Courtship

Part 25

They returned to the table as soon as the band announced they were taking a short break. Walking back to the table was conducted in silence. Marina's mouth was dry in any case, and she seriously doubted whether she'd say anything sensible right now. Her head was handling chaotic thoughts,  her heart was handling lightning strikes and her stomach had a flurry of butterflies dancing in gay abandon! This should not be happening. She would not allow it to happen. It was the event. Weddings brought out the best in people, made them look at the world through rose tinted glasses. In the cold light of day she would look back at tonight and laugh at her frivolous thoughts and wishes. 

"You aren't how I remember you." Rafe said when he and Marina were left sitting at the table. Felicity had gone to the ladies, Ellie had not returned to the table and Alistair was off in pursuit of other people who he had yet to regale with his stories.

"You don't know anything about me, so what's to remember?" Marina replied matter of fact. She kept a smile in her voice to soften the abrasive words.

"You were an empathic doctor." Rafe replied seriously. He wasn't spinning her a line. He'd always known she was good with the patients. But that he'd put down to her strength with it came to social skills. She had good people skills. It was her commitment to the profession that he had questioned.

Marina snorted, looked over at him and then chuckled. "You've changed your mind?"

"I've always thought that." He corrected. "Your empathy was never in question."

"Oh sure. You must think I'm silly?" It surprised her that he would see that she did care.

"I always thought you would make a good doctor." He told her, seeing not for the first time that he had an uphill battle on his hands. It was going to be difficult persuading her to see past their history. Rafe leaned back in his chair, turned slightly so that he now faced her and waited to see what she would make of his body language. He was sending her signals. Surely she'd pick up on the fact he was interested. Silence followed his statement.

She eventually chuckled and used that to hide given her heart was hammering. The way he was watching her, the way his eyes flicked from her eyes to her lips and back suggested there was more to this conversation. "That's why you gave me a hard time?"

Rafe knew this moment was coming. If they were to have a future, they needed to revisit the past, see it for what it was, and then move on. So he opted to be honest. "I admit I was tough on you. I wasn't sure that you wanted to be a doctor."

"Ah ha. The truth." Now that was surprising. She hadn't been expecting him to be honest about what had transpired or indeed what he thought about her. "You thought I was just there to pick up a rich husband huh?" If he could be honest then she was going to be equally direct.

Rafe shrugged. "Something like that. Yes."

"So you've changed your mind?" Marina tipped her head to one side as she waited for his response. She wondered whether he would continue to be honest with her. She also wondered how she'd react if he said he hadn't really changed his mind. Then what? She could hardly keep pining for a man who still did not rate her.

"Not sure." His lips quirked at the corner and his eyes caught and held hers. There was so much more going on here. This clearing out of all the baggage they had carried in the last two years was important. They both needed to give each other a chance. He knew that. He wondered whether she knew that.
Marina laughed much to his amazement. He expected her to take umbrage at his less than flattering response. "Charming. But I guess at least that's honest."

With their bodies practically facing each other and now side on to the table, Marina leaned her elbow on the table and tipped her head to one side as she waited for him to reply. "You aren't working as a doctor, or are you? I can't make it out." Rafe leaned forward closing the gap between them. He did not need to close the gap, given the band had stopped playing, they could hear each other perfectly well now without having to lessen the distance between them. But he wanted her to see that he was interested.

"I am."

"As a locum."

"Yes, I do locum stuff."

"Did you ever think about working at the hospital?" Something about the way she kept hedging around that particular topic suggested there was something she wasn't telling him. Like what? She had no doubt left with glowing references, she could have picked up a permanent job, but she had opted not to. The question was why.