A/N: Wow! Thank you so much for the reviews and encouragement. It means a lot that you took the time to write me a line. I hope I don't disappoint. A special shout out to for catching my mistake in Ch 1. In my roughly outlined story in my head, I did have Bates as an ex-alcoholic. I was so set on total gentleman Bates properly meeting Anna by spilling on her dress. With a slight tweak, I think I was able to fix my mistake.
I'm assuming most people reading this story are very familiar with the characters of Downton, so I'm going to skip character descriptions. You know what they look like. I have found a spot for all the main characters in my story, so they'll be showing up in future chapters. Thanks again for reading.
"I am incredibly sorry." He stood dumbfounded, unsure of how to handle this unfortunate situation. His hands were full of two empty pint glasses, and his cane hung from one arm. All he knew was that he couldn't look at the way her now wet dress clung to her body again. Keeping his eyes on her face, he desperately tried to think of what to do.
Anna couldn't believe it was him. She could almost forget that she was currently soaked to the bone with beer. All she could do was stare into his face. His eyes, glazed over with horror as they were, still captivated her, but she desperately wanted to see them twinkle with a smile again.
"I'm…wet." Anna closed her eyes and groaned in her head. Really? Why did she always put her foot in her mouth?
But even if it wasn't the most ladylike thing to say hidden as it was with innuendo, it still had the desired effect. His eyes twinkled as his mouth fought a grin.
Did she really say what he thought he heard? "Ugh…at least let me buy you a drink? Please?" He stared straight in her eyes.
Anna slowly opened her eyes. What did he say? Something about a drink? "Yeah. I just need to…" Anna turned towards the back of the pub. "…clean up." She glanced at her soaking dress.
"Yes. Of course. What can I get you?" He took a stumbling step towards her.
Anna turned back toward him, practically bumping into him. He put a steadying hand on her shoulder.
"A cider, please." Anna gifted him with a smile and rushed toward the bathroom.
Just as Anna reached the door, Gwen was coming out. Anna grabbed Gwen's arm and dragged her back in.
"What's going on? You smell like my ex-boyfriend!"
"What? Oh, the beer. You're never going to believe this!" Anna threw at Gwen as she walked to the sink.
"Believe what?"
"Do you remember the guy I told you about? The guy with the limp that helped that old lady with her spilt groceries?" Anna hit the air dryer button three times before it started.
Gwen had to raise her voice. "Yeah. What does he have to do with you smelling like the inside of a cask?"
"He's in the bar. He spilt the beer on me."
"What! That bastard!" Gwen started towards the door.
Anna quickly grabbed her wrist. "He didn't do it on purpose you silly beggar!" Anna pulled her dress out under the dryer.
Gwen sighed. "Take it off."
"What?" Anna said horrified.
"Take your dress off." Gwen grabbed some paper towels and wet them in the sink. "I'll dry your dress while you clean yourself up." She handed Anna the damp towels.
Anna opened and closed her mouth. She then dashed into the nearest stall. Soon her dress sailed into the air. Gwen snatched it before it hit the ground.
"So your knight's here?" Gwen called. She furiously hit the air dryer button again.
"I was texting Mary, and the next thing I knew he had tripped and dumped all his beer on me. He looked absolutely horrified." Anna raised her voice.
"I bet." Gwen slowly moved the dress under the blowing air.
"And then I go and open my mouth and make it worse…"
Gwen let the dryer stop. "What'd you say?" Gwen had known Anna for almost two years now. Anna had been working at I'll See It Clean for a year before Gwen started there. Anna had taken Gwen under her wing. Anna had become a big sister of sorts, and Gwen knew firsthand how Anna often said things before thinking it through, often to Gwen's amusement.
"I said…I'm wet."
Gwen could not stop laughing.
"It could have been worse!" Anna yelled over her hysterical laughter.
"How could you have said anything worse than I'm wet to an almost total stranger whom you happen to have a crush on?"
"I could have said 'I bet that's the fastest you've ever soaked a girl's knickers.'"
"Oh…my…God…"Gwen panted between laughs. "I would have paid to see the look on his face after you said that." The dryer stopped, and she hit the button some more. "Are your knickers really soaked too?"
"Yes, but I'll just throw 'em out. It's one thing to have you dry my dress. I don't think I'm ready for you to handle my knickers too."
"I agree on that point. And it's one thing to have a dress smell like beer, but knickers should not smell."
"Is it dry yet? I'm startin' to get a chill." Anna moaned from the stall.
Gwen surveyed the dress. "Probably as good as it's gonna get." She held the dress over the stall door.
Anna quickly grabbed it. "Thanks, Gwen. What would I do without you?"
Gwen leaned against the opposite wall. "The real question is what are you gonna do when you go back out there?"
"Bloody hell. He's buying me a drink, and I forgot to mention you. Not that it matters. You were supposed to buy me a drink before you ran off."
"I would have bought the next round."
Anna stepped out of the stall and twirled. She grinned at Gwen. "I smell like a Yankee frat boy."
Gwen shrugged. "Like I said, my ex."
Anna laughed too before leaning against the stall and groaned. "What am I supposed to follow 'I'm wet' with?"
Anna nervously tucked her hair behind her ear as she approached him at the bar. He was waiting with his back turned.
"Is that cider for me or my dress?" Anna was so glad her wit was back and she hadn't said something about her missing knickers. She was even gladder when he turned and smiled at her like she was the only girl in the bar.
"For you. I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself earlier when I was giving you a beer bath, but my name's John."
Anna shook his outstretched hand. "Anna. My name's Anna." His smile caused major malfunctions in her brain.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Anna."
Gwen coughed loudly from behind Anna.
