Author's note: all usual disclaimers apply.

"Missee velly tight!"

"Missy very stressed," Barbara replied. She winced as the small Chinese woman dug her elbow into the bottom of her shoulder blade.

"Not good, Missee. Too tense. Deep bleth! In! Out! Why so tight?"

"My boss."

"He bad man?"

"No, Siew Lee, he is a good man."

"Why he upset you?"

Siew Lee twisted Barbara's arm behind her painfully. "Argh! It's hard to explain."

"Ahh. You in love with boss eh?"

"Of course not!" A thumb wedged into her neck. "Okay, ease up. Maybe a little."

"You go tense, every time you think of him. He mallied?"

"No, he's widowed."

"He have many children or big nasty dog?"

Barbara raised her head, but Siew Lee pushed it down, so her face was on the cushion, staring through the hole. "No. No children, no dog."

"Good. You tell him how you feel. Tell him I say you too tense. He must rub you, like this."

Siew Lee's hands softened as she gently stroked Barbara's back. After the pummelling she had just received, it felt wonderful. Barbara wished it was Tommy.

"I can't. He'd never want me."

Barbara was brutally torn from her reverie by two thumbs burrowing into the soft flesh of her rump. "Must Missee. Before life pass you by."

As Barbara sauntered up Chalk Farm Road, she was thinking about her conversation. How do you tell your boss, the man who has status and breeding, that you love him? You can't just turn up and announce it. She sighed and tried to force it from her mind.

As she turned into her street, she was passed by Lynley's car. It was odd for him to be in the area unless he was visiting her. She hurried and turned into her flats. His car was not in the visitors' carpark. She was disappointed but angry with herself for thinking he would be. She walked towards her block. Through the gap between the buildings, she noticed the front of his car. Surely he did not know someone in the other block?

Now more curious than excited or angry, she moved closer. Using the shadows and wall, she peered around the corner and saw him sitting in his car with his hands gripping the steering wheel and his head resting on them. His demeanour was odd. Concerned, Barbara walked over to the car and knocked on the window.

"Sir, is everything okay?"

"Barbara!" Tommy looked up. His eyes were bleary, and Barbara suspected he had been drinking. He knew better than to drink and drive. There was a partially emptied bottle of Scotland's finest on the seat beside him.

"Why are you here?"

"I came... to see you."

"Then why are slumped over your steering wheel half-pissed?"

He sat up straight and glared at her. "I am not."

She pointed to the bottle. "You know better than to drink and drive. If you had called, I would have gone to you."

"I know. Like a faithful dog."

Barbara clenched her teeth and glared at him. "If you're going to be like that, I'll call you a cab. Otherwise, if you want to be civil, you can come inside instead of talking out here where all my neighbours can see."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it the way it sounded."

"If you intend to get drunk, bring your bottle. You've almost finished the one your faithful hound keeps in her cupboard for you."

Barbara turned and started walking to her flat. She heard the car door open and close behind her and heavy but surprisingly steady footsteps rushing to catch her. "Barbara, wait."

She ignored him and kept walking towards her flat. He fell into step beside her but made no attempt to speak. She unlocked the flat, threw her coat loosely on her coat rack, and dumped her bag on her table. She walked to her kitchen and retrieved a clean, low-ball glass. She thrust it at him then pushed past him and sat on her lounge. She folded her arms across her chest and stared at him.

"I'm not drunk," he said as he sat in her only armchair and poured himself a drink, "I only started drinking when I arrived here."

"Why?"

"Dutch courage."

"I meant, why are you here?"

"Where have you been?"

"Out. Even faithful dog's get a run in the park."

Tommy looked her up and down then smiled softly at her. "Not usually without their owners."

Barbara snorted. It was embarrassing being seen by him dressed in her old, sloppy track pants and oversized tee-shirt, but it was hard to stay angry with him when he was making those eyes at her. He was the puppy dog! "You are not my owner."

"I know, but you are mine."

Barbara could not help but smile given her last thought about his eyes. "Rubbish. You're about as obedient as a cat."

"I didn't say I was obedient, just that you own me, heart and soul."

Barbara's face flushed scarlet. "How much have you had to drink?"

"Just enough for me to work up the courage to ask you something."

"Why do you need courage?"

"Because I don't know what you'll say, and I only want one answer."

"Then ask, and we'll find out."

"All in good time. I came around here earlier. Twice, but you weren't here."

