Course of Love Part 5/9
Disclaimer - See part one for all important information
FLASHBACK
Saturday June 21
British Embassy
9:35 PM
"Commander, I just want to say thank you one more time for asking me to attend with you," Manetti said with her sweet southern accent and smile.
Harm smiled at her. "It's no problem."
"I was surprised you didn't ask Colonel MacKenzie."
"Commander Turner already asked her. It appears the Congresswoman Latham is out of town tonight."
Manetti looked at the main door. "No she's not. She's right there walking towards Lieutenant Sims."
Harm looked over his shoulder and saw Bobbie talking to Harriet. "Must have gotten back early." He watched Mac and Sturgis join the two women.
"Bobbie. You told me you weren't going to be back until tomorrow." Sturgis kissed her on the cheek.
"I got an earlier flight." Bobbie explained with a smile as Sturgis gazed at her.
"You look wonderful, Bobbie," Sturgis said with a smile.
"You look good yourself, Commander," Bobbie replied as she looked Sturgis over.
Sturgis looked at Mac who had a feeling about what was going to happen next. "Mac, would you mind if I…"
"Go ahead and dance with your girlfriend, Sturgis, I don't mind," Mac politely interjected before he could complete his sentence.
Sturgis smiled as Bobbie took his arm, "Thanks, Mac."
Mac looked at Harriet as Bud approached with a drink for Harriet. "Why do I get the feeling that my date just ditched me?"
"Because that's what happened, ma'am," Bud stated.
"Bud," Harriet warned him as Mac started laughing.
"It's all right, Harriet," Mac said.
"Ma'am, may I have this dance?" Bud asked, rubbing his arm where Harriet hit him.
Mac smiled. "Harriet?"
"Sure, I need to rest my feet."
Bud extended his hand and they walked out onto the floor. Mac let Bud lead her across the floor with skill and grace. "I do believe you have gotten better at dancing, Bud."
"Well, ma'am, I do only have one left foot now," Bud informed Mac with a smile on his face. His smile grew as she laughed at his comment.
"I shouldn't be laughing Bud. But I needed that."
"I know, ma'am, you've been stressed lately."
"You've noticed?" Mac sighed, knowing that it was true.
Bud gave her a reassuring look. "Yes, ma'am. Harriet and I worry about you. You deserve to be happy."
"I do, but sometimes finding happiness is too hard."
Bud looked at Harriet from over Mac's shoulder. "But it's worth it in the end."
Mac noticed his gaze. "It is, Bud. It is." They finished the rest of the dance in silence. As the last notes played, Mac looked over at Harriet who was smiling at the couple. "I'm sure your wife would like to dance with you?"
"She said she wanted to rest her feet. One more dance, ma'am?"
Mac smiled at his pleading face. "One more dance and then back to your wife."
"Aye, aye, ma'am," Bud laughed.
After the second dance with Bud, a Marine lieutenant colonel who knew Mac asked to dance with her. Bud kindly excused himself and asked Harriet to dance. The lieutenant colonel and Mac talked as they danced, with Harm watching them from a distance. "Something on your mind, Harm?" Bobbie asked as she walked over to Harm.
"Should there be, Congresswoman?"
Bobbie noticed as Sturgis watched Mac dancing with the lieutenant colonel. "You look like a man who wants something."
Harm knew what she was implying but decided to play a safer route with her. "Would you care to dance, Bobbie?"
Bobbie smiled, glad he asked. "I would love to, Harm."
Sturgis watched as Bobbie and Harm started to dance. Bobbie winked at Sturgis and he knew it was time to enact the plan. He walked over to Mac and the lieutenant colonel and asked to dance with Mac. The lieutenant colonel gave Mac's hand to Sturgis and told Mac they should get together soon. Mac just smiled.
Sturgis carefully moved Mac and himself towards Harm and Bobbie and started his conversation with Mac. "Harriet and Bud look like they are having fun tonight."
"They are," Mac said as she noticed that Sturgis was up to something. "Are you all right?"
"Yeah." He quickly said, looking at her eyes. Mac looked into his eyes and he knew he had been caught. "Actually, I need to ask you something."
"Go ahead," Mac nearly grumbled.
Sturgis bit his bottom lip for a second. "I really hate to ask. But do you think it's possible if you could ask someone else to give you a lift home? Bobbie and I would like to spend some time together tonight."
