"Neil, that was amazing" said Kevin, putting his cutlery down and leaning back on his chair. "I'm absolutely stuffed."

"I second that" smiled Jo, sipping at her wine. "I think I'd happily let you cook for me anytime you like."

"And what about the potatoes?" Audrey laughed "I peeled the potatoes, you know!"

"Yes, they were great too" Kevin chuckled in reply. "But honestly Neil, you'll make someone a great wife one day!"

"Well you can all thank my Mom" he said. "Taught me almost everything I know. When they were busy with Gabi, I'd sort dinner" he smiled. "It happened quite a lot" he added.

He pushed back his chair and went to pick up his plate when Jo stopped him.

"No, no, no! You guys did the all hard work. Our turn now, least we can do swing as we were late" she said pointing between Kevin and herself.

"You two go sit down" Kevin added. "Have a break before you head in" he said to Neil. "Goodness knows what carnage these two left us to clear up when we get in tonight" he laughed

"Sure, ok" Neil replied. He headed to the fridge, picked out a bottle and headed to the small sofa. "I'm not going to argue with that."

"And you" Jo said, nodding at Audrey. "Off you go."

"But shouldn't Kev relax before his shift?" Audrey argued.

Jo leaned in close as if to clear her plate and whispered "We're not daft, we disturbed something when we arrived earlier. Go talk to him."

"Besides, I've got a few hours after Neil goes to put my feet up while you two drink wine. Go. Sit" he said, pointing at the space next to Neil.

Audrey picked up her glass and turned to go take a seat, missing the look that passed between Jo and Kevin. She nudged at Neil's knee with her own to get him to shift a bit and make space.

They sat back on Neil's sofa watching Kevin and Jo potter around in the kitchen, washing the dishes and putting away leftovers. One of Neil's legs was stretched out in front of him, with his bottle resting on his thigh. The other leg was bent meaning his knee lolled to one side, gently leaning against hers.

She looked down at where they touched and fuelled by the second glass of wine, she took a deep breath and began to speak.

"So, earlier on, in the kitchen?" Audrey started in a whisper. "Before Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum arrived?"

"Yeah?" he replied, looking straight ahead.

"Would you have, you know?" she asked apprehensively, feeling a little silly.

"In a heartbeat" he replied casually, smiling to himself as he took a sip of his non alcoholic beer.

She blushed and looked down into her glass, not sure how to reply to his honesty.

"Good job we didn't though. If I'd started kissing you, I'm not sure I'd have been able to stop" he said in a matter of fact tone. "Could have made quite the show for them" he said nodding towards their friends in the kitchen.

She still didn't say anything.

"Besides, it probably wasn't the best idea" he continued, shocking her a little. When he saw her reaction he felt bad and scrambled to recover.

"Not in the way you think" he said cautiously. "I'd have felt bad afterwards, and so would you. I think we've known each other long enough to know we aren't into having some sordid affair. And I wouldn't want to have pressured you into that" he said smiling at her

She finally looked at him and he saw a shy smile start to brighten her face until it reached her eyes. He had never been any good at hiding feelings so had just taken to talking things through instead. He got the feeling that she was the complete opposite, it could make for a very interesting relationship going forward, he though to himself.

"We gonna be ok here?" he asked.

"Absolutely" she replied, smiling wider.

X

Around an hour later, Neil stretched out and made to get up from his comfortable spot on the sofa with Audrey. She had learned into him a little more as time had passed and he missed the contact as he moved. Jo and Kevin had finished clearing up some time ago and were perched on the dining chairs while they chatted away animatedly.

"I'd best go get changed, I've got to leave in a bit" he said sounding quite disappointed. As he moved away, Audrey felt cooler air hit her upper thigh and a small shiver passed over her.

"Bit cosy there weren't you" Jo teased as Neil moved out of earshot.

"Oh hush" Audrey admonished. "Don't be ridiculous."

"Did you talk about it?" Kevin asked.

"About what?"

"About what we interrupted when we arrived earlier" Jo said. "We're not blind!"

"Oh, that" she smiled sheepishly as she took another sip. "We're fine."

"Really! That's all we get?" Kevin exclaimed as Jo hit his arm to quieten him.

"Yeah, that's all you get" she smiled as she got up to refill her glass.

"You're impossible, Lim!" Jo admonished. "Go ask him if he wants to take any leftovers in with him tonight" she said nodding towards the closed door. "Kev, do you want a sandwich for later, the cafeteria will be on skeleton staff too?" she asked.

"No way, I'm not going in there!" Audrey exclaimed.

"What?" Jo replied with mock surprise. "Thought you were friends?"

"Fine" she huffed as she turned towards the door.

She tapped the door gently, so gently that he likely didn't hear anything. As she turned back to Jo, she shrugged her shoulders as if to say 'i tried'.

Having none of that, Jo reached past her and knocked harder and promptly walked back into the kitchen while Audrey stood, shaking her head.

"Yeah" came the muffled response from behind the closed door. He sounded much further away than she expected.

After trying to ask him through the closed door a couple of times with no luck she heard "hang on" and the door was pulled open.

He stood there with just his suit trousers on, with a towel around his neck, wiping the shaving foam off his face. He stood there, waiting for Audrey to speak. She couldn't help herself as her eyes flickered down and back up in the most brief of seconds. If he noticed, he didn't say anything but he smiled as she caught his eye and asked "What's up?"

"Do you want a sandwich for tonight?" Jo called from behind her, as it seemed Audrey had lost the ability to speak.

"Sure, that'd be great" he replied. "I'm almost done here, I'll be right out" he said retreating back inside

"I can't believe you did that to me" she whispered quite loudly to Jo, feeling a little frustrated at being put in that situation.

"Next time I get to knock" Kevin called over. "I didn't know he was hiding all that under his shirt" he said laughing, breaking the tension.

Audrey choked on her wine, and laughter ensued. They were still chuckling as Neil reappeared, fully dressed and ready to go.

"See you later" he said to Kevin. "Just post the key when your done, it's a spare" he smiled at Audrey.

"Sure thing" she replied.

"Come here" Jo said, speaking her arms to engulf him in a bear hug. "Thanks for this" she whispered in his ear. "I know he loved it."

"Anytime" he whispered back.

"I want one of those" Kevin exclaimed, getting up to hug his friend. "Merry Christmas Neil and thank you."

Free from Kevin's embrace, Neil turned to look at the last person in the room. The one he wanted to hug the most. They stared for a moment and he saw her give a little nod. With that, he stepped forward and she stepped right into his embrace.

"Merry Christmas Aud" he whispered as he dropped the smallest of kisses just below her ear

"Merry Christmas Neil" she smiled.