Disclaimer - I don't own any part of The Blacklist or Boston Legal
Author's note: I cannot thank you enough for the sweet reviews. They absolutely make me so happy I can't! In this chapter, Red extends an invitation for Denny and Shirley to come visit himself and Lizzie. I'd also like to apologize, because this is the necessary evil that is a transitional chapter. It probably isn't the most entertaining, but it isn't unbearable, so fear not!
NOW, with that said, I'd like to forewarn you guys about the chapter after this one (chapter 13) It's gonna take a nosedive into the gutter. Smuttsville, here we come! Be sure to check your ratings filter, of you'd like to read it. I'll put another warning at the beginning.
Chapter 12
After Red ended his phone call with Lizzie, he rang Dembe, and asked that he join him in his suite. Moments later, Dembe entered with his own key card, and offered Red a small smile. It seemed that Red was finally going to bring him into the loop, and he was more than a little curious. Whatever it was, it was serious. That much was obvious.
Red stood to greet his closest associate and friend, and beckoned toward the chaise lounge, "Please sit." He then paced the room, gesticulating as he unraveled the events from the previous day, from start to finish.
"So, we'll run another test when we get back tomorrow?" Dembe asked.
"That's the plan."
Dembe's eyes narrowed. "We're not gonna have to kill Denny, are we?"
Red's face snapped forward, sharply, and he broke into laughter when he saw Dembe's grin. "You almost had me for a second."
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An hour layer, Red strolled back into the newly-dubbed Crane, Schmidt & Crane. He looked around the busy office with interest, hoping to catch a glimpse of Denny's son, Donnie.
No luck. Perhaps he was in court.
As he rounded the corner near Denny's office, he spied a thin-haired, suited man standing on top of a desk, while a blonde woman with an English accent shouted at him from the doorway. Red smiled and said, "Good afternoon," to her, when she saw him walking by and sharply turned toward him. Her cheeks instantly flushed with embarrassment. "Oh, hello. Excuse me." She went into the office and hurriedly closed the door behind her.
Red chuckled at the scene as he stepped into Denny's office.
"Raymond! Welcome back." Denny greeted him, rising from his seat behind his large desk. He gestured toward a leather sofa, "Here, please have a seat." He rounded the corner of his desk and sat down on the opposite end.
"Is Hands on the desk again?" Denny asked.
"Hands?"
"I heard Katie yelling, and then you came in laughing. You see a man standing on his desk?" Denny said, as if it was self-explanatory
"I did."
"Hands Espenson. He has... things, he does, like that. Katie keeps him in line." Denny said with a shrug.
"Ah! Well, we all need someone..." Red momentarily trailed off, nodding. "Speaking of someone, I've given it some thought, and I'd like you to meet mine."
Denny leaned forward, "Meet your... Liz?"
"I'm inviting you and Shirley to Virginia. Tell me, Denny, do you still ride?"
Denny's eyes lit up. "What? Yes! Of course!"
"Lizzie has a horse, Hudson. He's boarded on a huge farm, a little south of DC. It belongs to a trusted business associate. Lizzie and I frequently stay in the guest cottage. It's quite large for a cottage, actually. I'm not sure about Shirley.. but I think you'll love it."
"Raymond, that sounds great! English or Western?"
"I'm not..."
"Does Liz ride English or Western?"
"Oh! Forgive me, you know I haven't ridden since that disaster at the dude ranch. I believe Lizzie rides English."
"Hmph." Clearly that wasn't the answer he was hoping for.
"But they have a lot of horses. I'm sure at least one can go Western style for you. I'll see to it, for my flamingo." Red really had no idea if any of the other horses went Western, but it didn't matter. He'd lease one from someone else and have him boarded with Hudson for the week, if he had to. "And since I won't be riding with you, I was hoping you'd be up for some fly fishing." With a wink, he added, "Lizzie's dying to see me in a pair of waders."
"This is going to be great!" He was practically bouncing up and down on the sofa.
Red nodded and smiled, "Excellent. I can't wait. Talk to Shirley, and give me a call. I'm hoping you can make it next week, but whenever is your earliest convenience will be fine for us. I understand that you probably have cases that you're working on."
"Name on the door! Denny Crane! Nothing wrong with pawning off a case or two to someone else. That's why we have partners and junior associates."
"Like Hands?" Red asked, nonplussed.
"Yes, yes! Exactly."
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Back in Virginia, Lizzie was anxiously awaiting Red's return. She had just finished a long ride, and had Hudson hooked up to crossties in the barn's breezeway. As much as Lizzie loved to ride Hudson, she enjoyed grooming him almost as much. The methodical process was almost as soothing for her as it was for him.
Her other favorite part was the way it inspired her to talk. She spoke aloud to Hudson, about almost anything and everything. She let her innermost thoughts and feelings rise up to the surface, and her beloved companion flicked his ears around, intently listening to every word. She almost swore that Hudson could even understand her.
"I really miss Red. You'll never guess what I bought for tonight. I got the sexiest little nightie. It's red silk, of course, and the babydoll style gives it the slightest bit of feminine innocence. My favorite part is the bust. It has corsage-style boning that pushes my boobs up high enough to uh well, prove their very existence."
Hudson softly knickered.
"I hope Red likes it, especially since I don't do this kind of thing very often. I intend to totally rock his world. If I get my way, we'll, stay in bed all weekend."
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