Author's note: I never said this would move fast…
"Sir! It can't be! How did you...?"
Tommy watched her eyes carefully. Her first reaction had been pure shock followed quickly by delight before a flash of anger. Now her eyes vacillated between relief and mistrust. "Hillier sent me," he said quickly noticing her eyes change to concern. "Rufus is missing again. They were transferring them from Wollongong to Sydney and near the airport the car was forced off the road by two armed men. The father was shot in a gun battle with the police and in the confusion the boy ran off pursued by one of the men. The police chased them. They arrested that man and the other was killed. They can't find Rufus."
She had been preparing her speech for use later but now he was here and Rufus was missing it seemed pointless to be angry. She shook her head. "Are they completely incompetent? How hard is it to protect a little boy?"
"I don't think anyone suspected they would be targeted Barbara."
"Maybe they've found him by now," she said hopefully. It would have happened at least ten hours ago.
"Not yet. This was timed for me to see when I landed." Tommy showed her his phone. The message from Hillier simply read 'Still missing. Brief Havers.'
"How did you get here so fast? Charter a private jet?"
"Emirates had a flight leaving three quarters of an hour after yours. I had to pull some strings but I got a seat and transfer onto this plane to see you,"
"And they didn't have anything in Economy I suppose."
"I didn't ask."
Barbara wanted to make him feel bad for upgrading her without asking even though she was begrudgingly grateful. His arrogance though still annoyed her. He had no concept of how most people needed to live. "No, you prefer to spend your money on comfort."
"Yes I do. I see no point in playing sardines for a day when I don't have to."
"So why upgrade me?"
Tommy looked at her as if she were a simpleton. "I see no reason for you to suffer either and I needed to brief you on developments so we can work out a plan. Besides, I can imagine what you would say when you saw me get off in Sydney."
"Excuse me Lord Asherton, Ms Havers," a stewardess interrupted, "but you didn't pre-order your meals and chef would like to know what you would like for your lunch." She handed them a menu and moved away.
"Oh, Lord Asherton is it? So much for hating to use your title!"
"Do you know how hard it is to get a seat on a plane due to leave in less than two hours?" he said in a clearly exasperated tone.
"I've never tried." Barbara felt it was necessary to put up some form of argument even if she had little heart for it.
The hostess returned. Tommy ordered sushi followed by grilled swordfish with an eggplant salad and a tropical pavlova with berry coulis for dessert. Barbara stared at her menu not recognising anything that sounded like real food. "Do you have steak and chips?" she asked somewhat sarcastically.
Tommy cringed and focussed on the hostess who had leant slightly across him to talk to Barbara. She had a nameplate that said her name was Suzanne and that she spoke German as well as English. Her face was impassive but he could see in her eyes that she had managed customers a lot more difficult and belligerent than Havers.
Suzanne was completed unruffled. "How would you like your steak Ms Havers? And do you prefer fat chips or fries?"
Tommy smiled wryly which caught Suzanne's eye. She beamed back a refreshingly genuine smile before moving away. He turned to his partner to see her eyeing him strangely. He knew instantly she assumed he intended to bed the hostess. Suzanne was quite attractive with thick blonde hair and high cheek bones that highlighted her dark blue eyes. It had not occurred to him to proposition her but he decided to play that up to rankle Barbara given she was in one of her moods. "There's a chef up here Barbara so they will cook almost anything. Suzanne seems very nice. I wonder if she lives in Sydney." He smiled, satisfied at her audible huff.
Barbara fumed. He was far more interested in the damned airborne waitress than he was in her. She knew he had every right to be but that annoyed her more. "I'm sure she will live wherever you want her to m' lord!" she replied, her voice thick with suppressed anger.
"I thought that would upset you," he chuckled, "believe it or not I'm not that conceited, nor that shallow Barbara. I thought you'd know me better by now."
"I do…" she replied hesitatingly.
Tommy sighed. "I used my title because I needed leverage to get on this flight. You shouldn't be angry with me for wanting to be with you." He saw confusion in her eyes and realised that his words had sounded awkward. "Travel with you,' he corrected, "so I could brief you… and so we reach Sydney as soon as possible rather than waiting half a day."
She had been about to apologise until his last sentence. Barbara thought back to her imaginings when she was in her seat at the back of the plane. She had wanted him to arrive and rescue her and now that he had she hated the fact it was for innocent, work-related purposes. "Will the Met pick up the bill or am I indebted to you?"
Tommy became angry at her continued truculence. "You're not indebted to anyone Barbara. Most people would be grateful that someone thought enough of them to spend money to upgrade them and to want to sit next to them. You, it seems, are not one of those people. You're too busy trying to justify your belief about our differences that you completely ignore all our similarities. Well on the return leg you can sit wherever you please. I however will be up here lying flat and enjoying the flight! And if I hear the relative merits of Acton and Eton mentioned now I will personally escort you back to Economy!"
