At the door of Danny's hospital room, Harry hesitated and grabbed Dempsey's arm, pulling him back just before he was about to enter. She looked down at the plate in Dempsey's hands; the plate that they had carted over balconies, across car parks, up drainpipes…
"Err, maybe we should just say hello to Danny, Dempsey, and forget about giving him that," she suggested.
He glanced at the plate. "Are you kiddin'? Why? That's good food; the best," Dempsey replied.
Harry pulled a face. "Yes, but it will be miserably cold by now," she pointed out.
Dempsey appeared to contemplate the plate in his hands for a few seconds before shrugging. "Well, we can't have everythin' we want…" He looked up then and met her questioning expression. "I should know all 'bout that," he finished, his eyes assessing her. Her gaze hovered on his face for a moment and a silence ensued. His eyes seemed to darken as the seconds ticked by. Then, to her surprise, she heard herself saying, "And what is it exactly that you want?"
Why on earth had she asked that? The words had just slipped out.
He looked a little taken aback, pausing to consider his answer.
"Surrender," he finally said, a smile playing at his mouth.
She blinked twice. "By me?" she asked, seemingly surprised.
He gave a small laugh. "I don't see noone else around."
Their eyes seemed to be glued to each other's at that point and she too could feel a smile developing.
"I never surrender," she answered.
His eyes widened. "What, never?" came his questioning reply.
She laughed. "Well, not often."
His smile began to grow then. Placing an arm around her shoulder, he said, "Harry, you know, rare things are worth a hell of a lot. Like sapphires and diamonds… they're rare, priceless and very, very beautiful," he said with a huge grin, pushing open the door and finally entering Danny's hospital room.
She laughed to herself as she followed.
The sweet talking devil!
"Heeey! Look who it ain't," came the loud American voice as soon as Dempsey walked into the room. "You keepin' me under surveillance, Bro?"
Well, Danny was certainly as noisy and brash as Dempsey, and he even looked a bit like him too, Harry observed, focusing on the man sitting up in bed. Or maybe that was just because he sounded so much like him; they weren't real brothers after all. He was clearly a little younger than Dempsey, his face a little rounder and less angular, but his eyes sparkled mischief a lot like Dempsey's often did, she noticed, as his attention turned to her when she followed Dempsey into the room. A smile tugged at his lips as his gaze wandered up Harry's body, from her shoes to her face.
"Hiya Dan. How ya doin'?" Dempsey said to Danny, approaching the bedside, high fiving him and reaching down to greet him more warmly. Danny winced however after Dempsey approached with a little too much enthusiasm. Dempsey swiftly moved back. "Still sore, eh?"
"Yeah, but am fixin' on getting' outta here real soon," Danny replied adamantly, before his voice suddenly rose in annoyance. "Are ya gonna introduce us bozo, or what?" he said to Dempsey, gesturing to Harry. "He ain't too quick, is he?"
Harry gave a small laugh.
"Alright already!" Dempsey responded. "Dan, this is Harry, or Lady Harriet to you," he added. "Harry, this is Danny."
Danny held out his hand and Harry reached across the bed to shake it, however, to her surprise, instead, he grasped her hand and lifted it to his lips, kissing the back of it softly and not taking his eyes off her for one second while he did so.
Oh yes, he and Dempsey were definitely alike.
"Lady Harriet, a pleasure, I'm sure," Danny said with amusement dancing in his eyes.
Dempsey observed the scene with interest, unsure of whether he was pleased by the fact that Danny was obviously impressed with Harry, or whether he should be nervous of it. It wasn't long before Dempsey began to realise that he was in for a hard time.
"Harry and me were partners, Dan, when I was livin' here before," Dempsey explained.
"I know who Harry is," Danny replied with a smile, turning to her. "He did nothin' but talk about you today."
Damn it, he had forgotten how Danny would try his hardest to get one over on him. Dempsey found Harry's attention suddenly focused in his direction, a smile spreading across her face.
