Having strolled down Main Street for five minutes or so they came to a small all-day restaurant and went inside. It was pretty quiet in there as most people were still up at the town square, taking part in the day's events. They were seated towards the back of the restaurant far away from any prying eyes that may happen past.

Ray pulled out Liz's chair for her and then sat down opposite, taking his cap off and resting it on the table as he did so. The waiter brought them over a couple of menus and Ray immediately ordered himself a beer and, with an inquisitive look at Liz, a Chardonnay.

All of a sudden, neither of them could think of anything to say. Liz buried her nose in her menu, desperately trying to come up with some kind of topic of conversation and Ray found himself pouring them some table water and fiddling with his cutlery.

'So, Lizzy, I was very happy to see you getting that award today'

'You were?'

'Well, yes. I mean, not just because it's well deserved of course but also because I've been trying to think of an opportunity to see you, speak to you again and then one just fell into my lap', Ray finished with a slightly pained smile. 'I do so wish I hadn't been so presumptuous last week'.

'Oh, don't be silly. I was just as bad. And, you know, I've been wanting to catch up with you too. I should've known better than to take things at face value with Amber. She's been fawning over single men and some not so single…. Anyway, she's been like that for years. It's just never happened before that she's done it with a man I'm interested in'.

The second the words left Liz's mouth she realised what she'd said and she could feel an intense blush creeping up her chest towards her face.

Ray's eyebrows lifted as he heard what she said and then he smiled at her, seeing her discomfort evident with her blush.

'No need to be embarrassed, Lizzy. I think we now know we're both on the same page here regarding what we hope for from our friendship'. He hesitated for a moment and then reached across the table and lightly squeezed her hand. Holding it for just a second, he then pulled his hand back and picked up his menu.

Once his eyes dropped to the paper in front of him, Liz ventured a look at him and couldn't help but smile. He really was such a lovely man. And whilst she had thought him sexy and good looking before now, in his dress whites it was all she could do not to jump over the table and launch herself at him. Oh, God, Liz, no….. That would be an Amber approach. And obviously not one Ray would be impressed by.

The waiter returned and they both ordered themselves just a main course, Ray a steak and Liz a salad. Truth be told she was still pretty full after her omelette earlier but figured if she was drinking she should at least try to get some sustenance inside her. As they were waiting for their food to arrive, they both started nibbling on the fresh bread that the waiter had brought over. Liz took a deep gulp of her Chardonnay and asked Ray a question she just suddenly needed to know the answer to.

'So, have you ever been married? Do you have kids?'

Ray looked up at her and smiled a bittersweet smile, 'No, no wives, no kids. I didn't have anyone before I joined the Navy and once you're in the Service it can be hard to meet women. I mean, I've had a few girlfriends over the years but nothing that lasted very long. Getting called away on six-month plus deployments can really throw a spanner in the works of blossoming relationships. How about you?'

'Well, no kids, no. But I was married briefly. To a guy named Tom. Only lasted a couple of years'.

Ray saw Liz's expression darken slightly and couldn't help but ask, 'That's not very long. Were you very young?'

'Not really. I was twenty-nine when we married. I'm thirty-three now by the way. But he, er, he cheated on me. Twice. And when I confronted him about the second time he, well, he hit me. Beat me up quite badly actually'.

Liz ventured a glance at Ray and saw an expression on his face she'd yet to experience. His jaw had locked tight and his eyes narrowed slightly, his nostrils flaring. If he had been a dog, his hackles would've been a foot high.

'He did what?'

'Yeah, he was really mad that I'd found out about him cheating and that I wanted to throw him out. He just completely lost it. After he'd finished, he just got his stuff and left'.

'Did you call the police?', Ray managed to grind out, his anger still threatening to get the better of him.

'No. And, before you say it, I know I should've. I was just so shocked. I had to take a month off work till the bruises healed completely but then I just wanted to put it behind me. Once he had come back to get the rest of his things, I never saw him again'.

'Does he still live in town?'

