"Ooooh look here comes the food" announced Tony
"I hope I like it" Fry whispered to Billy but his low voice came out louder than he anticipated
"It's food what's there not to like about it?" asked Dave
"Well I didn't really like those little things with caviar we had when we arrived" admitted Fry
"I'd never had caviar before" Tony confessed
"We only got tiny teaspoons of it" Watson pointed out
"It's only fish eggs" Dempsey dismissed as if he were the worlds most frequent partaker
"As I recall you hadn't had any before you came over here Lieutenant" Makepeace mentioned as she glared at him.
Like water of a duck's back Dempsey ignored the accusation but picked up a much more interesting thread; he leaned to his side and with his elbow on the table pointed into the air "That's true sergeant but you and I got through rather a large tin of Russian caviar along with a magnum of champagne I seem to recall" he flashed a glance straight into Harry's eyes and noting he had her attention he winked saucily.
Ever since Dempsey had appeared with the bouquet earlier that evening Makepeace had recalled and compared that first night undercover to this evening and the positive memories she had chosen to keep influenced her response. "Hmm yes sitting on the steps outside the Albert Hall for some random reason I seem to recall" she flashed her eyes back
"And didn't I invite you back to the Park Lane Hotel" Dempsey prompted
"Where they banned us" Makepeace laughed
"And that first night you turned down the bed" Dempsey dared her with his eyes
"I turned down the bed with you in it" she defended
"It's still on offer" Dempsey declared and after a suitable pause continued "any time you want"
"As if I would" Makepeace huffed in playful distain
"Well I would Sergeant"
"I slept with you once Lieutenant that was enough" Harry noticed the flash of eyes all around the table and groaned once again at her second or third faux pas of the evening. "We went to sleep in the same bed – that was all!" she revealed to the table vowing to be more careful for the rest of the evening.
The waiters arrived at the SI10 table some serving avocado with prawn cocktail others paté with melba toast.
"Whenever I've been out for a posh meal we've had prawn cocktail in a glass" Dave reflected as the avocado was placed in front of him.
"Well this is super posh" Watson agreed
"No it's not" Harry bit her tongue as she spoke knowing that her retort was unfair, fortunately for her most had not even heard it
"Well I don't usually dress up to go down to our local Greek place – Moussaka – that's what I have when I take my girlfriend out" Tony said
"I like that Lasagne stuff" Chas joined in
Makepeace managed to refrain from pointing out that lasagne was Italian
"And a bottle of Mateus Rose I bet" Dempsey suggested
"How did you know that?" Tony enquired
In an attempt at avoiding a put down that might follow Tom asked Harry "You still a red girl?"
"Or white – just not Blue Nun!" she flicked her eyes up to Dempsey then to Tom and smiled
"So do you eat this green stuff?" Fry asked Watson who simply watched Dempsey and following his cue scooped some of the avocardo flesh along with the dressed prawns and took a mouthful.
"Did we get a choice of food?" asked Harry as she held some of her paté on toast
"Oh sorry, yeh but as you and Dempsey weren't here we just chose two different things – I guess you could swap" Chas suggested
"No this is fine"
"What was that guy saying at the beginning?" asked Dempsey
"If you hadn't insisted on talking you might have heard" Spikings reprimanded him as if he were a teacher
Watson butted in with the answer "that they are splitting the auction into two parts before and after the puddings!"
"Now men I hope you'll be bidding well." Spikings stroked his head and nodded to his left "we need to outbid Murder and Drugs."
"Do you get bargains?" asked Dave
"No you pay over the odds – it's a charity auction" Watson was rather looking forward to this part of the evening
"No way" Fry involuntarily let slip his horror
Dempsey nudged Harry "Hey we could have some fun here partner" He leaned his ear against her as he scanned the table knowing full well that she was following his lead "what do you think our friends here would like?" he posed
"Is there a list?" she asked
"No idea but I bet I can make Fry buy something he doesn't want" Dempsey declared smirking.
****
As they finished their hors d'oeuvres Makepeace started to chat to Dempsey
"Not your American diner tonight then Lieutenant"
"I keep on telling you Honey - Hamburgers are a sandwich dreaming"
"That was so funny" Makepeace pushed her hair back behind her ear as she grinned at Dempsey
"You think they'll serve knickerbockers glories for dessert?" asked Dempsey
"American and sophistication aren't easy bed fellows are they?" reflected Makepeace biting her lip lightly
"You're telling me Sergeant" a wicked grin spread over Dempsey "we can always try to put that right"
"I was trying to say you won't be getting knickerbockers glories tonight" Harry was a touch vexed
"You mentioned bed" Dempsey pointed out still grinning
"My mistake" she half despaired, her mind registering the term 'fourth'
"Do you go there often Jim?" asked Watson
"Where?"
"Your American diner"
"I've not got one" Dempsey replied
"Sorry I thought Harry said…"
"We went to meet a contact ..,"
Harry leaned forward and lifted Dempsey's hand as she spoke "and he left Dempsey with the bill" Harry laughed remembering his annoyance at the time
Dempsey leaned back and stretched his arms out "I ain't ever known a guide giggle her way through a business introduction before" he said as he rested the back of his head in his hands watching Harry
"That's not fair" she protested "you were just so outlandish I couldn't help it"
"It was just a role" his head tilted as he spoke
"Dempsey you were acting out a gay American"
"Dempsey!" at least three voices unified in shock horror
Makepeace grinned at the amazed faces opposite her "The contact even said he was rather waggish" she delighted to tell them
"Yeh but you should have seen that dealer's face when I suggested cutting the rug" Dempsey told the audience of SI10 guys
"Why would you want to cut it?" asked Chas
"To fit the Jon"
"The what?"
"The Jon"
"The toilet" Makepeace explained
"Don't you buy mats to fit?" asked Dave somewhat confused
"These were antique prayer mats" Makepeace explained
"Oh" Dave tried to sound as if he understood but in truth he didn't and no one thought that he did.
"You liked them I seem to recall" Dempsey addressed Makepeace
"Some of them yes" she returned her answer to him personally
"You like old things?" Billy asked
"Some" acknowledged Harry
"I don't, my granny has all old things" Billy admitted
"Harry has some very old things" Dempsey lent back into the crowd aligning himself as close to Makepeace as possible "I go for minimalist" he added
"You go for not getting around to getting anything" Harry pointed out
"It's a furnished apartment" Dempsey retorted
"Without any food" Harry reminded him
"Minimalist is modern" Billy surmised
"It's easy" Watson agreed
"I think it's just Yuppie"
"Nothing wrong with that" the conversation moved around the guys whilst Dempsey and Makepeace were down their own track regarding Dempsey's fridge. "I never know when I'm gonna be home" Dempsey had said
"Well that's one way to get breakfast" Harry rolled her eyes
"Actually I didn't mean that"
"Really!" she replied with disbelief
"Well today I went and bought eggs and bread and milk" Dempsey informed her
"Whatever for?" quizzed Makepeace suddenly uncertain
"In case I need to serve breakfast"
"Well lieutenant it's good to know that you're going see me home"
"I am Harry I just wasn't sure if it would be mine or yours."
Makepeace blushed and realising that the attention of the table had reverted to her and Dempsey's conversation she informed them that "Dempsey's idea of breakfast is calling in a fast food place on the way to work"
"I've invited you round for breakfast before now" he faked a hurt voice
"You had an ulterior motive" she countered
"I always have an ulterior motive" he winked.
