Chapter 9: Hot and Cold
And so come Monday morning, they set their plan in motion. It took Harm a while to get used to the PDA's but with the intense flirting coming from Mac, he soon got into the swing of things. They spent the staff meeting smiling at each other, pretending to be focusing so much on each other that they weren't paying attention to the Admiral or whatever was being said.
They both had court later in the week and so they spent several hours in the library, pretending to research. Bud was stunned speechless when he walked in to find a book and found them among the back aisles, making out. He quickly left the room and told Harriet what he had seen. She of course, had to go check for herself and when she finally had a free moment, she stepped inside the large library briefly. When she saw Mac's jacket lying on the floor, she left immediately.
Harm and Mac could hardly contain their laughter when they saw the look on Harriet's face. They had been quietly sitting at one of the tables when they had heard footsteps coming down the long hallway. Harm had watched as a smirk had crossed Mac's face and she had quickly unbuttoned her jacket and threw it on the ground. She had then grabbed his hand and pulled him up and behind a row of books.
They waited until they could no longer hear the retreating footsteps to let out their laughter.
"Can you imagine the rumors now?" Harm barely managed to get the words out through his fits of laughter.
The Admiral returned from lunch to find Coates busy in discussion with Harriet Sims.
"Working hard, Petty Officer?" he asked.
They both straightened up and snapped to attention.
"Yes, sir," Coates responded.
"Good. Take a break and join me in my office," he ordered.
"Yes, sir. I'll be right in, sir," she said nervously.
Chegwidden sat at his desk, sorting a few files while Jen stood in front of him, waiting.
He got right to the point. "More rumors about the Commander and the Colonel, I assume?"
"Yes, sir," she admitted. She hated to tell the Admiral but she knew he would find out sooner or later.
"Well?" He leaned back in his chair and waited for her to spill the truth.
"Lieutenant Roberts went to the library for a book and found them kissing, sir," she told him.
"Kissing?"
"More like making out, sir," she corrected.
He smiled. They were gutsy, he would give them that. Unable to control themselves in the office, yes, but gutsy.
"Is there more?"
"Yes." Coates found herself embarrassed to tell her commanding officer the next detail.
"Out with it, Petty Officer!"
"Lieutenant Sims also went to the library sometime later, sir."
"And what did she find?"
"The Colonel's jacket, sir."
"Where was it?" The Admiral was puzzled.
"Sir, it was on the floor."
"And where were Rabb and Mackenzie?"
"She didn't see them."
Chegwidden thought it all over. He could call them both into his office now and challenge them on it. Or he could wait and see what developed. Maybe they would learn to behave more professionally in the office if he called him on it now. But then again, it was good to see them happy together. A good chiding might slow it down for them, something that no one wanted.
"Thank you, Coates. That will be all," he dismissed.
"Do you want me to get them for you?" she asked.
"That will be all," he repeated.
TUESDAY MORNING JAG HEADQUARTERS HARM'S OFFICE
"Mac, I can't believe you!"
"What are you talking about? You're the one that lost all the information."
"I didn't lose it; you never gave it to me."
Turner was walking through the bullpen on his way to see the Admiral when he heard loud voices coming from behind the closed door of Rabb's office. He stepped closer to listen.
"You could have at least been on time," Mac shouted.
"I was on time," defended Harm.
"Ten minutes late is not on time, Commander. Will you ever change?"
"Will you? I'm tired of you constantly throwing this time thing in my face," he yelled. "You know what? Get out, Colonel. We're done here."
From her angle, Mac could see a small crowd gathered just outside the office watching her and Harm. She decided to kick it up another notch.
"Yes, we are," she said icily. She gathered up her stuff and turned to leave. She paused in the doorway and turned back. Harm had sat down at his desk and she could tell that he hated even pretending to argue with her over something so ridiculous and so petty.
"Here, Commander," Mac said coldly. She mouthed the words, "I'm sorry" as she chucked a thick file folder at him.
The others watched as Mac stormed off to her office and then as the large folder she had thrown flew open. Papers were sent flying everywhere after hitting him in the chest. Harm looked up to find most of the staff watching him. He glared at them all as he got up to shut his door. The simultaneous slamming of two doors sent the others scurrying back to work.
TUESDAY AFTERNOON JAG HEADQUARTERS MAC'S OFFICE
Mac was working hard at her desk when a loud knock on the door interrupted her. Without looking up, she called out, "Enter."
