Chapter 3

"Are you ready?" asked David with a smile, as they were standing outside the restaurant before would stepping in,

"Yeah, it's perfectly fine by me…" she nodded sweetly and they shared a look,

"And one more thing…" he reached out his hand with a cheeky smile, "You know, just trying to make things believable."

"But of course," she chuckled softly and watched as he took her hand in his, loving how perfect they fit together… as they exchanged a smile, it seemed like something was definitely decided between them, they didn't even have to say it, "Then, let's go..." he winked, and the show started…

"Davie!" cried the old lady behind the counter, hastening to greet them, "I'm so glad you're here, we have been waiting for you so long… and as I see, finally you're not alone," she smiled at Julia.

"Yes, she is…" he looked at her lovingly, "She is my Julia."

"…" although, she didn't know if she heard it right or not, her heart started to beat faster as she lost herself in those ocean blue eyes for a few seconds,

"What an honor to meet you, Home Secretary."

"Uhm, 'Julia'… just please call me, 'Julia'," she came to her senses, and turned to face with her.

"I'm Joanne and he's my hubby, Frank." she introduced the man next to her, "We cannot tell you how happy we are to have you here. We saw you a lot on telly of course, but meeting you in person is a whole different thing… you're even more beautiful in real life, if I can say so."

"That's very kind, thank you." she smiled gratefully, "And I'm so glad we can be here tonight," she glanced at David, "This place is so cosy and charming, it really feels like home."

"And speaking of home, I do hope we'll see you here more often from now on," Joanne smiled warmly.

"Don't worry, I'll be on it…" remarked David with a smile, squeezing Julia's hand gently,

"Not to mention how grateful we are, because you gave our old Davie back to us… he can't stop smiling when he is talking about you."

"Does he really?…" she asked teasingly,

"I'm not going to deny it," he answered without hesitation, still holding her hand.

"But now… let me show you your table, to make you feel comfortable as soon as possible."

"Thanks, Joanne."

"We reserved our best table for our lovebirds," smiled the old lady warmly as they walked through into the dining area, "It's in a hidden corner, quiet and romantic, so please follow me…"

"Lovebirds…" he repeated with a grin, glancing at Julia, "Those are us."

"Thanks for the info," she leant closer with a chuckle, "I would never heave guessed."

"And here we are…" showed the old lady, as David pulled out the chair for Julia, which she accepted with a smile, "I'll be right back with your welcome drinks. I think a little bubbly would suit for the occasion, how about that?"

"That's perfect for me, thank you." smiled Julia, then he added,

"For me too… but could you bring me a non-alcoholic one?"

"Sure, Davie." she smiled and went for the drinks.

"Why don't you drink a real one, it's about the car?… Tom can drive back to home, no problem."

"I know, but it's not just about driving."

"Then what's the matter?" she asked softly,

"…"

"Please tell me…"

"That night, which we don't talk about in public…"

"…"

"I made you a promise…" he said softly, and she called back the memories,

"Oh…"

"Do you remember?"

"Yes, of course I remember." she nodded fondly, because she will never forget the way he made her feel that night, "You promised me that you will never let anything bad happen to me."

"Yes, I did… and the only way I can protect you, if my senses are awake." he answered, then added softly, "And I'll keep that promise."

"I see…" she nodded softly, "Then in this case, I won't drink too."

"No, you don't have to do that. You can relax and have fun, since this is also included in 'keeping you safe'."

"Even if I get drunk?" she teased him, "Dreadfully drunk?"

"But of course. Then I'll just pick you up and take you home, don't worry… you know, it's a full service." he smiled on a confident way, while she just added sweetly,

"Well, then it's an offer to consider…"

"But believe me, these foods are so filling, you can't really get drunk."

"That's good to know, then maybe I'll order a few more drinks…" she chuckled, and leaned back in her chair, just enjoying the moment,

"… So how are you feeling so far?"

"Simply wonderful…" she answered sweetly,

"You know, I was a bit worried you might find my family a bit too much."

"No, not at all. They are so lovely and kind, and it's so good to see how much they love you."

"Joanne is like a second mum for me."

"It can be seen," she smiled, "And it must be so good to live in such a loving family."

"Well, one place is still available if you're interested…" he added, and they shared a chuckle, but actually, he was serious…

"Here's your drinks, darlings." said the old lady as she got back with two glasses, "And I have a question for you… I can bring the menu if you want, or we prepared a little food selection for tonight with our best traditional dishes."

