It was past five that afternoon and people were starting to slip away and Chris had a look around the grid at everyone else. They weren't overly busy and Harry was letting people go home. Chris knew that a five o'clock finish was an early one for them, even after just one day here. He turned to Ruth next to him, who was still typing quickly, oblivious to the fact that the end of the day was fast approaching.

"Ruth, do you want to get a drink with me tonight?" Chris asked and he was pleased that she was surprised enough that her hands stilled completely. She turned and looked at him, thinking what on earth to say to that.

"I don't think that would be the best idea," she said slowly.

"Give me one good reason why you don't want to go," Chris said calmly, his smile annoyingly confident.

"I just can't," she said, not wanting to get into too much detail about why not. Her personal life was none of his business after all, no matter how interested he seemed to be about her personally.

"Okay," Chris said. "But I do think you can't sit here and work all night.

"How do you know that's what I was going to do?" Ruth asked with a questioning look on her face.

"I don't know, you just have that look." Chris looked at her knowingly and she let a smile colour her face.

"Fine, I will shut my computer down, because it is a slow day and go home. Alone," she added as he raised an eyebrow suggestively. He laughed out loud. She didn't but she did have a broad smile on her face as she started to close her computer down. Chris kept talking but her attention wasn't really on him. She looked into Harry's office and saw the gap in the blinds as he held them apart. He was watching her but the strange thing was he didn't stop once she'd acknowledged his attention. He just kept staring. She flushed, unused to such clear attention from him and she stood, pulling her coat on. Chris looked at her with a grin and asked, "Shall we go?"

"No matter how devilish your smile or how much you push your luck, I'm not going home with you tonight.

"Of course not, you're a lady," he said, voicing his honest opinion. "Never hurts to indulge in fantasy though does it?" He was so forward that she let out a half laugh to spare herself from saying anything in reply, half blushing as they left through separate pods.

Harry watched them leave together and was absolutely seething. It wasn't fair that a stranger could make Ruth smile like that. Make her look so happy. How could another man make his Ruth's eyes sparkle. It wasn't right. It was so far wrong that he felt like punching something. Was she going out with him tonight? They'd left together after all and Ruth never left this early. That indicated an evening spent together. Harry shook his head because after that thought came some very vivid half images of a naked Ruth writhing with passion with another man. The thought had him breathing heavily, trying to push it away.

Looking around the grid he knew there was nothing to stay for so he decided to go home and get drunk. It seemed as good a plan as any. Or at least, that is what he had intended. Switching off the engine in his parking space. He realised his house wasn't as empty as he'd left it. He couldn't have explained how but he knew someone was in there. Reaching over to the glove compartment he pulled out his handgun and made sure it was loaded. He walked up to his house, like he normally would, keys in left hand, gun in right. Unlocking the door he carefully walked through the hallway and into his kitchen gun raised. He sighed with relief when he saw who was sitting at his table and lowered the gun, placing it on the side.

"You shouldn't break in to people's houses," Harry said simply.

"It was hardly breaking and entering, Harry. You really need to get the security raised on this house," Malcolm replied taking a sip of his tea, which he'd clearly helped himself to. "It only took me five minutes to break in and reset the alarm. Clearly my replacement isn't up to the job."

"Tariq doesn't go near my house," Harry said firmly. "I could have shot you, you realise that?" Malcolm shrugged, as if knowing Harry wouldn't have shot first, even if he had been an intruder. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"I heard you could use a friend." Harry sighed thinking of all the things that could be deduced from that sentence. Someone had called him, letting Malcolm know of the current Ruth / Harry predicament now involving the newcomer Chris. He supposed he should feel insulted that a member of his team had called an outsider, but he didn't have it in him.

"Do you want a drink?"

I'm finding this story surprisingly difficult to write, but I hope it doesn't show. Thanks for all the reviews so far, they are keeping me sane. xxx