Chapter 9

Luckily the small greasy spoon, just along Elizabeth's Street was a short drive away from the hospital. Somewhere usually quiet, but not at 12:20pm on a Tuesday afternoon. They took their seats at the small booth in the cafe, and glanced at the menus.

Charlie was first to put the menu down, his decision already made up.

"That was quick." Duffy said, as she looked up at him over the top of the menu.

"Don't need to look, been coming in here for years."

"You never told me that."

"We've never really discussed breakfast before now have we?" Charlie replied, and before the words had left his mouth, he saw her blushing back at him.

"Um."

"I didn't mean it like that, oh, shit, you know what I meant Duffy." Charlie rubbed the back of his neck, as he sat nervously looking at her.

"Yeah, ha ha, I did." She replied, looking serious, then began to giggle at him.

"Ha ha, very funny."

"You asked for that mind."

"Yeah, well, I suppose so."

"Right, in that case."

Charlie frowned at her.

Then the waitress came over to them, notebook in hand, and asked them what they wanted.

"I'll have what he's having."

"But you don't know what I'm having." Charlie bend over to her almost whispering at her.

"Makes it even more of a surprise then doesn't it?"

"I suppose it does then. I'll have my usual please Tracy, and two teas."

"Your usual coming up Charlie." Tracy replied, as she didn't even need to write it down, she took the menus from them both, and walked away back to the kitchen.

"Your usual?" Duffy asked him.

"Yeah, I told you, I come here all the time."

"So, you'll be having?"

"The same as you."

"Very funny."

"It is isn't it?" Charlie smiled back at her triumphantly, then winked at her.

Duffy just smirked at him and shook her head.

Not long after two pots of tea arrived at their table, and a stack of toast.

"So? The toast is for?"

"Us."

"Tuck in." Charlie said, as he smirked at her, winding her up further.

Duffy shook her head at him, smirking back.

"But."

"But nothing, they'll go cold."

Charlie began buttering his toast, and poured himself a mug of tea.

"You're enjoying this aren't you." Duffy said, as she took a slice of toast and began buttering it too.

Charlie just winked at her and smiled, then took a bite of his toast.

"You wanted breakfast." He said to her.

"It was your idea." She replied.

"Just thought it would be a nice thank you, for all your help today."

"Oh, I see? Ask me that again after I've eaten. I haven't got much energy at the moment."

"Oh?"

"Charlie?" Duffy frowned at him.

"That's not what I meant." Duffy added.

"No, no, um, of course not." Charlie tried to stifle a straight face and failed, as he let out a giggle at her.

"You're ridiculous do you know that?" Duffy said, as she frowned at him.

"Can't help it, ha ha." And he laughed again at her.

Duffy shook her head at him, and soon began to giggle herself.

They'd then began to tuck into their toast, drank their tea, waiting patiently for their unknown breakfasts to arrive. Every so often Duffy just shook her head at him, and he chuckled at her.

"Ah, finally, here we are." Charlie announced as their breakfasts arrived, clasping his hands together.

The waitress, somehow managed to manoeuvre her way through the now packed cafe with the large tray held out in front of her.

"Two extra large full-english specials." The waitress announced, as she placed each plate down for Duffy then Charlie.

"Extra large?" Duffy said, as she looked down at the, as the name implied, extra large portions of everything on the plate in front of her.

"Enjoy." The waitress giggled at Duffy, and winked at Charlie.

"You said you were hungry?"

"Yes, but, not I haven't eaten for days hungry. What on earth's this Charlie?" Duffy said, as she saw the enormous plateful of food in front of her.

"My usual. Now, if you've quite finished gorping at it, I'm hungry. If you feel the need to share any of yours, I'm partial to a sausage or two." Charlie said, as he winked at her.

"Charlie, get your own sausages. I'm quite partial to them too."

"Are you now?"

Duffy says, as she stabs one of them with her fork, and bites the end of it off.

"I am."

"So you are."

Charlie raises his eyebrows at her actions, then smirks at her, and she smirks back at him.

"Now who's talking with their mouth full of sausage?"

Duffy just shakes her head at him, and tries to hide her giggles.

She points her sausage fork at him.

"Don't you point your sausage at me." Charlie says.

Duffy just shakes her head and continues to chew.

Charlie then reaches over for the brown sauce, emptying almost half the bottle onto his breakfast.

"Charlie? Are you having breakfast with your sauce or what?"

"It adds to the flavour."

"What flavour? They'll be none left, it's swimming in that stuff."

"More sausages for me then, dibs on that one." Charlie replied, as he plops a layer of brown sauce on one of her sausages on her plate, then winked at her.

"Hey!" Duffy squeals at him.

"Oh come on, you'll never finish four sausages, with all that too."

"Watch me."

"Go on then." Charlie replies.

"Alright, I will."

Charlie just smirks at her, as she begins to tuck into her breakfast, carefully avoiding the sausage covered in brown sauce, she wasn't a fan of that stuff, yak.

The more he looked over at her efforts, the more impressed he became. Although he could tell she was wavering slightly.

"I must say, I'm impressed."

"Good, because I don't know how you can eat all this. I mean, oh, who am I kidding. I give up." Duffy said, as she admitted defeat.

