At work the next day he avoids her, but from her desk she can occasionally tilt her head and catch him peering at her through his office blinds.
It's a mercifully light day, and at 6pm she gathers her things and walks over to his closed door. The second she reaches it, it flies open and he nearly runs into her.
"Bloody hell!" for her and a "Christ!" for him.
After a beat of recovery she says, "This is me off. I've a date tonight."
He reacts as if it's SoCo Brian all over again. "A date?!"
She raises an eyebrow. "Has it really been so long you don't remember?"
He has to smirk at that, her using his own words against him. She is victorious, and then she remembers his Tinder date not too long ago, something she'd much rather forget. But the memory of their mobile exchange the night before is enough to alight them both.
"Bloke from Fred's school," she explains, though she doesn't have to. "Fancies a parent-teacher conference." She winks ostentatiously and it's so endearing that he smiles even though he's miserable.
"Does Fred know?" He folds his arms across his chest and furrows his eyebrows.
"Fred's four."
"Wee lads have feelings too, you know," he counters, fully aware of how ridiculous he sounds.
She looks at him a minute, trying to puzzle him out, then gives up. "I'm off. See you tomorrow."
And she's gone.
He doesn't go home. He takes Daisy out for supper, then releases her to the company of her friends. He goes down to the pier and sits on his bench. Well. Not just his. He's not sure just how long he's been there when he sees her. And him.
She's wearing a low-cut silk blouse, fitted boot-cut jeans, and high heels. High heels! He can tell she's had a drink because she stares at her feet when she walks, as if her rapt attention on them will steady her. Then his fears come true and she reaches for her date's arm as they stroll. She's laughing coyly when out of what he can only assume is the corner of her eye, she spots him on the nearby bench. She stops walking, startling her date. He raises a hand, but doesn't wave it. She smiles at him, her hair blowing around her face.
Christ, she is lovely, he thinks, even on another man's arm.
They keep walking, and he watches until they're out of sight.
It's nearing midnight and he's half-asleep with some case files resting on his chest when his phone chirps.
What's the matter? Never seen a lass in heels before?
And then another, a few seconds later: Took me four bloody hours to come up with that retort.
He frowns, typing sleepily. Retort to what?
To the look on your face back there.
He sighs, and then realizes that if she's texting himat near midnight then her date must not have ended so well. For her, anyway. He smiles and sits up.
Nice jeans.
He comes up with another, better reply just seconds after he's already sent that one and curses himself.
Chirp. Is it the jeans you like or the arse in them?
Oh, she's drunk. She's definitely drunk.
Oi. Best not compliment your blouse then.
He's proud of thatreply.
She doesn't respond. After a few minutes he realizes, she's asleep.
The next day is Saturday and they both have the day off. They run into each other at the grocery, she with Fred in tow, and neither of them says a word about the night before. He spends the rest of the day trying to come up with something pithy to text her. Trouble is, he has no idea what he wants to say. He just knows he wants to say something, wants to talk to her even when she's not around, wants to hear anything at all she has to say to him. Conversation,he notes, with some interest. It's conversationhe likes. Who knew.
His phone chirps and his heart flutters so rapidly he's nearly ashamed of it.
It's Daisy. Staying at Chloe's. Don't watch Stranger Things without me.
He scoffs.Stranger Things.She thinks he's spellbound by it but he's just watching it to spend time with her. To be honest he doesn't understand the hype.
He's about to fake his disappointment in a response to Daisy when there's a knock at the door.
"Miller," he says breathlessly when he flings the door open.
She's holding up a bottle of scotch.
"Brought the pub to you," she says with a cheeky grin.