Have you ever fallen in love with someone you couldn't have? That's what he'd done, he fell in love with his happily married boss and it wasn't until Robbie reminded him of that fact that he realised that she wasn't about to run off for a life with him. So that's why he was on his third pint of beer already in a pub where he'd never been before, in the hope that no one would recognise him. James was in luck because there was only an elderly couple and a group of young women there, one of which is standing next to him at the bar.

"Yes sir?" The bartender asked him.

"Same again please, and whatever the pretty girl standing next to me is having." James replied.

"Thanks, a pineapple and lemonade please." The woman replied, just as a group of what he assume to be her friends, came up behind her.

"We're going off to find a club, are you coming Beth?" One of the girls asked her.

"No, I've just ordered a drink so I'll have that and head back as I have a tutorial in the morning."

"Okay."

"So you're at the university Beth?" James asked her as their drinks were placed in front of them.

"Yeah, first year."

"Studying anything interesting?"

"History and politics, boring I know but I love it." Beth repliesd

"Better than a philosophy degree. Do you want to find a table?"

"I don't think that'll be hard, it's practically empty in here. Firstly though, you never did tell me your name!"

"I'm James, James Hathaway."

Beth stood first and walked to a table out of everyone else's sight, that was when James really had a chance to look at the woman he was talking to. She was tall, not quite as tall as him but still tall, her red hair sat just under her shoulders, her brown leggings perfectly showed off her legs while her oversized woolly jumper was appropriate for the outside weather.

"So where did you do your philosophy degree?" Beth asked before sipping a bit more of her drink.

"Cambridge."

"That's interesting, I'm from Cambridge."

"You're from Cambridge and you're here in rival territory?" James laughed.

"Yeah, I wanted the university experience and I wasn't going to get that at home. Since I assume you're out of university now, what do you do?"

"Yeah I'm out of university, I'm a police officer. What do you want to do once you've finished your degree?"

"Promise you won't laugh?" Beth asked as she looked up at him, he'd only just noticed that there was no make up across her face, unlike a lot of people her age who plastered their face in it.

"Of course I won't, I doubt it's that bad anyway."

"I ultimately want to be prime minister." Beth told him.

"Well chase your dreams."

"I intend to. Anyway James, I have a tutorial first thing but here's my number. I've had a really nice time tonight, maybe I'll see you around."

James took her number and added it to his phone, he didn't know if he would contact her again or how quickly she'd want him to contact her, he had some thinking to do with regarding to Beth.