One week later, Thursday evening
"We'll be late" Harry seethed as she opened her front door
"Well that ain't my fault" Dempsey tilted his head slightly in his usual manner, making play of his large eyes and puppy dog look and taking in a huge deep breath as he became aware of the vision standing before him.
"Things are never your fault" such tricks failed to dent Makepeace's frustration
"Too right" Dempsey said as he stood tall again and finally breathed out.
"I was just about to call my own taxi"
In truth Makepeace had picked up the receiver half a dozen times and replaced it again. Everyone had left the office at 4.00pm and she had rather enjoyed the process of getting ready; she had constantly reminded herself that this was a night 'just for fun' and once that concept seemed permanently established in her mind she had enjoyed speculating on Dempsey's reaction. The fun had faded three quarters of an hour ago; since then she had been unable to decide whether to make her own way to the ball or wait, whether to keep the same dress on or to change. Every time she had started to dial she had hung up again in a forlorn dream that Dempsey would arrive and the night get back on track. Now they were stood at the bottom of her curving staircase arguing, his presence doing very little towards their fun night out together.
"I saw a wages raid, what was I supposed to do? Ignore it" Dempsey demanded
Makepeace thought. She knew she couldn't tell him to ignore it - then inspiration came to her "you just shouldn't have been looking in the first place. If you didn't look you wouldn't have seen it."
"What! you want me walk around with my eyes shut?" challenged Dempsey
"No that's not what I mean"
"Only right now my eyes aren't shutting for one moment" his voice lowered "that's one hell of a sexy dress sergeant". The huskiness brought a weakness to her knees, that and an ever so slightly dishevelled but somewhat handsome Dempsey in a white tux with his eyes taking in all he could see and also what he couldn't. She took the bouquet red roses he was holding out to her and couldn't restrain the smile that played across her face. "It's been sometime since you bought me flowers Dempsey"
"Well since my first night in London" Dempsey actually feared he may start to sweat a little, his pulse was racing; the control he thought he possessed seemed to have gone awol. "Sam the man and Shaz if I remember rightly" Dempsey knew he did, he had thought about it on the way over in the taxi.
"Our first undercover" Makepeace smiled gently
"And this time you're uncovered" he clumsily announced.
Dempsey looked at her again – "you ain't really gonna wear that dress are you Makepeace?" he asked uncertainly. His eyes roved around her upper body, he thought she looked stunning, he loved the curves he could see and the line of the dress that seemed to invite him to look lower. "I mean I don't mind – but…"
His stuttering and stumbling was as much as Makepeace had hoped for "But what?" she asked with an air of innocence he knew was fake.
"Um – don't you think that red number you wore to your hunt ball might be better?" he suggested
"I didn't buy the most expensive dress in the shop to wear it just for you" she objected with a small white lie knowing that he had been the one and only reason she had bought the dress "now shall we get going or we'll be too late."
"You won't fall out of it will you?" Dempsey blurted out in a Fry like moment "only I'm guessing there's no Italian silk or lace underneath that"
Makepeace was amused; his reaction far more than she had dreamed of and the upper hand all hers. She walked away from him into the kitchen with the bouquet, revealing her bare back and the silver fabric clinging gently to display the curve of her behind.
Dempsey gulped for air and undid his top button temporarily.
It took seconds to plunge the flowers in water and Makepeace walked back out to Dempsey waiting; his eyes had shifted down as he admired her leg looking long, silky and smooth as the split from the floor to above he knee opened up. "I'm sellotaped in" she reassured him running her finger along the tape line and Dempsey thought he would burst.
"You can't do that to me Makepeace – I won't be able to hold myself accountable if you do that again."
Harry slipped on her fur jacket and Dempsey felt amazingly relieved; he just needed to get back on balance and be prepared for the next time. As Makepeace climbed into the waiting taxi she advised Dempsey 'not to go looking for things he wasn't supposed to see.'
"I think I'm struggling with the bits I was supposed to see" he admitted
"I meant…"
"I know what you meant" he cut in "it's just that I don't think you know what will happen when we get there"
"We'll have an awful lot of fun I hope" she grinned.
***
The taxi drew up and Dempsey led Makepeace towards the ballroom. Dempsey had re-found his composure and slipped the raffle ticket for Harry's jacket in his pocket as they left the cloakroom area. Harry had made to take it off the attendant but Dempsey had got there first. As he placed it in his pocket he jogged her memory "I get to take you home remember?"
Makepeace felt dissapointed when she realised there were no announcements of arrivals; it was only last Saturday as she watched everyone arrive at the hunt ball that it had even occurred to her that tonight their names would be coupled together.
There were however still plenty of waiters circulating with trays of drinks and canapés but most people had by now made their way to the many round tables that were placed around the great room.
Dempsey lifted two glasses of champagne and passed one to Harry who was waving a tray of food away; Dempsey was distraught – he was starving.
They both scanned the room looking for a table with SI10 staff sitting around it.
Fry looked up and almost choked on his beer, Watson had his back to the door, he laughed at Fry "That must be an impressive sight to stop you drinking"
Chas looked up "It is"; Watson turned around and let out an involuntary gasp "Wow"
Spikings ran his hand over his head and groaned softly. He buried his head hoping that if he couldn't observe the spectacle then perhaps no one else could either. He wondered if they had deliberately set out to sabotage his evening. Up to that point SI10 had scrubbed up well – the team were comparing favourably to the table from murder and as for the table from drugs – well they still looked like a bunch of hippies.
Spikings peeked from under his own arm. Dempsey and Makepeace were still standing a few paces in from the entrance. He had never expected Makepeace to wear such an outrageous dress, although he was forced to admit that she wore what there was of it well. It also pained him to acknowledge that despite all the other SI10 guys wearing DJs Dempsey seemed to suit one like a well fitting glove. Damn it he looked so comfortable; his poise shouted confidence and his deportment somehow exuded charm.
Suddenly things got ten times worse! Fry, noticing Dempsey still scanning for the correct table suddenly shouted out "Dempsey! Makepeace!"
Spikings groaned again, only this time loudly. The eyes of one hundred guests were suddenly all focused on the couple making their way down the steps, and nearly one hundred percent on Makepeace; only Spikings noticed Dempsey's pleasure in escorting Harry across the room to their table, and Harry's acceptance of his guiding hand resting low down her back. However Superintendent Lacey, as well as Spikings, noticed the horror and displeasure flow from the Commissioner's eyes as he shifted his gaze from the promenading couple to the SI10 table searching out Spikings' eyes in an attempt to convey his distain. It was only as Spikings expected and in defiance he stood to greet his two officers as they arrived.
"I don't need a bloody recruitment drive Sergeant" Spikings was furious and sarcastic in one, he addressed the couple with his back to the Commissioner.
"Told you - you should have changed" Dempsey whispered into Harry's ear
"Sir?" Makepeace was bemused.
"You, Sergeant, may have dressed to impress but I will have a steady stream of men, each and every one volunteering to transfer to SI10, ALL BLOODY EVENING!"
