendly, to a pair of newly-hired secretaries."
"A little too friendly, if you ask me. But that was a great cover story you came up with. I never thought it would be so easy."
"Good, now all we have to do is get the rest of our stuff and go home."
"And get some lunch," said Roger. "I haven't had a bite to eat since last night. I'm starved."
"Yeah, I could go for something too -- I didn't even have any coffee this morning."
They stopped outside a set of double doors. "Now Rog, I want you to wait out here and let me know if anyone's coming."
"What should I do if I see someone?"
"Whistle, like you did when we used ERIC to find out Jeannie's birthday."
"Jeannie.. boy, I wish she'd get back soon."
"Believe me, so do I -- but until then, we just have to make the best of it."
Roger remained unconvinced. "Make the best of it, he says."
"Just think of it as a learning experience," Tony replied, and stepped into the lab.
Roger stood outside the doors, trying to look like he belonged there. After a few minutes, however, he was starting to get uncomfortable. Some unnamable portion of attire -- one of the inside things -- had something in it that was poking him in the ribs. He reached up under his shirt, trying to readjust whatever it was into a more suitable position.
That was when a tall man in a navy uniform turned the corner.
Roger hastily removed his hand and took a step back, leaning against the doors. He whistled, trying to look casual and relaxed while giving Tony the signal that someone was there.
"Hello, Miss," said the man pleasantly, coming up to him. "I'm Commander Belmont. What are you doing here?"
Roger fought down his attack of nerves, and forced himself to smile. Of course he knew Commander Belmont; aside from working with him, he and his soon-to-be fiancé were the other half of tonight's cancelled double date. "I'm Major Healey's new secretary," said Roger, moving a little away from the doors. "He asked if I could stop by here today and get acquainted with the office, before I start work."
"Major Healey?" he asked, looking him up and down. Then, apparently finding (or not finding) what he wanted, looked him in the eyes again. "Have you seen the Major today?"
Roger shook his head innocently, grateful that the other man didn't seem to have recognized him. "No, Commander -- he's sick, he has laryngitis."
Belmont nodded. "Yes, I know. He sounded terrible on the phone."
He frowned. "I don't think he sounded all that bad, Commander."
"Please, call me Don," he said smoothly, flashing what in any other instance would have been a charming smile. "Do you and the Major know each other well?
"No, Commander -- I mean Don -- we just met this week."
"So.. you're not involved with the Major, then."
He certainly hadn't expected that question; he'd only thought he might be asked if they were related, and it made him laugh. "No, of course not."
"That's too bad for the Major, I'll have to say," he replied. "So, Miss.. you wouldn't happen to be doing anything later, would you? I'd like to get to know you better."
Roger's mouth fell open. Aside from absolutely not wanting to be on the receiving end of the new astronaut's pickup lines, everyone around the base knew that the commander was practically engaged. "Are you.. are you asking me to-"
"To go out with me tonight? Yes, I am." He took a step closer, and Roger backed away. "What's the matter? A pretty little thing like you, nervous about being this close to a real live astronaut?"
"No, of course not. It's just that.. aren't you already involved with someone? Someone named Sharon?" he prompted.
"Oh, we're not really involved.. we just see each other every once in a while. So how about it? You and me, out on the town tonight?"
Roger shook his head vehemently, backing up again and only stopping when he bumped into the wall. "Listen, Don, I really don't think that would be a good idea-"
"Why not?"
"Because," Tony said, as he came through the doors and smashed a clipboard over the man's head, "Roger's not that kind of girl."
They both looked down at the man on the floor, now unconscious. Commander Belmont was down for the count.
Tony shook his head, tucking the files under his arm. "I think we'd better get out of here, before he comes to."
Roger breathed a sigh of relief. "Man, what a time to be irresistible."
