21

"Hey, Dom!"

Adrian called Dom over to the bar, when he saw the detective come into The Dinner Table on the Friday of that week.

Tom and Freddie had, as promised, arranged a welcome home party for Rachel.

Adrian had invited all of her school friends and their parents, and every detective who'd worked on Rachel's case.

Dom navigated his way around tables of guests and food, and leant on the bar beside Adrian.

"Long time, no see, stranger." He grinned at Adrian, who stuck his tongue out at him.

"It's been three days," Adrian said.

He checked Rachel was busy with her friends, before he leant over and kissed Dom.

Tom and Freddie wolf-whistled behind them.

Adrian turned to them and glared, before he fetched Dom a drink.

"Is she getting on alright?" Dom asked, when Adrian sat down beside him.

"She seems fine," Adrian said. "She was a bit unsure about going to school by herself, but I think seeing her friends again has helped."

Dom's arm snaked around Adrian's waist and pulled him in for a hug.

Adrian rested his head against Dom's shoulder and uttered a little sigh.

"I know how to get her to like you," Adrian said quietly.

"Oh?"

"We'll take you home tonight. She can meet Mia. Once she sees your huge house, and even bigger dog, she'll be your friend for life."

Dom smiled and kissed the top of Adrian's head.

"I hope so," he said softly. "I couldn't bear not seeing you anymore."

Adrian slipped his hand into Dom's and squeezed it gently.

"I love you."

"I love you too, baby." Dom leant his forehead against Adrian's and smiled.

"Daddy?"

Adrian felt Rachel tug on his hand and looked down at her smiling face. She had butter cream icing from her cake smeared in her hair.

"Look at the state of you!" He said, swinging her into his arms. "How on earth did you get this in your hair?"

She shrugged unconcernedly.

"Can we give Dom his present now?"

"I have a present?" Dom asked, grinning.

Rachel nodded.

"Why don't you go and fetch them?" Adrian told Rachel. "They're in my jacket pocket, in the cloakroom."

She ran off to the cloakroom.

"What's my present?" Dom whispered in Adrian's ear, his warm breath making Adrian's entire body shiver.

"You'll find out," he whispered. "Will you sod off!" He growled suddenly at Tom and Freddie, who were lurking behind the bar, grinning at them. "I swear to God, if you don't stop staring at us, I'll fire you!"

"Nah, you won't!" said Freddie earnestly.

"How do you know I won't?"

"Because you wouldn't survive a week without one of my secret ingredient cocktails to keep you going," Freddie said, smirking.

"Yeah, and you just love having me around," Tom said. "We're safe."

Adrian rolled his eyes and turned away.

Rachel came back from the cloakroom and clambered up onto Adrian's knee. He kissed her forehead and stood up, scooping her into his arms as he did so.

"Can I have everyone's attention for a moment, please?!" Adrian called over the chatter and soft music playing from the bar.

Freddie muted the music as everyone turned to Adrian.

Rachel snuggled her head against Adrian's neck as everyone looked at them.

"I'd just like to thank you all for the support you've given me over the past few weeks. As a little thank you to all of the police men and women who helped with the search, Rachel's made you all a little something."

Adrian held up a wad of laminated passes to the restaurant.

"Everyone who helped with the initial door-to-door enquiry, who chased up leads, who did anything at all to help with the investigation, is going to get one of these passes. Basically, it's free food and drink for you and your families whenever you come to The Dinner Table, either until you die, or until we've given away so much free food we're forced to close."

Everyone laughed.

"Thank you, again."

Adrian smiled at everyone, and set Rachel down to start distributing the passes.

She wandered up to Dom first, and pressed a VIP pass into his hand.

"Thank you, Rachel." He smiled at her, and clipped his pass onto the front of his shirt.

She smiled back, and worked her way through the crowd.

Adrian looked at the colourful badge for a moment, before he leant over and embraced Dom.

"You're getting there," he said quietly. "She smiled at you."

"I know." Dom grinned, and smoothed Adrian's hair.

"Come with me." Adrian slipped his hand into Dom's and pulled the detective off his stool.

"Where're we going?"

"Just come with me." Adrian took Dom behind the bar, through the kitchens, to the employee cloakroom at the very back of the building.

Adrian pushed Dom inside, followed him in, and locked the door behind them.

"I like where this is going." Dom smirked.

"We haven't got long. Strip!" Adrian ordered, already pulling off his own shirt.