Officers
Club
1930
The tiny officer’s club was doing a bustling business. Much to their surprise, there wasn’t a free table in the place.
Pointing his nose to a table on the left. “Those people look like they’re pretty much finished up, what do you say we have a drink at the bar till they leave?”
“Waiting a few minutes here will probably get me fed just as quickly as driving around San Diego looking for a restaurant.” Mac chuckled, taking a seat at the bar.
“Tonic water and lime, please.” Mac ordered.
“Make mine a Heineken.” Harm added.
“JAG.” The bar tender commented, still staring at the insignia. “You two must be here over Jim’s accident.”
“Yeah. Did you know him?” Harm asked carefully.
“Well enough. Really nice guy. He’ll be missed.”
“I’m sure he will.” Mac nodded. “I guess he was the sort to make friends easily?”
“He and Tom were both pretty bashful by nature, except once Tom had a drink or two to warm up he made friends easily.” The bartender set Mac’s drink on the bar and stepped away to get Harm’s beer.
“Sounds like maybe Mrs. Beardsley wasn’t so far off after all.” Mac leaned over a little and whispered to Harm.
The feel of her warm breath against his ear startled him. Actually, he was more startled by his reaction to it. They’d been slightly ‘friendlier’ the last two days, but her breath on his neck sent a thrill straight through him that he hadn’t anticipated. Suddenly, he found himself wishing they weren’t surrounded by a room full of people.
“Harm?” Mac felt more than saw Harm’s heated gaze. When he didn’t answer, she turned her head and saw him staring at her, no, staring through her.
“Harm.”
“Sorry, Mac. Just thinking.”
“About what?”
“That, I’ll have to tell you later.” A small smile curled up the side of his mouth. If things went well, maybe soon he’d be able to show her.
Mac felt the blush rising in her cheeks. Somehow she knew this had nothing to do with the current investigation and everything to do with the kiss the other night and every delicate touch that had followed.
The sound of the bottle being set on the bar snapped them back to the task at hand.
“Thanks.” Harm nodded to the bartender.
When the bartender was once again out of earshot, Mac turned to Harm. “How many other people do you think there are in here who are familiar with the ‘warmed up’ Major Tom Smith?”
“Let’s see if our friend here can’t tell us anything else.” Harm guzzled down the rest of his beer then raised his empty bottle to the bartender. “When you have a minute.”
“This is probably going to be really hard on Tom, losing Jim and all?” Harm asked as the bartender set the bottle in front of him.
“I don’t think they were all that close. Jim being a family man and all, he wasn’t in here as often as Tom. Now Tom being single, well, he was in here just about every night and you know what they say about gold wings?” He arched his eyebrows knowingly at Harm’s wings. “Sorry, ma’am. No disrespect intended.”
Mac swallowed a small snort. “None, taken.”
“So he’s quite the ladies man?” Harm continued.
“Especially after a few drinks. Sometimes he’d bring the girls with him. Sometimes he’d hit on one of the pretty female officers. Once I saw him making his moves on a sweet little Petty Officer. He has Jim to thank for saving his wings on that one.” The bartender nodded rather forcefully.
“How’s that?” Mac asked.
“Jim was here that night that Tom kept hitting on the little lady. It was Colonel Wellington’s wet down. There were only a handful of enlisted from his staff who were invited. She was with a few of the ensigns who work over in the PX. She wasn’t in uniform, but most of us knew she was enlisted. Anyhow, you could tell his charm was starting to wear her down, especially the way he kept buying her drinks. Jim finally said enough was enough and practically dragged Tom out of here. With the whole place having seen what was going on, you know someone would have been filing charges come morning if he hadn’t gone home alone.” Noticing another customer calling him, the bartender tapped the counter before walking away.
“It sounds like we need to start asking a few more questions. If he drank as often as Joe here claims, there’s no way none of his cronies knew about it.” Harm reached for Mac’s arm noticing the table they’d been waiting for was now empty.
“I’m thinking I’m going to have another look at that tox screen. Better yet, I think I’m going to go down to the lab for a face to face chat.” Mac nodded to herself taking a seat across from Harm. Another thought suddenly occurring to her. “How did you know his name was Joe?”
“I don’t. Isn’t every bartender named Joe?” Harm smiled that disarming smile that could melt ice in Antarctica.
