Just a short follow up to Mystery Date. For Refreshingly Original. Don't give up on the shoes. I'm working on it as we speak:)

Be prepared to duck

"You would be wise to enter cautiously and be prepared to duck!" said Eve as Bond strolled thru the outer office on his way to see M

"Oh and why is that?" he said with a grim

"Because she's in a right foul mood this morning"

"How can you tell?"

"Because usually she is just demanding but this morning she is just being bloody unreasonable. I sure wouldn't want the be the idiot who inspired this epic meltdown"

"Well...I'll see what I can do. Why don't you go get yourself a cup of coffee, I have a feeling this could take a while"

Bond knocked lightly as he slowly opened the door only to be caught in the icy stare of M who was rifling thru the papers on her desk like a lunatic.

"What do you want?" said M sharply

"You wanted to see me remember?"

"So I did. Sit down" she said coldly while walking around her desk to face him

"So what's put you in such a cheery mood this morning?"he asked sounding somewhat amused as he had never seen her so flustered.

"Bond this has to stop immediately!" she said

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about"
"Don't play stupid with me. you know exactly what I'm talking about"

They had been dancing around this topic for days now. With a series of uncomfortable conversations followed by awkward glances and quite a few unfinished sentences and it was starting to get out of hand.

M didn't know whether to be flattered or embarrassed after all she, the head of MI6, had allowed one of her agents to kiss her and instead of giving him the sound dressing down he deserved what did she do? she kissed him back, twice!

"This is all your fault" she said staring at him with a stare that could freeze running water

"And just how is your foul mood my fault" he asked trying to suppress a smile

"You're the one who chose to go about spying on me, then you broke into my flat and drank my best scotch, then you proceeded to play what amounted to a rather ridiculous game of twenty questions about my private life and then to top it all off you crossed the ultimate line and kissed me against my will in my hallway"

James, doing his level best not to make the situation worse simply leaned forward and replied

"Ma'am all due respect you didn't seem to mind at the time"

It's a good thing that James had good reflexes as he ducked out of the way just in time as a stapler went flying past his head hitting the wall behind him.

"So tell me, if you don't mind my asking, what bothers you more the fact that I did all those other things or the fact that I kissed you?"

"Bond. I am your boss and I don't care who you are you do not have the right to insert yourself into my private life! and you certainly do not have the right to take liberties with me whenever the spirit moves you."

"If that is the case then why did you call me in here a few days later and kiss me again?"

A look of embarrassment followed by complete frustration quickly spread across M face as she seemed to ponder his question as her blood pressure began to rise.

"I called you in here that day to teach you a lesson about poking you nose in where it doesn't belong" she replied

"And how is your fancy man?" James asked attempting to change the subject

"What..?" replied M who was caught completely off guard by the question

"You know your fancy man, what's his name?"

"None of your business" she said sharply

By this time James had had just about enough of this little dance they seemed to keep doing with each other. It was clear, at least to him, that there was only one way to calm her down. So he rose from his chair and closed the distance between them until he was standing directly in front of her.

"Just what do you think you're doing, you ..." she started to say as she was cut off midsentence as James leaned down and pulled her into a gentile kiss wrapping his arms around her. M started to resist at first but quickly abandoned all reason and put her arms around his neck pulling him closer and kissed him back.

When he finally released her she looked at him slightly calmer and asked

"What was that for? Have you not listened to one word I have said?"

"Well they say the third time's a charm" he said kissing her again.