"Well, you earned it. That was quite a show."

"How come?"

"I'll let you into a little secret?"

"Oh?"

"I only come here after a really tough night-shift, and have never finished a meal yet."

"Charlie Fairhead, I could kill you." Duffy said, as she threw the napkin in his direction.

"Good effort though. Only half the plate cleared. Well done."

Duffy just shook her head at him, and folded her arms.

Charlie just chuckled at her even more.

"I'm a bit full too." He eventually said, after he ate the last of his sausages.

"I can't believe you."

"Serves you right."

"Good job breakfast is on you."

"Ha ha, touchè. That's the Greasy Spoon Special you've just had. No one has managed to finish it yet. It's free if you eat it all."

"Charlie." Duffy scowled at him.

"What?" Charlie shrugged.

"What'll I do with you?" She shook her head at him.

Charlie just smirked at her.

They sat there for a few more minutes finishing their mugs of tea, when there was nothing left to say. Charlie had paid their bill, an extortionate amount of money, as Duffy remarked. But, as Charlie had mentioned, it was worth it just to see her try.

"So?" Duffy said, as she put down her mug.

"So?"

"Better now?" Charlie asked her.

"I suppose so."

"Good."

"You planned this all along didn't you?" Duffy asked him, as she leaned forward, her elbows on the table, her chin rested on her hands.

"Well, I had to cheer you up somehow."

"Oh, Charlie." Duffy replied, blushing at him now.

"I'll take that as a yes then?"

"Yes, yes you have." She smirked at him.

"Good. Want me to drop you off at home?" He asked her nonchalantly.

"Yeah, yeah, you can do, thanks." Duffy replied, as she reached for her bag.

"No trouble." Charlie said, as he smiled warmly at her.

When they exited the cafè the tension they had together previously was all but forgotten. He unlocked the door for her, and she got into the passenger seat, just as he got into the driver's seat opposite her. He quickly started the engine and began their journey to her house.

She then suddenly had to stifle a bit of a yawn.

"Sorry Charlie, I think the day is catching up with me."

"Yeah, same here." He said, as he too began to yawn.

"Thanks for breakfast, or lunch, actually I don't think I'll need feeding until tomorrow now."

"I'll bare that in mind." Charlie said, as he smirked at her again.

He then glanced at her once or twice, he wasn't sure. But, seeing her smile, giggle and laugh, had ultimately been the reason he'd asked her to breakfast. He didn't, and couldn't let the tension go on between them any longer. He'd missed her, and he didn't think he could hold off from telling her any longer.

She also glanced at him, more than a few times. She'd missed him, his sense of humour, his charm even, most of all she'd missed the closeness, she'd missed him. The problem was, it was dangerous territory they were entering once again. That thought unnerved her, but, it also made her ache for him. She didn't think she could stop herself if she were honest, being this close to him again. She could hear her heart race at the thought of his hands, that currently gripped the wheel, running their way over her body. She began to squirm in her seat. She didn't know if she could cope with this any longer. The pull, the need for him was clouding her judgement.

It was the sound of the indicator that brought her out of her thoughts, as he pulled up to the curb outside her house.

"Well." She said, as she couldn't quite look at him just yet.

"Well." He replied, as he to was finding it difficult to look at her.

"Um. Thanks for, um, breakfast Charlie." She said, as she played with the strap on her bag, still unable to look at him.

"Yeah, um, you're welcome." He replied, as he then turned to look at her.

He could see she was nervous, worried even, as he watched her play with the strap on her bag. He knew, watching her like this, that she was feeling just the same as he was. Scared, and hopeful all at the same time. It wasn't right, the position he was now putting her in. They'd resolved all their problems, and he couldn't now ruin it with what he had wanted to do most of all. Kiss her, to taste her lips on his. He knew that as soon as he kissed her that would be it, they'd not be able to stop themselves any more. They'd tried, but failed. He knew it would only cause them both pain, and hurt. There would be no going back to their friendship, which they had now managed to resolve. He would just become that bloke who broke up two happy families. He couldn't do that to her. And now it was up to him to decide.

"Um, I don't know about you, but, I'm exhausted." He said, as he ran his hand around the back of his neck.

"Yeah?" She asked him, as she finally turned to look at him.

"Yeah." He looked into her eyes, as she looked into his, they could sense the want and need in each other, but froze, unable to move.

"I, er." He stuttered.

"Um." She replied, unsure she had even made a sound.

He then let out a sigh, a small sigh.

She to took a small breath out.

They simply looked at each other and couldn't speak, lost in each other's torment for the other.

"I'll um, have to, um." He said finally, his heart racing as he spoke, his mouth dry from nerves.

"Yeah, um, me, too." She replied, and smiled sombrely at him.

She then quickly grabbed the handle of the door, opened it, and left the car, closing it with a thud, behind her.

Charlie blinked at the sound of the thud of the door, and he let out a deep breath, as he watched her walk through her gate. She hurriedly grabbed the keys from her bag to open the door of her house, closing it behind her, not looking back at him once. He sighed once more, as he then slammed his palms into the steering wheel, and swore under his breath.

"Fuck!"

He then put the car into gear and drove away, cursing to himself the entire time.

-x-