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chapter 2
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A bit later they arrived at the club where the party already was in full swing. Tommy gave Peter the tickets and Barbara pulled him into a big hug. They once had issues with each other but two years ago they had sorted it out when she had helped him covering up another foolish thing of his that Tommy should not know of. Following that incident Peter had started to behave better.
After the usual exchange of pleasantries Peter was whisked away by a young woman with green dreadlocks so Tommy and Barbara helped themselves to a beer and picked a few of those little finger food things that were presented on a long table. It looked very jumbled on different sized and coloured plates and not at all as if Peter had ordered it at a professional catering service. There were all kinds of salty, hot and even horribly sweet things.
Since they were quite hungry after a long day the two detectives indulged in some sausages and small sandwiches as well as little bits of steak alongside with their beers. Barbara always had had a sweet tooth so she opted for a coffee and some soft biscuits afterwards. Tommy did the same and munching a creamy thing from the choice of multiple different little cookies, cakes and dough bon bons he asked if they should leave. They had been there for an hour and a bit.
"What?" Barbara shouted to drown out the music.
"Leave, I said. It's too loud and crowded for my liking."
She nodded in response and searched the room for Peter. Then she felt a soft hand at her elbow and a nose in her hair. Warm air tickled her ear when Tommy spoke to her.
"Let's just go." It only was a brief moment of shivers and she thought it probably had been totally innocent and not meant the way her silly mind was reading it before she wiped away that thought. "He won't miss us anyway."
Tommy already had turned towards the exit when Barbara quickly grabbed a handful of those sweet treats and let them vanish in a napkin before she followed him. If she won't have this sweetie of a man, at least she would have some tasty morsels before she would go to bed alone.
Outside Tommy ordered a taxi. While they waited they agreed on calling it a day and postponed their second pint.
"It had been a rough week," he said sighing.
"Yah, 'n' I really need a bit of quality time on my sofa. That's why I stole some of those sweetie things." She had decided she should share it with him so without even trying to hide her smug grin Barbara presented her loot. It made her boss laugh out loud.
"Oh, Barbara, that's marvellous! You know what?" He grabbed into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out his handkerchief. In it he also had some of the cookies. "I had the same idea. I wanted to give you a treat after you've helped me out of that party misery. And you seemed to like those."
Tommy winked and suddenly with a very soft smile he offered one of the small things right before her lips, ready to bite it off or nibble it fully from his fingers. When Barbara took it with her hand instead she clearly saw disappointment flicker in his eyes. She dearly wanted to kick herself for not getting hold of that opportunity. It was another missed chance of so many. But it was futile anyway, wasn't it?
"Thank you, Sir." she croaked. "Mmh! Cinnamon and apple!"
With his mouth full of a strawberry cookie he mumbled an "Always welcome." but right in that moment their cab arrived.
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