Mac chuckled to herself at his nervousness. "No problem. You just owe me, that's all."
"You are a great person, Mac."
"Just don't let that out, Commander. I'm just going light on you since she's your girlfriend."
Sturgis gave her a heartfelt laugh. "And what if she wasn't?"
"You would be pealing your six of the floor for even asking to ditch me," Mac laughed back at him.
Sturgis laughed as they continued to dance. As the song wound down they 'accidentally' bumped into another couple. "Oh, I'm sorry."
"I'm surprised we don't have more submarine accidents, if that's the way you drive," Harm replied over his shoulder.
Sturgis looked at Bobbie. "Would you mind if we exchanged dance partners?"
Harm gave Mac a quick glance and noticed that she was starting to get nervous. He looked at Bobbie who quickly said, "No, we don't mind at all." She extended her hand to Sturgis as he gave Mac's hand to Harm.
Sturgis and Bobbie started to dance together and quickly and carefully moved away from Harm and Mac. Harm looked at Mac, who gave him a slight smile and prepared to dance with him. "I think we were set up," Harm tried to enter conversation with Mac.
"You think?" Mac sarcastically said as she looked Harm in the eyes for a second.
Harm tried to suppress the feeling of anger and hurt inside himself. "I've been known to on occasion. How about you?"
Mac glanced around her and spotted a balcony and realized she had a chance to escape from him to stop herself from saying something rude. "I think I need some air, excuse me." She pulled herself out of his light grasp and walked onto the balcony area.
Harm stood at the edge of the dance floor and watched her walk away. He sighed heavily. Bobbie and Sturgis exchanged a look of disappointment as they watched Harm walk off of the dance floor.
"You all right, Commander?" AJ asked, not letting Harm know he and Meredith saw Mac walk out of their dance.
"Fine, Sir."
"Gold wings not working tonight?" Meredith jokingly commented as she held onto AJ's arm.
Harm looked at Mac through a side door and wondered how he could fix this problem.
"Why don't you talk to her, Harm?" AJ said in his fatherly tone as he indicated to Mac.
Harm watched as Mac took a couple of calming breaths. "I think it's best it I just leave her be for a while."
"Sometimes waiting is the worst thing to do," Meredith commented as a handsome Marine major walked onto the balcony and started a conversation with Mac.
Harm watched as Mac politely smiled to the Marine. Harm returned his attention to the AJ and Meredith. "Excuse me, sir, ma'am." He walked to the opposite side of the ballroom.
"This is going to be harder than anyone thought." Meredith noted. She looked at the Marine with Mac and got an idea. "Come on, AJ, lets eavesdrop."
"Meredith, I really don't think we need to do that," AJ commented as Meredith pulled his arm.
Meredith raised her eyebrow at him. "I think we need to." They walked onto the balcony in time to catch some of the things the Marine was saying to Mac.
"Are you sure I haven't seen you at the Grasshopper? Name's Tom, by the way," Tom smiled.
"Positive. Now if you don't mind I would rather be alone right now," Mac politely said to him.
"Can't do that, ma'am. I'm a Marine and our job is to protect beautiful women from being alone."
Mac rolled her eyes and counted to ten in her head. "Major, I'm a Marine lieutenant colonel and I would highly recommend that you back off."
"I like women who are forceful." He leered at her. Mac turned to walk away and he grabbed her arm. "I know a lot of female Marines and none of them look like you do."
Mac opened her mouth to say something but Meredith and AJ walked over. "Colonel Mackenzie, I was just looking for you."
"Admiral Chegwidden," Mac said, pleased to see his face.
"Is everything all right, Mac?" Meredith asked, noticing the major's hand on Mac's arm.
"Fine, ma'am. If you'll excuse us, the colonel and I were just going to enjoy a dance," Tom said.
AJ quickly noted that Mac was getting ready to give this major an earful or a swift kick. "Actually, Major, I need to speak with the colonel." He looked at Mac, "Involving the Martin sexual harassment case."
Mac looked at her CO with relief in her eyes. She turned to the pushy Marine. "If you'll excuse me. It's very important that I discuss this with Admiral Chegwidden. I would hate it if the officer to lost his whole career over one stupid mistake."
Tom thought about Mac's words for a second. "No problem, Colonel." He dropped his grip on her arm. "If you'll excuse me, sir, ma'am, Colonel." He left the balcony and walked back into the ballroom.
