what happened when you always turned up alone or with a girlfriend. Max decided she didn't like being centre of attention, not one bit.
"Should we mingle? Is there anyone you want to talk to?" he asked.
"Not really. We should have come later, and then we could have just slipped into dinner. I feel totally unprepared."
"Then wing it."
"I've never done that in my life."
"Then this is the time to learn." With that he grabbed her hand and propelled her into a group of people. People she didn't know, they must work in a different department. Well, if they were going to do this anywhere, this might be the best place. No one to trip her up, or question her about anything she might say, at a later date.
That plan worked well until she heard. "Oh, hi, there you are Maxine."
She turned to see her secretary, fiancé in tow, heading their way.
Chapter Seven
"Hi, Shirley and... " She had forgotten his name, but held out her hand to shake his.
"Carl." He filled in for her.
"Of course. Head like a sieve," she said awkwardly.
"And this is Dan who I've heard so much about. But not from Maxine. She has been very secretive about you, I can see why." Shirley eyed him up and down.
Dan smiled. "Good to meet you Shirley." He leaned forward and kissed her on both cheeks, and then shook hands with Carl.
"Likewise. So how long have you been together?"
Straight into interrogation, there was a reason she chose Shirley to work for her. Always ferreting out things her clients might be trying to hide. Usually her questions were welcome, tonight not so much. She looked at Dan, and then said, "Three months."
"That is a long time to keep a secret, as yummy as Dan."
Carl took Shirley's obvious flirtations in his stride, Max liked that about him, he was secure in their relationship, which gave her a pang of guilt, with more than a hint of jealousy.
"We decided to take it slow," Dan added, And slipped his hand around Max's waist, pulling her close. "Now we're full steam ahead. Aren't we honey?"
"Absolutely," Max said, taking a long drink of her wine to calm her nerves.
"What about you guys, Max tells me you're engaged. Set a date yet?"
Max wondered how he knew, then noticed the large engagement ring Shirley liked to flash about. Very observant. And very well played, because Shirley launched into a long description of her wedding dress, the way she wanted the ceremony, complete with a blow by blow account of how she had organised the cake, and flowers. After that Max switched off, her eyes sliding up over Dan's body, to see him smiling indulgently at Shirley. His eyes glittered, filled with warmth, making her heart clench tight. If only it was them organising a wedding. What she wouldn’t give to walk down the aisle with him waiting for her. For a moment she struggled to breathe, her mind filled with the knowledge he would never be hers. Not without a big bank balance, and never for keeps.
"Oh. Great, dinner," Shirley said, downing the rest of her punch in one go. “I am starving.”
Max started out of her fantasy, a shame he was just about to kiss the bride. "Bright idea getting Shirley on to weddings,” she said after Shirley and Carl were out of earshot.
"Seemed a safe bet. When my sister was getting married we had wedding talk for months."
She stored that little gem of information with the rest that he had let slip. Slowly she was building a picture of him in her head. "I don't think I'll be able to eat a thing," Max said. "My stomach feels as though it's full of knots."
"Relax, this is going fine."
They were making their way into the dining room. It was set out with tables seating ten people. Name cards were placed prominently in each place, and there was a waiter at the side of each of the two doors leading in telling people which table they were at. Max hoped they would be with people she didn't know.
No such luck. Although they avoided another encounter with Phil.
Instead they were sat with her boss, and a couple of
"Should we mingle? Is there anyone you want to talk to?" he asked.
"Not really. We should have come later, and then we could have just slipped into dinner. I feel totally unprepared."
"Then wing it."
"I've never done that in my life."
"Then this is the time to learn." With that he grabbed her hand and propelled her into a group of people. People she didn't know, they must work in a different department. Well, if they were going to do this anywhere, this might be the best place. No one to trip her up, or question her about anything she might say, at a later date.
That plan worked well until she heard. "Oh, hi, there you are Maxine."
She turned to see her secretary, fiancé in tow, heading their way.
Chapter Seven
"Hi, Shirley and... " She had forgotten his name, but held out her hand to shake his.
"Carl." He filled in for her.
"Of course. Head like a sieve," she said awkwardly.
"And this is Dan who I've heard so much about. But not from Maxine. She has been very secretive about you, I can see why." Shirley eyed him up and down.
Dan smiled. "Good to meet you Shirley." He leaned forward and kissed her on both cheeks, and then shook hands with Carl.
"Likewise. So how long have you been together?"
Straight into interrogation, there was a reason she chose Shirley to work for her. Always ferreting out things her clients might be trying to hide. Usually her questions were welcome, tonight not so much. She looked at Dan, and then said, "Three months."
"That is a long time to keep a secret, as yummy as Dan."
Carl took Shirley's obvious flirtations in his stride, Max liked that about him, he was secure in their relationship, which gave her a pang of guilt, with more than a hint of jealousy.
"We decided to take it slow," Dan added, And slipped his hand around Max's waist, pulling her close. "Now we're full steam ahead. Aren't we honey?"
"Absolutely," Max said, taking a long drink of her wine to calm her nerves.
"What about you guys, Max tells me you're engaged. Set a date yet?"
Max wondered how he knew, then noticed the large engagement ring Shirley liked to flash about. Very observant. And very well played, because Shirley launched into a long description of her wedding dress, the way she wanted the ceremony, complete with a blow by blow account of how she had organised the cake, and flowers. After that Max switched off, her eyes sliding up over Dan's body, to see him smiling indulgently at Shirley. His eyes glittered, filled with warmth, making her heart clench tight. If only it was them organising a wedding. What she wouldn’t give to walk down the aisle with him waiting for her. For a moment she struggled to breathe, her mind filled with the knowledge he would never be hers. Not without a big bank balance, and never for keeps.
"Oh. Great, dinner," Shirley said, downing the rest of her punch in one go. “I am starving.”
Max started out of her fantasy, a shame he was just about to kiss the bride. "Bright idea getting Shirley on to weddings,” she said after Shirley and Carl were out of earshot.
"Seemed a safe bet. When my sister was getting married we had wedding talk for months."
She stored that little gem of information with the rest that he had let slip. Slowly she was building a picture of him in her head. "I don't think I'll be able to eat a thing," Max said. "My stomach feels as though it's full of knots."
"Relax, this is going fine."
They were making their way into the dining room. It was set out with tables seating ten people. Name cards were placed prominently in each place, and there was a waiter at the side of each of the two doors leading in telling people which table they were at. Max hoped they would be with people she didn't know.
No such luck. Although they avoided another encounter with Phil.
Instead they were sat with her boss, and a couple of
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