A few floors up one of Betty's neighbours gets into the lift. "Hello, Betty," Mrs. Ellen Hocking says as she enters the lift, "Are you going to introduce me to your friend? He's very handsome."
"Um, of course I'll introduce you. Stephen this is Ellen Hocking; Ellen this is my friend Captain Stephen Peacock." Betty says as she makes a split second decision about not introducing Stephen as her boyfriend.
"It's lovely to meet you, Stephen" Ellen says as the lift stopped. "Isn't this your floor, Betty?"
"Why yes, yes it is. Come on, Stephen, we can chat with Ellen some other time." Betty says as she takes Stephen's arm and walks out of the lift. "That was the most awkward moment of my entire day. Why did she have to ask to be introduced? That just made things so weird."
"That was without doubt the most awkward I've felt today, too. Why didn't you introduce me as your boyfriend, though? I thought that was very strange." Stephen says as Betty lets them into her flat.
"One: because you're still wearing your wedding ring and two: because I don't know who your wife's friends are. For all I know, Ellen could be off to your wife's bridge night tonight." Betty says as she goes into the kitchen, opens a cabinet, pulls out a bag of cat food, pours some into a dish against the wall, and refills the water bowl.
"Point taken, I didn't realize you'd thought it out that well, but I certainly don't remember Ellen Hocking from any of my wife's bridge nights; we're safe on that score at least. Now go get changed so we can go to dinner. I love your flat by the way; it's very homey and comfortable." Stephen says as he kisses Betty gently on the cheek.
"It's just a house really, somewhere to come home to at the end of the day, but because I have no one to share it with it doesn't seem as nice as it used to." Betty says as she walks into the bedroom and closes the door behind her. "Feel free to make yourself at home. The bar is well stocked; have a drink if you like. Be careful where you sit though, the cat may be sitting in one of the chairs."
Stephen sighs and looks around the room. It certainly has Mrs. Slocombe's touch, but not in her usual way; it is tasteful and elegant, but vibrant and full of life just like she is. He pours himself a whisky and soda and sits down in one of Betty's big cushy armchairs and sighs. It is wonderful to be with someone who loves him as much as she does.
Twenty minutes later Betty emerges from the bedroom dressed, pressed, and ready to go to dinner in a very nice skirt and top set she'd found in the back of the closet. It is something she hardly ever wears, but it is very elegant while still being casual. "What do you think?" she asks as she swirls into the room in a blaze of colour. The skirt is cream and the blouse a beautiful lilac.
Stephen is stunned at first. Never has he ever seen Betty looking so feminine, fragile, and demure as she does now standing in front of him waiting for his opinion. "You look absolutely beautiful. Where did you ever get that outfit? It suits you perfectly. Do you want to have a drink before we go to dinner?" Stephen finally manages to say this though how he never knows.
"Why don't we have after dinner drinks here? I don't know about you, but I'm starving, so let's head out. I'm used to throwing some leftovers on to reheat the minute I get home." Betty says as she bustles around tidying up the bar.
"After dinner drinks sound great. I'm famished, actually. When I get home dinner is usually plated and ready for consumption. Do you have a coat to wear with that outfit? It's supposed to be cold tonight." Stephen says caringly.
"I found an ivory tweed wool one in my closet. I'll go get it. Do you think we'll have snow for Christmas this year?" Betty asks as she rushes into her bedroom to get her coat. It's the beginning of November now.
"I hope so," Stephen says as Betty comes back out bundled in a cozy looking coat. "I love it when it snows at Christmas. Snow gives everything an air of calm and serenity."
"Will we get to spend Christmas as a couple this year do you think?" Betty asks as they exit her apartment and she locks the door behind her. "It would be wonderful to have someone special to share Christmas with this year."
"If my wife has left of course I'll spend Christmas with you. There's no place I'd rather be. We could even go out to the little country house I bought and enjoy Christmas there just the two of us. How many Christmases have you spent by yourself, Betty? It seems like a terrible time of year to be alone." Stephen says as he slips his arm around her shoulders while they wait for the lift.
"I stopped counting how many Christmases I'd been alone at five. That was too many on its own and it's been many years after that. Can I ask you something?" Betty asks as they get in the lift with Stephen's arm still around Betty's shoulders. Stephen nods calmly. "If your wife doesn't leave would you leave her in order to be with me? Be honest, Stephen, don't start this relationship off the wrong way."
"Yes, I would leave my wife to be with you. We'll see what happens when we come back from the Costa Plonka. If my wife is still at the house when we come back then I'll tell her I'm leaving, but something tells me that won't be necessary." Stephen says as he kisses the top of Betty's head.
"Good," Betty says as they walk down the front steps to his car. "I'd hate for my instincts to be wrong."
"What instincts?" Stephen asks as he gets in the car and revs the engine. "I hope you're getting good vibes from me."
"The instinct that we're really meant to be. I hope I'm right. It's such a wonderful feeling to feel needed and loved again. It's been a long time." Betty says as Stephen cruises down the street and pulls into a pub parking lot. "Is this where we're going for dinner?"
"Yes, why, is something wrong?" Stephen asks as he reaches over to his door handle to get out of the car.
"I come in here a lot. It might be awkward if I'm recognized." Betty says as she gets out of the car. "Never mind though, I do like the food here and it's not that big a deal. I'm just being silly."
Stephen and Betty walk into the pub and find a quiet area to sit. They look over the menu carefully and finally Betty decides on bangers and mash and Stephen decides on bubbles and squeak. "It's funny that we've never seen each other here if you come here often." Stephen says as he sips his wine.
"I try to avoid busy nights at this particular pub; it gets a little too rowdy here for me now. I like quieter nights though when I was younger I used to come here on a Friday or Saturday night. I could dance the night away." Betty says as she swirls the contents of her glass.
"I know the feeling; my stamina level has dropped dramatically in recent years. It's horrible. Old age seems to come on so quickly; one day you're able to stay out at a party all night and the next you can hardly stay up until ten o'clock." Stephen sighs and leans back in his chair a little.
"I know. I wish we'd known each other when we were much younger; it would have been fun to see a more carefree Stephen Peacock before the war made us all dutiful and responsible. You might have actually been fun to go to a party with." Betty says as their meals arrive and they both tuck in. "Here's to us, Stephen," she says. "Let us make this relationship fun and fancy free the way we were when we were young."
"Here's to you, Betty. May you never be nervous to date for the rest of your life whether or not this relationship works out. Here's to overcoming bad relationships and break-ups and persevering enough to have more relationships. Finally, here's to us and love, darling we're worth it!" Stephen says as the couple clink glasses together.