Liz looked at Ray as he asked this and was suddenly very glad that Tom had moved far away. Not that the idea of the scumbag getting beaten up by Ray was necessarily a bad thing but she didn't want Ray getting in trouble.

'No. He's moved to New Mexico. He always did love the heat. Yet another reason we were never meant to be, I guess'. Her attempt at humour did nothing to assuage the feelings of fury that were coursing through Ray. He'd only just met Liz really and yet the idea of someone laying a hand on her, let alone her own husband, made his blood boil. He reached out and took a long drink from his beer, trying to calm down.

'I'm very sorry to hear that, Lizzy. I don't know you well but I know that you most certainly did not deserve a monster like that hurting you so badly'.

Liz looked up at Ray again and she had tears in her eyes. He reached out with both hands and grasped her hands, which were toying with her napkin nervously. 'Don't worry, sweetheart. With me in town you have the resources of the US Navy at your disposal to protect you. I can still pull a few strings'. His attempt to lighten the mood helped a little and Liz beamed back at him.

'Okay, Admiral, I'll bear that in mind. But don't worry, I've not heard from him in nearly two years now'.

'Good. And long may that be the case'.

At that moment their food arrived and they both busied themselves with getting started. Ray's steak was absolutely enormous and he insisted on cutting a bit off for Liz to have with her salad. Despite the fact she hadn't been that hungry before, she did have to admit his steak looked heavenly and so she readily agreed. She then jokingly offered him a tomato in return and Ray nearly choked on his food.

'That's very generous of you, sweetheart but I'll pass', he laughed.

Oh, he just called me sweetheart, Liz thought, inwardly squealing with delight. And didn't it just sound amazing coming from his lips…..

They had ordered more drinks when their food had been delivered and they now arrived. Over the course of the rest of the meal they chatted about slightly more mundane things, such as the state of each other's businesses and movies they'd seen recently. Having had the 'Tom' talk so early on, they both felt the need to put it far behind them with talk of just about anything else.

As the waiter came to collect their plates and deliver the dessert menu, they ordered yet more drinks. This time Liz bit the bullet and just ordered a half-bottle of Chardonnay and Ray ordered a pitcher of beer.

'A whole pitcher to yourself?'

'Well, yes. I mean, first of all, once you've finished that half-bottle, you'll have had five glasses of wine, can I just point out? And second, I was in the Navy. You have no idea the years of training I've had at putting away beer in vast quantities'.

Liz giggled at him and raised her glass in a toast.

'Okay, so here's to getting very tipsy at a completely inappropriate time of day'

'Well, I'm certainly drinking to that, my dear'.

They clinked glasses and each took large sips from their drinks. Despite the fact they had just eaten, they could both most definitely feel the effects of the alcohol hitting them already. Liz was starting to feel giggly and Ray had noticed that the blush that had graced her face earlier had now become a permanent feature. And didn't it make her look most charming, he thought to himself.

The desserts they'd ordered now arrived. Ray was having cheese and Liz some kind of fruit concoction with about half a gallon of whipped cream. At least, that's what it looked like to Ray.

'Is there anything in that other than cream?', he asked, peering closely at her bowl.

'Er, yes, there are some strawberries. And I think there's some meringue somewhere'. Just as Liz was manoeuvring her spoon in such a way as to reveal what was underneath the cream, her hand slipped slightly and the spoon flipped up, leaving her with a huge dollop of cream right in the middle of her face. Ray burst out laughing and despite the fact that Liz gave him an angry glower he couldn't stop. In fact, the look on her face just made him laugh harder.

'You do realise you're wearing a VERY white uniform, don't you, mister?'

Ray couldn't even answer he was laughing so hard.

'And that anything at all, even cream, would show up pretty spectacularly were it to find its way onto that VERY white uniform….?'

Ray was desperately trying to stop laughing but he just couldn't. Eventually Liz couldn't keep up the pretence any longer and started giggling too.

'Okay, okay, laugh it up, sailor boy. Please excuse me whilst I pop to the bathroom'.