Mac breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, sir. You probably just saved me from a court-martial."
"His?" Meredith asked.
"No, mine. I was ready to break his arm," Mac stated.
AJ protectively asked, "Do you want to press charges?"
"No, sir. I would rather go home." Mac drew a tired breath.
Meredith looked over her shoulder. "Sturgis is with Bobbie right now. I'm sure he won't mind leaving to take you home."
"Actually, he's going to take Bobbie home."
"Didn't you two come together?" AJ asked, knowing this was the truth.
Mac chuckled slightly, thinking he sounded like a father who just found out his daughter was ditched at the prom. "Yes, sir. However, since Congresswoman Latham arrived, he asked if he could take her home. He knows that he owes me."
"He's ditching you, with your permission," Meredith chuckled. Mac just smiled.
"I can give you a lift home," AJ offered.
Mac looked at the couple. "You don't need to offer, sir. I would hate for you to leave so early."
"I could come back."
"No, I'll just call a cab." Mac said and then added, "It's no problem at all."
"Are you sure, Mac? I don't mind if AJ gives you a lift home," Meredith informed Mac with a reassuring smile.
"It's fine, Meredith. But thank you for the offer, sir."
"No problem, Mac. Have a good evening," AJ said they walked back into the ballroom.
AJ led Meredith onto the dance floor as Mac went to the table Harriet and Bud were sitting at to gather her purse and shawl.
"You're leaving, ma'am?" Harriet softly whined.
"Yeah, Harriet, I'm exhausted," Mac lied.
"We can give you a ride, ma'am," Bud volunteered.
"No, stay and have fun." Mac smiled to them.
"You sure?" Harriet asked as she touched Mac's hand.
Mac looked at her friends kindness. "Positive, Harriet. Besides, Bud has gotten to be a better dancer."
Bud laughed. "I did have a good teacher."
Mac wrapped her shawl around her shoulders. "Well, see you two Monday morning. Have a good weekend."
"You, too, ma'am," Bud and Harriet said with sad smiles at seeing their friend leave the ball early.
Mac walked out of the ballroom and was on her way to the stairs when Bobbie caught her and said goodnight to her. Bobbie watched Mac as she walked over to the stairs to be met by the same lieutenant colonel Mac had shared a dance with earlier.
"What's wrong?" Sturgis asked as he looked at Bobbie.
"Mac's leaving and now she's talking to that lieutenant colonel again." Bobbie pointed to Mac and the lieutenant colonel.
Sturgis looked at Mac and the lieutenant colonel. "Don't worry. Mac said he served with her in California before she was stationed here. He's happily married with five kids."
"Oh, too bad we can't make Harm jealous," Bobbie joked.
Sturgis looked near the wall to where he had last spotted Harm, to see him still standing there. Harm was watching Mac as she descended the stairs with the lieutenant colonel. "We don't need to make him jealous, he already is."
Bobbie turned around and saw Harm. "If looks could kill."
"Yeah."
Bobbie got a wicked idea. "Lets make him wonder." She pulled Sturgis and they walked over to Harm.
"Hey, Harm," Bobbie said as she and Sturgis now stood next to him.
"Hello again, Bobbie. Sturgis."
"Do you know that lieutenant colonel who just left with Mac?" Bobbie asked.
"No, should I?" Harm asked before taking a drink from his glass.
Bobbie looked over at Sturgis, nudging him to talk. "They were dancing earlier and seemed to know each other pretty well."
"Hum?" Harm muttered.
"I got the feeling they used to date or something," Bobbie offered, still not getting the response from Harm that she wanted. So she tried for the big guns. "I guess the two of you weren't that serious."
"What?" Harm choked on his drink.
"Well, the two of you were dating and she just left with him," Bobbie reported.
"Mac and I were not dating. And she can date the whole damn Marine Corps as far as I'm concerned," Harm angrily informed Bobbie and Sturgis.
Sturgis looked at Harm, feeling guilty for letting Bobbie get Harm upset. "You wouldn't care if she was dating someone?"
"It's her life," Harm nearly spit out. "If you'll excuse me," he added before he walked out of the ballroom.
Bud and Harriet walked over to Bobbie and Sturgis. "What just happened?" Harriet asked.
"Well, I either made him get his head out of his six or started World War Three," Bobbie informed the young couple as they watched Harm head down the stairs and out of their sight.
End of Part 5