I mentally went through the list in my head of everything to buy at the shop. Tim had said something about biscuits but for the life of me I couldn't remember what they were called. He'd probably eat anything though. If I asked him to write it down for me he would probably make a joke that I was going senile. I probably was.

Washing my hands I left the bathroom and make the awkward walk back to the table with the occasional glances from other diners. Great, now I wasn't sure exactly where my table was. I was confused that none of them seemed to have an empty seat bar one with a very stony faced woman at it. That was definitely not Tim.

Eventually I saw him and I tried to communicate with him silently to know if I should leave and come back, he was talking to someone but he called me over with a wave and a smile.

I was wary of having to meet a relation, how does one introduce each other to the family in that scenario? "Hello, I'm fucking your nephew with no promise of marriage and children, have you tried the salmon?"

"Ivo," he said breathily, pulling my hand so that I stood beside him. I wasn't sure what to do with myself so I rested my hands on his shoulders. I leaned over to offer a hand to the man opposite.

"Ivo, nice to meet you," I said pleasantly, hoping I wasn't about to be questioned by a strange, suited man.

"Yes," he replied, implying it wasn't very nice at all. "You to, well," he said, standing. "I best be off," he said with a glance at Tim. I looked down at him and saw that he seemed to be staring at the cutlery.

"Good to see you," he mumbled quietly. I stared back at the man, who was this guy? He gave an awkward nod before going over to join the sour faced woman.

"Who was that," I asked lightly, sitting back in my seat and taking my card back from the little black book on the table and offering Tim a mint. He took one and began to unwrap it.

"James," he said slowly, not looking at me and trying to act casual. "We went to school together."

I blinked.

"James," I repeated in a whisper. Tim looked up at me for a millisecond and then back at his shoes. I stared at Tim from across the table, leaning back in my chair. The room was spinning a little and I closed my eyes.

"That James," I asked, quirking an eyebrow at him. He gave a small nod and his lip twitched the same way it would do when his eyes were all watery.

"Who's the woman?"

"His wife," he sighed sadly.

...

"You shouldn't have hit him," I told him off quite happily as we sat in the kitchen, putting bandages across his hand. Thankfully he hadn't broken anything on that stupid little shit's face or no doubt we would have had a law suit. He gave a non-committal sound.

I replayed the scene over and over in my head and once the initial shock was out of the way it was bloody brilliant to watch. The look on Jame's face as he watched Ivo slowly walk over, his panic rising. His wife's shrieking as Ivo lunged across the table at him, dragging him to the floor.

"You fucking pervert," he had yelled all over the restaurant, James staring up at him like he was a madman, appealing to the staff to have him removed.

"You little shit, I will kill you for what you did to him, if I ever see your sorry excuse for an existence near him again I swear to God I will hurt you."

I can only imagine to James what Ivo must have looked like with his leather jacket and gold chain around his neck. His threats were clearly far from empty. I stood, speechless, until Ivo marched over and took my hand in his. He pulled me forcefully because I was practically rooted to the spot, watching the staff help James up and clear salad off the floor.

"You all saw that," James said loudly. "He attacked me, completely unprovoked," he said in his posh voice and I only just managed to hold onto Ivo, the doorman having to help me restrain him. Needless to say we wouldn't be going back to that restaurant any time soon.

He hissed a little as I put the antiseptic on his hand.

"Sorry," I smiled at him, running my thumb over his knuckles gently.

"Ivo," I started, unsure how to finish. "Thanks. You, know, for dinner and..stuff."

My lips parted as his thumb came up to caress them, his hand delicately resting on my cheek.

"Believe me, I wanted to do worse. It's lucky you stopped me," he said darkly. "For him at least."

I looked at him in our small little kitchen. My knight and my protector who would fight away my enemies. By default I suppose that made me the damsel in distress but maybe Ivo needed that. I think, for now at least, I needed it too.