The Visit

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"This is nice."

She looked across the small table at him and smiled. As he looked at her, he could see she was blushing slightly. Why? Because he'd said it was nice? Because she was embarrassed to be seen with him? Or, like him, was she thinking about old times? Old kisses...

"Yes. It is." She felt her heart race at his stare. Just like the old days. And jyst like the old days, she longed for more than a stare. Distracting herself, she lifted her mug and took a sip, concentrating on the taste, the sensation of the hot tea snaking its way down. Anything to stop her descending into fantasy. "So." She put it down. "So. Tell me about Grace." She smiled non-commitally. "She seems... glamourous."

Tom didn't answer. He put his mug down with a sigh. "She's... pretty. She loves me, I think, and she is..." he trailed off, unable to say anything more. Truthfully? There WAS nothing more.

"Good in bed?" Debbie winked, making him turn very red. She giggled. "Oh come on, it's ME you're talking to. I know you, Tom. In every sense of the word. You can tell me."

He looked at her as if for the first time, seeing someone changed. Someone HE had changed. The Debbie he had known would never have said that. In a way, a strange way, he was pleased. She'd grown, flourished, and matured without him. He nodded with a smirk.

"She's...ok."

"Ah! A gentleman never tells eh? And you, my dear Tom, were always a gentleman." There was no malice, no sarcasm, just an honest truth. "So where did you meet?"

Tom sat back, relieved to be able to talk to her, like a normal human being. The days of sadness and recrimination long gone. "At a charity do. She was with the sponsors and we got to talking. The rest..."

"History." Debbie nodded. "Well, she's very pretty." She couldn't trust herself to say more. Not without descending into sarcasm and cheap jibes.

"Mhmmm." He drained the last from his cup. "Right, another, and then you can tell ME all about our mutual fan-boy!" He grinned and stalked away to the counter.

She watched him as he chatted to the server, his easy charm, his winning smile. His handsome features matched by his delicious body... dear God woman! Calm yourself, she scolded. That arse isn't yours anymore. It's never likely to be either. A pang of regret made her chest ache.

He returned a couple of minutes later, armed with two mugs.

She sniffed the one he passed to her, and her eyes lit up. He remembered.

"Tom! It's been years! How did you...?"

"Soy Chai Latte, extra shot of syrup?" He winked."I remember more than you give me credit for darling." He looked at her steadily, and she could have sworn his pupils darkened as he said, "darling. "

"Thank you. No one else ever gets me this." The unspoken inference it was special, not lost on either of them.

"So, Iain?" He put his drink down and sat back, crossing his legs. "I'm all ears..."

By the time she'd finished telling him about Iain and how they met and how she was quite happy, she knew she was lying. About being happy. So did Tom.

"So, sounds like he loves you a lot then." Tom looked at his cup, unwilling to show her the jealousy in his heart.

"Well, that's a matter of debate. If you'd asked me that last week, then maybe. Now? I think he's quite prepared to take you instead. In every possible sense!" She was glad to use humour to diffuse her raging feelings. Feelings that threatened to swamp her and embarrass him.

"Don't worry, love. I'm a one woman man. He's got no chance." He winked, and she smiled. She resisted adding
'Yeah, and that woman isn't me sadly.'

Time was wearing on. Tom had places to be and people to see. He didn't, in truth, want to be anywhere else. He fidgeted in his seat, desperately trying not to look at the little conscience on his wrist.

Debbie was the one to make the break. "I really should go. You must have things to be getting on with. Grace will wonder what's happened to you." She twisted round to grab her jacket. As she did so, Tom reached out and put a hand on her arm.

"I do, but another few minutes is ok. But if you have to get back to Iain?" His voice was soft, full of regret.

She turned and looked at him, something in his voice igniting a tiny candle of hope. "No, he's gone - I mean out of town. Back to London for work. Till Saturday. I'll be on my own."

She wasn't quite sure why she'd felt it necessary to be quite so specific, but something in her made her want to tell him. So there would be no doubt.

"Oh. I see. That's good. I mean, not that you're alone. No. I mean that you're coming on Saturday. Oh dear. You're doing it to me again!" He blushed and put a hand on his forehead, hiding his face.

"It's ok, Tom, please don't worry." She smiled at him and grabbed his hand before she really thought about it. "No offence taken. Never with you, darling." She had tried to keep the longing out of the word. She wasn't entirely sure she'd managed it.

For a moment, they sat looking at each other, hand in hand. There was nothing and no one else in the room. Not even any air.

Tom swallowed thickly, "Debbie..." he tried to form words. They wouldn't come. The spell broken, she snatched her hand back and stood, putting on her jacket hurriedly.

"So, see you Saturday? 730? Look forward to seeing you. Both of you. Thanks for the tea, take care." She smiled and turned and left.

Her heart was thumping against her ribs. She could hardly breathe. She headed back towards the hotel. Without looking to left or right, she strode in and up to her room. Her breath was ragged in her chest, her stomach churning. She couldn't allow herself to fall. She just couldn't.

Shedding her coat and shoes, she sat on the bed. How could she face him again. How could she face Iain? Wasn't the thought of cheating on him almost as bad as actually doing it?

Her torment was interrupted by a knock at the door. Puzzled, she plodded over. Who could possibly want to speak to her?

She took a breath and pulled the door open. Before she could say a word, her visitor grasped her face between his hands and kissed her deeply.

"I need you, Debs. I need you now."

She pulled him into the room and closed the door.

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