"Max..."
She raised a hand to her face and swept the hair from her eyes.
"Do you?"
He asked, watching her, his eyes waiting on her face, waiting for her to look back at him.
"Because as cheesy as it sounds I haven't wanted to kiss anybody as much as I wanted to kiss you last night."
She almost laughed as he spoke, before raising her eyes to meet his and finding them serious, patiently waiting for her response.
"All you have to do is say..."
He whispered.
She nodded as he spoke.
He smiled that smile again. Deliciously slow and even.
He stood up and held out a hand. She placed her mug on the floor at the foot of the chair, and taking his hand she let him guide her up towards him.
He raised his hand and touched the hair that fell against the side of her face, his fingertips slipped over her cheek, her jaw...
"You're beautiful"
He whispered, kissing her, holding her against him.
He tasted of mint and cigarettes, she kissed him back, wrapping her arms around him, her fingers grazed the gap between his t-shirt and trousers.
She felt him run a hand down her back, he rested it on her hip and broke the kiss, resting his forehead against her own.
"You won't regret this will you?"
He whispered, slightly out of breath. She shook her head, slipping her hand just underneath his top, feeling how warm and soft the skin of his lower back was.
"Perhaps tonight you could come back to mine...?"
She whispered back, touching her nose against his, watching the flicker of a smile dance across his lips.
"I think I could manage that."
He breathed, kissing her again, this time quickly, pulling her closer to him, her breath caught in her chest and she smiled against his kiss.
"Meet me in reception at six..."
She whispered, kissing him between words.
"I'll be there..."
He squeezed her hands as she spoke, stepping back away from her, his lips blurred and red from her kisses.
She reached out and wiped his lips gently.
"Lipstick"
She murmured.
He unlocked the door but held the handle still.
"Don't let her get to you."
He said, pushing the door handle down and opening the door.
She glanced out into the corridor.
"I'll be fine..."
Her fingers found his and she squeezed them tightly before exiting.
"You should have that put on a t-shirt."
He called after her, laughing at the look she threw him over her shoulder as she made her way back to the office.
The office was empty. She stood against the closed door looking over all that was before her. Connie's desk, empty of clutter, merely a laptop on it's surface, her own desk was a clutter of papers, files, her own laptop and a couple of half drunk takeaway coffee's that were now cold.
She moved over and began to gather the papers and files together, slotting the papers back into their relevant folders and placing them in her drawer. She tossed the two coffee cups into the bin and wiped over her desk with a damp tissue. It looked better, but still the room looked cramped. There never really was room for two...
A tapping on the office door roused Zoe from her filing. She had emptied the filing cabinet by her desk and was sat with several large, teetering piles surrounding her.
"Zoe..."
Tess let herself in and shut the door softly behind herself.
"I just came to see how you were."
She said, sitting on the edge of Zoe's desk, watching as she licked the tips of her fingers and flicked through yet another patient file to find the correct place for the piece of paper that she was holding.
"After earlier I thought perhaps you could use someone to talk to?"
She added, watching as Zoe placed the page into it's place and leaned forward to collect the next page.
"I was just tired, Tess. Tired and overworked."
She held up the papers she was tidying.
"And it doesn't seem to be getting any easier."
She sighed.
"You can always ask for help."
Tess offered, clasping her hands in her lap, watching as Zoe stacked another pile of folders.
"Thanks, but I shouldn't have to. Can you imagine Connie asking for help if she were in my position?"
She asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You can't compare yourself to Connie, you're completely different."
Tess began.
"You mean she does her job, I just muddle my way through mine..."
"No!"
Tess placed a hand over Zoe's, halting her from picking up yet another file.
"You work in different ways, you have different ways of going about things. Neither are right or wrong. You are good at your job Zoe. Connie knows that. If she didn't she wouldn't feel so threatened."
Zoe rolled her eyes.
"I doubt Connie Beauchamp finds me threatening in any way shape or form."
Tess let her hand go and placed them back into her lap.
"Just know that I'm here if you do need a hand."
She said quietly, trying to catch Zoe's gaze.
"Thanks..."
Zoe picked up a pen and signed her signature at the bottom of a piece of paper as Tess stood up to leave.
"Tess...I really do appreciate it."
"Well. Why don't you come for a drink after work, just me and you?"
She asked, standing by the door.
"Oh I can't, I've just made plans."
She glanced away as she spoke, the flutter of a small smile hinted at her lips.
"Oh really?"
Tess asked, watching as Zoe smiled.
"Can I ask who with?"
She asked.
"Who says it's with anyone?"
Zoe feigned ignorance, lifting one of the piles of folders and beginning to place them one by one back into the drawers.
"I wasn't born yesterday."
Tess smiled.
"It's early days."
Zoe answered carefully.
"I don't want to jinx it. And I'm meeting him at six so I've got to get this done."
Tess watched her, arms folded.
"Well, just be careful."
She said, turning the door handle.
"I will...and thanks again."
Zoe called after her, lifting the second pile of files and looking for the first name under 'B' to begin with.
"Max?"
She looked up, hearing Tess speak.
Max had been about to knock as Tess had opened the door.
"Were you looking for me?"
Tess asked, checking her watch.
"Uh...no."
He glanced at Zoe who in turn looked toward Tess.
"It's six o'clock."
He said, unsure of what to say, taken aback by Tess's presence.
"It's six o'clock already?!"
Zoe exclaimed, catching the fleeting look of realisation pass across Tess's face.
"Zoe?"
Tess said slowly, stepping out into the hallway as Zoe gathered up her bag, leaving the rest of the paperwork and moving toward both Tess and Max who stood in her doorway.
"Thank you...Tess. Max, I've got to meet someone..."
Her words tailed off, Max cleared his throat and Tess stepped back into the hallway to let them pass.
"Could you just have a look at something for me...before you go?"
Max asked, moving so that Zoe could come into the hallway.
"Yes..."
She glanced at Tess, whose lips were pursed, her brown eyes laced with concern.
"I'll see you tomorrow."
Tess said, turning and leaving them to go on their way in the opposite direction.
Both Max and Zoe exhaled.
"I'm sorry, I didn't expect her to be there."
Max breathed, leaning against the wall.
"I thought I told you to meet me in reception?"
Zoe asked, pulling on her jacket and zipping it up.
"I had to hide."
He said.
"They wanted me to do overtime."
They walked down the corridor alongside one another.
"Do you think she knows?"
He asked, dipping his head to shield his words from the ears of passer-bys.
"I should think so..."
Zoe sighed, already dreading the conversation she was going to have to have with Tess tomorrow.
"She doesn't approve does she?"
He asked, pulling up the collar on his jacket as they reached the entrance, the sound of the rain beating down on the glass overhead greeted them.
"Probably not."
Zoe said, stopping briefly to fish for her car keys in the bottom of her bag.
"But right now I don't really care.
She breathed as the two of them walked out into the rain.