Dempsey laughed. "He's such a joker. I just outlined the case to him," he explained, "You just came up in the conversation," he said, trying his best to trivialise Danny's comment.
"Sure she did," was Danny's only response, but his grin spoke volumes.
Harry laughed, her gaze flicking from Dempsey to Danny and back again. This was interesting.
"Aren't you going to show Danny what we've brought for him?" Harry said, breaking the silence by prompting Dempsey.
"Oh sure, here," he said, picking up the dome covered plate, which he had placed on the table behind him on entering, and handing it to Danny. "Best food in the city that is. We just picked it up from the Park Lane."
Danny held up the plate and observed the silver dome with bewilderment. "Oh yeah? Great. Appreciate it," he said, sliding the plate onto his bedside table. "I'll take a look after you've left. Anythin's gotta be better than the food they serve in here. So," he began, the mischief returning to his expression, "you two stayin' at the Park Lane then?"
Dempsey smiled back at Danny, determined not to be outdone by him. "Not tonight," he replied simply, leaving many implications attached to his statement.
Harry turned to him incredulously. What on earth was Dempsey trying to suggest? Not tonight, but maybe another night? Or even, that they had stayed there before?
Danny didn't seem at all perturbed by Dempsey's comment, in fact, he continued to find amusement in something… that was until he winced again and wriggled in discomfort. Both Dempsey and Harry moved towards him then with concern. Dempsey reached out for Danny's arm but he shrugged it off.
"Damn hospital bed!" Danny cursed angrily.
Harry suspected it had more to do with his injury rather than the bed, but she thought better of voicing that. If he was anything like Dempsey, he was probably more frustrated with his own weakness and lack of ability to shrug off his injuries.
"Can I?" she asked, gesturing to the pillows behind his back. Danny was clearly still in an uncomfortable position.
Harry wasn't at all sure if Danny would accept her help, judging by his reaction to Dempsey, but she was relieved when he smiled and replied, "Sure," leaning forward to give her more access.
Reaching across him, she busied herself with rearranging the pillows. Danny's eyes widened as Harry's nearness took effect. Her perfume teased his nostrils as the heat of her body intensified it. He could almost feel that heat suddenly, or was that coming from him? The perfume seemed to epitomise her; it was a sophisticated scent, not overstated, subtle but with hidden depths, and he suspected that it was exquisitely expensive. His gaze hovered on her midriff and rose hesitantly over the tight material of her figure-hugging, black top. Then, in the gap underneath her arm, which was reaching across him, he spotted Dempsey watching him. He grinned.
"She's so damn hot,' he mouthed to Dempsey.
Dempsey folded his arms and glared at him.
"All right, all right," Danny mouthed, relenting. "No touchy, touchy," he stressed, holding up his hands as proof.
"No looky, looky neither," Dempsey mouthed back.
Danny's grin grew.
"What are you two discussing?" Harry asked, finally satisfied with her pillow arrangement.
"Nothin'," they both replied in unison.
She looked suspiciously from one to the other until her attention was suddenly diverted when the mobile phone in her bag began to ring. She fished it out and stood to answer it. It was Eddie. Walking to the other side of the room, she reassured him that they were fine and would be leaving very soon.
While she was distracted, Dempsey turned on Danny and they spoke in hushed voices.
"Cut it out, will ya?" Dempsey warned.
"Cut what out?" Danny came back innocently.
"You know damn well what."
Danny stared at him for a moment before speaking again. "You're paintin' the town red tonight with her, and you've shared a candle lit meal too, I bet. And whadda I get? Your left over food," he complained.
"Hey, I didn't have to stop by and bring you food ya know. I broke into this hospital for you," he replied defensively.
"Whatd'ya break in for?" Danny asked.
Dempsey frowned. "It's a long story."
Danny appeared to relent then. In truth, he didn't doubt that Dempsey would do something as stupid as breaking into somewhere, just to bring him a plate of leftovers. "Yeah, well, I guess it aint such a bad idea, I am gettin' pretty hungry now too," Danny admitted. "And I bet the food aint too bad either."
