Once
the door closed behind Lester Giddons, Laura watched as the man
she had first met as Special Agent Ben Pearson, and who now called
himself Remington Steele, returned to the desk across the room.
"Okay," she asked. "What's you're angle?"
He smiled up at her, those blue eyes alight with some inner fire
that reminded her of the blue gems that had brought him into her
life. "I told you. I'm a man who enjoys impossible challenges.
What better challenge than to take on the role of Remington Steele?"
"Why?" she asked suspiciously. "So you can find
a new score since you lost the Royal Lavulite?"
"Laura. You cut me to the quick. You've built a very impressive
operation here. But you need a front man. Someone to glad hand
the clients, to reassure them that there really IS a Remington
Steele in the background, overseeing everything."
She was still suspicious as she moved to the look out the window.
Turning at last to look at him instead, she asked, "And
what do YOU get out of it?" Mistake. She knew the second
she uttered the words that they were a mistake.
Those incredible blue eyes revealed humor, and curiosity - and
desire. "That depends on what you're willing to offer, Laura,"
he suggested, his voice soft, with a hint of an Irish lilt. He
rose to stand close to her, not touching, but near enough that
Laura found herself curling her fingers into a fist to keep from
reaching out.
She forced herself to take several deep breaths. Another mistake.
Her lungs seemed as full of him as her senses were. She looked
away. "I-I don't think this will work. You're not a detective.
You're a-"
"Cheap con-man?" he supplied, using her own words.
Laura turned back to look at him again. He seemed sincere as
he told her, "Laura, if you agree to this, then I give you
my word that I'll not do anything to bring disrepute or scandal
to the agency."
"Your WORD?"
"I kept it regarding the gems," he reminded her.
"Only because someone else beat you to them."
He shook his head. "I had every intention of waiting until
they reached San Francisco. Circumstances forced that plan to
change. If you DON'T agree to this, Laura, what happens the next
time a client like Gordon Hunter insists on meeting your elusive
boss?"
"I guess I would turn down the case."
"Like you did with Hunter?" he countered.
"That was an- unusual case. I couldn't afford to let it-"
"And the next one?" he asked, pressing his advantage.
"Laura, I'm not trying to to con you. And I'm not asking
for much. A place to stay, room and board - a few minor expenses-"
She looked at him. "Minor expenses." She glanced
at the cut of his suit. "IF we do this, and it's still IF,
we'd need to get some things straight. You wouldn't handle any
cases. You'd let me or Murphy handle any questions -"
"Agreed."
"You give me your word no cons - "
He held up his hand. "I promise." He took her hand
in his. "I understand how important the agency is to you,
Laura. And believe me, I would never deliberately do anything
that would cause you any trouble."
"I can't believe I'm considering this. I must be crazy."
"Not at all. You're an intelligent, capable, lovely young
woman."
"This is NEVER going to work," she sighed.
"We'll give it trial, then. Say, six months? If it doesn't
work out, then Remington Steele will again become a figment of
your imagination, and I will be on my way."
Laura considered her options. There was something about this
man - even knowing that he was a con man, a thief, and probably
worse, - something that drew Laura to him like a moth to a flame.
It would be dangerous, she knew, maintaining the pretense of
his being Remington Steele. But would it be anymore dangerous
than the tightrope she had walked for the last year, when there
hadn't BEEN a Remington Steele at all? And the danger was more
than to the agency. Laura knew she was going to have to be very
careful not to fall for that potent charm of his. Because it
would be incredibly easy to let herself become lost in him. She
wanted excitement, didn't she? Well, this man reeked of excitement-
and a lot more. Holding out her hand, Laura made a decision.
"We have a deal. Murphy and I will do the work, and you'll
take the bows as Remington Steele. No direct involvement in a
case - you function best in an advisory capacity. Learn that
by heart. Because you're going to be saying it a lot."
He took her hand, smiling. "I'll remember."
"This is a mistake, Laura," Murphy Michaels said from
the doorway. His eyes fell on the man who still held Laura's
hand in his. "I thought you were leaving?"
"I decided to stay," Steele told him.
Laura ran to Murphy. "And I thought you were supposed to
stay home in bed today? The doctor said you had a bad concussion."
Steele moved to sit behind the desk, watching them. Laura's
concern for her friend was no more than she might show for a brother,
he reasoned. He'd seen no sign of anything more. On HER part,
anyway. Murphy was another story.
"I was going to. Until I looked at the newspaper and saw
HIS picture in it. I wanted to remind you that if he went to
San Francisco and got into any trouble, it might come back on
the agency."
"Well, I didn't go to San Francisco, did I?" Steele
said. "So you can just put that concern out of your head,
Murphy -"
"Stay out of this," Murphy told him. "This is
between Laura and me."
"I don't think this is the place to discuss this, Murphy,"
Laura insisted.
Steele picked up his sunglasses. "Don't let me disturb
your discussion," he told them. "I have some things
to attend to. I'll be back later-"
Laura frowned. "Where are you going?"
"To find a place to stay. It wouldn't look right for Remington
Steele to be living in a hotel, now, would it? Ciao," he
said, putting his sunglasses on as he left the room.
"A place to stay?" Murphy repeated. "Laura,
with that guy's tastes, he's liable to -"
"Calm down, Murphy. I agreed give him room and board as
compensation -"
"Room and board? What IS it about that guy? He comes in
here, and the next thing I know he's buying YOU a magnum of champagne,
convincing you to let him be Remington Steele - Laura, we KNOW
he's a con man and jewel thief - there's no telling what else
he's done. I say we cut him loose and forget all about him."
"We can't, Murphy. As you just pointed out, he's been identified
with the name. If we let him go, and he -"
"Kills someone?" Murphy suggested.
"Does something outside the law, then it COULD reflect badly
on the agency. Don't you see? If he's here, we can keep an eye
on him, make sure he keeps to the straight and narrow - "
"You're asking for trouble, Laura. He's a wolf in sheep's
clothing. And that's never gonna change."
"He gave me his word, Murphy. And it's only for six months.
If we decide it's not working out, we'll go our separate ways."
"But by that time he'll be so identified with Remington
Steele that he won't be able to make a move without it coming
back on us. Do you really think you can keep him in line, Laura?
One look from him and you seem to loose all common sense -"
Laura smiled with more confidence than she felt. "Things
will work out, Murphy. You'll see. He's really almost perfect
for the part. Handsome, charming, someone to make the public
think that Remington Steele really does exist. Think of the publicity.
You know how neither of us likes to take time to attend all those
boring luncheons and dinners- well he can." Murphy was shaking
his head again. "Don't fight me on this, Murphy."
"Look, I know it's YOUR agency, Laura, but - I just don't
want to see you hurt, okay? And I really think this guy could
hurt you. And not just professionally."
"Nonsense. I can handle our Mr. Steele, Murphy."
"I hope so, Laura." He opened the door and took a
last look at her before leaving. "For your sake as much
as anything else."
Laura heard the door close behind him, and sat down in the chair
behind the desk. "I hope so too, Murphy," she whispered.
"I hope so too."