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The door of the apartment closed behind them.
"What do you think?" she asked.
"I think he's interested."
"But cautious."
"Certainly cautious," he agreed.
"And now we wait?"
He nodded, "And if we've done enough, he'll call."
They had finally provoked an introduction at the bar of the restaurant, where they had retired to enjoy a brandy and scotch respectively.
Coleman's colleague had left and he was already there drinking bourbon.
Harry had spoken quietly to Ruth, a private conversation that they believed no one could hear, or so it seemed. Harry had talked of the influx of economic migrants, about nationalism. They had complained of the trouble it had brought them across his european offices and the devaluing effects it had had upon their various properties. And they talked briefly of how they wished things could change.
Coleman heard it, as he was meant to. He had to strain but he heard enough. Enough to know that here was someone who had his own sympathies, someone with money, with property, someone who may be of use to him, particularly now.
And so it was Coleman who had instigated the casual introduction, had talked about dinner, the music and other pleasantries until he left twenty minutes later, asking for Daniel's business card before he did.
That's when Harry knew they had him.
"It's late," she said.
"Nightcap?"
"I think I've had more than enough."
He crossed to her from the kitchen where he was about to pour himself a small single malt, she was standing close to the window looking out at the illuminated city.
"He might be watching … somewhere out there," she said quietly.
He slipped his arms around her waist, standing close behind.
"Yes, he might."
He kissed her delicately on the cheek.
"You should go to bed, it's late. I'll be there in a few minutes."
He felt her nod.
"Would you … would you keep the lights off when you come through and then no one can see in as easily."
"Of course…" he smiled gently, so that she could hear it in his voice, "…Besides, I doubt they would want an eyeful of my pyjamas."
Ruth turned to face him.
"I'm not sure they've left you any," she said.
"...Right."
"Night, then," she said, kissing him quickly on the cheek and beating a hasty retreat.
Harry picked up his whiskey and looked out once more.
Ruth couldn't sleep. She lay in the darkness: well, as dark as the city ever got. Her hope had been to be fast asleep before he came to bed. But she was awake...very awake, very aware and also rather wary.
Alongside her was merely an empty bed.
Her head was full of the evening. Full of dancing, dinner and desire.
A relationship with Harry that had ever been cerebral and buried, guarded and unspoken had suddenly become physical and it was on the verge of overwhelming her. When they reverted to their restrained normality, returned to guarded and buried she would relive these moments, they would sustain her, but for now they wound round her head, pulling tighter and tighter.
"Are you alright?" She was stood in the bedroom doorway, peering across the living room at him.
"'I'm fine, Ruth."
She thought about correcting him, as he had done her, but she relished the use of her own name, and as ever the way he said it.
"It's late," she said, quietly.
He glanced at his watch. 3.30am.
He had intended to follow her earlier but it was difficult.
They could have asked anything else of him, however bad, however ugly, however morally debatable.
But to ask him to do this.
To ask him to share the same bed as her, however innocently, was beyond difficult: not because he didn't trust himself, not that.
But because it was all that he had asked from her. And she had said, no.
"It doesn't look right you sitting here," she ventured, "besides, I found pyjamas ... well, the bottoms anyway. I left them in the bathroom for you."
He nodded but failed to speak.
She wondered if this was the last thing he wanted, if all the rest had simply been for show, for the legend.
"I know this isn't easy," she said, reading yet misreading.
He stood up and turned off the small sidelight beside him.
"You're right, Ruth, it's late."
And he followed her towards the bedroom.