Max Hoyland was bored. Mind-numbingly bored. This wasn't him. He'd not been the party goer for years now. Yes, this was to celebrate the Melbourne pub chain. Yes, Lou's place was part of it. But he'd had nothing to do with the deal. Lou was the one who'd been approached. Lou was the one who'd sorted out the fine details. He'd been involved, sure, given Lou the go ahead (after not-so-tactfully reminding Lou that he owned half the pub), signed the deal… But the celebrations? Not interested.

Practically everyone else was here with their "significant other", mingling about the restaurant attached to the other's hip, arm or hand. Standing in the corner with a glass of champagne, trying not to be noticed, clock-watching to see the earliest chance to escape was not how he'd planned spending his Friday night. Not when he could be at home, channel hopping on the TV, looking for some mindless distraction until it was late enough to get an early night.

How had it come down to this? Single and dateless. He smiled and nodded at a couple of people, wondering if he could make his excuses and leave. Putting his glass down, he started for the door. He'd done his part, turned up, nibbled at the buffet, had conversations with a bunch of people he really hoped he's never have to see again. Time to go home.

Then he stopped.

It couldn't be.

There was no way…

He willed his legs to move but they weren't. They wanted to wait for her to turn around.

Which she was doing right now.

Eyes met across a crowded restaurant.

She stopped. Stared.

Gave a small smile - nerves.

"Max," she said, a note of surprise in her voice.

He swallowed hard, trying to process the fact that, after two years, she was back in his life.

"Hey," she said, coming over to him.

"Hey," he replied, finding his voice.

"How are you?"

The phrase stuck in his brain and he gave a small laugh. "How am I?"

"Yeah… Sorry…"

"Sorry?" he asked. "Two years, and you're sorry?"

"I… I don't know what else to say."

"Yeah… Well…"

"You're bored?"

"Out of my mind," he said.

"Yeah," she smiled. "I could always tell. Fancy heading off somewhere?"

"Why?" he asked.

"To talk. To catch up."

In spite of himself, he could hear his voice say, "Yeah. Sure."

"I know a good place," she said, putting her own glass down. "I have… missed you, Max."

"I've missed you too, Steph."


The place she took them to was a small, out of the way restaurant. They got a table and ordered some food and drinks.

"So…" he started. "How are you?"

"Two years, and you want to know how I am?" she smiled.

"Seemed the best place to start."

"I'm good," she said. "You? The kids?"

"Doing OK," he said.

"Boyd? He must be at Uni now."

"Yeah, he started this year," Max said. "Settled in OK, spends a lot of time in he library - or so he says."

"You must be proud."

"First Hoyland at Uni," Max smiled. "But you know me, I'd be proud anyway."

"And Summer?"

"Growing up fast. Too fast."

"Still boxing?"

"Yeah, actually. She's doing really well, entering all the competitions she can find."

"What about their love lives?"

"My kids do not have love lives," Max said, deadpan. "Just like their dad."

Steph's face fell.

"Nah," he said, quickly breaking the somber mood. "Boyd and Sky are still going strong, and… you were around for Michael?"

"Who?"

"Ah, Summer and Declan ended when Michael came onto the scene. Summer announced that Mike was the love of her life and was heartbroken when he dumped her."

"I've missed a lot," Steph said quietly.

"Yeah," he replied, "you have."

"What about you?"

"Same as always. I'm more interested in what you've been doing for the past two years."

"Not much," she shrugged. "Bit of traveling, bits and pieces."

"So… is this you back?"

"I've been in Melbourne for about six months now."

"I must have missed your call," he snapped.

"I couldn't…"

"You couldn't even let me know you were OK," he said. "Just let your mum pass on the message!"

"I'm… I'm sorry. But you have no idea what I went through."

"You didn't exactly give me the chance. You upped and left and that was it."

"If you're going to just sit there all night and have a go…" she said, reaching for her jacket.

"Running away is becoming a habit with you," he said. "I suppose I should be used to it."

"Yes, Max," she snapped, "walking out on you is just so easy." Grabbing her jacket, she stood up.

"Steph," Max said, reaching out a hand. He made contact with her arm and recoiled. He was touching her. He could touch her. "Please," he said.

"I should have just ignored you," she sighed, sitting back down.

"You knew I was there?"

She nodded.

"Would you have said anything?"

"I was thinking about it when you…"

"Why were you there?"

"I know one of the guys involved."

"Right," Max said. "Boyfriend?"

"No," she replied. "But nice to know what you're thinking."

"Two years is a long time, Steph."

"So, do you have someone else?"

"It's hard to get involved with someone new when there was no closure on the old relationship."

Steph allowed herself a small smile. "I… Max, I'm not going to apologize again. I'm sorry…"

"I thought you said you weren't going to apologize," he smiled.

"If I could do things differently…"

"What? You wouldn't take off?"

"No…"

"At least the first time I got a goodbye. You just… didn't come home."

"I couldn't," she said quietly.

"Yes, you could."

"I should go," she said, standing up.

"Why?"

"I should… I should go," she repeated, heading for the door.

Max threw some money down on the table to cover the food and drinks and took off after her. Catching up with her on the street he fell into step beside her, neither of them saying a word.

"Nice night," he said eventually as they started to walk away from the city centre.

"They said it was going to rain," Steph replied.

"Doesn't look like it," he said.

"Are you sure about that?" she asked as in the near distance the sound of a thunderclap resounded.

"Oh hell…" Max muttered as the wall of rain rushed towards them. "Tell me you live close by."

"A few streets away," she said. "Come on!"

She pulled her shoes off and raced ahead, Max following her. At the end of the street Steph veered off across a playing field, splashing in the puddles and the mud. Max gave up trying to be careful and concentrated on keeping up. Once across the grass, Steph turned down one street and into another. Slowing to a brisk pace she started to rummage in her jacket pocket, obviously looking for her keys. Max caught up and walked beside her, looking at the houses in the area. They were large, modern, definitely a step up from Ramsay Street. Steph turned up the driveway of the nearest one, and stood under the balcony as she fished the keys out from her pocket.

"Come on," she said.

She opened the door and pushed Max inside. She switched off the alarm and threw her shoes down. When she switched on the lights Max found himself standing in an open plan living room, winding staircase leading up to the split level. The bay windows ahead of him led out onto a balcony and over the city. The blackness was punctuated by the yellow glow of the city, blurred by the rain. Every now and then a lightning strike would illuminate the 'scape, imprinting it on Max's retina before fading away.

"Nice place," he said.

"Thanks," she replied, standing next to him. "You're soaked."

"That's what happens when you're caught in a rain storm."

"I'll get you a towel," she said.

"I think a cab would be better."

"They won't like you being in a cab in that state," she said. "Let's see if we can dry you out a little."

Standing behind him, she peeled his suit jacket off his back, dropping it onto the wooden floor with a squelch. As she walked around him, he started to undo the buttons of his shirt. Steph helped him pull the wet material off his skin… Then they stopped.

In the short time between the lighting strike and the thunderclap, their lips met. It wasn't slow or hesitant, but the crushing passion of two people who have waited far too long for this moment. He pulled her in close to his, running his hands down her dress which had become a second skin.

Breathless, Steph pulled back slightly and looked at him. Without saying a word she stepped back out of his embrace, running a hand down one of his arms until it met the hand at the end. Closing hers around his, she led him up the stairs to her bedroom.