"Whatever you chose will be fine." smiled Julia kindly.

"Perfect," she nodded and turned to the waiter, while they grabbed their drinks,

"Then… Sláinte!" smiled David, raising his glass,

"Slan-what?"

"'Sláinte', pronounce as 'Slange'… it's actually 'cheers' in Scottish."

"Ah, okay," she smiled and tried to say it right, "Then… Slan-cha!"

"Sláinte…"

"Slange!"

"Nice one," nodded David with a smile, when his aunt turned back to them,

"You're a born Scot, dear." she added kindly, "And now, until your appetizer will be ready, let me sit down and have a little chat… I know it's a date, so I won't be long I promise."

"Of course, we would be glad if you would join us." answered Julia with a smile, while the old lady pulled a chair and sat down,

"Please forgive me, I'm just too thrilled about you two. So I would like you to tell me about… you know, how did you two met and that kind of things."

"Well, as a matter of fact…" David tried to figure out the perfect answer, while Julia replied easily,

"We met at work. Which is quite an average way to meet, if I can say so," she added with a smile.

"Of course, how silly I am. But I'm sure it was at least a 'love at first sight' kind of meeting, am I right?"

"Uhm, actually…" smiled Julia, "We had a little misunderstanding at the beginning."

"Misunderstanding?"

"Yes… we didn't really find a common ground, if you know what I mean."

"Of course, but that just spices things up a bit, right?" added the old woman, "I think a little fight is good for passion."

"Just as you say it…" smiled David,

"I noticed that you can't stop smiling when you're looking at her… so I'm sure you remember the moment when you fell in love with her," she said with a warm smile, and Julia wanted to help with the answer, but this time he didn't need it,

"Actually, yes I do." he answered with his boyish smile, and put down his glass. "One day, when I took her home in the evening as usual…" he started, and Julia was really curious to see what he comes up with, "She went to the kitchen to get herself a drink, so she opened the fridge and took out a bottle of wine… I know it's a small thing, but the way as she poured that drink, she was so graceful and lovely, that I couldn't stop admiring her," he smiled at her lovingly, "And that was the moment when I knew I was lost forever." he added softly and they just sat there for a few moments, feeling deeply touched, while Julia couldn't really decide it was a fiction or not… however, the way he was looking at her, told the truth.

"Davie is really the sweetest guy, isn't he?" asked Joanne with a proud smile on her face, "Oh, I'm getting you the menu cards, which I forgot. I'll be back in a minute,"

"… You took me home and I poured a drink?" she chuckled as she sipped a bit from her champagne, "Actually, it could be any day of my life…"

"It was the day when you gave my shirt back to me." he added softly and the glass stopped in her hand, she was just staring at him, while he just smiled, looking deep in her eyes,

"… Here's the menu cards," said Joanne, but she felt something happened, "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, more than okay." smiled Julia, her eyes never leaving his,

"Right, then the appetizer is coming in a minute, and I'm just saying, that this place is perfect for special occasions like… I don't know, maybe engagement dinners or that kind of things,"

"Well…" she smiled with a sigh,

"We'll surely let you know when time comes," added David as he shared a look with Julia, they both seemed so happy and comfortable together.

"But don't wait too long, Davie… there's not a lot of Julias around."

"Don't worry, I perfectly know that." he answered, losing himself in Julia's eyes for a moment, before Joanne left them alone with a satisfied, knowing smile on her face, "So… I hope you like haggis," smiled David as they remained alone, glancing at the card,

"Well…" she came back to reality, "Actually, I never tried."

"Are you kidding me?"

"No, my family is from Italy, so somehow I just missed it… but I know it's some sort of sausage."

"Yeah, and it's very delicious."

"But could you tell me what is it made of exactly?"

"I think you don't want to know that."

"Why?"

"Just believe me, you don't want to know, but you'll surely like it."

"That sounds… well, interesting." she chuckled, "Okay, then I'll give it a try, and I think if I'll like it, I don't want to know what it's made of… and if I won't like it, I'm sure it's better if I don't know."

"That's the way to talk," he chucked, as a waiter arrived with their food,

"Enjoy your meal…"

"Thank you." they answered at once, and started to eat.

"… So, first impressions?" he asked with a smile as she spread it on a crusty bread and took a bite,

"Hm… it's pretty good actually," she answered, "But now, please never tell me what it is, okay?"

"It's a deal… by the way you have to try some after a night out, it works wonders with a hangover."

