Part 2 of 3

February 4th

A week has passed. As Porsche predicted, volunteers have come forward to appear in the calendar. So many that some had to be left on the bench in case subs are needed.

"Hey, Chief! Have you any idea whut all this publicity could mean? Can I get my phone number added to my picture, small an' inna corner maybe?"

"Officer Myers! This is the Honoré police station, not a dating club!"

Dwayne frowns and mutters to Fidel, "Whatever, I'll sneak in where they're sellin' an' write my number in. Oh, man, think of the dates I'll get then!"

Fidel looks disgusted. He has also volunteered, though not as fervently as Dwayne. How could he not? Not with the Chief AND the Commissioner both sitting? "Dwayne, the Chief's right, we represent Law and Order here on the island. Have some respect, hey?" Dwayne takes umbrage and an argument breaks out. Camille, who has overheard all this, laughs openly.

Unfortunately, Richard has overheard it as well and is in a stroppy mood. He slaps down his pen and gives her a severe look, "Is there something amusing going on that I should know about, Sergeant Bordey?"

She stifles her merriment. Richard has been testy all week, ever since his meeting with the Commissioner. It doesn't make much difference, the team is used to his moods. Nor is she bothered by his pique at work since she takes care to soothe him after they leave the station at night. She blithely replies, "Not at all, I'm just going over the list for Porsche. A lot of them don't meet the requirements." She eyes him hard and thinks those requirements are more than met by Inspector Poole himself. But, of course, he's one of kind, a green-eyed miracle, even when stroppy. Oh, I am a lucky lucky girl, she thinks thankfully.

Instead, she indicates her list, "We've got Cole Hellman, the fire chief, he's a classic silver fox! Also two local flight pilots and Daphne who deals with lost luggage at the airport..." Richard grunts, he doesn't have fond memories of Daphne but she IS comely. Camille takes this as a positive sign and continues, "... Dwayne, Fidel, you, me, and the emergency room doctor, so we have another woman. Then there's the Commissioner..."

All three officers turn questioning eyes onto the Inspector. He fidgets, picks up his pen, puts it down again, then blurts out, "Oh, what? What is it you're not saying?"

It's Dwayne who jumps on this, "Come on, Chief! You gotta tell us! What did you say t' make the big man agree t' pose? Do yah got somethin' over him? Some secret I'm dyin' to know? Come on, you can tell us, we won' tell nobody." Dwayne is so intent in his pleading that he doesn't see his boss' widening eyes and tiny shake of the head.

A deep basso profundo voice rumbles out from the station's front door, making the three officers jerk to their feet and Poole to sigh and cover his eyes. "I have many secrets, Officer Myers, and none of them are for your ears!" For there stands the Commissioner, resplendent as always and seeming to fill the doorway, blocking out the sunlight.

To deflect Patterson's ire towards a junior officer in his care, Poole reflexively speaks up, "Nothing of the kind, I merely pointed out that a man of such dignity, surrounded by the emblems of his authority, overseeing the safety of visitors to the island, trustworthy and confident, would be most helpful in our project."

The Commissioner almost smiles, "Mmmm, as I recall, what you really said was... 'a man of my obvious girth and maturity, lording it over everyone from behind a big fancy desk, in uniform and covered with more braid than a South American tin pot dictator, hatching plans and pulling strings like a gleeful spider'."

Four sets of eyebrows fly up; the officers' in shocked admiration, Poole's in chagrin, "Oh, um, I don't recall my exact words but you DID agree to a sitting. That's what counts."

Patterson harrumphs, "Yes, well, I had to in order not to lose our star attraction, didn't I?" At the officers quizzical looks, he gestures to Poole, "We must have the island's most eligible bachelor on the cover, now mustn't we?" With that, he nods curtly and marches back out. Sunlight immediately floods in but it does very little to cheer up the Inspector.

"Whaaaat?" Poole yelps, "Who said anything about me being on the cover? Camille?!"

Camille rushes into the kitchen to brew him a tea. As she works, she listens to Richard pace and rant as Dwayne and Fidel try to calm him down. Oh, boy, she thinks, it's going to take absolute HOURS to settle him tonight! The spoon in her hand stills its stirring motion as a smile slowly blossoms on her face... tonight... absolute hours... oh, boy!

A bit later

Something is bothering Dwayne.; he's up, he's down, he's slapping files around like they're stubborn perps. Finally, Fidel just has to ask, "What's bugging you? Why are you so upset?"

Dwayne leans onto his desk top and glares at the Inspector, "HIM! He's buggin' me!"

Richard blinks at this totally unexpected attack. "Me?! What have I EVER done to deserve everything that been done to ME against all reason and without permission?"

Dwayne crosses his arms and mutters, "It's whut the Commissioner said 'bout you. The most eligible bachelor onna island? I don' think so! That title more rightly belongs t' me!"