"Delivery for Miss Sarah Mackenzie."
Confused, she looked up to find a delivery man standing in her office, holding out a vase of red roses.
"Where would you like me to put them?" he asked.
"I'll take them," she said, getting up to relieve him of the heavy bouquet.
"There's a card in there too," he told her as he left.
"Thank you." Mac set the vase down on the edge of her desk and pulled the small white card out. Opening the envelope, she was surprised to find not one but two cards. One was with Harm's writing, the other unknown and unfamiliar.
They read:
Sarah
Good acting (I hope!) Just thought I'd cause even more drama and gossip. I'll be in soon to discuss the other card.
Love you, Harm
Sarah
These roses pale in comparison to your beauty. Just remember that my love for you will never fade.
The second card was unsigned but she knew he had just gotten someone else to write it. She set the first card in her top desk drawer and went back to typing up her reports, a smile on her face.
Harm entered minutes later, papers in hand, leaving the door wide open so the rest of the office would hear them.
"Mac, I need you to sign..." he trailed off at the sight of the roses. "Who are those from?"
"A friend. What do you need me to sign?" she asked, catching on to what he was planning.
"Sign this," he said, setting a couple papers down in front of her. While she was signing, he reached for the card to read it.
"So who's the secret friend?" demanded Harm.
"He's just a friend."
"Just a friend? Why didn't you tell me you were seeing someone?"
"Harm, what is the big deal? So he sent me roses; why does that bother you so much?"
"Who is he?"
"It doesn't matter."
"Yes, it does. Who is he?"
Chegwidden had been watching from outside and decided that it was time to step in. "Is there a problem, Colonel, Commander?"
"No, sir."
"Yes, sir."
They both glared at each other.
"I trust that you two will manage to behave yourselves for the rest of the day?" he asked, eyeing them both suspiciously.
This time they were in agreement. "Yes, sir."
"Good. Commander, I believe you have several reports due to me before the day is over."
"Yes, sir. They're almost done, sir."
"Finish them!" he ordered.
Rabb waited until the Admiral had gone back to his office before he shared a look with Mac and left. Mac smiled as she picked up one of the roses and smelled it, twirling it around with her fingers. She could get used to this romantic, soft side of Harmon Rabb.
And so come Monday morning, they set their plan in motion. It took Harm a while to get used to the PDA's but with the intense flirting coming from Mac, he soon got into the swing of things. They spent the staff meeting smiling at each other, pretending to be focusing so much on each other that they weren't paying attention to the Admiral or whatever was being said.
They both had court later in the week and so they spent several hours in the library, pretending to research. Bud was stunned speechless when he walked in to find a book and found them among the back aisles, making out. He quickly left the room and told Harriet what he had seen. She of course, had to go check for herself and when she finally had a free moment, she stepped inside the large library briefly. When she saw Mac's jacket lying on the floor, she left immediately.
Harm and Mac could hardly contain their laughter when they saw the look on Harriet's face. They had been quietly sitting at one of the tables when they had heard footsteps coming down the long hallway. Harm had watched as a smirk had crossed Mac's face and she had quickly unbuttoned her jacket and threw it on the ground. She had then grabbed his hand and pulled him up and behind a row of books.
They waited until they could no longer hear the retreating footsteps to let out their laughter.
"Can you imagine the rumors now?" Harm barely managed to get the words out through his fits of laughter.
The Admiral returned from lunch to find Coates busy in discussion with Harriet Sims.
"Working hard, Petty Officer?" he asked.
They both straightened up and snapped to attention.
"Yes, sir," Coates responded.
"Good. Take a break and join me in my office," he ordered.
"Yes, sir. I'll be right in, sir," she said nervously.
Chegwidden sat at his desk, sorting a few files while Jen stood in front of him, waiting.
He got right to the point. "More rumors about the Commander and the Colonel, I assume?"
"Yes, sir," she admitted. She hated to tell the Admiral but she knew he would find out sooner or later.
"Well?" He leaned back in his chair and waited for her to spill the truth.
"Lieutenant Roberts went to the library for a book and found them kissing, sir," she told him.
"Kissing?"
"More like making out, sir," she corrected.
He smiled. They were gutsy, he would give them that. Unable to control themselves in the office, yes, but gutsy.
"Is there more?"
"Yes." Coates found herself embarrassed to tell her commanding officer the next detail.
"Out with it, Petty Officer!"
