Running Out

Chapter 11 - Dinner

Author's Notes:

Thank-you for your wonderful support for this story so far - I'm very grateful!  

FYI: I'm writing a few chapters ahead and am revising some of the warnings for the story overall because of upcoming content. I'll make sure to note any specific warnings in chapters needing them.  

Um... enjoy(?) ;)

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“Not a ‘fish and chips’ bloke?” Rose asked, watching Harry take in the contents of her platter. 

Harry had initially suggested they head to ‘Gria’s Grill’, a posh little restaurant not far from Henrik’s, but she’d immediately squashed that idea. She’d tried to make herself a bit presentable after her shift, but she certainly wasn’t dressed for high class. They settled on a nearby pub, which was much more in line with the kind of interaction she hoped to have with this man anyway. She wanted this to be as un-date-like as possible.

Harry had seemed a bit put out that she’d not gone with his initial suggestion, but let her have her way after a half-hearted protest. To be honest, his slight annoyance at her request they go somewhere else bugged her. She was clearly not dressed for a nice evening out, and she had agreed to go with him last minute. It’s not like she’d had time to prepare. Besides, she’d told him she wasn’t really up for a real ‘date’ when he’d asked her in the first place. 

Now, seated in a booth at the pub, eating fish and chips… her usual pub fare, she watched Harry stare at her plate with obvious disdain. 

“Not really into fried food. Bit too greasy for my taste,” he said in reply to her question, picking up his fork and pushing it into the garden salad he’d ordered. His perusal of the menu when they’d entered had elicited a reaction similar to the one he’d just given her plate. In the end he’d decided on greens without anything to accompany them. 

Rose nodded. They ate for a minute before she asked, “Sooo… what do you do? You know… besides hang out at Henrik’s.”

Harry smiled. “I’m a university professor,” he said, clearly a bit proud. “I teach at Imperial College,” he clarified.

Rose’s mouth went dry. Another professor. What was it with her and professors? “Oh? What do you teach?” she asked, trying not to look flustered.

“Physics. I’m actually on the verge of a major scientific breakthrough,” he shared, looking rather smug. 

Rose’s dry mouth turned into a lifeless desert. Physics. At Imperial College. “So… you work with Dr. John Smith, then?” she ventured, unable to keep the tension from her voice.

Harry looked at her quizzically. “Actually, yes… I do,” he said. “Well… I did. Dr. Smith is on indefinite leave right now. Do you know him?” he asked, obviously interested.

Rose swallowed. “Yeah. I do,” she said, unwilling to share more at the moment. What were the bloody chances? 

“Oh,” Harry said, obviously aware that the topic wasn’t a good one to ask about. 

Rose cleared her throat. “So, uh… what’s this discovery you’re on the verge of, then?” she asked, in an effort to change the topic.

Harry’s eyes lit up and he quirked an eyebrow. “It’s still quite hush hush,” he shared, “... but I can tell you… with what I’ve discovered… the scientific community will be turned upside down. What I’ve learned will change the world. It will challenge the way we think of our very physical existence in the universe,” he expounded.