Liz was gone for a couple of minutes and during that time, Ray managed to contain himself again. He finished his cheese and had just poured himself another glass of beer when Liz re-emerged.

He looked up at her and smiled and then instantly started laughing again.

'Seriously, it's not that funny', Liz managed to blurt out just as she joined in once more.

'Oh, it really was. But I had managed to recover. It's just that you missed a bit'. He leant across the table and gently ran his finger across towards the back of her cheek, just in front of her ear. He briefly thought about licking the cream off his finger but then thought maybe that would be a bit too much so just wiped it on his napkin.

'Oh, right. Well, that's embarrassing. To be fair, standing up just now made things go a bit wobbly so I didn't really get a good look in the mirror', Liz giggled. 'Okay, I'm going to eat the rest of this now. I clearly need a bit more food inside me'.

Ray watched her intently as she spooned the creamy dessert into her mouth. He found himself staring at her lips intently. They were so plump and full and looked so soft. And the way she licked her spoon clean each time…. Okay, Ray, bathroom break, time for some cold water on your face.

'Be right back, sweetheart'.

In Ray's absence, Liz managed to finish her dessert and got started on her last glass of wine. Once he was back he poured the last of his beer into the glass and started sipping it straight away.

'So, Lizzy, would you like to return with me to the town square in a bit? I believe there's a marquee being set up and a live band playing later?'

'Oh, yes, I did see that. That would be wonderful. And if I were to go home now I'd probably just pass out on the couch anyway'.

They finished their drinks swiftly and paid the bill. Heading back out onto the street, Liz once more linked her hand through Ray's arm. Although, this time, she had to admit to herself, it was more of a necessity than anything else. She was feeling a little unsteady on her feet and wearing heels really wasn't helping.

They sauntered slowly up the street, looking in some of the shop windows and chatting about how things had changed in the town during the time they'd lived there, albeit in Ray's case only on and off.

Suddenly they came face to face with Amber Gordon.

'Well, I see it didn't take you long to move on, Raymond', she said to him, her eyes slightly slitted.

'Amber. I assume you know Elizabeth?'

'Oh, yes, I know Elizabeth. Little miss goody two-shoes'.

Ray was about to respond in Liz's defence but Amber just turned swiftly away and crossed the street at as fast a pace as her ludicrously high heels would allow her.

'Good grief, she's a piece of work', Ray muttered to Liz.

'Yeah, if she doesn't get what she wants, it ain't pretty', Liz said and burst out laughing as she spotted Amber half tripping up the kerb.

'Okay, Ray, take me to the marquee. I need to sit down really badly'.

'At once, my dear', Ray said as he helped Liz toddle along the sidewalk, steadying her the whole time. 'I think maybe that much wine at lunchtime may not have been the best plan in the world', he said and winked at her. 'Let's get to the town square and I'll get you a very large jug of water'.

'Good idea, thank you'.

They managed to make it there eventually and found a table around the edge of the marquee. Ray briefly left Liz on her own and came back with another pitcher of beer for himself and a pitcher of water for Liz.

'Are you serious? You can't drink all that?'

'Liz, I can assure you I'm doing just fine. I may be feeling a little tipsy but the night is yet young and I'm very much enjoying myself'.

'But that makes me want more alcohol now too?', Liz said in such a pathetic voice that Ray had to stifle a laugh.

'Well, obviously you can if you want, I won't try to stop you. But might I recommend at least half of this pitcher of water beforehand?'

'Okay, probably a good idea. Just don't go getting too far ahead of me!'

'I don't think there's any danger of that, my dear', Ray said with a wink and Liz playfully hit him on his arm.

Ray poured himself some beer and some water for Liz. And they then just sat back and watched the band setting up and all the various people mingling about in the marquee. It was starting to get quite busy and Ray spotted a hot dog stand setting up and couldn't help but grin.

'What you smiling at?'

'Hot dogs'

'But we just ate?', Liz asked, an incredulous look on her face.