"Lieutenant Sims also went to the library sometime later, sir."
"And what did she find?"
"The Colonel's jacket, sir."
"Where was it?" The Admiral was puzzled.
"Sir, it was on the floor."
"And where were Rabb and Mackenzie?"
"She didn't see them."
Chegwidden thought it all over. He could call them both into his office now and challenge them on it. Or he could wait and see what developed. Maybe they would learn to behave more professionally in the office if he called him on it now. But then again, it was good to see them happy together. A good chiding might slow it down for them, something that no one wanted.
"Thank you, Coates. That will be all," he dismissed.
"Do you want me to get them for you?" she asked.
"That will be all," he repeated.
TUESDAY MORNING JAG HEADQUARTERS HARM'S OFFICE
"Mac, I can't believe you!"
"What are you talking about? You're the one that lost all the information."
"I didn't lose it; you never gave it to me."
Turner was walking through the bullpen on his way to see the Admiral when he heard loud voices coming from behind the closed door of Rabb's office. He stepped closer to listen.
"You could have at least been on time," Mac shouted.
"I was on time," defended Harm.
"Ten minutes late is not on time, Commander. Will you ever change?"
"Will you? I'm tired of you constantly throwing this time thing in my face," he yelled. "You know what? Get out, Colonel. We're done here."
From her angle, Mac could see a small crowd gathered just outside the office watching her and Harm. She decided to kick it up another notch.
"Yes, we are," she said icily. She gathered up her stuff and turned to leave. She paused in the doorway and turned back. Harm had sat down at his desk and she could tell that he hated even pretending to argue with her over something so ridiculous and so petty.
"Here, Commander," Mac said coldly. She mouthed the words, "I'm sorry" as she chucked a thick file folder at him.
The others watched as Mac stormed off to her office and then as the large folder she had thrown flew open. Papers were sent flying everywhere after hitting him in the chest. Harm looked up to find most of the staff watching him. He glared at them all as he got up to shut his door. The simultaneous slamming of two doors sent the others scurrying back to work.
TUESDAY AFTERNOON JAG HEADQUARTERS MAC'S OFFICE
Mac was working hard at her desk when a loud knock on the door interrupted her. Without looking up, she called out, "Enter."
"Delivery for Miss Sarah Mackenzie."
Confused, she looked up to find a delivery man standing in her office, holding out a vase of red roses.
"Where would you like me to put them?" he asked.
"I'll take them," she said, getting up to relieve him of the heavy bouquet.
"There's a card in there too," he told her as he left.
"Thank you." Mac set the vase down on the edge of her desk and pulled the small white card out. Opening the envelope, she was surprised to find not one but two cards. One was with Harm's writing, the other unknown and unfamiliar.
They read:
Sarah
Good acting (I hope!) Just thought I'd cause even more drama and gossip. I'll be in soon to discuss the other card.
Love you, Harm
Sarah
These roses pale in comparison to your beauty. Just remember that my love for you will never fade.
The second card was unsigned but she knew he had just gotten someone else to write it. She set the first card in her top desk drawer and went back to typing up her reports, a smile on her face.
Harm entered minutes later, papers in hand, leaving the door wide open so the rest of the office would hear them.
"Mac, I need you to sign..." he trailed off at the sight of the roses. "Who are those from?"
"A friend. What do you need me to sign?" she asked, catching on to what he was planning.
"Sign this," he said, setting a couple papers down in front of her. While she was signing, he reached for the card to read it.
"So who's the secret friend?" demanded Harm.
"He's just a friend."
"Just a friend? Why didn't you tell me you were seeing someone?"
"Harm, what is the big deal? So he sent me roses; why does that bother you so much?"
"Who is he?"
"It doesn't matter."
"Yes, it does. Who is he?"
Chegwidden had been watching from outside and decided that it was time to step in. "Is there a problem, Colonel, Commander?"
"No, sir."
"Yes, sir."
They both glared at each other.
"I trust that you two will manage to behave yourselves for the rest of the day?" he asked, eyeing them both suspiciously.
This time they were in agreement. "Yes, sir."
"Good. Commander, I believe you have several reports due to me before the day is over."
"Yes, sir. They're almost done, sir."
"Finish them!" he ordered.
Rabb waited until the Admiral had gone back to his office before he shared a look with Mac and left. Mac smiled as she picked up one of the roses and smelled it, twirling it around with her fingers. She could get used to this romantic, soft side of Harmon Rabb.