"I have an appointment each Thursday when we're not on a case."

"Oh?" He sounded intrigued.

"Is it any of your business?"

"No, I don't suppose it is," he conceded, "I thought you might have been on a date. I have noticed you never want to have a meal or a drink on Thursdays."

"You came around to spy on me?"

"No!"

"Well?"

"I told you, I came to ask you something."

"Like where do I go on Thursdays?"

"No, but I am curious."

"Oh, for heaven's sake! I go to the back of the market and get a massage from this little Chinese lady."

"Why?"

"Does it matter? It makes me feel good. Relieves tension."

"Do I make you tense?"

"Sometimes. But this is about me, not you. It's good for me. Helps me stay supple." She could not tell him that she went because it was the only way to satisfy her base need to be touched by another human. "Anyway, that's irrelevant to why you came over here. What's your question?"

Tommy drained his glass of the generous finger he had poured himself. "We are friends. Good friends."

"Yes. That sounds like a statement of fact, not a question."

"Neither of us have any ties. No children, no lovers."

Barbara leant forward towards him. "So?"

"We are free to make our own choices."

"Yes, we are. Within reason. We still have jobs and responsibilities."

"Ah, yes, true. But what I wanted to ask might change that."

"You're going to quit, aren't you? And go back to Cornwall." Barbara sank back in her chair. Tears filled her eyes, but she was determined not to let them spill in front of him. She would save that for when she was alone.

Tommy moved across to the sofa and put his arm around her. "No, but that answers part of my question. If I ask what I'd really like to, then I know you will say no, and that would probably be the right thing to do. So, I want to suggest something unorthodox. Hopefully, it will be acceptable and, if things go as I expect, then we can work towards my original goal."

Barbara leant back and screwed up her face. "You're making no sense whatsoever, Sir."

"Barbara, we both know that we need each other. We have been skirting around the reason for years, even when..."

She stopped breathing. Was he saying what she thought he was? "Yes?"

"I love you, and I am fairly sure you love me, so will you move in with me and become my lover?"

"Your what?" Barbara's head spun. Had he really just suggested they become lovers?

"My lover."

"No! You've never shown the slightest romantic interest in me, and now you arrive on my doorstep and decide I should become your lover. It's like a business transaction. No courtship or kisses, just a demand to jump straight into bed with you."

"I wanted to make my intentions clear from the start. And in a way, I have been courting you. We go out to dinner and the movies, we're always together at the pub. And I have tickets for that West End show next week. You said you'd enjoy that."

"I thought we were just friends..."

"Can you honestly say that's all you want us to be?"

Barbara saw in his eyes that he knew the truth. She looked away. "No. I've dreamt of us being more." She sat up and glared at him. "But I imagined one day we'd look at each other and somehow melt into each other's arms and that you'd kiss me, and the heavens would light up with thousands of new stars. I didn't expect an invitation to become lovers that was like asking me to come to work early!"

"I'm sorry. I thought I should make my intentions clear upfront. I didn't want you to think this was a whim or a fling. I wanted to ask you to marry me, but I knew you'd say no. I thought if you moved in and we were lovers, that would overcome your fears and in a few months, you'd agree to marry me. I foolishly thought that in asking you, we would kiss and that all those years of wanting each other would find their own expression."

"You mean you thought we'd jump each other?"

"Yes, when you put it that way, I suppose I did. Instead, you are angry with me."

"I don't know what I feel."

"I should go. I'm sorry I upset you." He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. His fingers then traced a path down to her chin. They lingered there, and when she looked up, his eyes were as teary as hers.

Their faces drifted together. Barbara wanted to push him away and scream about how he had ruined the moment. She also wanted to feel his lips on hers. He paused millimetres from her and waited. Barbara took a deep breath then moved closer.

It was not the dreamy, soft, first kiss she had always imagined. It was hard and ferocious. They did not dally with gentle caresses. Their tongues fought furiously to access each other's mouths as they tore at each other's clothing. Barbara ripped open his shirt and ran her hands across his chest. Tommy pulled down her track pants. She tugged at his zipper. Hands and lips and tongues explored each other in a frenzy of need. As soon as they slid to the floor, Barbara guided him home. They panted and groaned as they thrust at each other. They cried out each other's name as they exploded together.

"I love you, Barbara." Tommy's arms came around her and kissed her tenderly.

Tempted as she was to give in, she pushed him away. "You've had what you wanted. Now go home."