"You didn't tell me I would be meeting your family..."
Connie murmured. She held her hands clasped in front of her on the table and as she spoke she glanced about at the the other tables.
"I didn't know he would be working...it wasn't intentional, I promise."
Max flashed her a smile and narrowed his eyes, cocking his head to one side to look at her. It was obviously to early to be thinking of such serious relationship milestones, judging by her reaction at meeting his cousin.
"He won't say anything...if that's what you're worried about?"
He added, and he reached out a hand across the table, running his fingers across the rise and fall of her knuckles.
"That's not what I'm worried about."
She spoke quickly, too quickly, and Max could see the familiar flicker of irritation at the corner of her mouth. He squeezed her hands to gain her attention.
"You know you'll have to meet them eventually..."
He said quietly. Her lips tightened and she looked at their hands folded together so intimately between them. She imaged how they must look. A normal couple, out for a normal romantic meal together. She refused to think of the age gap...
"I know that...I know..."
She sucked in a breath, her chest expanded and she exhaled slowly, visibly letting go of the tension that she felt mounting up within her.
"Sorry."
She added, the glimmer of amusement was back behind the hazel of her eyes. Max smiled and squeezed her hand again, and then as she watched the reflection of the candle within his eyes he leant to one side, looking behind her, a frown creasing his forehead.
"You know you didn't want anybody from work knowing about us?"
He asked, and she felt his fingers slip from hers as she turned in her seat, the table giving an alarming lurch as she glanced behind herself to see Dylan coming through the entrance way, bustled up in coats, a scarf pulled tightly about his neck and he held a tub in one hand as he approached the bar.
"What's he doing here?"
Connie felt her stomach drop, and she turned back to Max as she spoke. She paused. Her eyes settling on the empty seat before her.
She glanced about herself. Max had disappeared. She shifted and twisted again in her seat. Dylan was speaking to a woman behind the bar who seemed to know him. She took the tub he held and then he turned, looking directly at Connie. He gave a slight nod of his head in an awkward greeting and shifted from one foot to the other.
"Not exactly the sort of place one would expect to find you, Connie."
He glanced to the waitress who had returned with the Tupperware container he had come in with and thanked her as he tucked it under his arm.
"Nor you..."
She murmured. Her eyes glancing about her again, looking for Max.
"It's uh, It's Dervla's treat night. She's rather fond of their offcuts."
He gestured with the Tupperware container and she nodded slowly, all to aware that it was her turn to explain her presence.
"I'm..."
She paused, the table seemed to quiver ,she felt it through her elbow that she had pressed against the table top.
"I'm just waiting for somebody."
She cleared her throat and Dylan looked pointedly to the empty seat opposite her.
"I see."
He said slowly.
"Well, I won't keep you..."
He gestured again to the tub full of Dervla's dinner, and Connie covered her mouth with her fingers, her body suddenly stiffening, and a muffled yelp came from her throat as she felt the slip of Max's fingers creeping up from her ankle, slowly, slowly, making their way up passed her knee, to her inner thigh, and higher...
She adjusted herself in her chair and crossed her legs. Firmly.
"Everything OK, Connie?"
He asked, drawing in a breath. The Tupperware container had clouded over from the warmth of the food within, and little rivulets of condensation were appearing on the inside of the plastic.
"Yes! Yes...I hope Dervla enjoys her treat..."
She cleared her throat and Dylan gave a downward purse of his mouth, nodding slowly, vaguely.
"Indeed. Right. Well, goodbye, Connie."
He drew his coat more tightly about him and rearranged the scarf at his throat, all the while Connie struggled with the path of Max's fingers, his fingertips dragging over the soft skin of her thighs, his breath hot between them.
Dylan squeezed between her seat and the table behind, taking a different route to the door, taking a moment to pause directly behind her.
"Before I go..you might want to have a word with somebody who works here, there seems to be a hospital porter hiding under your table."
Thank you to everyone for all of the lovely reviews! As I said before, this story will be updated every Thursday night, and in between times if I get the chance! Reviews always welcome, they always make me smile :) xxx
