by Laura Acton
The rest of the teams and brass in attendance had been drawn by the first splash and had converged outside when the second one occurred. Sergeants Bradley and Winter pulled Lexa’s date from the swimming pool. No one offered a towel to the man. They had all been more concerned when Dan sank to the bottom and came up coughing.
Seeing Dan was okay, Nick stood and turned to Settimo. “Mr. Bewick, you’ve assaulted two of my officers tonight. One of which you assaulted twice in addition to Officer Walsh, Miss Andersen, and Miss Silburn.”
“Sir, you are unwelcome,” Commander Gambrill said glaring at the smarmy man. “If you refuse to leave, I’ll arrange transportation and lodging for you in a cell as I file charges for drunk and disorderly and six counts of assault.”
Settimo sputtered, “Your officers assaulted me. This,” he waved a hand at Lexa as a sour expression formed on his face, “this she-boy threw me in the pool and ruined an expensive suit. Then he,” his hand pointed to Dan, “gay boy pulled me in. I’ll file assault and harassment charges.” He glared at Jon and pointed at him. “That one grabbed my arm earlier too.” His eyes shifted to the island beauty. “And her, she slapped me for no reason.”
Gambrill drew himself up tall. His voice stern, he said, “Mr. Bewick, by all means, you may file charges. Be advised there are forty-nine men and women of Toronto’s finest, and nearly that many more guests, who all witnessed your appalling drunken behavior. They will give sworn statements to what occurred here this evening.”
“Blue protecting blue. Lies.” Settimo lunged to push Lexa into the pool.
Lexa sidestepped, and Settimo stumbled into the water again.
Walter shook his head at what excessive alcohol did to people—turned them into idiots. Perhaps when he sobers up, he will realize how lenient we’ve been tonight. His gaze landed on Sergeant Bradley. “Camden, please have your team haul Mr. Bewick out of the swimming pool and escort him out of the hotel. Call a cab to pick him up and make sure he leaves the premises.”
Camden said, “Yes, sir. Doug, Todd, Victor, your assistance please.” He and his men stepped forward and pulled the drunken sot out again.
Without further comment from Settimo, he was surrounded by officers and promptly ushered out.
Dan slipped off his soaking jacket. He needed to get out of the wet clothes before he became more chilled. Catching a cold was not something he wanted to do, it would ruin his Christmas plans. He hated to miss the rest of the party but by the time he got home, changed, and returned the evening would be over. “Guess I’ll be heading home now.”
Moving toward Dan, Kellie shook her head, smiling softly. “Nonsense. Dan, you come with me. Bram and I rented a room here tonight. I packed for him and included a pair of sweats which might work. Probably will be a little big for you but better than being soaking wet or leaving early, especially, since you haven’t done the ornament exchange yet.”
Jennifer moved to the other side of Dan. “I brought extra clothes for Jon too. You are closer in size. I’ll grab a few things and meet you at Bram’s room.”
“No, you don’t need to go to all that trouble. I’ll just—”
Without a single word, Kellie and Jen each grabbed an arm and began to pull Dan inside. They would brook no resistance. Helplessly, Dan glanced over his shoulder at Bram and Jon who stared at him with amused expression. He saw Lexa cover her mouth as she snickered. Loki grinned like a loon while waving at him. Ray and Nick both smiled at him too. Well, damn, no getting out of this. This team is awesome. Dan’s heart warmed.
The show over, everyone except Alpha Team members and their guests headed back inside where it was warm, returning to their previous activities.
Lexa’s cheeks flushed pink as she glanced around at the men of her team, Tia, Maurita, and Christiana. “Sorry for the problems tonight. I didn’t realize he was such a jerk.”
Needing to break the somber mood and let Lexa know they didn’t blame her, Jon quipped, “I guess I need to start taking my job as your social secretary more seriously and vet the men you choose to date.”
Ray nodded. “I’ll be your backup. No more guys with ‘S’ names.”
“Yes. Time to choose a different letter. Perhaps, J, N, B, R, L, or D. Some pretty decent guys have names starting with those letters.” Bram chuckled.
Nick’s tone held humor, “Perhaps you should bring them to meet me before you go on a first date.”
