Chapter 4:
The corridor was empty. All the usual sounds were absent. Two silhouettes were moving carefully towards the Remington Steele agency doors. They stopped, and after looking both ways cautiously, they opened the door and got into the office. Mr. Steele walked in the first place and Laura behind his back, her hands on his waist.
"I can't believe we are doing this like in a stakeout, Laura." told her Mr. Steele almost in a whisper.
"Look at the romantic side of the moment, Mr. Steele. It is a quiet evening; our workday is finished, we are alone in the middle of a dark office without the chance of any interruption, both of us ready to spring into action... I can barely keep my breathing normal."
He couldn't believe what he was listening. "Are you feeling all right, Laura? Did you have your medicine?"
"Why, Mr. Steele…I would have never guessed that your stamina would not be up when we are playing our stakeouts! You seem to be always ready for action!" she told him.
"I am always ready for action, Laura. But do you really think that getting into our own office like thieves, crashing into the darkness against every misplaced piece of furniture, the two of us hiding from our own secretary while looking for a boring contract, counts as an exciting stakeout?"
"Well, I can agree with a few of your statements…here we are, the two of us alone into our dark office, after a hard working day, without the chance of any interruption, and with our stamina up waiting for an excuse to spring it into action." She gave him an inviting look." I'm feeling adventurous tonight, what are we waiting for, Mr. Steele?" That was the last push he needed.
"I think you've convinced me, Miss Holt…" he stopped his words and in one bold move, he pulled her to him, finding her lips in the dark, sharing with her a scorching kiss while pushing her towards his office with a very entranced pace.
"I have to tell you, Laura, that I find your insight of our stakeouts, absolutely exciting… You are showing me a totally different idea about the sexy excitement hidden in them."
"Oh, I know, Mr. Steele. Believe me; I know. But please, stop talking. We are supposed to execute our mission in silence…"
They were in the middle of the romantic interlude when a sound from the reception area caught their attention. Trying to compose their unkempt state in a flash, they separated their bodies; Mr. Steele stood up, and after tidying up his attire, he went to the reception area, looking for the intruder.
"Mildred?" a male voice asked. Right then the famous detective turned on the lights.
"Mr. Steele! It was you! I was afraid if it would be an intruder. The door was unlocked, and the lights were off…" said the guard.
"It was not an intruder, mate. Just me and Miss Holt looking for some files we need to study for tomorrow."
Laura's hands went directly to her face. She couldn't believe Mr. Steele's words. It wasn't enough with Mildred ready in the trenches to catch them at the first opportunity, but now the night guard would be aware of their evening activities at the office.
"I see everything is ok then. Call me if you need anything, Mr. Steele. Goodnight." said the guard politely and left.
"Goodnight mate…"
Mr. Steele returned to his previous location, and found Laura, sitting on a chair, her face in her hands, and her gaze lost in the dark. "Are you all right, Laura?"
"Is that the only question you have under your sleeve for the entire night? I am okay. Everything else…is anything but okay!" Now her voice had made a turn from the sensual one of the detective in a romantic stakeout into her own office, to the furious Laura being aware that things would not be under control shortly. It was a twist, a scaring twist.
"Everything is very frustrating! We are in the middle of a case, with no clues to follow, our secretary is ready to jump on us to take any information about our private, romantic life, and now the night guard knows that we were together at the office with every light off, and who knows what he'd seen or heard... And over all of that, I'm starting to have a headache. If I am okay?" she was shouting at this moment. "I am not okay! I'm embarrassed, I am depressed…I am furious! Take the file and let's go home!"
He grabbed the file and followed her without saying a word. The situation was incandescent, and he didn't want to be the one burned at the end. They got into the car, and he turned the key to start the engine. After that, he didn't move. He knew that the following question would lift her rage to the stratosphere, so he waited until the last second to make it.
"What's the matter with you? Let's go!" she ordered.
"Laura, as we've just had a discussion last night about the word home specifically speaking, may I ask you what home is the one you want us to go, mine or yours?" His voice was barely audible by the time.
"I don't mind! Just take us out of this place!"
"Your order is my command, Miss Holt." He pushed the accelerator, and the office was behind them in a flash.