Louisa stopped walking and turned to Martin,
"Could you go back to mine and set up the table then I can just bring the food straight in?" Louisa suggested.
"Yes if you like."
"Great," she reached into her bag and pulled out a set of keys, "Here," giggling slightly as she placed the keys in his hand.
"What is it?" Martin asked curiously.
"It's just, well I never expected to be giving you keys to my house. It's silly sorry." She shook her head smiling.
"No its not, I never thought I'd be able to go in to your house let alone to let myself in." He said proudly as he gazed into her emerald green eyes.
Lost for words Louisa nodded in agreement when Martin remembered he had to give Louisa the money. Taking his wallet out of his pocket he went to hand Louisa enough money for the food.
"Martin I feel bad for taking your money!" She stated, refusing to take the money.
"Louisa please take it." He demanded as he forced the money into her open hand. "Is that enough?"
"Yes, thank you." She whispered, looking down at the floor.
Continuing to stroll down the hill, Louisa and Martin's hands had parted due to the fiasco of needing both hands to retrieve her keys. She tried subtly to get Martin to take her hand again, casually brushing her hand against his once or twice until he got the hint. Martin slid his hand into Louisa's, as they reached the harbour, Martin with his head held tall and Louisa smiled contently in her stride. Even though the desperation for the moment to last for an eternity, it was time for the pair to part.
"Right you'll be able to find everything won't you?" Louisa asked.
"Yes I'm sure I'll be able be able to set the table Louisa."
"Right well I'm sure you won't injure yourself like some idiots do." She said, peering down at her bandaged hand.
Martin grumbled as he released her hand.
"Cod will do won't it or do you want something else?"
"Yes that's fine." He said in an ignorant manor, regretting that he had agreed to eat from a chip shop.
"See you soon." She said softly, before walking away up yet another hill.
Martin watched after her until she was no longer in his sight. Walking in the direction of Louisa's house, he passed a small shop displaying flowers outside, remembering that on the way to the surgery Louisa had commented that she thought they were beautiful. He took a few seconds to decide whether a bunch of flowers may cheer her up from her disastrous evening so far. Without another question, Martin hurriedly walked over to the display and hesitantly scanned through the variety of flowers. His eyes set upon a bouquet of red roses, where he immediately thought of Louisa. He grabbed them awkwardly out of the stand, subconsciously looking around as not to make a fool of himself, he made his way into the cramped shop.
A plump woman sat on a stool behind the counter, flicking through a magazine, spread out in front of her. She glanced up as a tall figure came closer to her, a bunch of roses in his hand. Her freckled face turned into an expression of surprise as she saw the Doc carrying flowers.
"Ah, good choice Doc!" she smiled, nodding causing the black and grey flickered curly hair on her head to move at a different speed than her head.
Martin's frown deepened as he glared at the shopkeeper. The one thing he hated in Portwenn was that everyone had to pass a comment, even when not necessary.
"For Louisa I'm guessing? I saw her looking at them earlier." She smiled, tapping away at the buttons on the till.
"Yes." He mumbled.
After paying and extortionate amount for what he thought was a nonsense piece of dead greenery, he marched out of the shop, understanding that it would make Louisa happy and that was worth more than anything.
He fumbled around with the set of keys in his hand, eventually finding the identified house key, he opened the front door and stepped in. Glancing before him, he noted that the kitchen floor still held a puddle of blood. Placing the flowers to stand in the kitchen sink, he began fiddling with the kitchen roll to begin to clean up.
…
Louisa entered the chip shop, luckily it was empty, and so she could buy the meal and get back to her 'romantic' meal with Martin. Hopefully he used his initiative and cleaned up the blood, instead of just setting the table like she'd asked. Her thoughts crossed to imagining the puddle of her blood sitting on her kitchen floor as they ate their dinner with Martin heaving over the sight.
The chip shop owner calling her name interrupted her thoughts as she made her way to order the food.
….
Back at the house, Martin was managing the time productively and had finished tiding the kitchen floor, with his face becoming whiter as he went along.
As he stood up, he noticed that there was blood spots on the cupboards. Sighing, he took a clean cloth and conducted the same routine of cleaning again, muttering at how difficult it was to remove the stains from the wooden doors.