'Did I fail to mention that, as well as a healthy appetite for beer, I can also eat more than enough for three grown men on any given day?', Ray said as he looked over at her with a slightly smug smile on his face.

'How on earth do you have such a good body then?'. Oh, crap, Liz…. Here you go again. Roll your tongue back in and try to filter what you're saying!

Ray laughed and replied, 'Well, thank you. I may not be as trim as I used to be. However, I do still run and do some gym work. Plus I'm sometimes on my feet twelve hours a day in the restaurant'.

'Yeah, well, it's obviously working. If I ate and drank what you did, I'd be an elephant', Liz said and started giggling again.

Ray looked over at her with true affection on his face. That giggle of hers may just be the death of me yet, he thought.

Half an hour later and the band were in full swing. Liz had managed to drink two thirds of her water and was starting to feel a little more in control of herself. Ray was nearly finished with his pitcher of beer and she couldn't help but be impressed by the fact he still seemed perfectly in control of his faculties. He stood up and started to head towards the bar.

'Can I fetch you anything, Lizzy? I'm going to get myself a scotch. I'm rather full of beer now, not sure there's room for any more'.

'Ooh, I'll have a scotch too'

'Really?'

'Yeah, I love scotch. My dad used to drink it. Plus I'm feeling much better after all that water'.

'Two scotches it is then'

Ray was gone and back in no time and they sat, sipping their scotches and just enjoying the music. The evening continued and they were still chatting away about every topic under the sun, learning more and more about each other, when the band's singer announced it was time for the slow music of the night.

Ray's ears immediately perked up. 'Lizzy, would you care to join me for a dance?'

'Yes!' Liz yelped and before Ray knew what was happening she was up out of her seat and practically dragging him onto the dance floor. 'I thought you'd never ask'.

Ray laughed at her obvious enthusiasm and they found themselves a spot to dance in amongst all the other couples already out there. He rested his hand on her hip and held her left hand with his right one. Her right hand was leaning quite heavily on his shoulder as she was still feeling a little wobbly and needed his solid body to keep her upright.

They were out there for some time, song after song, until it was announced that the next song would be the last of the evening. Liz pouted briefly and then whispered to Ray, 'Thank you. I've had the best day I've had in years'.

'Oh, my dear, me too. Thank you for spending today with me'. He looked down at her so fondly Liz couldn't help but move her arms until her hands were laced together behind his head. She stepped forward and rested her head on his chest. Ray immediately intertwined his hands at the small of her back and nuzzled her temple, smelling her hair and smiling at how happy he felt.

They swayed slowly during the whole duration of the song, both feeling utterly content and loving the closeness of the other.

When the song eventually ended, everyone in the marquee applauded the band and then started heading towards the exits.

Ray and Liz walked arm in arm once more, both so happy that they didn't want the night to end. And yet they both felt that it must. Neither of them wanted to rush into anything, however wonderful their day had been. Ray hailed them a cab and they got in and drove away from the town square.

As they pulled up at Liz's door, Ray leapt out the cab and ran round to Liz's door before she even had a chance to open it. He hauled the door open for her and helped her out, keeping a tight grip on her hand. They then walked up her path together and reached her front door.

'Thank you, Ray. Just thank you. Today was magical', Liz said and positively beamed with happiness.

'I've had a wonderful time too. Can I see you again? Soon?'

'Oh, try and stop me, mister', she said, playfully slapping his chest.

Ray briefly thought about kissing her but didn't want to when she was so clearly still inebriated. Instead, he took her keys from her hands and opened her door for her.

'Goodnight, Lizzy. I'll call you really soon. Oh, wait, what's your number?'

Liz took a hold of the phone he'd just pulled out of his pants pocket and, after having to focus much harder than she should have had to, eventually managed to put her number in his phone.

Ray took his phone back and glanced at her entry. 'Sexy Lizzy?', he asked with a laugh bubbling up from within.

'You know it, Ray, you know it', Liz said and walked through the door. She then turned back to him and smiled, all innocently. 'Call me, Ray. Soon'.

'I will, sweetheart. I will'.