Becoming animated, Loki, said, “They should have to meet all of us. We could be sitting around cleaning our off-duty weapons and ask him what his intentions are towards you.”
Lexa busted out laughing. I’m so lucky to have these guys in my life. Wonder how Dan would handle a meeting like that with all the guys? Whoa! Where did that thought come from?
Swan Lake Hotel – Front Entrance – 9:30 p.m.
Settimo stood dripping water onto the concrete as he silently waited for the cab, surrounded by seven constables. In addition to the four who escorted him out, three more came out a few minutes ago. He seethed inside as he shivered.
Doug kept an eye on the drunk. He was pissed Dan had taken a dunk in the pool and inhaled a mouthful of icy water. Bravo Team knew just how cold the water was, and if Dan got sick because of this idiot …. His thoughts were interrupted by his sergeant’s hand on his shoulder.
“Doug, release. Blow it out. Dan is fine.” Camden removed his hand.
Doing as his sarge instructed Doug released the breath he held. “TRF just got Dan back, and this idiot dared to grope Lexa, Tia, and those other women. Not something I can let go easily.”
Curtis expressed his anger. “Needs to be taught a lesson.”
“Agreed,” Victor said, clenching a fist as he glanced at Devon who nodded.
Camden shook his head. “Don’t stoop to his level men. You are better than that. We are here to make sure he leaves. That will be the end of it. When he sobers up perhaps, he will be man enough to offer appropriate apologies.”
As a patrol car arrived, Settimo turned to glare at the sergeant. “That old guy said a cab!”
Meng smirked as he opened the rear door. “This way we know you will arrive home safely.”
Todd gripped Settimo’s arm and pulled him forward. “In you go.” He guided Bewick into the backseat, putting a hand on top of his head as he would for arrested subjects.
As Settimo slid into the back seat, he scowled at the officers.
Opening the front passenger door, Camden leaned in and said, “Officer, I’m Sergeant Bradley of the Tactical Response Force. Mr. Bewick has consumed too much alcohol and needs to be taken to his home courtesy of the Toronto Police Force.” He read off the address from Settimo’s license. He closed the door and moved to the rear of the squad car.
Handing the license back to Bewick, he said, “Mr. Bewick, you are prohibited from returning to the hotel this evening. If you choose to disregard this directive, then we will be forced to arrest you and add trespassing to the list of charges.”
Settimo glowered at the pompous cop. There was nothing he could do at the moment but comply. “You will regret treating me in this manner. Lexa is a tease, and she will pay.”
Doug’s radar went to high. “Are you threatening an officer of the law?”
Gritting his teeth, Settimo turned away from the man, refusing to answer. Through tight lips, he said, “Take me home.”
Realizing the man wouldn’t respond, Camden closed the door. As the squad drove off, he turned to his men, “Though I believe his words to be an empty threat, I’ll talk to Nick. He can speak with Lexa so she can take appropriate precautions.”
Bravo Team all nodded, and the men hurried back inside to resume their evening of fun.
Swan Lake Hotel – Room 1218 – 9:45 p.m.
Dan lay his forehead on his arm, leaning on the tile of the shower letting the warm water cascade down his back as he thawed out. Part of him was a little contrite for the prank they pulled on Bravo Team tonight. The pool water was damned near fre
ezing. He sincerely hoped none of the guys got sick because of a dumb prank. A knock on the bathroom door alerted him that Jen must’ve arrived.
“Dan, Kellie and I are leaving. Several options are laid out on the bed. Feel free to select whatever works for you,” Jennifer called into the room.
Kellie added, “Made a cup of coffee for you too. It’s on the table. Take whatever time you need. We’ll see you downstairs.”
“Thanks, I appreciate this,” Dan called out to them. When he arrived in the room, Kellie pushed him towards the little bathroom, handing him a plastic bag for his soaked clothes, and insisted he jump in the shower to warm up. At first, he resisted, not comfortable being alone in Bram’s room with his wife and being naked to boot, but Kellie put him at ease, and he quickly caved.
No longer feeling like a popsicle, Dan shut off the tap. He stepped out into the steamy room and dried off. A tickle in the back of his throat made him cough. He glanced in the mirror and sighed. Swimming had not been on his agenda for tonight … or ever. He sucked at swimming.
