commence.
Maria gasped and grabbed both men’s hands as she saw the elaborate table centerpieces made of flowers and glass prisms that caught the light from the glittering chandeliers and threw it back as rainbows throughout the room. “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful in my whole life,” she said.
Luke agreed that it was pretty impressive, but he was looking around to see where the senator’s beautiful aide would be sitting. He didn’t know how he was going to manage it, but he was determined to have another pass at her before the evening was over.
Once they were seated at their assigned table, they quickly realized that, although they’d been invited as “special guests”, they were corralled with other law enforcement personnel at one of the tables farthest from the dais. Luke could no longer see her, but he assumed the redhead would eventually be at one of the tables on the dais.
At each place was a fancy printed menu that stated who would be speaking between each course. The welcome and introduction of important players was done by two stars from a popular television sitcom. After the appetizer, thanks were gushed by the director of the AIDS research project that would benefit from the proceeds of the affair. After the salad course, Senator Jones had his turn.
While he went on about the generous spirit of Americans and his optimistic view of where the field of medicine and the country in general were headed, Luke kept glancing at his watch. It wasn’t that the speech was boring. Jones was an inspiring speaker. Nor was he hungry for the entree or dessert. It was the last line on the menu-program that had him wanting things to move along—“Music and Dancing ‘til Dawn”.
Terrell had been called “famous” by the senator, and Maria had had her hand kissed by her favorite actor, so Luke thought it was only fair that he should have a dance with the goddess. He assumed the staff members would not be able to leave before the last guest departed, which meant, if he made the effort, he just might be able to have a few nearly private minutes with the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.
When the senator ended his speech, the entire room rose to their feet and applauded him. There was no question that every person there was ready to vote for him regardless of which party’s ticket he was running on.
As the swarm of waiters and waitresses brought out the main course, Luke noticed that, rather than sitting back down, Senator Jones and his wife were walking from table to table, apparently greeting the people who hadn’t been at the reception.
Maria swallowed her first bite of Veal Oscar and rolled her eyes with pleasure. “If I live to be a hundred, I will not forget this evening. I’m so glad you convinced me to come, Terrell.”
He grinned at her. “Not half as glad as I am.”
Luke smothered a chuckle. The original plans called for him and Terrell to share one room while Maria took the other. It looked like those plans were subject to change.
In between the entree and dessert, a popular soft-rock group performed a medley of new and old hits. Luke glanced at his watch again as the coffee was being served. At this rate, it was liable to be dawn before the dancing even began.
The senator and his wife were moving through the paupers’ section as the orchestra began tuning up. Luke thought Abraham Lincoln Jones looked as fresh as when the evening started, but his lady looked rather bored.
When Jones spotted Terrell, his smile seemed to brighten even more. “Here you are, Detective Harris. It took me five hours, but I finally caught up with you. I guess I wouldn’t make much of a detective.”
Terrell respectfully stood up, but as he did so, towering over the senator and his wife, the man’s pleasant expression faltered. Abruptly, Luke had a repeat of the sensation that he’d seen the senator somewhere before, but now he had the feeling that it was the serious rather than the smiling face
Maria gasped and grabbed both men’s hands as she saw the elaborate table centerpieces made of flowers and glass prisms that caught the light from the glittering chandeliers and threw it back as rainbows throughout the room. “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful in my whole life,” she said.
Luke agreed that it was pretty impressive, but he was looking around to see where the senator’s beautiful aide would be sitting. He didn’t know how he was going to manage it, but he was determined to have another pass at her before the evening was over.
Once they were seated at their assigned table, they quickly realized that, although they’d been invited as “special guests”, they were corralled with other law enforcement personnel at one of the tables farthest from the dais. Luke could no longer see her, but he assumed the redhead would eventually be at one of the tables on the dais.
At each place was a fancy printed menu that stated who would be speaking between each course. The welcome and introduction of important players was done by two stars from a popular television sitcom. After the appetizer, thanks were gushed by the director of the AIDS research project that would benefit from the proceeds of the affair. After the salad course, Senator Jones had his turn.
While he went on about the generous spirit of Americans and his optimistic view of where the field of medicine and the country in general were headed, Luke kept glancing at his watch. It wasn’t that the speech was boring. Jones was an inspiring speaker. Nor was he hungry for the entree or dessert. It was the last line on the menu-program that had him wanting things to move along—“Music and Dancing ‘til Dawn”.
Terrell had been called “famous” by the senator, and Maria had had her hand kissed by her favorite actor, so Luke thought it was only fair that he should have a dance with the goddess. He assumed the staff members would not be able to leave before the last guest departed, which meant, if he made the effort, he just might be able to have a few nearly private minutes with the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.
When the senator ended his speech, the entire room rose to their feet and applauded him. There was no question that every person there was ready to vote for him regardless of which party’s ticket he was running on.
As the swarm of waiters and waitresses brought out the main course, Luke noticed that, rather than sitting back down, Senator Jones and his wife were walking from table to table, apparently greeting the people who hadn’t been at the reception.
Maria swallowed her first bite of Veal Oscar and rolled her eyes with pleasure. “If I live to be a hundred, I will not forget this evening. I’m so glad you convinced me to come, Terrell.”
He grinned at her. “Not half as glad as I am.”
Luke smothered a chuckle. The original plans called for him and Terrell to share one room while Maria took the other. It looked like those plans were subject to change.
In between the entree and dessert, a popular soft-rock group performed a medley of new and old hits. Luke glanced at his watch again as the coffee was being served. At this rate, it was liable to be dawn before the dancing even began.
The senator and his wife were moving through the paupers’ section as the orchestra began tuning up. Luke thought Abraham Lincoln Jones looked as fresh as when the evening started, but his lady looked rather bored.
When Jones spotted Terrell, his smile seemed to brighten even more. “Here you are, Detective Harris. It took me five hours, but I finally caught up with you. I guess I wouldn’t make much of a detective.”
Terrell respectfully stood up, but as he did so, towering over the senator and his wife, the man’s pleasant expression faltered. Abruptly, Luke had a repeat of the sensation that he’d seen the senator somewhere before, but now he had the feeling that it was the serious rather than the smiling face
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