Hotel
Room
Later that night
Harm set the box of files on the floor and slid the keycard into the door. Holding it open for Mac, he picked up the box and followed her in.
“Good thing you thought to bring the video player with you.” Mac smiled.
Harm set the box down on the small table. Pulling the VCR out of the box, he set the machine up for viewing. Without moving from in front of the TV, he began watching the home made tape.
By the third time he’d seen it. Mac could see the spark in his eyes brighten as the light bulb went off in his head.
“Listen to this.” Harm hit the play button again as the video footage of the runway shook before them. Hitting the pause button. He turned to her enthusiastically.
“Did you hear that?”
“Hear what? The plane landed.” Mac shrugged.
“THREE TIMES!” Harm practically shouted. Hitting the rewind and play button Harm counted out each time the sound of the wheels hitting the pavement and bouncing up again could be heard. One, two, three.
“Smith didn’t say a word about having problems touching down. If there’d been something mechanical affecting his landing he’d have told us. There is no reason on earth for an experienced pilot to bounce off the runway three times like that. Maybe if he were older, pulling negative g’s and disoriented I’d say he might over shoot the runway and bounce once or twice, but three times. I’m starting to think maybe, just maybe Mrs. Beardsley is right.” Harm shuddered at the thought of a pilot getting into the cockpit anything other than one hundred percent sober.
In his enthusiasm over the multiple landing, he hadn’t noticed Mac had moved up next to him, carefully following his instructions to listen to the tape. The thrill of discovery was now being quickly replaced by the heat of her body standing so close to his.
Harm swallowed hard before turning to face her. Looking down into those large brown eyes, he marveled at the sensations pounding through him without even touching her. His heart began racing as the battle within him grew. Her beautiful soft lips were calling to him, but this was not the time to mix business with pleasure, there was too much at stake.
Mac's temperature was rising. His eyes had locked on hers and the intensity was melting away the walls she'd spent so many years carefully building. Her lips were slowly starting to tingle as her mind wandered back to the searing kiss from the other night. She wanted to look away, to go back to work, to put a safe distance between them, but she was drawn to him like a magnet.
As in so many of her dreams, the blasted phone rang. Mac turned to look for the offending cell phone when Harm reached out and grabbed her hand. Giving her hand a reassuring squeeze, he leaned over and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before letting her go find the phone.
"Mackenzie" Mac huffed into her cell.
"Yes... No.. .I'm sorry, we are looking into it... I will... Yes." Mac flipped the phone shut.
Harm watched all the emotions running across her face. Taking two steps closer to her, he stood behind her placing his hands on her shoulders and a soft kiss on her head.
"Anyone I know?"
"Mrs. Beardsley." Turning to face him. "Harm, if that 'marine' was intoxicated when he got into that plane so help me God I'm going to nail his ass to the wall."
Pulling her into a light embrace. "We both will, we both will."
They stood that way for several minutes drawing strength from each other. Unlike the sensual tension that had passed between them only a few moments ago, now they were basking in the bond forged by the best of friends through years of trials and torments, comforts and support. This was the bond that made the growing passions all the sweeter.
“I think I could use some air.” Mac took a deep breath before smiling at Harm reassuringly and walking out onto the balcony.
Harm followed her out, immediately struck by the warm evening breeze, the glowing moonlight and the sounds of the waves slapping ashore. All these trappings for a romantic interlude made it even more tempting for Harm to wrap his arms around Mac and kiss her senseless until all thoughts of this investigation were completely erased. None the less, he opted for standing next to her on the balcony. Despite wanting very much to be with Mac in every sense of the word, he wanted it to be a different kind of refuge, most definitely not a temporary escape, or an emotional band aid.
“Do you want to finish going over the files, or would you rather wait and finish in the morning?” Harm kept his focus on the surf beyond.
“I think I may have had enough for tonight. Would you mind if we go over everything again after breakfast? I think I need a break about now.”
The
next couple of hours were spent cuddled up on his bed watching The Majestic
with Jim Carey. By the time the movie was over, Mac was soundly asleep
in Harm’s arms. He had been watching her chest rise and fall in
slow steady breaths, while he softly raked his fingers through her hair.
He loved how she’d let her hair grow. He loved how she felt lying
in his arms. He just loved her. It was a tremendous relief to be able
to finally admit that. He just hoped the right opportunity afforded itself
to show her before he lost the battle of wills with his desire.