“At least it was only a pool you fell into, though Lexa read your fear again. You might eventually have to explain that to her.” Dan rubbed his hair with the towel to dry it as he thought, talking to yourself out loud could make them wonder about your sanity, Broderick.
Dan chuckled and then opened the door a crack to ensure the ladies had left the room. Walking out wrapped in a towel in front of Jen and Kellie would complete his embarrassment tonight. Finding the room clear he strode to the king-size bed to see what they provided.
He would swim, no pun intended, in Bram’s sweatpants, so he choose a pair of jeans which he assumed were Jon’s by the size. Their waists were about the same, though he was a little thinner from not eating during the interviews. Soon he would be back up to his ideal weight. The length was a bit long with Jon having two inches on him and the fact he would be sock-footed.
Dan sat on the mattress and yanked on the thick, warm socks, wondering if they belonged to Bram or Jon. He rolled up the pant legs so he wouldn’t trip or ruin Jon’s jeans. As he stood, the pants sagged. Time for a makeshift belt. Dan eyed the bag Kellie gave him recalling the top closed with a string. He removed the string and threaded it through two belt loops, cinching it tightly before tying a knot.
Turning back to the bed, he inspected the shirt options. Not wanting to be chilled, he selected Bram’s TRF t-shirt. Baggy on him. He tucked the ends into the jeans and then pulled on a TRF sweatshirt that had to be Jon’s.
Dan strode to the table and picked up the coffee. After taking a long quaff of the now warm coffee, he turned to examine his appearance in the full-length mirror. “Out of place attire-wise, but at least I can stay and enjoy the rest of the night. That’s all that matters.” Dan grabbed his bag of sopping clothes and exited Bram’s hotel room ready to rejoin the party.
Swan Lake Hotel – Ballroom – 10:00 p.m.
Christiana smiled, thoroughly enjoying tonight, well, except for the encounters with Settimo. Otherwise, the night was a warm and friendly event. Men like Nick were rare, and meeting Nick’s team gave her another insight into the man. Before this evening, she had still been unsure whether to introduce Kristopher to Nick. The way he interacted with his team and handled the situation with the drunken swan helped make her decision.
Kristopher was now fourteen and in need of a strong male role model. Nick and the men he worked with were the type of men she hoped her son would emulate. Christiana tuned into Kellie as she was talking about her girls and how excited they were to start their dance classes.
When there was a break in conversation, Christiana spoke to Kellie. “There is a Sunday matinee of The Nutcracker which is geared for children. If you would like I could arrange for tickets for you and your girls.”
Kellie smiled. “I’ve been thinking of taking our three eldest three to see the ballet. My parents said they would babysit Sharlie for me if I can get tickets.”
Smiling, Christiana said, “Consider it done. They tend to hold back several for families who work for the theater, and my boss loves to gift a few last-minute ones when he meets families. I’ll make sure they are at the will call window for you.” She turned to Jen. “Would you and your boys like to go?”
Jen smiled as Jon chuckled. “Thank you but no. Joey would not sit through a ballet and Kent has plans with some friends. They’re practicing for a concert on the twenty-second.”
“If you change your mind, just call the ticket office and give them my name and I’ll make it happen.”
Turning to Jon, Jen asked, “Did you ever ask Dan about Kent’s concert? He’s hoping Dan will come.”
Jon nodded. “I asked him today before we left headquarter. He said yes. Poor guy doesn’t know what he’s getting himself into. The younger groups are hard on the ears.”
Snickering Jen said, “Better not let Kent hear you say that.”
“Say what?” Jon said feigning innocence.
Ornament Exchange and Waltzing
29
December 18
Swan Lake Hotel – Foyer Outside Ballroom – 10:00 p.m.
Trevor pushed off the wall where he relaxed saying goodnight to his teammate Noel. Seeing Dan, he waved him over. “Hey, Dan.”
Dan changed direction, heading towards Trevor and Noel.
“Dan, this is my wife Diane. Babe, this is Dan Broderick.”
