Dave and Tony returned after limited success to the SI10 table. They had chatted up and bought drinks for a couple of women who worked for vice but the girls had not taken up their invitation to dance and so now the boys had retreated gracefully to regroup and choose their next targets. They scanned the dance floor, people were milling and mixing.

"We could just go and slide in with Dempsey – there's women round him"

"There's always bloody women round him; what's he got?"

"Dunno but I don't think he's that interested in them"

"He is! Look he's chatting to bloody three of them at bloody once"

Watson joined in "Yeh but you watch him – he's always looking at Harry Makepeace"

"I can't look at her – that dress – how the hell am I gonna look at her in the office and not imagine all that bare skin?" Tony asked

"Doesn't sound like a problem to me" Watson smirked "did you see Fry and Billy dance with her?"

"No way!"

"Yeh"

"Those two?" Dave groaned in disbelief

"And they were dancing with those women over there as well" Watson directed the guy's gaze to the two good looking officers Dempsey had picked out earlier in the evening now happily dancing with a group of friends or acquaintances.

"They danced with them?" Tony was incredulous

"Sorry mate; they danced then they sat back with them and chatted for quite a bit before they moved on."

"So where are the Romeos now then?"

"Making their way back from the bar it looks like"

Billy and Fry were chuffed with themselves and their whole evening. They were quite content to take stock with a beer and sit and watch a while. Chas had joined another table chatting to old colleagues and Spikings had been invited to join the Deputy Commissioner for a drink, his evening was still spiralling downward. The whole evening was turning out to be a nightmare and consequentially he was stealing a march through the whisky.

Watson, Dave and Billy watched and commentated on the dance floor.

"That the tall, receding guy seems to be trying it on with Makepeace"

"Yeh that's about the third time he's plonked himself in front of her"

"Who's those women Dempsey is talking with?

"One of them is the one who did the bidding for Dempsey"

"What was that about? He bought a pamper day – he's not a poof!"

"I think it was to annoy Makepeace"

"Boy those two are hot together tonight"

"You're not kidding"

"He never seems to take his eyes off her"

"I don't think any of the guys do – do you think we'll see anything?"

"Anything?"

"Yes- you know – that material might slip"

"Oooh I hope so"

"Look he's just grabbed her hand and yanked her away from baldy"

"Christ his hand… look running over her back"

"Do you think?" Watson asked tipping his head knowingly

"Don't know – I don't think so, not really"

"So what was all that pudding stuff? I thought the table might ignite"

"I thought Spikings might – he didn't seem too impressed."

"What was the deal with him bringing her?"

"Dunno – something about a night together"

"Makepeace! What about her? She said they had slept together in the same bloody bed!"

"How could you sleep in a bed with her?"

"'You think Dempsey felt out of his league?"

"No idea - he seems to be ok out there at the moment."

"I think he needs a little help"

"What sort of help?"

"Just a relaxant. A few glasses of that champagne and he was feeding her then the wine and Spikings' whisky round and he's the only one with hands all over her back…. So what do you think he'll do if we help him out a bit?"

"He's got a pint there he's hardly touched" Dave pointed on the table "he's not going to get through a dozen tonight!"

"So we just need to make it a bit more potent"

"How?"

"Watch" Tony went to the bar and returned with a glass of vodka. Billy and Fry were wide eyed as they saw it poured into Dempsey's beer. They had barely finished topping up his whisky chaser as well by tipping Fry's untouched shot into Dempsey's half drunk one before Dempsey returned to sit with the boys. He downed his beer commenting 'that all the dancing was thirsty work.'

"Well you seem to be holding court with a lot of women"

"Yeh?"

"Harry's still with them – I guess she knows them of old"

"She's bloody hot tonight don't you think? Is this mine?" he asked as he lifted the glass of whiskey. He knocked it back; feeling on top of the world. "How about another round?" he suggested pulling out some notes from his wallet and looking at Billy.

"Hey my mate Billy – did you score?" Billy blushed and said nothing but Dempsey just kept talking anyway "well I kinda need you to be doing well at the end of the night you see I'm rather keen on me and Makepeace going on holiday again. Ooops!" he added as he realised how be couldn't tell Billy that he was part of the bet "I'd better shut up" The rest of the guys read their own meaning into the statement.

Dave sneaked up behind Billy at the bar "get a couple of double neat Vodkas and a scotch on the rocks" he commanded Billy as he drunk a few large gulps from Dempsey's beer to make room for the vodka he tipped in. Billy wanted to say that he thought Dave was overdoing it but he didn't have the nerve.

Back at the table Dempsey supped some of his beer and the boys looked at each other nervously. He said nothing and they gave each other the thumbs up sign.

Watson watched Harry with Dempsey "You were saying about going on holiday with her" he prompted

"That extreme sports weekend"

"What that she bid for?"

"Well I won a bet…" Dempsey glanced at Billy and Fry sitting just to the side "… I think I did anyway" he faltered

Tony desperately tried to think of what to ask next but as he tossed around whether to go down the sports route or the betting one Dempsey held forth: He pointed towards Makepeace who was now dancing with a crowd of women "She looks bloody good in a bikini"

Dave had a flashback "Oh yes – you went off to the Caribbean – jammy or what?"

"Jammy, very Jammy" Dempsey agreed with a smile on his face

"So what does she look like in a bikini?"

"I just said – HOT; bloody hot"

"Like a little skimpy bikini or a bit more?"

"Like…" Dempsey scrunched his mouth on one side and pictured various images from his memories "… like her Italian silk bra…"

Even Fry and Billy marginalised to the edge of the conversation bolted upright in their seats and then blushed as they saw Makepeace walking towards them.
The group shuffled nervously as Harry reached for her clutch bag "good god I'm bushed and thirsty" she exclaimed as she looked for somewhere to sit acutely aware of the dis-ease amongst the boys. She picked up Dempsey's beer and took a large sip and then another before she questioned the taste

Watson remembered his manners and stood "would you like a drink Harry?"

"I think I'll stick to champagne thanks"

Watson shrunk back slightly – he didn't think they did that by the glass. Harry opened her purse "tell you what Watson I'll pay if you go and buy the bottle" Watson did just that and Harry, spotting the now empty seat next to Dempsey, sat down and lifted his beer again

"Hey don't you go drinking all my beer" he said catching her eye and holding it

"Strong beer!" she commented

"It's beer" he sulked

"Umph" she said disbelievingly

Watson returned with the champagne and proceeded to open it. The cork flew off uncontrollably into the dancing crowd and spilled onto the table. "Useless" Makepeace laughed rescuing it out of his hand and pouring herself a glass before proffering it around the table. Spikings observed with horror from the top table.

Dempsey took Harry's glass out of her hand and sipped the champagne "Hey" she protested "you can have your own glass"

"Well we seemed to be sharing beer" he handed the champagne back to her "'you done enough dancing?"

"For a while" she sipped her champagne again "I refuse to dance to that bloody woman"

"Who?"

"Madonna – like a virgin? Who does she think she is?"

I think she seems a bit grubby, like she needs to be put in a bath and scrubbed!"

"Well now tell me Makepeace…"

"Oh no Dempsey don't even think about going there…"

"I never even finished my sentence…"

"I've been married, I know you are anything but and tonight was just for fun – remember?"

Dempsey grinned.