Friday Night Alchemy

After showering, I changed the dressing on my war wound. The old one took some getting off, bonded as it was to my eyebrow with blood from the cut. It was bleeding again by the time I'd finished so I cleaned around the stitches with a tissue and some Dettol, careful not to get any in my eye. The Dettol stung like blazes on the cut. In my eye? Well, I didn't want to know how much that would hurt.

The swelling had gone down a lot and, while I had a lovely shiner, the damage didn't look as bad as expected. An eye patch would certainly hide the worst of it once the stitches were out. I made a mental note to track down a suitably stylish patch. Vanity. Sheer, unadulterated, pretentious vanity.

At work, I made a point of going to see the Chief Exec's PA, Margot, or Maggot when she was out of earshot. Her daughter was a medical student and so might be able to locate an eye patch.

"Morning Margot."

"Good Lord! What have you been up to? Brawling again?" She was joking. It was pure coincidence that she just happened to be right.

"Mea Culpa! But you should have seen the other guy. Can I ask a favour?"

"You can ask, but I'm not promising anything. What do you want?" Margot always sounded shirty but she wasn't half the ogress she'd like people to believe she was.

"Actually, its your daughter I wanted. Is she still a student at Guy's?" It was badly worded. I knew it as soon as I'd said it.

"Catherine's already got a boyfriend. Anyway I don't think you're her type. No earring for a start."

"I don't want to bed her. I just want to know where I can get an eye patch and I thought she might be able to point me in the right direction."

"I'll ring and ask her. What extension are you on?"

I told you Maggot was helpful really.

"I'm using David's office while he's away, so I can get some paperwork done without being interrupted every five minutes. Five oh one, I think. Thanks Margot. You're a star."

"You tell anyone and I'll deny it." She got defensive.

"Your secret's safe with me." I went back to my office pro tem.

The phone rang.

"Yes Margot?" No, I'm not telepathic. David's phone is a posh one that tells him who's calling.

"Catherine says there are several surgical supply shops between Harley Street and Wimpole Street. Everything from operating tables to wooden legs. You can try there."

"I will. Thanks. And thank Catherine for me."

"Must go. There's a call on the other line." She was gone.

Well that was a result. Wimpole Street was only a stone's throw from Bond Street, where Shana worked. I could go eye patch shopping and check out Shana's shop at the same time.

Halfway through elevenses, the phone rang again. I hurriedly swallowed the mouthful of Danish pastry I had been chewing, nearly choking in the process, and answered it. It was external and I didn't recognise the number.

" IT Department. Alun speaking. How can I help you?"

"Hello Lover." It was Shana.

"Hi! To what do I owe this pleasure?" Daft question. I didn't care why. It was enough she'd called.

"Your offer of lunch. Can you make it today? About oneish? Only I won't have time the rest of the week and I really want to see you." That sounded ominous.

"See me about what?" My sense of foreboding must have shown in my voice.

"Not about anything. I just want to see you. " She was amused. I was relieved.

"One o'clock? Fine. Shall I come to the shop or d'you want to meet somewhere else?"

"You can come here. The girls would like to meet you."

There was giggling in the background. We were not alone.

"Are they pretty?" Lets see if she's the jealous type.

"Beautiful, and they've all heard how bravely you defended my honour."

What had she been telling them?

"Beautiful you say? In that case I think I can be prevailed upon to make a personal appearance." I tried to sound magnanimous.

"The girls will be pleased. We'll see you at one then. You know how to get here, yes?"

"La Perla in Bond Street, right? I'm sure a cabby will be able to find it."

"Ok then. Bye, Lover."

Lover? She'd called me that twice. Cui bono? Was it for my benefit or her work mates? Mine, I hoped. It had a nice ring to it, just as long as she didn't say it in front of Steve. He'd seize upon it as proof of his suspicions straight away and I'd never convince him Shana and I didn't have sex last weekend. Perhaps I should enlist Shana's help. Get her to tell Steve we didn't? Bad idea. She'd probably tell him we did, just for sheer devilment. I suspected Shana's reputation was less important to her than her amusement. She wasn't shallow, she just had her own rules. It was an endearing trait - unpredictable but interesting.

But what about this hero stuff? What was I going to have to live up to, and why? I'd just been drunk and stupid, hadn't I? Too many unanswered questions. If she wanted to see me as her knight in shining armour, I wouldn't argue. How did Alexander Pushkin put it? 'Better the illusions that exalt us than ten thousand truths'. Suffice to say, if it contributed to my love life, I didn't mind if she thought I'd been protecting her. Deep down, I'm just a cad.

