Marcus had not been particularly eager to attend the gala, as he was almost certain that his ex-wife would be there, since she could charm the skin off a snake when she put her mind to it. But he had done some nosing around when Cameron had started to keep some odd hours, and the long distance on their phone bill had exploded. It was then that he found out that Bernie had buggered off to some Baltic country, Serbia, or Bulgaria, or somewhere, and that had made the evening seem all the brighter. Also, it didn't hurt that he knew there would be single, attractive, women there. After all, it had been a few months since his divorce was finalized, and he was ready to move on.

It had been pure fate that the first woman he had set eyes on was a familiar, heavenly, creature. While they had only met for the briefest of moments at Holby, it had been enough to cement her image in his mind. Seeing her there, now, and looking ravishing in red, just had him sending up a quick prayer of thanksgiving to God. Though she was dancing with another woman, there was no way that she was like his ex-wife, no way in hell. And so, he had quickly made his way over to their sides and cut in.

As they danced, he knew that her attention was divided, but he was still extremely charmed by her. And so he found himself grasping at straws in an effort to keep her engaged and by his side. "So, I've just recently separated from my wife, and am finding myself at a loss for how to go forward with life. It's rather difficult to be alone once more, after twenty-five years."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." She gave him a sympathetic look, and he smiled as he pulled her closer to his body. There was a slight stiffness there, and he tried not to take umbrage at the reaction. "What was your wife like?"

Serena gave him a shy smile, and he took encouragement from the expression as he launched into a good story about Bernie. After all, he didn't want to turn the woman off by belittling his ex, if he wanted to go home with her at the end of the night. "She commands attention wherever she goes," he finally said, surprised to see Serena's smile turn dreamy, as if she was imagining someone else who commanded attention. A flash of panic stabbed at his stomach with that thought, and he unconsciously tightened his hold around her waist. "I'm sorry, I never asked. Do you have someone in your life?"

There was a tiny pause, and while the dreamy smile never left Serena's lips, a little sadness crept into her eyes before she shook her head. "No, not really, not at the moment. I had thought there would be, but I was wrong. They left me to go on secondment."

"How could anyone leave someone as charming and beautiful as you? If I had someone like you in my life, I would do my best to make certain that you were happy, too happy to even consider leaving." Feeling emboldened, he leaned in and kissed her cheek, ignoring the sharp gasp that slipped from her lips. "I'm sorry, you just looked like you needed comforting."

"Thank you, I think," she replied, a cooler, politer, tone to her voice. Marcus knew that he had to back off for a little, so that she wouldn't be scared off. "Anyway, tell me more about her. I find myself somewhat enamored of a sad story."

"Because sad stories speak to us so much more than happy ones?" She shrugged as the tempo of the song slowed down and he held his breath, wondering if she would allow him to bring her into his personal space once more. They swayed together in a faux waltz, and Serena drifted a little bit closer, her eyes closing as she waited for him to speak. "My ex, well, she was always special, from the moment I met her. I was in love with her from the beginning, and it took a little to convince her to take a second look at me. I could never make her stay, though, no matter how hard I tried."

"Oh, how I know about that," Serena whispered, a watery laugh slipping from her lips. Marcus wanted to ask her more, to get her to open up to him, and then she went and surprised him by resting her head against his chest as they danced. "Please, just give me a moment to collect my thoughts," she said, and he nodded as he slid one hand up her back to rest against the bare skin between her shoulder blades.

Finally, though, she was drawing in a deep breath and pushing away from him to be at a more proper distance. "Is everything okay?" he dared to ask, hoping that it wouldn't spook her.

"It will be, you just reminded me of a bad memory."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I did manage to get all the money in our joint bank accounts. I figured that I was worth at least that much, since she was the one who stepped out on me. That was quite the shock, let me tell you, since I never thought that she would have that in her."

"People do surprising things all the time, Marcus." She gave him a pained look. "I think that I'm going to need something to eat, if you don't mind. There wasn't time to grab anything between my shift and getting ready to come here."

"Of course," he said as he led her over to where the refreshment table was. Immediately, Serena picked up a glass of water and gulped at it, before taking a plate and filling it with apple slices and crackers. The food choice again reminded him of Bernie, and he began to wonder if Serena worked with her at Holby, which would be just his luck. From here on out, he would have to be very careful about what he said, as he didn't want any gossip getting back to Bernie's ears. "I used to love apples."

"Really? What changed?"

"I can't say, for certain. Now they just taste bitter to me."

Serena nodded as she nibbled at one of the pieces of apple, her gaze darting around the room. He tried to see who she was looking for, but it never seemed to land on anyone for too long. "That's a shame, since apples are completely delicious."

The way the words rolled off her tongue sent shivers down his spine, and he wondered if Serena knew what she did to people. "I might have to give them another chance, then," he replied as he snatched a slice off her plate. She gave him a dark look before letting out a deep breath, and again, he wondered if he had overstepped some boundary that he hadn't even known was there. "Do you mind taking another turn around the dance floor when we're finished?"

"That would be fine, I suppose," she replied, a tiny smile crossing her lips as her eyes finally stilled. Following her eye line, he saw that she was looking at the woman she had been dancing with earlier, and again, he wondered about her. Still, she had agreed to dance with him, and in the end, that was all that mattered. Well that, and getting her into his bed and proving that he still had what it took to attract beautiful women. By the end of the night, he was certain that Serena would be his.