Reaching out, Diane took Dan’s offered hand. “So you’re the infamous Dantastic. A pleasure to finally meet you.”
Dan blushed a little. “Pleasure is mine, Diane. I have your husband to thank for getting me through a bad time. He’s part of the reason I joined TRF.”
Trevor appeared bemused. “I didn’t do anything special.”
“You did more than most in that camp.” Dan didn’t want to go into details of how Trevor giving a damn and talking to him until Brody and the guys found him kept him from falling off the edge. As he searched for another subject, he noted car keys in Trevor’s hands. “Are you leaving already?”
“Yeah, the sitter needs to be home by ten thirty. She has dance class at six in the morning.” Trevor flipped his keys in time to the music.
“Didn’t realize you had kids.”
Trevor put his arm around Diane’s waist pulling her close. “Two girls and two boys all under seven. Quite a handful, but I love being a dad.”
Diane checked the time on her wristwatch. “Goodness, I would love to stay and talk, but we must go now, or we won’t get Allison home in time.”
Dan nodded. “Another time.”
As he started to walk out with his wife, Trevor called back, “Don’t forget, drinks after the new year.”
“You got it. Drive safe.” Dan turned to enter the ballroom.
Noel matched Dan’s stride. “That Settimo guy was a real whack job. Hope the threat is empty like Camden thinks it is.”
Dan stopped. “What threat?”
“The guy became angry when we sent him off in a squad car and claimed Lexa would pay. He was so drunk maybe he only spouted off.”
The protector in Dan reared its head. No way in hell I’m letting Lexa go home alone tonight. Somehow, I need to arrange it so I can go with her. I wouldn’t put it past the jerk to be hanging out at her house. Instead of giving voice to his concern, he said, “I’m sure it was only ranting with no intent. Lexa can handle herself.”
Noel chuckled. “Don’t I know it. I sparred with her several times while you were gone. Damn, she hits hard.”
Dan nodded. “Yeah. She split my lip once. Long story though. Team’s waiting for me, so another time.”
“Sure, catch ya later.”
Dan and Noel went in different directions to their team tables.
Swan Lake Hotel – Ballroom – 10:05 p.m.
Loki gleamed watching Dan stroll to their table, happy Dan stayed and took Jen and Kellie up on the offer of borrowed clothes. As he sat down Loki pushed a mug in front of him. “Hot, black coffee just like you lik
e, buddy.”
Dan reached out and picked up the steaming mug, circling it with both palms to warm his hands. He took a sip, and the heat going down helped chase away the last of his shivers.
With an excited air, Loki scanned the table. “Dan’s here, so who goes first?”
“We could go oldest to youngest,” Ray suggested.
Bram leaned back in his chair. “There’s always alphabetical.”
“Let’s draw the recipient’s name,” Nick proposed getting nods of agreement from everyone. He ripped a paper napkin into seven pieces, scribbled their names down, and folded them. He put the scraps in an empty candy dish. Withdrawing a name, Nick grinned. “Ray, you’re first.”
Jon handed Ray a small package. “I hope you like it.”
Ray examined the beautiful package with matching bows and turned his gaze to Jennifer. “You wrapped this, right?”
“How’d you guess?”
“Too prettily giftwrapped for Jonny to have done it,” Nick quipped as he smirked at his friend.
Jon shrugged. “Wrapping isn’t my thing, and Jen does it so well.”
Opening the box, Ray stopped a moment. The corners of his mouth lifted. “How appropriate. Thanks, for contributing to the cause.” He held up the white star-shaped ceramic ornament with Jwaye Nwel written in red fancy script. An ornament his church was selling to raise relief funds.
Lexa viewed the lovely star. “What does Jwaye Nwel mean?”
Smiling Maurita explained, “Haitian Creole for Merry Christmas.” I hope everyone has put as much thought into the selection of ornaments.
Everyone bestowed Jon with a smile or nod. He did exceptionally well in choosing a meaningful ornament. They all knew how much Ray wanted to help with the hurricane relief efforts.
Nick inclined his head toward Ray. “You draw the next name.”
Ray drew a name. “Boss, you’re up.”
Lexa handed over her present. She hoped it was okay. She worried her lower lip as the boss started opening her offering.