"My night outs are usually equal with a hangover." she chuckled, "The last one was with Rob, if you remember."

"How could anyone forget that?" he smiled, "But not about that clown, but about our fish and chips night together. I really loved every minute of it."

"As I…" she smiled lovingly, "And if I see it right, one of the courses is gonna be fish and chips tonight."

"Yeah, this place is famous for sea food and actually, I mentioned how much you like fish and chips, so that's why it's on our menu tonight,"

"It's perfect…" she smiled warmly,

"And the next dish is Cullen Skink, that's a…"

"I know what that is, it's a fish soup… made of smoked haddock."

"I'm impressed," he smiled,

"Then jumping to the dessert… it says 'Cranachan with love', do you know what that is?"

"Yeah, I know… half. I mean Cranachan is a fruity dessert, but I don't know what 'with love' means, however it can only be delicious if it was made here," he smiled and they continued their dinner, course by course, while they were chatting about everything, from everyday things to dreams, really enjoying their time together… then soon, dessert time came…

"So here's our specialty," Joanne put down a beautiful crystal bowl with fresh seasonal raspberries served up with Scottish oats, whipped cream and honey… and on top it all, it was sprinkled with little pink sugar hearts, "And two spoons for the lovebirds," she smiled and left them alone,

"Wow, it really looks cute."

"I thought you're not quite a 'sugar hearts' kind of girl," he teased her,

"Usually I'm not, that's true… but now, I don't know the reason of it," she said with a meaningful smile, "I just kind of like it."

"I'm glad to hear that…" he remarked happily, then added, "Anyway, it's a miracle that the haggis didn't get a few of them," they shared a chuckle.

"So this is the 'with love' part I guess," she smiled, taking a bite, "And we have one bowl with two spoons, so it seems we can eat like in those romantic movies."

"One milkshake with two straws?"

"Uh-huh," she chuckled, "Or in that one with the two puppies and one long spaghetti."

"I would really love to try that one next…" they shared a chuckle, as well as their dessert in their own little world, until the lights faded and a soft jazz music filled the air, "Oh, it's so cozy now… I really love this atmosphere."

"It's about us." he lowered his voice,

"What? How you mean that?" she whispered,

"Are they watching?" asked David with a smile,

"You mean…" she glanced to the kitchen's direction, "Uh-huh," she nodded with a chuckle as she turned back,

"Then come with me," he smiled and pulled her up to her feet,

"Hey, what are you doing?" she chuckled,

"I'm taking you to dance,"

"David," she tried to stop him with a chuckle, "I can't really dance…"

"Believe me, you cannot explain that to Joanne, so it's better if you come with me. But don't worry, it's pretty simple, actually just a few steps." he said and they were already in the little dancing area, where he gently placed his hand on her waist and drew her closer, before he began to dance with her, slowly and softly… his intoxicating scent and the feeling of his arms around her mixed up with a few drinks she had, simply made her dizzy… as he drew her completely into his arms, she lost the last bits of self control she had, so she slowly laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes… it was barely a dance, they just hugged each other without words and moved slowly to the rhythm of the music, which softly surrounded them… while David felt like being in another world… there he was with 'his Julia', dancing slowly in a hidden spot of the restaurant, feeling her smile in his neck, touching her silk covered back, holding her tight, while her sweet, warm aroma completely filled his senses… it was heaven… they were completely lost in each others closeness and neither of them could have told how much time has passed, when the music stopped, and they got back their senses…

"What happened?" she opened her eyes slowly, feeling like waking up after a relaxing sleep,

"I don't really know…" he answered, still holding her tight and couldn't really come back from the feeling of her closeness,

"But… but where is everybody?" she asked as they looked around in the restaurant.

"I'm sorry, darling, but the CD ended." answered Joanne from the counter, "I'll put on another one, just a second."

"But where did all the guests go?"

"We're actually closed, but…"

"Oh gosh, it's almost midnight," she checked her watch, "I'm so sorry."

"No, you can stay as long as you want, don't bother with anything…"

"I'm sorry, we didn't want to stay this long."

"Yeah, time just flew somehow," smiled David, still wasn't able to lose contact with her.

"So we should really go now… and thanks for this fantastic evening, we enjoyed it so much."

"Yes, everything was perfect as always," smiled David as Joanne stepped closer to them with a little surprise,

"It was my pleasure to have you here darlings, and it's so good to see a couple who are so deeply in love," she said and they smiled a bit shyly to each other, "Yes, you two could not deny how much you love each other, even if you would try it… so I hope we'll see you here often in the future."