Martin was just about done, until he peered down at the blood soaked cloth and a strong scent of it, he began to gag. Hurriedly, he placed his hand over his mouth and leaped up the stairs reaching Louisa's bathroom, ignoring the usual embarrassment he endured when he was in a more feminine environment, he managed to throw up, luckily in the toilet.
"For goodness sake, come on!" he cursed himself, flushing the toilet and then washed his hands.
After a few deep breaths and a long stare in the mirror at his ghostly white face, he regained the energy to return back downstairs. Pouting himself a glass of tap water, he thought about the presentation of the table.
He arranged the array condiments neatly, moving the single flowered vase in the centre of the table and brought out clean cutlery, laying the knives and forks together onto a napkin.
Louisa was made her way back to the house, a bandaged hand now throbbing and a bag of hot food in the other. Before descending back down the hill, she glanced at the flowers outside the shop, agreeing that she would buy a bouquet tomorrow if she had time.
She peered through the window of White Rose Cottage to see Martin fussing over the table, trying to make it perfect. She opened the door and the disappointment of not owning the stunning flowers escaped her mind, as she focussed on what Martin and the night may bring. As she watched Martin hurry around, not even spotting that she was stood in the doorway, she thought that maybe if she stopped trying to perfect it would just take its own course and would just fall into the hands of fate.
The door shutting made Martin jump, causing her to let out a short giggled.
"Oh Martin! The table looks beautiful!" she commented.
"I hoped it would be to your liking."
"Oh it is thank you." She nodded.
Martin had found a candle to place in next to the vase, allowing it to illuminate the table settings.
"Where did that rose come from?" She asked confused.
"I took it out off the bouquet I bought you." Martin walked around to the kitchen chair next to where he'd be sitting and pulled out the bunch of flowers.
"I think these were the ones you were talking about?" He said as he passed them to her.
Louisa's face lit up when she saw the arrangement of dark red roses that she had so badly wanted! To her amazingly Martin had been paying attention when she said she liked them!
"Yes those are perfect just what I wanted! Thank you." She walked over to Martin and planted a soft kiss on his cheek.
"Well I thought they would make you happy." He watched her face glow which was what he had hoped for.
"Oh you have! I'll just put them in some water."
Louisa took a crystal vase and sorted the flowers into it while Martin set out a wine glass for Louisa and a water glass for himself.
"Would you like me to get you a drink?" He asked while getting a glass of water for himself.
"Yes please there's a bottle of white wine in the fridge." She pointed over towards the fridge.
Eventually, they had sat themselves down opposite each other, a little different to Bert's restaurant. There was nobody watching them and gossiping about the fact that they were sharing a meal together.
"Sorry it's not what I intended on eating." Louisa apologised, looking at Martin attempting to eat the greasy food in front of him.
"I'm sure it'll be fine." He said, clearing his throat.
…
Once the table and both plates were stacked up on Louisa's kitchen top.
"I'll change my dress if that's ok?"
"Yes its fine." He nodded.
"Ok well if you just want to wait and put something on the TV or whatever." She smiled as she waltzed up the stairs.
Louisa shortly came back down with her new favourite summer dress on, which was knee length with a bow around the waist also it was white with tiny baby pink flowers trailing up the right hand side.
"I didn't put anything to posh on sorry." She said as she twirled.
Martin gazed at her lovingly she never looked more beautiful with brown hair carelessly lying on her back, and pink blushed cheeks and her dress worked so well with her shape, he hadn't seen it before which made it better.
"No Louisa you look- well-"He stopped to look at her again, while she stood stunned that Martin would compliment her.
"Yes?"
"You look stunning."
Blushing Louisa looked at the floor she felt like she was a teenager again being complimented by a crush.
"Thank you, I meant to say to you earlier that I have noticed you suit, I haven't seen it before it looks very smart on you."
….
They sat down together on the sofa, as the sun went down.
"Honestly Martin I didn't expect you to finish that." Louisa said as they awkwardly sat close to one another.
"No well I did," He paused as he realised that he was going to express his true opinion.
"Did what?" She probed him.
"Did enjoy it." He openly said.
"Good, not that bad once in a while." She smile.
"Yes if too often then –" Martin was forced to stop, when Louisa placed a single finger on Martin's lips.
"Shh."