Still more!
The light splutters and comes back on.
"Just a power failure then," says Harry, sitting back in his chair straight and casual as though nothing untoward has happened.
"You were saying, Alec?" prompts Ruth, taking his lead.
"I, erm….sorry.. forgotten," says Alec, still trying to convince himself that he didn't just see Harry and Ruth kissing.
Dimitri looks at him and then back at Harry.
Beth looks at Ruth.
Tariq looks confused..
"Alec?" asks Harry.
"Harry."
"Please continue."
And Alec continues, haltingly. No one is really listening. They all have the distinct impression that they have just seen something, something impossible, something they caught in the blink of an eye.
The meeting disperses.
They sit at their desks. No one is quite sure whether they are any the wiser about Harry and Ruth, or the Iranians for that matter.
"Did you…? Says Beth.
"See…." Continues Dimitri.
"They were, weren't they?" asks Alec.
"Yes, we were," says Harry from the doorway, "now get back to work."
Harry walks into the meeting room.
"So Ruth, I'm glad to see that in a room of five other people you can manage to pick me out, afterall," he has a warm, contented smile on his face.
"Well, seeing as one was a woman and I would have had to launch myself over the table to reach two of the others, it wasn't that difficult."
"Very flattering I'm sure."
"Do you think they know?" she asks.
"Judging by their faces next door and the fact that I just told them we were, I'd say yes," he smiles smugly, nothing can ruin his day today.
"You, told them?" Ruth is incredulous, "you just told them."
And suddenly Harry knows his day is perhaps already ruined.