Chapter 5

James was leaning against the wall outside her door when she turned the corner. She raised her eyebrow at him questioningly. He smiled, "Drinks, remember?"

She shook her head, "I had forgotten, I'm sorry."

He shrugged, "It's OK, we can do it another time."

Reaching for his arm, she smiled up at him. "No, I still want to go. I'd just forgotten. Give me 5 minutes?"

"Are you sure?"

Opening her door, she motioned with her head for him to follow her. "I really want to, let me shut down my computer and grab my things." She dropped several files on her desk then leaned over to log off her computer. "Where do you want to go?"

"White Horse?"

Laura made a face, "Too many people, too noisy."

James paused for a moment, looked down at the floor. "Do you trust me, Dr. Hobson?"

She laughed, "Call me Laura and, of course, I trust you James."

"I know a place, it's usually quiet mid-week." He shrugged, "Food's good if we get hungry later."

"Lay on McDuff."

He smiled at her, pleased, "And damn'd be him that first cries, 'Hold, enough!'" He let her pass through the door then pulled it closed behind him, "Not many people use that saying correctly."

"Well I didn't go to Cambridge but we did learn a few things at Oxford."

They walked in sync down the hallway, "This place we are going to, they do an absolutely vicious pub quiz on Sundays. I bet we could clean up."

"Something to look forward to."

They were settled at a table near the back of the pub. As promised, it was quiet and relaxing. They'd talked about many different things but not once about the Oxford Police Station. Laura was not surprised to find they had quite a lot in common.

Eventually the conversation turned to Robbie.

"When did he tell you?"

Laura stared down at her drink, a sad smile twitched her lips. "He didn't."

James' eyes widened, "But you said he…"

Shaking her head, she met his eyes, "I said I knew, I didn't say he told me."

"Then how?"

"I went by his flat."

"And you looked in the window and saw his suitcase?"

Laura laughed, "Worse."

"How could it be worse?"

"A woman answered the door."

"Lyn?"

Sadly shaking her head, "No."

"Who?"

"A girlfriend, lover, I don't really know. I didn't get the details."

"How, when?"

"Apparently they met while he was on attachment, had a relationship. They reconnected recently and now they are going away together."

His hand covered hers, "I'm sorry, Laura."

She shook her head, "No need, we're friends, nothing more."

"That's not exactly true."

She smiled at him, "Actually, it is."

"You deserve better."

"Thank you, James.

He looked down at her almost empty drink, "Another one? Perhaps a snack?"

"I've not cried 'enough' yet."

James hopped up, practically running to the bar. She watched him. At one time, she'd called him dishy. It had been an attempt to rile Robbie but there was some truth in the statement. James was a handsome man.

He was also intelligent, funny in a different sort of way. There was something oddly sexy about him. A combination of all of his traits worked to make him more alluring. The sum of the whole being greater than its parts.

She wondered what he'd be like in bed. Would he be awkward, unskilled? Or would all of his ungainly mannerisms somehow coalesce into an attentive and skilled lover?

He smiled back at her, waved. Something in his look told her it would be easy to seduce him. It would serve Robbie right. He found a new love, why shouldn't she? And finding one right under his nose would be even better.

She entertained the idea, mulled it over in her mind, made her mental pro/con list. There were more pros on her list than cons. An evening of no strings attached physical entertainment, even if Robbie never found out, she would know, would have exacted some form of revenge.

Her mind made up, she looked up at James crossing the room toward her. There was an earnest expression on his face as he placed her drink in front of her along with a bowl of pistachios.

"I have a few more things coming, I wasn't sure what you wanted." Holding up his glass, he offered a toast, "May you have the hindsight to know where you've been, the foresight to know where you are going, and the insight to know when you have gone too far."

Touching her glass to his, she pasted a smile on her face. His toast had cooled all of her thoughts. She might be able to seduce him; it might even be the best form of revenge. But while she would file it away as an evening of indulgent sybaritism, James wouldn't.

He would be irrevocably damaged. It would destroy a part of him which was entirely too kind, too lovely. She couldn't do it to him, wouldn't do it to him.

The evening continued through a few more drinks and dinner. James saw her safely to a taxi, offered to pick her up in the morning. She kissed him on the cheek, thanked him for a lovely evening. He'd never know how the evening might have ended and it was as it should be.

They would become friends, separate from Robbie. A relationship which was entirely theirs, something vastly more appealing than a night of revenge. It was in that realization that she understood, she didn't care about Robbie. She cared more about James and not hurting him than she did about exacting some childish revenge. Robbie had moved on with his life, perhaps it was time she did the same.