Harry bit the chicken ball in half carefully ensuring the chopsticks would firmly hold the portion she left behind. Dempsey dipped the remaining half back in the sweet and sour sauce and as Harry shook her head, refusing the other half he ate it himself.

This was as near a perfect evening as he could get. Sharing a chinese with Harry and watching his favourite movie of all time.

"'There any of those prawns left?"

They were sat on the floor, with the foil cartons on the coffee table, leaning back against the sofa which Harry was determined to protect from spillage. She had concurred with Dempsey that the best way to enjoy the takeaway was to eat it in front of the TV watching his well played video of 'On the Waterfront'. Now half way through both she picked up one of the large prawns sitting in their oyster sauce with her chopsticks and held it in mid air. He leaned across towards her and as he moved in she placed it neatly in his mouth.

"That's so good" he murmured as he ate

"There's more"

"If you feed me"

Harry smiled and happily complied. After three more Dempsey sat back "no more, this is one of the best bits of the film" He turned his full attention to Brando and with no intention of eating any more herself Harry lifted herself off the floor and sat on the settee.

She watched the film with cursory attention and watched Dempsey with more whilst she contemplated her life. This was what she wanted, what she really enjoyed – her dream – well all but; the downside being that Dempsey seemed to see her as nothing but his best friend, someone he could come round and cheer up when she was down.

William: well he wasn't worth thinking about. The girls had been right when they described him as a cold wet fish. She had enjoyed his interest in her and her opinions but tonight he had ruined his chance. He had invited her to dinner at the Connaught. When she had accepted she had explained that she was glad to be going out on the night of Billy's funeral – she would need something to occupy her mind. Then he had rang to say he couldn't make it without any real explanation other than 'anyway if she'd been to a funeral in the afternoon he thought it inappropriate for to be dining in town that night' 'not quite protocol' had been his other phrase. She wondered what he was frightened of, she wasn't going to break down in tears or anything dramatic, she just rather not be alone to dwell on things.

She had stayed that Sunday night of the enactment weekend as he'd invited her out to dinner and now as she and James had shared the chinese she found herself mad at William in retrospect. William had raved about his desert so she had asked him for a taste of his cherry sorbet. Expecting him to use his long handled spoon provided to offer her a taster she leant forward so he could feed the mouthful to her. Instead he had reluctantly placed a spoonful on the side if her plate which she had tasted, enthused and offered some of hers in return, holding her spoonful of pudding forward as she spoke. He had pushed her hand sideways hissing that he wasn't a baby and would she kindly stop embarrassing him.

Dempsey had left Harry with her distant thoughts and piled his plate up again. Now she watched him watch his film: Johnny Friendly was talking to Charlie "look at that label on the bottle of whiskey it keeps changing direction." He pointed to the film as he ate.

"You've watched this too often James"

"And…. And at the end, the ship at the dock changes from a freighter to a cruise ship and back -you wait, you'll see"

She laughed. He finished eating and leant back against the sofa. Harry leant forward and massaged his shoulders "Thank you for tonight" she said. She had contemplated going to String fellows and seeing who was there when Dempsey had rung to say that the chief had put them both on a late. 'Now you can enjoy your night out princess' he had forced himself to say with a cheery voice.

She had merely replied 'fat chance I've been cancelled' and twenty minuets later he'd been on her doorstep with video in one hand, chinese in the other, mad at the thoughtlessness of people and one man in particular.

When she'd watched this film with James the first time she'd contemplated how there were similarities between themselves and Terry and Edie. She speculated as to whether if James had forced himself on her more forcefully she may have capitulated like Edie. Terry was brash around Edie and once Harry had considered accusing Dempsey of lacking any "sentiment or romance or human kindness," but now she knew he had all those qualities within him.

As Dempsey felt her hands circle his shoulders and back he contemplated his success, and he felt sure she was getting the message of his interest, he just hoped all this feeding and touching was her reciprocating his feelings. He decided it best not to rush things, Harry was actually quite proper he knew.

Dempsey cleared the food away, as he did so he pointed out yet another continuity gaff with Terry's jacket zipper. He came back with a second bottle of wine and sat on the settee with Harry. As the bit with the brothers in the taxi came on screen he quoted verbatim 'You don't understand. I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am, let's face it. It was you, Charley.'

Her cousins words 'throw yourself at him' suddenly filled Harry's mind. She cursed them - suddenly she felt self conscious and totally unable to move. Dempsey leant back and stretched his arm along the sofa leaving himself open for her to move into him but as much as she willed herself she couldn't - she had frozen. On top of that she was really beginning to feel so tired, the food, the wine, the emotion of the day all had their soporific effect. Dempsey noticed her heavy eyes and moved up next to her so now she didn't have to make the move; he gathered her onto his chest and she dozed instantly. He sat there watching his video wondering if like Brando and Eva Marie Harry might grow to love him; Terry's actions were becoming motivated by Edie, and Dempsey knew that it was Harry who gave him meaning in his life. She had become his inspiration. Whilst she slept he fingered her hair and looked at her face intensely. He could feel her rise and fall against him as she breathed and he thought he was in heaven.

Harry was dreaming, in her dream she could feel her hair being played with, her neck being kissed and in her dream she opened her eyes and looked up at James. A smile played across her as she slept and she squeaked in her sleep. James watched Edie and Terry dance he missed the next few minutes of the film as he was transported back to times he and Harry had danced together.

Dempsey thought of the words he wanted to say to her 'No one needs you more that I need you' and inside his head they sounded so genuine, he tried to mouth the same words to her but even like that his lips wouldn't move so he went back to telling her how so very beautiful he found her, how much he cared for her, how he loved her laugh, her smile, how he loved her – all inside his head where it worked. The film finished at some point but he missed it entirely his attention consumed by the woman in his arms. He genuinely thought it plain to see that they were so in love, well he was anyway. He loved times like tonight when they were together. He knew that he needed her there with him from tonight until the end of time

Eventually Harry stirred "bed time princess" he said. She sat up and felt a little dazed and confused but then Dempsey stood, turned off the TV and video "I'll get the spare quilt" he said "you go up and I'll see you in the morning sometime – and remember we can have a lie in" He let her go to bed then had a shower before turning in for the night.