Dempsey and Makepeace enjoyed the Bowie song and as the female lead took over with a Dionne Warwick song they continued their dancing. More people took the opportunity to move into the dance area as she sung 'That's what friends are for'
Harry bent her elbows slightly more forcing herself somewhat closer to Dempsey; it made it easier to talk although to the outside observer it looked more like a move of intimacy than practicality.
"Look at our guys" Harry observed
Dempsey looked "Well they're predictable – sitting, drinking – what did you expect?" he asked
"Exactly that"
"Dave and Tony will be making fools of themselves" Dempsey scanned the room "…with those girls over there – they always go too young"
"They're too sassy for those two"
"Watson and Chas will sit there all night…"
"I'll make them have at least one dance"
"…. And I don't know that Tom – he seemed ok when we went to the dogs"
"He's a good guy" Harry said softly
Dempsey went silent – "yeh" he said "so was Jimmy Bartholomew"
Harry held silence
"We had a few good nights – Jim and Jimmy" Dempsey let the silence hand again and Makepeace didn't want to jump in
"Life is hard and then you die" Dempsey announced "so we'd better have a good night tonight Sergeant" He looked back over at the SI10 table
"Now Fry and Billy they make a lovely couple"
"Dempsey don't be mean to Fry"
"Who me? No Sergeant I was thinking of being kind - what say we fix them up for the night?"
Makepeace rolled her eyes but the longer she watched the two wallflowers unsure even of whether to sit and drink or walk to the bar the more she gave into Dempsey's temptation; she grinned "Ok then Lieutenant I bet you can't fix them both up for the night"
"What's the bet?" he asked
"Nothing – just a challenge"
"No a bet's a bet I ain't doing it for nothing"
"Ok fifty quid"
"No money's boring" He looked at her and ran his finger up along her arm to her shoulder
"Oh no Dempsey! I told you before I'm not a commodity"
"Just one kiss" he asked drawing large circles with his finger on her upper arm
"No" she contemplated moving back a bit but didn't
"Two then?"
"No"
"Nothing serious" his other hand moved up onto her waist
"No Dempsey!" but his persistence somehow made her laugh rather than protest
He looked at her and had a flash of inspiration "You let me come on that extreme sports with you" he suggested
"I bid for that" she remonstrated
"It's for two" he countered
She smirked, in truth the idea had been an instantaneous hit "Ok if, and only if, you get both of them set up for the night"
Dempsey scanned the room "Where do you suggest we start sergeant?"
Harry's eyes followed his and settled on a mouse of a girl sitting 3 tables to the right. Dempsey looked "Nah Fry needs someone who knows what they're doing, someone who can show him the way" his scan settled on Nita
"No way Dempsey I know that table"
"That should make it easy"
"Trust me it won't"
"Ok" he scanned again, noticing several positive options
"Tell you what partner I think Fry and Billy need a bit of cache to draw the interest and raise the bar"
"What are you thinking of now?" she asked in trepidation
"Well if you dance with Fry then I can get that blonde doll over there to notice him" Harry groaned
"Come on we're a team" he pleaded
"Now I'm helping you win your bet against me"
"Hey that's good"
"No it's not – it's fundamentally wrong"
"Harry Fry stands no chance unless we give him a bit of a leg up"
"And Billy?"
"That's his twin"
"OK – look I promised Billy I'd teach him to dance"
"Well Sergeant you do your good deed and I'll do mine"
As the music stopped they broke apart and giggled to each other "– let's get to work partner"
**
Billy wiped his hands on his trousers several times, he had no idea where he could put his hands – even her shoulder was bare. He held one hand and put his other on her waist where he could find some material. Makepeace placed one hand on his shoulder and ignoring the sweaty palm held his hand with the other. It's easy Billy she said as she talked him through, guiding and circling him around the floor.
Fry watched, torn into two, with the raging dilemma of both hoping he would get a chance to dance with Makepeace and half hoping he wouldn't have to expose his inability to move in time with any sort of music. As his panic grew he contemplated not being able to speak to her and the idea of everyone in the room watching – as surely they would – most of the room seemed to be watching Makepeace for one reason or another.
As she led Billy Makepeace watched Dempsey chat to two women on the right, he seemed so at ease. She was trying to persuade Billy that he had plenty to talk about "You have got things to say: tell them about your job – they may be cops but they don't carry guns routinely and don't do undercover – you'll wow them"
Billy was slightly suspicious this talk about guns ready to fire had a second meaning, that was about the one and only thing he had learnt from Dempsey in the past few months.
Without the need to discuss strategy Dempsey and Makepeace instinctively knew each other's moves. Makepeace kept hold of Billy for a second dance and halfway through Dempsey invited one of the two girls he was chatting up for a dance. Makepeace pointed out the friend now sitting alone and watching – a soft target
"Go and ask her for the next dance" she encouraged Billy
"Who me"
"Yes why not"
"I don't think she'd dance with me"
"She might. You won't know unless you try – go and ask her now" and with a discreet shove Billy found himself stumbling slightly off the dance floor. It worked; sitting alone the girl felt vulnerable and readily agreed to a dance, her friend was obviously not going to give up the American that quickly.
Makepeace tapped Fry on the shoulder; he jumped "Your turn soldier" she winked
Fry stuttered but she pulled him to standing and noting with satisfaction Billy leading his partner to the floor she felt Fry's clammy hand in hers and prepared to start again.
She asked Fry to tell her about his last case and when he had finished uming and ahhing she told him it sounded much more exciting than any job a women officer would be doing and he should remember that and be confident. "You're in a sexy job" she reminded him.
The word sexy made Fry blush and Harry thought he was really rather sweet in some ways. As she expected Dempsey lead his woman over towards her and Fry as the song approached its end. Makepeace could see Dempsey's scheme "go tap Dempsey on his shoulder and ask him to release his lady to dance with you." she encouraged Fry
"Ask Dempsey for his woman?" Fry faltered in total disbelief
"Trust me – this time it will work"
"Are you certain?"
"I'm certain"
The woman found the idea of a second person requesting a dance like something out of an old school book and secretly flattering. She acquiesced happily.
Dempsey moved off the dance floor following Makepeace, admiring the view.
"I think that's my extreme sports booked Sergeant" Dempsey said catching her up and throwing his arm around her neck
"Not so fast - it has to last a bit longer than this and I would just point out it was a scheme that required more of me than it did of you! Most of your time was taken up with dancing with a pretty woman"
"Whilst yours?"
"Was spent wet nursing two green men into a successful evening – I think that wins me the pamper day"
"I won the pamper day" he withdrew his arm and stopped in his tracks
Harry turned back to him "It's for two who were you going to take? Chas?"
"Well no…"
"Aren't you going to introduce us?" Nita asked as she ambushed the pair of them