"Oh. This is my friend Gwen. We came here together. As friends." Anna wanted to hit her head against the nearest wall. What was it about this man…John that made her spout nonsense. If only he'd stop smiling at her.
John held out his hand to Gwen. "It's a pleasure to meet you. May I get you a drink as well?"
"Sure! A cider for me, too." Gwen quickly answered. When John turned his back to them to order, Gwen mouthed 'keeper' to Anna.
As the bartender poured the pint, John turned his full attention on Anna. "I hate to sound like a broken record, but I am very sorry. I hope your dress isn't ruined?" He looked guiltily at her dress.
"Oh. It's fine, really. It's just an everyday dress. Nothing special. I'm sure it'll be fine after I wash it. I can't afford a dress that some spilt beer can ruin." Anna had to stop herself from nervously stammering on.
"I very much hope so. It's a very pretty dress, and you look quite nice in it." He took a drink of his coke as Anna blushed.
"That's nice of you to say."
"It's a good thing you didn't spill that on her dress because that would have left a dark stain." Gwen butted into the conversation now that she had her drink.
Anna looked confused. "I thought you were drinking beer."
John scratched at the back of his neck. "Those were for my mates." He glanced towards a corner in the pub. "I should actually get back to them."
Anna tried not to sound too sad or desperate. "Oh." She failed on both counts.
A smile twitched across his face. "Would you like to join us? Both of you?"
"Yes!" Gwen quickly blurted out. She tried to look nonchalant but being the third wheel was rapidly becoming awkward. She nudged Anna with her elbow.
"Yes, that'd be nice." Anna smiled.
John smiled back. He grabbed his drink and cane and led the way to a table. "I hope you gents don't mind but I invited these lovely ladies to join us." He stepped aside.
"Anna! Gwen!"
"Anna!"
"Mr. Carson!"
"Mr. Carson! Mr. Crawley!"
"Wait. You know each other?" John felt like he was on the outside of an inside joke.
"Yes," was said in unison by the four. John turned his attention to Anna hoping to get answers.
"Mr. Carson is married to our boss, and my roommate is Mr. Crawley's daughter."
"Well it looks like no introductions are needed then." John set his drink on the table and pulled a chair up to the table. He motioned Anna to sit as he pushed the chair in. He was rewarded with a glowing smile from Anna.
Mr. Carson swiftly stood up and held out his chair for Gwen before sliding into the empty chair next to Robert Crawley.
Anna turned toward John after he sat down. "Do you also work at Crawley and Sons?"
John let out a short laugh. "Yes, yes I do. I'm not a lawyer, though."
"Don't sell yourself short, Bates." Robert jumped in. "I'd be lost without my head of research."
John ducked his head. His head shot up as he felt a hand on his shoulder. He couldn't help but smile as Anna squeezed his shoulder.
A symphony of crashing pots startled Anna awake. She groaned into her pillow. "I wanted to sleep in."
She burrowed into her blankets as snippets of the night before entered her mind. She couldn't believe she had stayed in the pub until closing with John. Gwen, Mr. Carson, and Mr. Crawley had left, but John and Anna just kept talking. They had talked about absolutely nothing of significance with ease.
She smiled and sighed as she remembered how they parted. John had apologized once again for pouring beer on her dress. Anna had laughed and told him she had forgotten all about it. She wasn't lying, either. She told him how enjoyable the evening was conversing with him. He had brushed his lips across the knuckles of her hand before getting in a cab.
Her smile faltered as she remembered no numbers were exchanged. John hadn't brought up another meeting either. But what did that really matter when Anna knew where he worked. She jumped out of bed as she remembered that she had an excuse to visit said workplace once she talked to Mary.
Anna pulled on a robe and rushed toward the kitchen. She entered grinning like a Cheshire cat.
Mary looked up from the mess of pots and pans on the floor thinking Anna's manic grin was for her. "Yes, yes I know. Mary's trying to cook again. How very funny."
Anna ignored her comment. "You'll never guess who I was with last night!"
"Gwen. You texted me remember. Sorry I didn't stop by, but I was in the middle of painting my nails and didn't want to ruin them."
"Painted nails? Really? Oh never mind. I ran into your father at the pub!"
"My father?"
"Yes and apparently he doesn't know how to use a phone because he asked me to tell you he'd appreciate you stopping by the office at your earliest convenience."
"I can't imagine what he'd want. Well if he wants to talk to me, he can just come here."
"No!" Anna shouted. Mary looked completely taken aback. "Your father wasn't the only person I ran into at pub last night. My knight with a cane was there!"
Mary perked up at that. "Really? You found Mr. Manners again?"
"Yes! He literally tripped into me and dumped two pints of beer down my dress."
"How awful! Is your dress ruined?"
"No, I doubt it. It was just beer. But anyway he works for your father!"
"The world keeps getting smaller. Why don't you just visit by yourself?"
"Because he didn't exactly invite me to stop by."
"Well aren't you meeting again anyway?"
"We didn't exchange numbers or anything."
"How'd you leave each other?"
"He kissed my hand and said it was a pleasure meeting me." Anna mumbled.
"So he brushed you off."
"No…well, yes maybe he did. But we spent all night talking. He never once seemed uninterested. Maybe he didn't know if I was interested."
"Anna, you're easier to read than a large print book. There's no way he couldn't tell how you felt just by looking at you."
Anna looked slightly offended. "I'm not that transparent."
Mary shot her a disbelieving look.
Anna slumped against the fridge. "Please, Mary. I have to see him again. Would it really be that bad to visit your father?"
Mary threw a pan onto the stove. "Yes it would."
Anna pushed Mary out of the way. "I'll cook you breakfast everyday for a month."
"Oh, alright. He better be worth it."
Anna hugged Mary. "I know he is."