"Yes, we'll definitely come." Julia answered without thinking,

"I'm so happy to hear that… oh, and here's some sweets for the journey, with a little extra," smiled Joanne warmly, and handed her a little brown paper bag, and a bridal magazine.

"…"

"I was at the newsstand this morning and I just couldn't leave it there," she explained. "I hope you don't mind, dear."

"No, that's okay…" answered Julia, biting her lip to keep back a chuckle, while David was a bit worried, that it might be too much for her,

"I think we should go now if we want to get back on time."

"Don't worry, Davie. There is not much traffic at night," smiled Joanne, when her husband hurried up to them,

"Sorry to interrupt you, but it seems there's a bunch of paparazzis outside. They somehow caught wind that you're here."

"I can't believe they showed up…" sighed David, "It's better if I check how do we get to the car."

"Then go and check it, darling…" said Joanne and pushed David to the door's direction, "We have a little chat here anyway,"

"You okay with that?" he asked from Julia, trying to help her, but she just smiled,

"Yes of course, just go."

"So I found a beautiful dress on page six and a matching purse…" continued Joanne from page to page, until the boys checked the situation outside, "… and summertime is the best season for that, do you agree with me?"

"Yes, absolutely." smiled Julia, when David got back,

"So there's quite a lot of paparazzis outside, but the car is just a few meters away… or we can use the back door if you want, and then I'll ask Tom to wait there."

"No, there's really no need for that." she shook her head with a smile, "I mean I have nothing to hide, so I won't run away from a few reporters, but if you want to avoid them," she added, "It's completely fine by me if we sneak out at the back."

"But I definitely have nothing to hide... so if you are ready, then me too." he smiled with a questioning look on his face,

"Sure, then let's go…" she nodded sweetly, then turned to Joanne now, "And thank you again for the hospitality,"

"Your welcome, dear." she hugged her kindly and after a little more chat, they slowly said goodbye… stepping out to the street, flashlights were everywhere… as they worked their way down on the steps, the reporters tried to get closer with their cameras… so with one hand, David tried to keep them away from her, while with his other hand, he instinctively drew her closer, and kept her safe on their way to the car… feeling his arm around her, made her feel safe and warm, which reflected in her smile… and which was captured by a very lucky paparazzi standing close to them.

"Are you okay?" asked David with a smile, glancing at her after they reached the car and hit the road,

"Yeah, I never felt better…" she answered full of energy,

"So you enjoyed the evening?"

"Absolutely, they were so sweet and overwhelming, mostly Joanne…"

"Sorry about the wedding magazine you had to scroll through."

"Oh, don't worry about that, it was fun… but am I right if I think that we engaged each other?"

"Uh-huh, it seems very much so." he chuckled, "And the wedding will be in the Summer in Scotland."

"Gosh, we have to come up with something until that…"

"Or if we cannot succeed, there's not much options left, we have to get married." they shared a laugh, then he noticed she started opening the brown paper bag in her lap, "Oh, you shouldn't taste that now…"

"Why, what's inside?"

"If I guess right, it's Joanne's famous home made chocolate, which is absolutely addictive,"

"I'm just taking a bite…"

"Just if you can eat the whole thing at once, otherwise…"

"But it's at least a pound," she lifted the paper bag,

"Yeah, that's why I'm saying that," he chuckled.

"Oh, my gosh!" she couldn't resist of course, "It's… amazing."

"See? I've told you…"

OOOOOOOOOO

As they arrived to her flat, he accompanied her upstairs as always,

"It was a fantastic night… thanks for coming with me."

"I haven't felt this good in a very long time," she answered sweetly, "But I think I have to rest a bit after these massive amount of sweets," she chuckled as she put down her purse, "Would you like something to drink?"

"Yes, thank you…" he nodded happily, knowing that he can spend a little more time with her, "A glass of water would be fine."

"You are incorrigible, you know that?" answered Julia with a chuckle as she passed him, then she suddenly changed her mind and wanted to grab something from the living room when she suddenly stopped, "Hey… what's this?" she asked herself half loudly as she picked up an envelope lying on her dining table, and David had to realize, he didn't count with that she will find it sooner than he leaves,

"…"

"How did it get here?" she reappeared from the living room with a questioning look on her face.

"Well, I…"

"So it's from you?" she asked as she opened it, taking out a bunch of money, "Gosh, that's… that's got to be about…"

"…Two thousand pounds."

To be continued….