"Excuse me, sir, do you have a reservation?"
"Yes, I'm with the Home Secretary."
Harry had barely stopped. Two strides later he saw them, in a corner… laughing.
When, he wondered, was the last time he had seen Ruth laugh. He couldn't remember and that very fact made him hesitate, but the selfish part of him won the battle and so he strode on.
"Harry..." Towers did not look too pleased, "to what do we owe this visitation? Aren't you meant to be in talks with Gavrik?"
"I'm sorry, Home Secretary but something urgent has come up and we need Ruth's expertise."
"I'm sure Miss Evershed's most marvelous expertise is always required."
Harry suppressed the desire to let his elbow slip seamlessly into Tower's smug face.
"Do you really need me, Harry?" asked Ruth, she wasn't happy with his interruption.
"Yes, Ruth we do."
She sighed and reached for her handbag, but Towers wasn't ready to release her yet. He raised a hand to pause her movement.
"You couldn't ring, Harry? It's so urgent and yet you waste the time to come down here personally. You know what I'm beginning to think, that this has nothing to do with you losing an analyst, this is a great deal more personal than that, is it not?"
Harry glanced, jaw clenched, to Ruth.
"You may conclude what you want, Home Secretary, but the grid needs Ruth right now."
"And you? Do you need her?"
"What the grid needs, I need."
"Well, I'm afraid you'll have to wait, dessert's on the way."
Towers turned his attention back to Ruth, it was a dismissal.
But Harry was going nowhere.
"This is a case of national security."
"No, Harry, rather this is a case of your insecurity, anyway you may as well get used to the idea of not having Miss Evershed at your beck and call."
"What?"
"I warned you, Harry, you have under valued her."
"You're wrong, there's no one I value more."
"Whatever you say now, it's too late."
"I'll be the judge of that."
Ruth cleared her throat. "I am actually still here," she announced.
"Of course, my dear, I mean simply that Sir Harry must accept that you are coming to work for me."
"She still works for me and in the current climate we cannot afford to lose such an asset."
"Hello…" said Ruth loudly, waiting for them to release their bullish locked eyes and seek her out instead.
"I think you will find that this is my decision to make and I am more than capable of making it."
She picked up her handbag and proudly strode from the restaurant, crossing the waiter carrying two desserts.
"Vanilla bean panna cotta and a sticky toffee pudding."
Harry watched Ruth disappear out of the door, he turned back to Towers who glanced at him.
"Well I'm having the sticky toffee," he said belligerently.
Harry looked at the expectant waiter proffering the panna cotta, shook his head and walked away.