Mark returned to admin, for another armful of charts.
"Hey there." Carol looked up at him.
He nodded
"Merry Christmas." She touched his arm, desperate attempt at comfort. It was Christmas eve.
He smiled, "Merry Christmas. What are your plans?"
"Oh, you know, the usual. Boring and inevitably embarrassing family do. Unbearable headache the next day. How about you?"
"I'm working."
"Heard from Susan lately?"
"Ah… yeah. She's got her hands full with her sister. I couldn't even ask her…" he trailed off. He pretended to read the chart so that Carol didn't see his eyes. But she could hear his sorrow in his voice.
Carol knew she couldn't do or say anything to help and walked away in silence, leaving Mark to recollect his thoughts – re focus on work… worth a try anyway…
Chairs were almost empty – remarkably enough. There was a figure outside the doors – but close enough that the lights from inside forced the cold darkness from surrounding them. They were facing the road like they waited for someone. Or something.
Mark hoped it was her. He knew it couldn't be but he couldn't resist the hope. He gave test results, sutured a hand that was mistaken for part of the turkey, all the while pretending that she was waiting for him outside.
So when he saw her walk in those doors he assumed this was just part of his daydream. He tore his eyes away, but not soon enough to miss her face falling. He turned back.
"I went home you weren't there." She explained pointlessly.
He leapt two rows of chairs and lifted her off her feet in a desperate embrace, crushing her to him.
Doug was watching from admin, "Hey Carol." He called her away from the computer screen. Her face lit up.
"Susan." She ran around to greet her friend.
Mark let her go, stepped back. Just watching in awe as she greeted her friends. One by one, they went back to work – promising to catch up on boxing day. Then it was just them. She turned back to Mark.
"You're here." He said – maybe if he said it aloud he'd believe it.
She nodded. "I'm back."
He closed the gap between them and kissed her. (Yeah, you know it, Doug's still watching… grinning…mmm…) "How long?" he mumbled, between kisses.
She pulled away to see his face, "I mean I'm back – for good."
His jaw dropped, "What about Chloe?"
"It's sorted –she's in a facility just out of Chicago. Suzie is with her for the moment – it's one of their policies…" he stopped her with desperate kiss. She responded with equal fervour, completely forgetting her explanation.
"Mark!" Kerry's shrill voice called him back to reality. They both spun to her, flushed, grinning.
"Do you mind?" she glared.
"Not really." Susan replied
Doug's unmistakable laugh made even Kerry's glare bearable.
"Susan." Kerry realised the reason for their performance and gave her a nod of formal greeting.
Mark grinned at the woman beside him, a little awe struck.
"Right, back to work everyone." Kerry called to cover her embarrassment.
Mark took Susan's hand. "I'm off in an hour. Do you want to stick around or…"
"I have a better idea. Key?" she held out her hand cheekily.
He smiled, "it's in my locker. I better go or else SOMEONE will bite my head off and that could ruin our evening."
Susan reached up, cradling his head in both her hands and gave him a sound, lingering kiss. "See you at home."
He'd waited a long time to hear those words, and pulled her back for another kiss, fully aware of Kerry's glare.
Susan grinned as she backed away toward the staff lounge.
"Hey there." Carol looked up at him.
He nodded
"Merry Christmas." She touched his arm, desperate attempt at comfort. It was Christmas eve.
He smiled, "Merry Christmas. What are your plans?"
"Oh, you know, the usual. Boring and inevitably embarrassing family do. Unbearable headache the next day. How about you?"
"I'm working."
"Heard from Susan lately?"
"Ah… yeah. She's got her hands full with her sister. I couldn't even ask her…" he trailed off. He pretended to read the chart so that Carol didn't see his eyes. But she could hear his sorrow in his voice.
Carol knew she couldn't do or say anything to help and walked away in silence, leaving Mark to recollect his thoughts – re focus on work… worth a try anyway…
Chairs were almost empty – remarkably enough. There was a figure outside the doors – but close enough that the lights from inside forced the cold darkness from surrounding them. They were facing the road like they waited for someone. Or something.
Mark hoped it was her. He knew it couldn't be but he couldn't resist the hope. He gave test results, sutured a hand that was mistaken for part of the turkey, all the while pretending that she was waiting for him outside.
So when he saw her walk in those doors he assumed this was just part of his daydream. He tore his eyes away, but not soon enough to miss her face falling. He turned back.
"I went home you weren't there." She explained pointlessly.
He leapt two rows of chairs and lifted her off her feet in a desperate embrace, crushing her to him.
Doug was watching from admin, "Hey Carol." He called her away from the computer screen. Her face lit up.
"Susan." She ran around to greet her friend.
Mark let her go, stepped back. Just watching in awe as she greeted her friends. One by one, they went back to work – promising to catch up on boxing day. Then it was just them. She turned back to Mark.
"You're here." He said – maybe if he said it aloud he'd believe it.
She nodded. "I'm back."
He closed the gap between them and kissed her. (Yeah, you know it, Doug's still watching… grinning…mmm…) "How long?" he mumbled, between kisses.
She pulled away to see his face, "I mean I'm back – for good."
His jaw dropped, "What about Chloe?"
"It's sorted –she's in a facility just out of Chicago. Suzie is with her for the moment – it's one of their policies…" he stopped her with desperate kiss. She responded with equal fervour, completely forgetting her explanation.
"Mark!" Kerry's shrill voice called him back to reality. They both spun to her, flushed, grinning.
"Do you mind?" she glared.
"Not really." Susan replied
Doug's unmistakable laugh made even Kerry's glare bearable.
"Susan." Kerry realised the reason for their performance and gave her a nod of formal greeting.
Mark grinned at the woman beside him, a little awe struck.
"Right, back to work everyone." Kerry called to cover her embarrassment.
Mark took Susan's hand. "I'm off in an hour. Do you want to stick around or…"
"I have a better idea. Key?" she held out her hand cheekily.
He smiled, "it's in my locker. I better go or else SOMEONE will bite my head off and that could ruin our evening."
Susan reached up, cradling his head in both her hands and gave him a sound, lingering kiss. "See you at home."
He'd waited a long time to hear those words, and pulled her back for another kiss, fully aware of Kerry's glare.
Susan grinned as she backed away toward the staff lounge.