"Come on, come on!" Gina Gold calls rounding up her uniforms and herding them into the briefing. "Come on PC Dunbar." The inspector calls to her last PC. The room is full when Andrea enters; the superintendent is already bringing them up to date with the sniper case. At the side of the room Andrea leans against a table, in front of her the taller uniformed officers block her view. She has a free run to the door but can barely be seen by anyone else in the room from the chin down.
The door opening registers with Andrea but her focus doesn't shift from committing the new details of the case to memory. She knows it's him from the moment the table shifts as he leans his body weight against it. His after shave surrounds her and not willing to take a chance, she scans the room trying to locate anyone whose interest has been taken by the later arrival.
Andrea steals a glance at him, profile – so handsome and then stares back at the floor. She feels his eyes on her, a sixth sense that must throw back for millions of years in humans – the source of all feelings of self-consciousness. Neither of them smiles, it's too risky with this many people. His eyes drop to the floor and Andrea re-focuses on the briefing.
She feels the electricity before they even touch. The smallest of her fingers and the smallest of his connect, there's not one part of her body that she doesn't become aware of.
Andrea adjusts her hand from her side to curl around the edge of the table. It's a matter of moments before Neil's hand is next to hers, his pinkie wrestling to secure the affection of hers.
It's high-risk behaviour; Andrea keeps her head foreword thankful that the blinds behind them are closed. She feels an ache at the sudden loss of his touch that is replaced by cold metal…her key.
Quickly she hides it under her hand; his touch however minor awakens memories in her that she pushes aside before they cause her to blush.
As the super winds up, Andrea makes her most daring move, slipping the key back into the side pocket of his pants. His eyes catch hers, questioning but no words are exchanged.
As the room begins to empty the voices rise to discuss what they've just heard, Andrea stands and takes her opportunity when there's plenty of cover. "Keep it, I'll get another made."
She joins a conversation with Honey as she exits the room and no one is any the wiser about what has just gone on between her and Neil.
"Andrea Dunbar?" The unknown male standing outside her door asks.
"Who wants to know, you're not selling anything are you?" Andrea's just too tired to be polite.
"Delivery for you." Andrea notices his nametag reads Adam as she signs for her delivery.
"Enjoy them Miss." Adam wishes as she takes ownership of the dozen red roses that were resting on the ground behind him out of sight.
Juggling with the flowers and searching for her key, it takes a minute for Andrea to realise she no longer has a key. Underneath the carpet that has lifted from the concrete two steps down she rescues her spare.
Once her flat is bathed in a warm light, in the kitchen Andrea searches for a piece of glassware suitable to hold the red dozen in. Arranging them in a vase on the table the card reveals itself to her. She admires the roses as she slips onto the sofa and removes the tiny card from its envelope. Thank you, Love Neil, it reads. Tucking her legs underneath her and resting her head on the arm of the sofa, Andrea flashes through all their happy moments and like a beautiful rose has its thorns, Andrea feels the thorn in this moment is that she can't call him to say thank you.
It takes four days for Andrea's path to cross Neil again at work. At the end of her shift she keeps her head down, avoiding eye contact with the sprinkling of CID staff. Debbie McAllister makes Andrea feel most uncomfortable, it's as though she can see right through her and knows all Andrea's secrets.
So happy to see Neil behind her desk Andrea feels as though she glides through the door. Neil looks up and saves his smiles till he's checked the CID office.
"PC Dunbar what can I do for you?" Neil asks for the benefit of anyone in earshot, the door closes on his sentence. "Did you get the flowers?" He asks as they stand behind the door for cover.
"They were beautiful Neil, thank you…" He waits sensing she has more to say.
"But." He prompts.
"You have a key to my flat…I have to be able to call you Neil."
"So call me." Neil accepts, leaning against the back of his desk. His looks makes her weak, she can feel his affection for her.
"I'll be careful about having the number stored in my phone; I'll block my number from appearing on your phone." Andrea offers as if it were a negotiation.
"We're not spies." Neil says smiling and leaning towards her, after a moment Andrea realises it's a joke and smiles herself.
"I'd like to thank you properly for the flowers." Andrea says flirtingly.
A quick glance into CID to see if the meeting has been noticed and Neil returns his gaze to hers. His lips press together for a moment as if he's running the words he's about to say through his head.
"I'd like that very much and I might just take you up on that tonight." She loves the voice he uses, just a notch up from a whisper and from the back of his throat someplace.
Andrea had glided into the office, on her way out she floats.
The key in the lock shifts Andrea's attention from the TV that was only half entertaining her anyway. At first the dull light from outside her flat does little to backlight the figure entering through her front door. It isn't until he steps into the warm light of the room where she's sitting that she can really see him. Not a crinkle anywhere as usual but he does look tired. They don't exchange words as Neil drops into the sofa leaning against her chest. The domesticity of the situation strikes Andrea, all over London one person comes home to another…Andrea doesn't know what to say, somehow 'how was your day honey?' doesn't fit their picture.
"You look tired." She says finally, wrapping her arms around him.
"I am…what are you watching?" His head bends back placing a kiss on her lips successfully despite the awkward angle.