"No, it aint," Dempsey agreed a little sulkily.
"Anyway," Danny couldn't resist continuing with Dempsey's torment, "if it were me, and I was out for the night with a sizzling hot chick like her," he turned briefly to observe Harry chatting to Eddie, one hand on her hip, "I'd be tryin' everythin' in the book to get her into bed, not wastin' my time visitin' a damn hospital."
"Yeah, well that's where we're different then," Dempsey countered. "I look after my family. And besides, Harry appreciates my caring side."
This brought on a fit of loud laughter from Danny. Harry glanced back at them for a second before resuming her conversation with Eddie.
"What?" Dempsey asked.
Danny was scrutinising him. Then he said slowly with a growing realization, "You've really fallen for her, haven't you?"
Dempsey's eyes flicked nervously to Harry. "Cut it out, I said," he repeated.
"No, you've really got it bad," Danny went on, his eyes widening with surprise and interest. He laughed again, but this time more softly. "The infamous Casanova, you never failed to get any woman you wanted, until now," he chuckled. "She aint buyin' it, is she?"
Dempsey really didn't want to hear this, least of all from Danny.
He sighed. "With Harry it's… complicated," he settled for.
Danny laughed again, continuing his assessment of Dempsey.
Dempsey was afraid that Danny knew him too well, he saw too much.
"Gimme a break, will ya!" Dempsey finally grated out.
Danny felt a twang of sympathy for him then. For once in his life, Dempsey actually looked quite vulnerable.
"Dempsey," Harry said, hanging up the call. "We really should go; Eddie is waiting and visiting hours are now over."
"Sure," he replied, approaching Danny to say their goodbyes. "It's like havin' a walkin' rule book with me all the time," he said, giving Danny another high five.
Danny glanced at Harry then, saying, "Spend some time with me hunny an' I'll teach you how to break some rules."
She smiled. "Don't worry, I've got Dempsey for that."
Danny contemplated Dempsey then, impressed. "Seems you got a head start on me."
Harry smiled, but gestured to the door, hinting to Dempsey that they needed to leave.
"I get it," Danny sighed, having noticed Harry's impatience to leave. "Ya gotta go… leave me all alone in my sick bed."
"Sorry," she replied, "but we've already had a run in with one security guard; we don't want a run in with another."
Danny quickly picked up on Harry's tendency for sympathy. "No problem." He hung his head though. "Guess I'll just have to hope for visitors tomorrow. Farewell," he said forlornly.
Indeed, to some extent this did do the trick, as Harry gave him a sympathetic look.
He played it for all it was worth, turning his cheek to her and pointing at it for a kiss.
A slight frown of uncertainty flickered her brow, followed by a knowing smile, but she approached him nonetheless, bending to kiss his cheek.
Now was his chance, at the last minute, he whipped his head around and waited for her lips to collide with his.
He was waiting… waiting. He opened his eyes.
Harry was shaking her head in disapproval. Hmm, must have pre-empted him. That wasn't supposed to have happened.
"Are you going to behave Daniel?" she asked.
Daniel? Now why did that sound so sexy when she said it?
"Yeah, yeah," he conceded, turning his cheek to her again.
Again she reached across to kiss his cheek, and again, at the last minute, he couldn't resist another try.
"Are you kiddin' me?" he said when again, she thwarted him.
"This is your last chance," Harry stressed.
He stared at her for a moment. This chick was near on impossible to get past. "Alright, this time, I promise," he said, turning his cheek to her for the last time.
Presently, he felt a soft pair of lips press themselves gently to the side of his face. His head went slightly fuzzy. God damn it! Dempsey was in a whole bunch of trouble; this woman had something about her.
As Harry joined Dempsey at the foot of Danny's bed, Danny folded his arms across his chest, a look of great satisfaction and triumph on his face.
"Well, at least someone got a kiss tonight," he boasted.
Dempsey followed Harry to the door, but stopped before he exited to say to Danny, "Sure, but the night aint over for me yet."