1st of 2 posts today

They flew into Dublin; Makepeace went to wait for the luggage whilst Dempsey went to the car hire.

Makepeace came out of the building and saw him sitting on a Porsche Carrera 911. "Is that the only car they had?"

"No, but it was the sexiest." Dempsey grinned widely, he had a plan.

"Spikings will kill us" she tried to look serious

"It will be worth it" He put the bags in the back, "Jump in" he invited Harry into the passenger seat

She looked at him, "Ah no! Great car, I'll drive"

"You don't know where to go"

"That's OK you can map read." Harry smirked

Dempsey had the keys in his hand so he just sat in the driver's seat and put the map on the passenger seat "We'll get lost that way"

Harry sighed, agreed sat next to him and opened the map.

They booked in and were escorted to their suite.

Dempsey looked anxiously at his watch.

"What's the problem?"

"It's getting late"

"It's 7.20"
"I know"

"Don't tell me..." Harry jumped to 15 conclusions at once, none of which were anywhere near the mark.

Dempsey threw down two tickets for the theatre, "You think you can get ready kinda quick?" he asked.

Harry smiled, she had packed a couple of evening dresses not knowing what undercover they might find themselves involved in. She chose the simpler of the two and as she dressed she tried to figure if this was just part of the undercover or something else? Robert, Matthew, William, Edward – with any other guy this would be a date and she knew it. She just didn't know what this was.

Dempsey changed his shirt content that his plan was thus far running smoothly, his eyes lit up when he saw Harry dressed in a simple dress with black and silver sequins. He remembered when he had seen it before – back at Winfield hall the first time he had been there and he was transported back to the evening just two days earlier when he and Harry had danced at the annual ball there.

"Dempsey" Harry called his attention.

He smiled appreciatively, looking from her eyes to her lips to the curves of her body. He took her arm, "Shall we go Mrs Dempsey?" he whispered in her ear, and Harry blushed as she felt the tingle of excitement run through her.

 They found somewhere for dinner after the theatre. Dempsey felt they trip was going well, nevertheless he found times when he felt confused about his relationship with Harry.

He always held by his statement that work and emotion don't mix yet he found himself inextricably drawn to Harry. He loved her company, that he could make her laugh so easily, her tastes, her friends, her body, her smell... and he just couldn't stop touching her. He noticed that she accepted every contact; it had been months since she had flinched away and he really felt a strong hope that she reciprocated at least some of his affections. He loved her hair, his fingers running through it and as he looked at her now across the dinner table he so wanted to hold her close and bury his hand into her hair and smell her scent rising through it before he would kiss her ear and cheek and lips – god he so wanted to kiss her lips and to tell her that she was the one, the one for him. 

When Harry had suggested the married couple angle he had decided to make it as real and romantic a date as possible and see what happened.

But if they got together how would they work together? What would happen if it went wrong? Those fears had hung heavy for months and on the occasions when he had been so near to kissing her it was that anxiety which had stopped him.

But now he had a bigger dread: what would happen if he missed his chance? 'You gotta take your opportunity' he told himself. He really didn't want to die with the music still in him.

With that in mind once they had eaten Dempsey suggested cocktails in the Hotel Bar but Harry insisted they read through the notes for tomorrow.