As they ducked into a doorway the rain helped hide their movement.

'If they see you, the game is up'

'But I have to...'

'No you don't! You'll be trusting the police from now on!' it was a fairly stupid thing to say, no matter how firmly he tried to say it.

'They're coming this way'

'Wear my coat'

'No...'

There was a way out of this, it had worked before. She'd lose all sense for about a minute, at least long enough for the car to pass. It wasn't ideal, but hiding from a gang, in a doorway, in the middle of the night, in the rain, it was the best option out of a very poor selection. He managed to think all that before she'd come to the end of the '...' in 'No...'

He pulled off her exquisitely handmade hat and dropped it to the ground. Then, while she loudly objected, threw his heavy brown trench coat around her, providing disguise and firm restraint in one swift movement.

"I'll buy you another" he said, before grabbing the back of her head, pressing his lips to hers, being bitten and very effectively changing the subject away from violent pursuers and ruined hats.

Rhey separated by an inch, just enough to attempt a conversation. At these romantic moments, Phryne always knew exactly what to say.

"That wasn't them, that car was black"

"You didn't stop me... And you bit me."

"And you liked it. Now we'll have to stay until they pass"

All manner of things sprang to mind, along the lines of 'No, you could slip around the back and go straight home, you could stay safe and let me do my job, you could be home when Jane wakes up for once, you could take up needlepoint...' Luckily his mind seemed to have very little say in the matter, as his body was already wrapped in someone warm, gorgeous and very unlikely to take up needlepoint. Needless to say, they waited there for the threat to pass, and then a bit more for safety... And a little more for good measure, and eventually stayed simply because they'd forgotten where they were, and why.

The rain pelted the ground in a determined sort of way that could last all night and possibly all weekend. A perfect weekend to stay in bed.