Nikki didn't sit down straight way when she got back to the table. He didn't know what she'd supplemented her cleavage with, but she'd done something. She'd opened the first few buttons on her blouse too whilst she'd been gone and gave him an eyeful as she leant over to pick up the jug to pour her next margarita. If he hadn't been so transfixed by the sight he would have laughed out loud.
'Why are men so shallow?' he wondered. 'Blond hair and breasts' he thought, that's what she had said. But there was a lot more to Nikki than that.
"Well hello," she said breathily. "My name's Barbara, nice to meet you…"
"Harry, Harry Cunningham," replied Harry standing up to shake her proffered hand, and making sure he kept his eyes on her face and not lower down. 'How exactly had she done that?' he wondered his mind returning to the inevitable.
"You look like you needed that drink," Nikki began.
"Yes, I was supposed to be meeting some work colleagues here, but they stood me up," Harry replied.
"I can't believe that, a handsome man like you, left alone in a place like this, there's women in here that could eat you alive," Nikki said conspiratorially and at a half whisper, that caused her to lean across the table again. "They don't know what they're missing."
"Did you come here on your own?" asked Harry, but in a voice that suggested he suspected she was one of the carnivorous women.
"Me? No I'm harmless, I'm just with some of the carnivorous women," Nikki waved her hand in the direction of a group of women, with enough fake tan to make an Oompa Loompa proud.
"So what makes you different?" Harry asked her.
"What other than the fake tan? I'm a lecturer at the University up the street, I just go out with the admin girls as it's a lot more fun than going out with my department," Nikki explained.
"You're department isn't great at social events?" Harry asked again.
"I'm a botanist, my department isn't great at anything lively. The closest we come to fun is the 'name that stick' competition at the Christmas party and documenting in fine detail the sex life of orchids."
"The sex life of orchids doesn't do it for you?" Harry joked, one eyebrow raised and lifted his glass.
"Frankly no, I much prefer the real thing," Nikki replied leaning even closer to him. "What about you handsome Harry, does your work do it for you?
Harry sprayed his beer across the table, as he accidentally inhaled it on hearing Nikki's last comment. He knew she was pretending not to know what he did, but really! She wasn't making this easy at all, but there again, maybe it was just the tequila taking its toll.
"I think they arrest people for that." Harry managed to splutter out.
"Oh you must be a teacher too!" Nikki said delightedly. "Secondary or university?"
Harry was still floundering.
"Err yes, I do do some student teaching, but most of my time is spent erm…" What was it she had told him to say? Oh yes "I assist the police with their investigations, finding out why people died." He felt rather proud of himself momentarily.
"Oh, you're a pathologist!" Nikki answered. "Why didn't you say? I walk past the Lyell Centre on my way into work every morning. Securities worse than Fort Knox, what do you guys keep in there?"
"Most of my colleagues," Harry quipped back.
"Is that why you got stood up? The rest of them can't figure out how to escape?" Nikki asked.
"Something like that." Harry replied.
"So do you think we could work out?" Nikki asked, purposely rearranging herself.
"Well, Barbara I have to say, you do have some remarkable assets, but I don't think a carnivorous botanist and a pathologist really have a long term future…" Harry was about to continue he'd got something playing in his mind a great joke formulating about a cross between a botanist and a pathologist but Nikki pulled back from the table, Barbara was gone.
"Why do we do this Harry?" Nikki asked.
Harry wasn't quite sure yet that he was talking to Nikki so he waited and let her continue.
"Why do we go out there and pick up unsuitable people, just so that when it all goes wrong and the relationship comes crashing down we can blame ourselves for picking out the unsuitable one in the first place," she sighed.
"Some of them aren't that bad," Harry countered.
"Your's or mine? Because really Harry you've had some doozies."
"Speak for yourself," Harry retorted.
"I know, I know, but it's just…" Nikki didn't finish. "Sorry, I didn't mean all that to come out. I was just overwhelmed for a moment by the utter futility of it all."
"Don't be like that, Nikki. We were just having some fun, weren't we AND at Zak's expense. You've got Chloe the charismatic chemist to go yet."
"Do you really want me to?" Nikki asked plaintively.
"Not much," Harry admitted truthfully. "But I don't think it's a fear of failure though that makes me pick out the unsuitable women," he continued.
"It's not?" Nikki asked, once again engaging in their conversation.
"No, I think I do it because I know I will never find anyone else that has everything I want and so I don't even bother looking too hard." Harry tried to look nonchalent, cursing himself for his error, he'd meant to say 'anyone' not 'anyone else' he prayed she hadn't noticed.
"You don't really believe there's a Mrs Right out there, do you?" Nikki asked incredulously but he could see her brain whirring trying to make sense of his last words.
Harry didn't answer and Nikki studied his face, working out all the possibilities.
"There was one that got away!" she surmised. "One of those girls didn't yield to the Harry Cunningham school of charm and special magic and you've never got over it!" she laughed but not in a triumphant way, just pleased with her own detective work. "Who was she Harry? You've got to spill the beans now."
"I don't," Harry mumbled and resumed his praying position.
"I'll make you drink margarita's until you tell me!" Nikki giggled.
"You will, won't you," Harry groaned.
"Harry you can't say something like that and not expect me to want to know more of the details!" Nikki gabbled out.
"But I didn't tell you any of the details," he cried.
"You didn't need to!" she laughed.
"Help me!" begged Harry wringing his hands and lightly tapping his head on them as they rested on the table.
Who is Mrs Right? please send your answers and any other comments to the review button below.