"Some garbage." Andrea says brushing off any value it might have had in occupying her before he arrived. "You eaten?"
"Yeah I grabbed…" He doesn't finish his sentence, staring at the images that cross the screen
"Let's go to bed?" Andrea receives no opposition.
Their clothes are removed slowly with tenderness and care rather than lethargy, landing in a pile at the end of the bed. Under the warmth of the covers they move together unhurriedly, exploring and appreciating every inch of each other.
Its cold, the type of cold that surrounds you and cuts through every layer of clothing you have on. It's dark too, the only guide, a frosted over window which disperses the light behind it radiating a homely welcoming sight. The cold means she can only stand to wipe away a small patch of the window with her bare hand but it's enough for her to see inside. A happy family scene, mum in the kitchen and a son at the table, she longs for a fraction of the heat coming off the bowl in front of him. A man enters – Neil. The scene unfolds right in front of Andrea's eyes; it doesn't take anything for the crescendo of their voices to reach her ears. An argument ignites; insults and accusations are traded, picking at seemingly inconsequential things rife and deliberate snide seeps into their voices. At the table the young boy covers his ears, tears rolling down his face.
"This is your entire fault and her fault." Philippa yells, pointing to the window where Andrea is playing voyeur. She jumps back but realises her efforts to hide herself are futile. "You've broken up our family."
Neil stalks across the room and vanishes into the darkness of the next room.
"Please don't go dad." The young boy cries out loud…Andrea can hear the heartbreak in his pleas.
Gasping loudly as she sits straight up in bed, Andrea concentrates on slowing her beating heart.
"You alright?" Neil sleepy voice breaks through the night's silence. His arm that once rested possessively over her has been flung back onto his side.
"Yeah it was just a…"
"Guilt dream." Neil finishes rubbing his eyes.
"Nightmare I think I'm going to call them from now on."
"What time is it?"
"Half one." Andrea replies falling back into her pillow. Neil pulls her into his chest, close contact to ward off the dream demons.
"When you go back to sleep I'll have to go." Neil informs her, Andrea doesn't want to think about it, enjoying his presence as he brushes the hair from her forehead. Safe in his arms it doesn't take long for her to fall asleep again.
The crinkling of paper Andrea decides isn't something she should hear this early in the morning. The space next to her once occupied by a warm body is now cold, but the warmth has left a note. Sorry I had to go, love you, Love Neil. Although she smiles as she rolls back over in the bed, last nights dream is still very present in her mind.
"You haven't been around much lately." Yvonne comments as they pass an elderly man walking with the aid of a cane.
"Yeah I have." Andrea defends, this line of conversation doesn't worry her but she goes on guard to make sure she doesn't say anything she might regret.
"Mmm-Hmm." Yvonne says skeptically as Andrea's phone chimes. She flips open the phone to see she has a message from Neil. Daring not open it, waiting a beat to make Yvonne think she's read the message.
"So who's it from?" Yvonne teases.
"No one." Andrea replies lightly but Yvonne is not convinced. "It was the phone company they're putting up the price of overseas calls or something."
"Uh-huh." Yvonne says a little more convinced. "Wait Mrs. Thompson." Yvonne calls to the elderly lady who's dropped her keys.
It gives Andrea a chance to sneak a look at her message.
Meet me in the car park at the end of your shift.
There's a spring in her step as she walks the rest of her shift.
Andrea winds her car around and up the car park, there's no sign of Neil on the lower level… too many cars and people are coming or going who might recognise them. The top level is deserted except for Neil's car. As he sees her approach he gets out of the car and leans against the door.
"What are you smiling about?" Andrea asks over the top of her car as she shuts her door.
"Nothing." He says continuing to smile and look down.
"What?" Andrea says feeling self conscious as she stands opposite him. A small squeal escapes past her lips as he wraps an arm around her waist and pulls her into him, kissing her thoroughly.
"What is it?" Andrea smiles warmly remaining leaning against him.
"Philippa's going away next week," Neil looks down and smiles. "All week, overseas to extradite a criminal back here for her case."
The news intrigues Andrea who stares across the car park wondering what he'll say next. Neil absorbs every inch of her face, trying to gauge a reaction. A gentle hand on the back of her neck and thumb stroking her cheek brings Andrea back from her thoughts.
"I've booked us a couple of nights away." Neil says with a plain face, keeping his cards close to his chest till he knows her feelings. Andrea's head drops but it doesn't take long for a smile to spread across her face. Neil's head drops capturing her lips with his, heightening herself on her toes Andrea slides her arms under Neil's suit jacket. His kisses are hungry as he gathers Andrea into his own arms.
"Did the right thing then." Neil whispers as his lips hover inches from hers. Andrea's only reply is to initiate another kiss. "I have to go back to work." Neil says once the kiss finishes, Andrea straightens his tie as he presses his lips to her forehead. "Pack something nice this place is pretty posh."
Neil walks away, holding her hand till their arms can stretch no further. Andrea waits a beat but goes after him grabbing his arm and pressing her body against his, she needs a goodbye kiss. He waves as the car glides away.