I called Charlie's Cars and booked a minicab for half twelve. Thirty minutes should be plenty of time to get there, even in London traffic. It did mean I was going to be taking a two hour lunch break but I was in charge. RHIP.

The rest of the morning passed uneventfully. The car I'd booked was ten minutes late which caused me a little anxiety, but the traffic was light and I got to Bond Street with five minutes to spare. Just enough time to get some flowers from the barrow by the tube station. Ordinarily, I wouldn't have bothered but Shana was putting me on show and, if I was about to be embarrassed, I had no intention of being the only one. Twenty red roses should do the trick.

How come they don't sell roses by the dozen anymore? Its probably the whim of one of those daft sods in Brussels. Thou shalt not sell bent bananas, thou shalt not sell smoky bacon crisps and now thou shalt not sell roses by the dozen. By the time I'd finished my mental tirade against the bloody Sprouts, I was at Shana's shop. A few deep breaths to calm myself then I was in like Flynn.

There were a lot of customers inside, mostly business women if the number of suits was anything to go by. Everyone looked busy, including my lunch date, so I tried to look like just another customer. Like most men confronted with rack after rack of women's underwear, I wasn't entirely comfortable. It stems from not knowing where to look. Faced with one bra, usually full, we have no problem. Faced with hundreds, all empty, we get all embarrassed. Go figure.

While I was concentrating on not making eye contact with any of the clientele, a very pleasant voice behind me said, "Was Sir looking for anything in particular?"

I turned to face the voice and was immediately recognised. The bandaged eye being somewhat distinctive.

"You must be Allen. Yes?"

"Alun", I corrected. "spelt A L U N. And you are Katherine." I read her name badge.

"Only to my mother, everyone else calls me Kat."

She was a perky little thing but if this wasn't the first Spring she'd seen without a school uniform on I'd be very surprised.

"Well Kitten, its a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Is Shana ready to go to lunch d'you think?"

Kat beamed at her new nickname.

"I'll thank you Sir, not to try to seduce my staff." Shana's voice startled me. "I'll be another few minutes. You can wait in the office or Kat can show you around. Sorry, must dash." As abruptly as she'd arrived, she was gone, hurrying back to her customer, who was emerging from a changing room looking less than happy. I turned back to Kat.

"Well Kitten, it seems you're to be my tour guide. Where shall we begin?"

Kat lead me around the shop floor introducing me to three more of Shana's colleagues - Mary, Debbie and Elizabeth - between customers. I was just about to ask my guide to show me to the office, having met everyone, when Shana came back.

"Has Kat been taking good care of you?" she asked, after kissing me. Nothing passionate mind you, only a peck on the cheek. As kisses go it was quite disappointing really, given our previous form, but this was her place of work so I let it pass.

"She's been wonderful. These are for you." I presented Shana with the roses. Kat smirked and winked at me then made herself scarce.

"Thank you, they're beautiful, but you really shouldn't have. I'll pop them in the office and grab my coat, then we can go get lunch. This way."

I followed Shana into her office noting in passing that she was wearing stockings rather than tights. How did I know? Elementary, my dear Watson. Her skirt was too close fitting to hide the clips on her sussies. It was a datum I filed away for future use.

I was still watching her bottom when she turned round and caught me. As my eyes - my eye - sprang back up to safer territory, Shana closed the gap between us. During the next thirty seconds I had the opportunity to make tactile confirmation of my earlier observation. Suspenders, definitely. We were up to par again in the kissing stakes too.

"I needed that. Thank you." Shana beat me to it. That was supposed to be the bloke's line. I rolled with the punch.

"Me too. Have we time for another before lunch?"

You know I'm sure she must be able to breathe through her ears. I can't though, so I had to come up for air.

It took Shana no longer to apply fresh lipstick than it took me to remove mine and under a minute later we were walking arm in arm up Bond Street.

"Where shall we go for lunch then? Any preferences?" This was her manor so I gave her the choice of watering holes.

"Unless you're particularly hungry, I usually just grab a sandwich."

"Is there a good pub near by?" l was thinking of beer and bar snacks.

"Not a pub. I'll be reeking of cigarette smoke all afternoon. Come on, I know just the place."

