Chapter 4

Alesha's heart rate started racing again. As she climbed the stairs to her third floor flat, she could feel James right behind her. They did not talk.

"Wow!", thought Alesha, "This really feels like a date now. No. I am probably making up stories again. We've had plenty of drinks together in the past. But never at my or his place... What will we talk about?"

Alesha unlocked the door and entered. She hung her coat on the rack by the door and turned to James. She smiled, a normal smile.

"Come on, get you coat off. What would you like to drink? I have scotch somewhere, beer or wine..." She walked to the tiny laboratory kitchen on the left while talking.

"What are you having?" James asked, following her. She was peering in the frige as he came into the kitchen.

"Wine."

"Wine it is, then."

"Red ok?"

"Off course", said James as she closed the fridge and headed to a small Ikea rack on the counter. She looked at the few bottles and picked one. She fished a bottle opener from the cutlery drawer and set to uncork the bottle.

"It will have to be room temperature, I am afraid. I did not expect anyone tonight."

"Let me do that", said James.

Alesha handed him the bottle and went to the living room, where she kept the wine glasses in a cabinet.

"Bring the bottle here!"

James followed her. As he did, he held the bottle up to look at the label. He recognized it. One of his favourites. Turning the bottle over and peering closer, he could see his name written in pencil on the back label.

Alesha had set two glasses on the low living room table. She sat on the sofa and looked up as James stopped beside her. He held the bottle up again so that she could see the back label, eyebrow raised.

"You gave it to me. Remember? After the McGetty case."

James sat and started pouring. "And?"

"Every time I receive a bottle as a gift, I write the name of the person who gave it to me. When they come for dinner, I open that bottle."

"You mean that if I had given you a bottle from Tesco, that's what we would be drinking?", James asked, handing her a glass.

"But you would never give me a bottle from Tesco!" She took a sip. "Hmmm. That is good... It was my first boss at court who did that. I thought it was a good idea. Usually people give you stuff they like, and when it's given as a gift outside a dinner party, it means they do not have a chance to share it with you. So it makes sense to drink it with them at a later time."

James was seated beside her on the sofa. Angled towards her, one arm draped against the back of the sofa. "I can see your point. But it must fail, sometimes, no?"

"Well, I've learned to use Angela's gift when I cook boeuf bourguignon" She laughed. "Honestly. When I first started having people over and had to open a bottle, I knew nothing about wine. It was a good way to put the responsibility on the other person's shoulder. We did not exactly drink wine at home, you know?"

James looked at her. Difficult to thinks that this beautiful, poised woman grew up in an estate known primarily for prostitution and drug dealing.

"Again, Alesha. I missed you," said James, laughing.

"So, James. Do these radical changes you were talking about involve a new home as well?"

"Well... I am thinking about it. When Alison left, I thought it would be easier for Ethan if I kept the house in Hampstead. His friends are around. And to be honest, it just seemed less of a hassle. But now, I don't know. I would like to be a bit closer to the city. And I do not really need a backyard."

"Already feeling that the bike commute from Hampstead to Queen Mary is too much for your old legs?", Alesha teased.

"That's it. You found me out", said James.

"Where are you looking?", asked Alesha, thinking how fit he was and how many of her much younger guy friends did not have half of James' physical vitality. He was not one of those muscle gym type, but lean and graceful. She was not surprised he cycled.

"I am looking at Shoreditch, Whitechapel... you know?"

"That's exciting! And that's not very far from here. I think you'd like it". Alesha lived in a three story apartment house fronting a park in Bethnal Green.

"Leaving the office was really difficult. But I think I made the right decision. I find that I really like teaching and while the consulting work has not really begun yet, it looks promising. After court, it almost feels like a vacation." James grinned a bit sheepishly. A known workaholic, it was difficult to imagine him taking it easy.

"And you?", James asked.

Alesha was resting her head on the back of the sofa. Her eyes were closed. "Well... It is difficult to tell yet. Jacob seems like a nice guy, a good prosecutor and all. But I miss the... closeness, you see? The camaraderie." She opened her eyes to look at James.

They had both had two glasses of wine so far. Not enough to be tipsy, but Alesha felt mellow. She was very at ease, sitting here with James. And he seemed to be having a good time.

"Well, it is a good thing you came up, you know James? It gave me a chance to open that bottle. It's been sitting there for an awful long time."

"But it is the first time you invite me over, Lesh."

Alesha looked at James, ruefully. "I know. And you had us over tons of times! But my place is so small, it seems crazy to invite everyone at once. And you were my boss,so..."

"But I am not anymore, so I am now allowed up?" asked James gently.

Alesha shook her head lightly, feeling her cheeks warming up. "Well..."

"Alesha. I am joking. I do not want to make you feel uncomfortable. In fact, I should apologize for the last time we saw each other. "

Alesha looked at James, puzzled. "What are you talking about?"

"We are good friends and that's important to me. I did not want to make you feel bad letting my feelings show like that. It was an emotional day."

James seemed embarrassed. He was looking at his glass of wine.

Alesha was not quite certain what he was saying. Usually she would have laughed, changed the subjects and worried about what he meant once alone in her bed. But she had drunken a few bears at the pub and now two glasses of wine, and she had been analysing that moment, THE moment, for the last month.

"Were you about to kiss me when George called?"

James glanced up at her, smirking ruefully. " I am afraid I was..."

Alesha placed her glass on the table and turned to James, getting a bit closer. "I don't think George will be calling now"

James looked a bit startled, but pleasantly so. He laughed quietly as he placed his glass very carefully on the table. Alesha waited nervously, afraid he was about to says goodnight, that he had made a mistake that other night. He turned towards her and leaned in. He touched her face gently with his right hand as he bent his head.

"Let's hope he doesn't."