Harm glanced up from the continuance request in his hands. “What’s up?”
“I need help, buddy.” Sturgis slipped into the office, closing the door behind him. He sat down across from Harm, frustration etched into his features.
Harm’s brow furrowed. “Sure. What’s wrong?”
“It’s Mac.” Sturgis leaned back in his chair, throwing up his hands in a helpless gesture. “I’ve ticked her off again, and I have no idea how.”
“What exactly happened?”
“Not a clue.” Sturgis shook his head. “We were discussing the Torman court martial in the conference room, and she actually acted like she was going to take the deal I offered. She picked up the stapler to attach a couple of papers together, and the thing was out of staples. She banged it around for a few seconds, and when I tried to hand her a paperclip, she glared at me, yelled “I don’t need your help!” and left in a huff.” Sturgis ran a hand through his hair. “Any advice?”
Harm chewed his lip, thinking. “I hate to say this, but I’m drawing a blank. She’s gotten upset at small things before, but never something as insignificant as…” Then his face cleared, a lightbulb going off in his head. He snapped his fingers. “Hey, what’s the date?”
Sturgis cocked his head in confusion. “The fourth… why?”
Harm’s countenance instantly took on a knowing expression. Turning away from Sturgis without answering the question, he yanked one of his desk drawers open. Muttering to himself, he began to rummage around in the crowded drawer. “I used one of those last time… aw, crud, I’m out of those… that wouldn’t work for this…”
Sturgis’ curiosity finally got the best of him. Rising from his chair, he circled Harm’s desk to see what his friend was doing. “Harm, what exactly are you looking for?”
“A white flag of sorts.” Harm reached into the very back of the drawer and pulled out a box. “Here we go.”
Sturgis’ eyebrows rose to his hairline upon reading the box’s label. “PMS?!” he commented incredulously.
Harm nodded, still going through the box. “Protecting My Six,” he supplied. “Things I keep handy to get out of hot water when Mac’s going through…” He cleared his throat. “…that time of the month.” He withdrew a handful of items. “Any of these catch your eye?”
Sturgis studied his choices. Harm was holding up a small box of Godiva chocolates, an ‘I’m sorry’ Hallmark card, a tiny teddy bear, and a Beltway Burgers gift certificate. “I’ll take the chocolate.”
Harm handed it to him before stuffing the other items back into the box and re-hiding the stash in the rear of the drawer. “Good luck.”
“Thanks – I’ll need it.” Squaring his shoulders, Sturgis headed to the door and opened it. He’d barely made one step out into the bullpen when Mac came charging around the corner.
“Harm! We need to talk about your continuance request. Now.” With that, she disappeared into her office, slamming the door behind her.
Sturgis turned to see Harm frozen in his chair. “You’d better get a move on, buddy.”
Reluctantly, Harm rose and started toward his partner’s office. As he passed Sturgis, his friend pressed the box of chocolate into his hand.
“I think you need this more than I do,” Sturgis whispered. He couldn’t be sure, but he thought he heard Harm gulp just before entering Mac’s office. Shaking his head, Sturgis walked back to his own desk to circle the 4th, 5th, and 6th of each month in red on his calendar. After all, you couldn’t be too prepared.
-Fin-
