notjustaface | The Love Boat

The Love Boat - Day 1

It's supposed to be an easy mission, kick back - take a cruise, maybe work on their tans in the process. Baggage, check. Engagement rings, check. Wedding bands, check. Tuxedos, check.

Hannibal and BA boarded first thing in the morning as crew, giving them more than ample time to install some weaponry and a pair of clean cell phones in their cabin and start sweeping for suspicious signs of gun running.

The happy couple took the opportunity to sleep in and have a nice breakfast before heading down to the marina to board.

"It's a nice cabin," Face murmurs, depositing his suitcase on the large bed before heading to the closet to hang up their carefully wrapped formal wear.

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"Great. I haven't eaten since breakfast."

He puts on the Normal Person Smile one more time.

"Nerves, you know. Was nice meeting you ladies."

"Nothin' to be nervous about, baby..." for as much as Murdock's twang wanes when he tries to act, Face makes up in laying it on with a Texas tilt. "Told ya, you're stuck with me as long as you can tolerate it."

He means that too.

He knows it. He's said the same thing before.

"You're such a romantic."

"Hopeless." He laughs, keeping a close eye on their escort as she cuts through the crowd of strangers directly to the end of the fairly small buffet line. She certainly does seem familiar with the setup if nothing else.

"So, Mia..." he asks casually; "you do a lot of cruises?"

"Completely and totally," he whispers as they're led to the line.

"I've been on a few," she smiles. "You get used to the routine."

Like it or not... totally.

"Yeah, I guess..." he shrugs, taking a plate for some tidbits of anything that looked good despite being far more interested in the mission than the food.

"Probably gets pretty expensive, though."

The woman turns and offers him an easy-going smile. "I'm not exactly hurting for money."

"Oh?"

He keeps an expression of polite interest on his face as they make their way through the line. This could be something.

"Mmm, try the stuffed grape leaves." Face murmurs, pressing one into Murdock's mouth with a smirk.

The girl shrugs and flashes them an innocent smirk.

"So, what about your plus one?" Face raises an eye; "You can't tell me you're here all by your lonesome."

"No... there's someone..." she giggles, turning to scan over the crowd; "She's just not too big on crowds."

Face gets a significant look over her shoulder.

"Yeah, I can understand that... not really a huge fan myself sometimes."

Licking the lemony oil off his fingers, Face responds to the significant look with one raised eyebrow that slips back easily behind the rim of his fake glasses.

"That's why we work so well together, babe. I get to do the talking."

Message received, then.

"Yeah, babe, that is true."

Loud and clear, she doesn't seem the type - but you never know.

"I'll get you a plate, why don't you get us a couple drinks?"

He raises an eyebrow toward him, ready to guide the girl to a table for a few more casual questions.

"Yeah, sure."

The old 'divide and conquer' strategy. Only they're not so much conquering as lightly questioning.

It's easier when he can get a girl alone, work a little bit of the charm angle. Attraction or no, he knows how to talk to women.

And how to get her talking about her partner - which is stopped abruptly when a couple of men in dressed down suits pull up chairs and dig into friendly small talk.

"Mel!" One grins wide, offering a warm handshake. "We cruised the Bahamas last summer, remember?"

"Right... right! Dan, right?" Mia shakes her head, trying to play it cool despite the fact that she looks a little shaken at the name. "You have had one too many umbrella drinks, sweetie... it's Mia."

"She's a kidder," the second man grins even wider; "My uncle's named Mel - I never forget a gal that reminds me of that old bastard."

"Anyway," Dan continues; "you are the woman of the hour! I met Charles on that fateful cruise..." he holds up a finger bearing an elaborate rainbow and diamond engagement band; "and now we're making it a lifetime."

After ordering two of the same fruity drinks as before (hey, they were tasty) he hangs back at the bar for a few moments, giving Face some time to do his thing.

Now what's this...

"That's, uh... that's interesting." He offers the pair a smile. "Love your rings... we went with silver."

Charles holds his up; "White gold for me, but Dan's a bit of a show-off..."

Mia cuts in; "You mean a flaming queen." She laughs a little louder than before, taking a large bite off her plate.

"That's cute. I bet my boy would love something like that." Face picks up their plates, offering a polite nod. "We've got some vows to work on still, so if you'll pardon me..."

"Oh, honey!" Dan pipes up; "They're writing their own vows - I told you we should write vows."

He raises an eyebrow as Face rejoins him, trading him the plate for his drink.

"What was that all about?"

"Real cute engagement ring - whole rainbow business thing going on. You'd like it."

He grins, sipping his drink and following it with a bite of prime rib.

He smiles, allowing himself to relax just a bit.

"Look at you, makin' new friends."

Chewing the bite slowly, letting himself savor it just a little before admitting; "Yeah, well... one of our lovely new friends is working under an alias."

He's pretty sure, at least, nobody 'jokes' about their name.

He scoots closer.

"Mia?"

It's always the nice ones...

"Or Mel, if you're the handsome soon-t-be-wed couple she set up on a Bahamas cruise."

He takes another bite and offers it to him.

"Could be nothing. Could be something."

"In my experience, people usually don't lie about their names without a reason."

He takes the offered bite. "Oh, that is good."

His smile spreads to a full grin and he can't help but lick his lips at the soft sound of Murdock's approval.

"Well, at least she's not going anywhere any time soon."

He nods.

"Can we postpone the shop talk a while? I'd kinda like to have a nice dinner with my fiance."

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