Richard stares at Dwayne like he's mad before he blinks again, "Well, I have to agree on that first point, Dwayne, I am NOT..."

Camille flares up hotly, "Oh, yes you are! Everyone says so. It's all people talk about."

Richard flares up just as hotly, "What people? Where?"

She hushes, too late sorry she spoke without thought, then shrugs and mumbles, "Well, women people, you know, on the street, in the businesses..."

Richard barks, "You mean in La Kaz, don't you? What have you heard? Tell me!"

Camille knows exactly what's being said in La Kaz since most of it's being said to her... but she can't possibly repeat any of it to the subject of all the talk. She casts 'help me' eyes to Fidel. He's heard some of this talk... and listened to her complain about it for months. Like a good friend, Fidel speaks up, "Sir, whether or not you're the most eligible, you ARE a bachelor, there's no denying that. You'll be a bachelor until you aren't." At his boss' outraged look, he clarifies, "Until you marry, right? That's the only way to stop all the talk."

Richard shakes his head, stutters, "I refuse to dignify that statement with a rebuttal." Then he rebutts anyway, "I will not give up my peaceful existence merely to stop idle gossip!"

Fidel frowns, "Being married can be peaceful too, sir, in a completely different way."

Richard goes quiet then shudders at the thought of marriage to a certain person. She´d be the only woman he would take this step with but...it would be anything but peaceful! He doesn't know how much longer he will be able to live with this tension of being a hidden couple. Something has to be done... and soon! But for now, he answers Fidel, "Yes, yes, I'm sure, but not everyone is as lucky as you, Fidel."

Dwayne suddenly comes back to the fray, "I know whut we'll do! I'm gonna add yer phone number t' all the calendars too, Chief. We'll have a contest fer the most hits. That way..." Whereupon Inspector Poole hits the proverbial roof and the day goes downhill from there.

A week later

The photography sessions go without a hitch. People nod at Porsche's front door as they pass in and out of the shop. Everyone seems happy as clams. Richard notices that Camille herself doesn't have an appointment. "Are you refusing to sit?" he asks her over lunch.

She stirs her coffee, not looking up, "No, she already has a portrait, the one of me in the silk shawl, do you remember?"

He clicks down his teacup, "Yes, I bloody well do! That's a very suggestive photo. Are you sure you want all and sundry to see it, maybe attract all the wrong kind of attention?"

She sighs, "Well, if you're the eligible bachelor, I guess I'm the eligible maid. Life would be so much simpler if we... if only we..."

He hushes, "If only we what? Join forces? Aren't we already doing that?"

She leans forward urgently, "Yes, but no one knows about it. It's like Fidel said, we're single until we're not! Oh, Richard, why can't we go public? Then people would leave us alone!"

Richard looks up in startlement, wondering if this is the light at the end of the tunnel that he so badly seeks. If Camille is thinking along the same lines then maybe... and if not, it's time to find out! He nods, "People like you mother, am I right?" She gives him a worried look and he nods again, "I thought so." Now he leans forward, "Look, Camille, I've been meaning to say something for a long time now but I wasn't sure how you'd take it..."

It's her turn to hush, "Take what?"

"That it's time to make a decision about us; either we move forward or..."

She bites her lip, "Or what?"

He looks down at his hands clasped on the table top, says quietly, "Or we give it up."

Her heart jolts as her hands fly to grab his. His eyes jerk up as she stammers out, "No! Oh, please, no, don't break up with me! You're all I want, I've never been so happy, but I've been worried too... about how to ask... about whether or not..."

His face is careful as he gambles a guess, "About whether or not we take it to the next level?"

She squeezes his hands, "Yes, Richard, yes, to the next level."

He squeezes back, "I'm not talking about moving in together, Camille, I'm talking marriage, a house, a family. I've waited so long, I don't want to wait any longer." Her eyes shine as she nods but he still has to be sure, "Are you certain you can put up with me day AND night? Share a home? We used to fight something fierce, back in the day..."

She chuckles, "Back in the day, I didn't love you."

He smiles, reassured, "Oh, well then, are we agreed?" She nods. "To marry?" She nods again. "Soon?" She leans forward and kisses his hand. He sits back, "Ah, I'm rather looking forward to it... but let's get this calendar business over with first, shall we?"

She smiles, "Yes, let's. By the way, you never said how your session at the station went."

He sips his tea, "It was a bit strange. She even had me standing inside a cell at one point."

"Mmmm," she muses, "perhaps we should have a couple's photo taken, now that we've decided to marry. It could replace our 'single' portraits and put an end to all the talk about your eligibility."

He finishes his tea and stands, "That's a capital idea, let's go to the studio right now."

END - part 2