"Zoe! Nice to have you back!" Noel shouted as they made their way past reception.
"Thank you Noel." Zoe smiled.
"How was your bre..." Noel stopped mid sentence, Louise had nudged him, noticing Max was holding her hand.
"What the?" Noel was lost for words.
"Nice to see you too guys." Zoe and Max laughed as they walked on leaving Noel and Louise open mouthed.
"I'll see you in a bit yeah?" Max told her as he headed to get changed, Zoe was making her way to Connie's office, time to meet the famous Mrs Beauchamp.
Zoe found herself stood outside her old office, she knocked hesitantly before going in. Was she doing the right thing?
"Dr Hanna I presume?" Connie asked.
"That's me. Nice to meet you, I've heard a lot about you." Zoe offered.
"Hmm, all good I imagine?" Connie replied sarcastically.
"Well, you do have a reputation, let's leave it at that." Zoe told her.
"Yes, well, nobody gets anywhere being nicey nice all the time, wouldn't you agree? This department needs some oomph." Connie said.
Zoe nodded, not knowing what to say. Wow, this woman was something else, her reputation was 100% correct.
"So you know the department, I'll let you get on. I've given you an office upstairs."Connie told her.
"Erm, thanks. You told people I was coming back?" Zoe asked.
"Should I have?" Connie responded.
"Well, no, I just thought it may have been mentioned." Zoe said.
"I'm a busy woman Zoe, staffing isn't really my forte. I can call a meeting and reintroduce you if that'd make you feel better?" Connie said, another sarcastic tone to her voice.
"No it's fine, I know my way around, it's not my first day at school, I'll leave you to it." Zoe gave a fake smile as she left the room.
"Unbelievable!" She said under her breath as she closed the door.
"Why thank you Dr Hanna, you're not so bad yourself." Cal had been walking past, giving her a cheeky wink.
Zoe laughed. "You don't change!"
"Not sure how to take that but thanks. Good to have you back. Fancy a drink after work?" Cal asked.
"With you? Really?" Zoe laughed.
"Why is that funny?!" Cal asked pretending to be insulted.
"No reason, thanks but I've got other plans." Zoe said.
"New fancy man?" Cal probed.
"Let's not have this conversation Cal, I've got work to do!" Zoe told him.
"Right you are! Can't blame a man for trying!" Cal walked off.
Zoe bumped into Max on her way to her office.
"I take it everyone knows about us?!"
"Actually, no, I had a word with Louise and asked her to keep it quiet, I thought we could tell people in our own time. She looked like I'd killed her favourite animal." Max told her.
"I can imagine! Ok, great, listen I've got to get on but I'll meet you in the staff room at lunch?" Zoe said.
"It's a date." Max smiled. "Oh, Zoe?"
"Yes Max?"
"Nice dress. It's very, very flattering!" Max told her.
Zoe rolled her eyes, "See you later."
The morning seemed to have been successful for Zoe, she'd quickly got back into the swing of things and she'd managed to avoid Connie. As lunchtime approached she went to the staff room to meet Max and overheard him been probed by Cal, Rita and Lofty about his holiday. Max had sworn Robyn to secrecy.
"So where did you go?" Cal asked.
"Maldives mate, amazing." Max replied.
Cal spluttered on his drink.
"You?! Maldives?! This is a wind up right?" He asked.
"Yeah come on Max, where have you really been? If you've been to the Maldives they're paying you too much and I'm in the wrong job!" Rita teased.
"Seriously, that's where I've been, shall we leave it now?" Max said.
"How was it Max? Your holiday?" Zoe had entered the room and was making her way towards him.
Max looked up and smiled.
"Oh you know, sun, sea, sand... You know the rest." He said.
"Did you go with anyone special?" Zoe continued.
"Just my new girlfriend, no one that special!"
"Oh really, I'm sure she'll be glad to hear that!" Zoe laughed.
"You don't have a new girlfriend mate! Surely you'd have told me?" Lofty asked.
"Sorry Lofty, I didn't want to mention it until I was sure." Max explained.
"Sure of what, that she'd have you?!" Cal joked.
"Cal!" Rita jabbed him.
"Ha ha, no, sure that she felt the same way, sure that I was sure that she was definitely the one, the holiday confirmed my initial thoughts." Max said.
"Wow, deep." Cal said.
"Jealousy mate! It's an ugly trait!" Max said laughing.
Zoe had edged closer and closer to Max which seemed to have gone unnoticed.
"When do we get to meet this fantasy woman?!" Lofty asked.
Zoe looked at Max and laughed before kissing him.
"I assure you Lofty, I'm definitely real." Zoe said to the gasps.