Thanks for the lovely and encouraging reviews. I'd not been sure whether this approach would work, and I have little idea of where it's going...
oOo
The day after Ros's funeral the Grid was frantic. There was something going down. (When wasn't there?)
Ruth had so much to do that she was having difficulty in keeping up. She'd no sooner deal with one set of intel than another five would find their way to her desk. Normally she sailed through her work, thriving on the challenge, but today was different. Today she had other things on her mind.
Her desk phone rang, and she answered, relieved to be distracted.
"Ruth?" It was Harry.
"Yes. Is something wrong?"
"You've put the Croatian notes in the Turkish file, and the Egyptian intel in with the Syrian, and London Bombings intel is in the file marked: Birmingham. Do you want me to go on?"
"No, I'll fix it. Sorry."
"I can't afford for you to not be at your best, Ruth."
"Harry, I'll fix it."
That was the problem as Ruth saw it. Whenever either of them began to open their heart to the other, things in their immediate environment began to go a bit bonkers.
They each lost concentration. Most often, they lost the plot completely.
They lost sight of the ball, as Harry would say.
This was one of those phenomena, like sunspots occurring in 11 year cycles, or birds flying south for winter, or that of there always being an odd sock after the weekly wash.
It was a Fundamental Rule Of The Universe that when she and Harry drew close to one another, shit went down.
It mattered not what contingencies they had in place, something would always worm its way between them and create insurmountable obstacles to them ever progressing their relationship beyond the stage of exchanging longing looks across the Grid.
If Ruth hadn't known differently, she would have been prepared to believe that when she and Harry got close to one another in any way at all, they were capable of disturbing the magnetic field of the very planet itself. Ruth was afraid that if she and Harry ever managed to have sex any time soon, the electrical energy they'd emit would be enough to create power disturbances across the whole of Greater London, so much so that the underground railway system would be rendered inoperable for at least a week!
A connection that powerful had to be treated carefully and with respect. Ruth was not sure she was up to handling the fallout from any level of coming-together she and Harry may create. Individually they were just Harry and Ruth, each talented and magnificent in their own way. Together they had an energy and power which she found to be overwhelming and even frightening. If she thought about it for too long, she imagined she and Harry together as being like an alliance between the USA and China – just too damned dangerous for the rest of the world to ever allow it.
Ruth was in the middle of sorting the mixed up files when she noticed a new email.
From: Harry Pearce
To: Ruth Evershed
Hi
Sorry I was such a grouch. I've been worried about the question I asked you. More to the point, I've been worrying a lot about your answer.
H
From: Ruth Evershed
To: Harry Pearce
Hi back,
Yes, you were a grouch. I have no answer yet. I forgot to thank you for your question. Despite what you may think to the contrary, I was flattered. But the timing of your question was still really appalling.
R
From : Harry Pearce
To: Ruth Evershed
Hi again,
I apologise about the timing. Had I known timing was that important I would have attended a seminar on it. It is and never has been my strong suit. The question still stands.
(I have now decided that I must keep asking the question, and surely eventually the correct moment in time will occur) So, here goes..
Ruth, please marry me :)
H x
Ruth was confused and upset all over again. Whilst she was prepared to admire his persistence, his ability to stay on task, she also felt mildly harassed. Had she not made it clear that she was taking his proposal seriously, and that her answer was to be forthcoming? What was wrong with the man? Did he possess some kind of short-term attention deficit?
From: Ruth Evershed
To: Harry Pearce
Harry,
At the risk of being seen as shrewish, please do not ask me to marry you again until I have at least given you an answer. Were I to say no, you could be forgiven for wanting to ask me again – just in case I might be persuaded.
I still have no answer for you, and as much as I admire your devotion to the task, your asking me every few hours will not hasten my decision.
R
From: Harry Pearce
To: Ruth Evershed
Ruth -
I am sorry if I have been acting inappropriately. You see, I have only ever proposed marriage once before, and since that was over 30 years ago, I am out of practice. I am also not sure about the protocol.
Please forgive me.
Hx
Ruth was considering her reply to Harry's email when her phone rang. She was needed at the Chinese Embassy where her translation skills were required.
Harry watched her pack up her desk and leave. He pretended to be on the phone, but his eyes followed her every step of the way. She did not look his way as she passed his office, and he saw that as yet another bad omen.
The strategy he was using wasn't working. He had to try another approach altogether.