"Sorry," she mumbled, "I don't mean to sound ungrateful. It's just that…"
"Your pride forbids you from seeing past my money and title or rank and seeing me as your friend. You've made your point Barbara. I think I'll listen to some music until the meal arrives." He clamped his headphones onto his ears and pressed the button to make the screen between them rise.
It was not the first time they had argued and one or other had stormed off. This time however she knew it was completely her fault. She took a deep breath and pressed the button to lower the screen. Tommy looked over but kept his stony expression and made no attempt to remove his headphones. She pointed at his ears and made a gesture. He reluctantly removed them. "What Sergeant?"
"I'm sorry Sir," she said contritely. "I was wrong to say that. I am grateful for you upgrading me. I'm worried about this whole trip and more so now Rufus is missing. He's alone in a strange city, a strange country really and I'm scared something dreadful has happened to him. I'm angry at everyone in this forsaken colonial outpost that we're being forced to travel around the world to get to but I'm glad you're here."
"Really?"
She nodded and smiled shyly. "Yeah, we're a team remember?"
Tommy knew how hard it was for her to admit she was wrong. He could not reach out and hug her shoulders or any of the other friendly gestures he used so he put his hand over hers as it lay along the armrest between them and stroked her fingers gently. "And a damned fine one at that Barbara."
The gesture felt intimate but she rationalised it as her being tired; and confused by her silly fantasies and stories for Jake and Jenny. He was looking at her with friendly, relieved eyes but she knew how to make them smile. "None finer…Tommy," she said cautiously.
He grinned back at her in a way that instantly stirred her mind and her body. When his grip tightened she unconsciously grasped his thumb to ensure he did not pull away his hand. He was staring past her eyes into her soul. He had looked at her once before like that when he had been in her flat confused about his marriage and his life. That look had passed too quickly and she wanted to enjoy this moment as long as she could.
Tommy was tempted to lean over and kiss his argumentative, infuriating but completely bewitching sergeant. He knew he was grinning like a love-struck schoolboy but he had waited so long to hear her call him by name he did not care. He squeezed her hand and felt a surge of love when she held his thumb. Her eyes were soft. They looked inviting. He moved towards her slowly giving her the option to move away but she stayed perfectly still, almost frozen.
"Your dinner Lord Asherton, Ms Havers," Suzanne announced.
Tommy pulled back and they both guiltily released their grip. The stewardess laid their pull-out tables with crisp, white linen clothes and arranged the silver cutlery. Tommy's sushi was served first and Barbara peered curiously at the rolls of seaweed, rice and raw fish. "Want some?" he offered.
"No! It's raw. Probably got sea worms."
Tommy raised his eyebrows in amusement. "Sea worms?" he chuckled.
"Hmm," Barbara confirmed to hide her embarrassment. If raw meat had worms raw fish must have some sort of parasite. She watched him eat with a mix of fascination and horror.
Her steak was succulent and tender and the crisps were crispy and flavoursome. "This is pretty good," she admitted.
"So's my swordfish. I'd expect Australians to be able to cook a decent steak."
"Yeah, I suppose," she said grudgingly, "they probably have a barbeque strapped to the wing."
Tommy nearly choked on his fish. "Is there a reason you aren't keen on our antipodean friends?"
"Yes," she said without explanation.
"I see. So what was his name?"
Barbara looked up shocked that she had been that transparent. "Craig, he was from Sydney. He was over in London on a working holiday."
"I'm sorry Barbara. Did he break your heart?"
"Amongst other things. I really don't want to discuss it while we're eating."
"I'm sorry anyone did that to you. I know how it feels but you don't deserve that." Barbara smiled back at him but he decided it was time to return to safe ground before he said something undignified. "Now about this case."
For the next hour they went over everything they knew and worked out ways to deal with the local police. They had reclined their seats so that they could still see each other and converse easily but could enjoy the benefits of raised legs and the massage function. Barbara seemed to relax and when he had turned on his side to face her he had been pleased she had mirrored him. Although he had been tempted to reach out over the low centre armrest and caress her, he refrained. If he touched her now he would kiss her too and even though the cabin lights were low this was not the place he wanted to remember as their first kiss. It would be even worse if she objected.
Barbara yawned and Tommy glanced at his watch, now set to Sydney time. They had ten hours until they landed. "I think we should try to get some sleep Barbara. We have no idea how much we will get in the next few days."
She nodded and fluffed up the feathery duvet that Suzanne had given her. She was enjoying their time together but she was tired. "Night...Tommy."
"Sweet dreams Barbara," he replied as he pulled his duvet up to cover his ear. Neither of them raised the privacy screen.