Shana steered me into Aroma in West One, the shopping centre above Bond Street Station. These sort of coffee shops have sprung up all over London in the last few years and seemed to be this week's trendiest lunch venues. Consequently, there weren't any free tables and we ended up perched on bar stools at the counter. Deja vu. Shana felt it too.

"We always seem to end up on stools. First The Moon Under Water, then your kitchen, now here. D'you think we'll ever get to sit down properly?"

"We sat down for dinner last Saturday." I felt an irrational need to defend our track record. "And there's this coming Friday to look forward to. I'm sure we can find somewhere with tables. Burger King, maybe." I tried to steer the conversation towards plans for Friday.

"Last Saturday doesn't count. I was doing the cooking. I want to be waited on for a change. Where were you really planning on taking me on Friday?" She declined to notice my first, admittedly absurd, suggestion.

"Dunno. If I told you I'd met this really nice girl I was crazy about, and I wanted to take her somewhere special on our first date, where would you suggest?" Come on girl; give me a hint.

"How special? Just impress her? Y'know, 'Thank you for a lovely evening. We must do it again sometime.'. Or are we talking seduction? Candlelight, soft music, fine wine and breakfast to follow?"

I laid my cards on the table. "I was thinking more in terms of neon lights, loud music, strong drink and brunch to follow. I wouldn't expect her to be up in time for breakfast."

"Brunch? Sounds promising." She had a naughty gleam in her eye. "I'd take her somewhere like TGI's then, or maybe the Rock Garden. Don't get her too drunk though. She'll fall asleep on you."

"She did last weekend. She snores too. Ouch!" Shana kicked me. "I wasn't planning on getting her that drunk this time. Just tipsy enough to take advantage of."

"What sort of bounder gets an innocent girl drunk just to have his wicked way with her?" Shana's expression was a study in mock shock.

"The same sort of bounder who'd warn her in advance so she can have her chastity belt ready."

"So you're a hero one week and a rogue the next? Or are you just showing your true colours at last? The latter, I suspect. Poor girl, to fall into the clutches of such a villain. I suppose she'll come to a sticky end, tied to some railway tracks, like Penelope Pitstop?" She gave me a golden opportunity for double entendre which I ignored, not wishing to lower the tone too much further.

"Not railway tracks." I let Shana figure out where that was going. She blushed slightly.

"Cad! If I thought for one moment she'd listen, I'd warn this poor, sweet child to have nothing to do with you." Shana drew a line under this frivolous exchange. "Are you going to be fit and well again by the weekend?" she asked, without any hint of a vested interest.

"I'll be fine. My ribs aren't tender anymore and the stitches are due out on Friday afternoon. I'm going to Wimpole Street after I've walked you back, shopping for a suitably debonair eye patch, since I'll need one for a week or two."

"And very dashing you'll look too. But speaking of walking me back, if you've finished, I should be making a move."

I weighed up the relative merits of half a brie and cranberry sandwich versus getting Shana back to work with enough lunch hour left for another snog. Predictably the sandwich lost. We left and, at a leisurely pace, wandered back to La Perla, pausing only briefly in a suitably secluded doorway.

Back in the warmth of the shop, I was introduced to the two girls who had been at lunch when I'd arrived. Kat did the honours again while Shana went into the office to hang up her coat. After the briefest exchange of pleasantries I could get away with, I made my excuses.

"If you ladies will excuse me, I must ask Shana something before I go." So saying, I headed to the office, knocking and entering without waiting for a reply. Alerted by my perfunctory knock, Shana turned to face me.

"Alun, Kat put my flowers in water. Aren't they lov...." Cut off in mid-sentence, she melted against me, wholeheartedly participating in her own ravishment. As I opened my eye again, retaining my hold on Shana, I caught Kat smirking through the open door.

"We're not alone.", I whispered. Shana turned her head slightly to catch Kat's reflection in the mirror, then met my lips again with renewed vigour. I suspected she was marking her territory, and I very definitely approved of her method.

This time, when I surfaced, our audience had gone. She'd obviously got the message loud and clear.

"I really should be going now." I didn't sound very convincing.

"Now you've compromised my authority you mean?" She was teasing again but I wasn't going to give in that easily.

"What? Just because I kissed you without waiting for an invitation?"

"No. Because you didn't close the door first. Kat'll be taunting me about that for the rest of the week."

I was prepared to concede she was right about that but so what?

"Who was giggling in the background when you called me this morning? Was it Kat perhaps?" I tried to sound stern, authoritative.

