20. Sweet Melody
Disclaimer: I do not own The A Team movie or television series or any of the delightful characters found on The A Team.
When Hannibal followed Murdock through the doorway of the small cabin, he noted that Face had already changed into a pair of designer jeans and a light blue polo shirt. A dark blue bandana around the neck and a pair of leather deck shoes completed his city slicker wilderness look.
Something's up when Face dresses down like this. I bet he's expecting a visitor.
"Dressing to impress, Lieutenant?" Hannibal playfully jabbed at the con man's ego and received a huffy reply.
"You never know if someone will be dropping in."
"'Nother words, th' person this cabin b'longs to is a pretty woman he knows 'n' he thinks it's likely she'll stop by for a visit." Murdock smiled at his friend. "Am I right? Huh?"
Face drew himself up to full height and lifted his chin in protest. "I met her last weekend at a fine arts festival. Melody told me to stop in any time I was in the neighborhood. I just took advantage of the offer. And I don't know if she'll be here or not."
So I was right. He did set this up.
B. A. snorted. "'In the neighborhood'? Seems ta me I drove a few miles outta my way ta get here."
"Melody, huh?" Murdock grinned widely and started to sing, emphasizing the word 'melody.'
"Sing us a song, you're th' piano man,
Sing us a song t'night,
Well, we're all in th' mood for a melody
'N' you got us feelin' alright."
He continued to smirk until the con man swatted him across the chest with a rolled up women's beauty magazine from the mid-70s that had been left on the rustic coffee table.
The Colonel heard the name and frowned.
Melody? I know a young lady called Melody. But then there has to be hundreds of women who go by that name in California. Doesn't there?
"Now boys, I'm sure Face doesn't have any ulterior motives. But if a lovely young brunette should show up at the door . . . " Hannibal crossed his arms and smiled. He reached in the pocket of his safari jacket and pulled out a cigar.
"You'll all be on your best behavior. Right? No cigar smoking in the cabin . . . " He nodded at the Colonel. Hannibal put his hands up in mock surrender and returned the cigar to his pocket. "No van engines torn apart and being reassembled in the main room." B. A. growled his displeasure. "And no . . . " Face thought for a moment and contemplated Murdock. "Where do I even begin?"
"Hey!" Murdock sputtered. B. A. rolled his eyes at the rules the Lieutenant was establishing but had to giggle at the put-down. "Ya got 'im there. Fool don't know when he's behavin' or not."
"I do so." The pilot stuck out his tongue at the black man. "I'm just overly impulsive."
The Lieutenant ignored both of them and spoke directly to Hannibal. "Besides, Melody is blonde, not brunette, and she has the most amazing emerald-green eyes you ever saw. She's very classy and I don't want any of you to ruin this budding relationship between us." Face turned toward the stone fireplace and began arranging kindling for a fire.
B. A. and Murdock looked at each other and mouthed, "Budding relationship?" before snickering behind their hands.
Blonde hair? Emerald-green eyes? Naw, couldn't be.
"Well, if she does appear at the door, she'll be stuck indoors with us for as long as it's raining outside." Hannibal walked over to the window and peered out at a torrential downpour.
Recovering from laughing, Murdock busied himself with rummaging through the grocery bags to find the ingredients for supper. As he took out a can of white chicken chunks and a box of macaroni noodles, he added, "'N' if the road up here's turned t' mud, we'll hafta figure out where she's gonna sleep."
Good point, Captain. Sometimes I think you see the pros and cons of a situation better than the rest of us.
Hannibal turned from the window and strolled over to one of the two bedrooms. Glancing in, he noted the impressive display of toiletry items laid out on the cedar dressertop. "I presume this is your room, Face?"
"Well . . . " Color rose in the con man's cheeks. "I'm the one who scammed the place. I figured I should have first dibs on rooms. Besides, how did you know . . . "
The Colonel turned a pair of twinkling amused eyes on the embarrassed Lieutenant. "Do you really need to ask?"
"'N' bein' th' best friend o' th' one who scammed th' place . . . " Murdock added.
"We'll see, gentlemen. If your Melody shows up, the arrangements might have to change." Hannibal hauled his sleeping bag into the next bedroom and left it rolled up on the bed.
"Aw, Hannibal!" Face argued when the older man returned.
Seconds later the cabin door opened and slammed violently against the wall. Each of the men reached for his pistol, half-expecting Decker and his MPs armed and standing in the doorway.
Instead, a young woman scanned them with furious eyes. Her wet plaid flannel shirt clinging to her and her blonde hair plastered to her head, she gaped at them before demanding, "Who are you and how did you get into my cabin?" In her hands she held her own pistol, a Browning Hi-Power, and she trained it on each of them in turn.