Tommy woke to the sound of the breakfast trolley. He studied his watch. It was a quarter to four. He groaned and closed his eyes. Despite sleeping well on the soft, flat bed it was still an ungodly hour.
"Sleep well Sir?"
Barbara's face was in front of him when he opened his eyes again. "Yes, and you? What happened to Tommy?"
"I forgot. Yes, it is so much better than Economy. Thank you for paying and sorry again for being stupid about it."
"You're welcome," he said grinning broadly at her words and the tussled mess of her hair. So this is what you will look like every morning when we wake.
"You do realise I will never be able to travel Economy ever again," she joked.
"Hmm, yes. Well when we go overseas again I shall factor your needs into my budget."
Barbara laughed but decided to prolong the joke. "I rather fancy the USA next time or South America perhaps."
"Right I'll take you to New York for our anniversary but right now I am going to freshen up."
"Anniversary?" Barbara regretted speaking as soon as the sound escaped her lips.
Tommy realised what he had said. In his dream they had married and were going to Sydney for their honeymoon. It took him a second to remember where he was and why. His face coloured with embarrassment. He thought quickly and decided he would be happy to pay if she wanted to go. "Well we've worked hard for ten years and we have leave coming up." He turned and walked to the bathroom leaving Barbara to think whatever she would.
Barbara was speechless. Did Tommy just ask her to holiday with him in New York? She closed her eyes and thought about wandering the streets of New York, seeing a musical or play and walking hand-in-hand over the Brooklyn Bridge – she had always wanted to do that. Then she shook her head and went to the other bathroom.
They ate breakfast in awkward silence punctuated by inane comments about Sydney and the weather. The plane began to descend and they again started to talk about Rufus. It was safe, comfortable ground.
The Immigration procedures were thorough, brusque but relatively quick. As they started to walk down the stairs towards the exit Tommy draped his arm casually around her shoulder. "We'll find him Barbara."
Neither of them had checked luggage but as they walked past the baggage carousels Barbara heard a voice she had hoped to avoid. "Barb, there you are!" Jenny said as she came up to them. "We wondered where you got to but I understand now. Hi Tommy, I'm Jenny. This is Jake."
A man not easily caught off guard Tommy dropped his arm from her shoulder and shook their extended hands. He greeted them warmly despite having no idea who they were or how they knew him.
"Jake and Jenny were next to me for the first leg," Barbara explained wishing the earth would open to swallow her.
"Barb told us all about you," Jenny blundered on nudging Barbara in the ribs, "you were right he is gorgeous. You're a very lucky man Tommy. And to fly out to be with you! How wonderfully romantic. Enjoy Sydney. See ya!" With that they disappeared back into the growing crowd waiting for their bags.
"I DID NOT say you were gorgeous! I would never say that." Her face was so red she could feel the blood burning in her cheeks.
Tommy laughed. "That's disappointing." He could imagine how the conversation might have gone for a single woman travelling with a couple. She would not have tried too hard to disillusion them and in fact probably played it up. He was pleased in a way his presence had confirmed her story.
"Stop it. They misunderstood me when I said you were my partner," she lied checking his face to see if he believed her. It was unreadable but his eyes were smiling. "I said you were tall and dark and rich. She must have assumed you were gorgeous."
"All of which is true," he said seriously before he started to laugh at the mortified look on her face. "Don't worry Barb, I understand."
As they exited the arch onto the concourse they both forgot the awkwardness and unexpected events of the flight. They scanned the row of faces and signs looking for their contact. Barbara spotted him first standing halfway to the door which a handwritten sign that said 'Lynley and Havers'. "Over there,' she said pointing to a tall, blonde young man with neatly styled hair and a brown suit.
As they walked over Tommy whispered, "never trust a man in a brown suit."
"Why not?"
"I don't know. It was just advice my father gave me." Tommy did not look at her but he could feel her eyes questioning him. He had said it deliberately to make her feel more comfortable but he had always wondered why his father had said it.
"DI Lynley, Sergeant Havers," Tommy said shaking the young man's hand.
"Oh, Detective Senior Constable Bill White, Sir," the man said clearly flustered, "we were expecting two men."
"Why?" Barbara asked, her anti-Australian bias coming quickly to the fore.
"I thought the woman in London said Bob Havers but you don't look like a Bob, unless you're Roberta of course in which case then you would, or could be a Bob…"
"Is there a problem Constable?" Tommy interrupted.
"No Sir. We only booked one room Sir, at the hotel."
"Oh great," Barbara groaned. At least Tommy could not think she had set this up because she had not even known he was coming.
"It's the middle of the Vivid Festival so accommodation is very tight near the city but I'm sure we can work something out," the young man said nervously.
"I'm sure you can," Tommy said pointedly, secretly hoping the entire city was booked out.