Shortly before six o'clock, Max pulled up to the lakeside house having followed Jasper's directions. There was no sign of Becksy's car, but walking round to the back of the house, he saw Jasper lounging on the veranda with coffee in one hand and tapping away at a laptop with the other.

"Hey" Jasper greeted Max laconically. "They'll be back in a few minutes", he motioned for Max to sit at the other reclining chair next to him. It wasn't much but Max thought that those were the only words he had ever heard Jasper speak. Then, just as Max sat down, Jasper spoke again. "Millie is my mate, closest I have to a sister. If you ever fuck her up again, I swear I will come looking for you". The two men stared at each other, neither willing to look away first. Max suddenly understood Becksy's comment the other evening about setting Jasper on him and how looks could be deceiving, nothing of the Labrador about him now. Their eye contact was broken only when a car pulled up to the side of the house and Max was given his get-out. He swiftly stood and waited for Millie to appear up the steps. If he had been nervous two days ago, he was beside himself now.

Hands shoved deep into his pockets to hide his shaking, he listened to the girls' voices as they drew nearer. Becksy appeared first, she gave him a small smile but looked at him warily, distastefully even. He supposed he deserved that, Millie had probably told her everything. Millie followed her friend. She was dressed simply, dark jeans and an oatmeal coloured deep v-neck jumper. It would have been unremarkable if it weren't for the neckline slipping down over one shoulder, revealing a delicate strap and the sweep of her neck down to her shoulder, exposed by her shortened hair. Almost as if she could sense his desire to feel the smoothness of her skin against his lips, she shrugged the jumper up onto her shoulders, but it was a futile effort and it slipped once again.

"Hi."

"Hi. You found the place okay?" It was just nervous small talk.

"Yeah, good directions, thanks Jasper" he looked behind him. Jasper gave him a look which clearly said that he wished he'd given wrong directions. Millie and Max stood uneasily for a moment before both speaking together.

"Shall we go …"

"We should …"

They stopped awkwardly, Max waited for her to speak.

"Let's go for a walk."

Max simply nodded.