"Yes." Shana's tone was cautious. Maybe she could see where this was leading.

"So its alright for her to hear you calling me Lover, which technically isn't true yet, but it isn't alright for her to know we kissed in your office, which she would have assumed was happening anyway, if I had closed the door? Or did I miss something?"

"Typical of a computer nerd. Always so damned logical. Meany!" She gave me an affectionate squeeze, which hurt my bruised ribs but not enough to make me wince this time.

"Meany?" I was puzzled again. Shana seemed to have that effect a lot.

"Yes meany, being unfairly logical."

"Unfairly logical. I see. So you'd have respected me more if I'd let you get away with blaming me?" This was too absurd.

"No. But your still a meany. Just you watch yourself Lover, I'll get my own back. You see if I don't." She sounded about ten. I was surprised she didn't say ‘So There!' at the end.

I relaxed my grip on her waist and kissed the end of her nose.

"I've really got to go now, Shana. Call me before Friday and we'll make some firm plans, ok?"

"Ok Lover. I'll call you tomorrow night. Kiss." She raised her face to me.

After kissing her goodbye I headed for the office door.

"Tomorrow night?" I turned back at the door, just to confirm when she'd call. She laughed.

"Tomorrow night. Now go! Go on, shoo! I've got work to do." As I turned away she spoke again. "And Alun" She had my undivided attention. "Thanks for lunch. It was good seeing you."

"You're welcome." And I was out of there. I waved goodbye to the girls in passing and set a course back to the tube station.

On Oxford Street I flagged down a black cab and went straight back to work. Lunch had taken longer than I'd predicted. The eye patch would just have to wait until Friday afternoon.

Shana and I were at that wonderful stage in a relationship when everything's gathering momentum and when we were together we just couldn't get enough of each other. It was reassuring that she seemed to feel this as ardently as I did. Rest assured, as we got to know each other, we would either find other reasons to be close or we'd drift apart. For now though, we were running on mutual attraction and we were loving every minute of it.

She certainly was a piece of work. The more I saw of her, the more I came to appreciate my good fortune in finding her. We hadn't made love yet but already I felt as comfortable around her, and as close to her, as I'd ever done with my previous lovers.

Hang on a minute, 'made love'? What happened to 'had sex' or even 'slept together'? It came as a shock to realise I had been thinking about making love to her. Nor could I pinpoint when I'd stopped thinking of it simply as sex. I'd have to be careful. It was too soon to be feeling like that. It could easily scare her off. No. Better keep a tight rein on those emotions, at least until we knew each other better. Besides, Shana was on the rebound from one obsessed boyfriend. The last thing she needed right now was another.

Back at work, I concentrated on getting all my paperwork up to date. The world hadn't ended while I was at lunch. Things were ticking over nicely and most of the department had failed to notice my absence. Post-its on my PC mentioned a couple of calls I'd missed. Margot had rung to request a reprint of last month's MIS reports for the new Head of Accounts and my boss had rung up to see how we were coping without him. Both had been summarily dealt with by our ever diligent support team, alias Pete the BOFH (Bastard Operator From Hell - according to his favourite tee shirt). Margot would eventually complain that her printer was tied up all afternoon. Pete had queued her reprint directly to her desk thus saving himself a hike upstairs to deliver it, but that couldn't be helped now. Dave, our glorious leader had been given a glowing report on a smoothly running department, all of which goes to prove what I've always said, "He manages best who manages least.".

I thanked Pete for his efforts and smoothed things over with Margot before she had a chance to bitch about it. Oh, and I set up a couple of meetings for the morning with the intention of touting for more work. It doesn't do to have programmers under-worked. They end up playing Solitaire all day. I made a note to crack the whip a bit more tomorrow.

Wednesday

Last night passed uneventfully, as did my day at work. The only noteworthy detail being a call at the office from Steve, to confirm darts tomorrow night. I'd forgotten about that; thoughts of Shana had taken precedence. I said I'd be there.

I went to Cotton's after work, for a gentle swim and another simmer in the Jacuzzi to loosen up. I saw Trish doing another aerobics class. We exchanged waves but she didn't come into the health suite afterwards so I was spared another inquisition. Its not that I'm secretive, nor is there anything between Shana and I that I wouldn't tell Trish. Its just that I prefer to choose what I tell people and when. Seeing Trish did remind me of one thing though. I'd have to discuss with Shana how we might arrange Friday night so that we'd get to meet up with Steve and Trish for a drink at least.