On the run

Chapter 7

Steve had been the perfect gentleman all evening, from opening the car door and helping Rose into the passenger seat of his sports model car, since it was high up and he didn't want her to stumble to opening the door of the restaurant he'd made a booking at, hoping she would turn up.

He also bought her a single red rose from the small reception desk and had poured her two glasses of red wine, which Rose normally drank white but she had to make an exception at the Italian restaurant.

"This is very nice Steve, it seems expensive," Rose commented as they waited for the dessert, Rose's favourite Tiramisu.

"I figured you were worth it Rose, considering I only asked you for a drink at first. So, do you go out a lot then?"

"No, just with Jackie and Pete whenever she feels like it. She's always wanting to celebrate something or other."

"I heard you reunited her with Pete?"

"Yeah, it took me a long time to figure out it really was her. Then it took me a while to convince Pete. We don't talk about it much. When she got back home, Pete couldn't think of a way to thank me so at first, he asked me to leave where I was working and stay and look after her, then when he found out I'd lost my own mother, well the rest is history."

That was the part Steve was most interested in and she didn't want to talk about it. Just his luck then. He knew he couldn't just go empty-handed to Yvonne on Monday so he had to get more information.

"Another glass of wine?" he asked hopefully.

Rose knew how to handle her drinks.

"No, I'm fine, I prefer white, with lemonade."

"Well maybe we can move to the bar area after dessert?" he asked as the waiter approached them.

Before leaving, the waiter asked if everything was to their liking and Steve thought the man was flirting with Rose.

"Yes, it's fine. If you don't mind?" Steve asked, hinting the man should leave, since he seemed to be Italian and he was eyeing Rose.

"Of course, excuse me."

Rose saw the look on Steve's face. Why was he so jealous? Was he really interested in her? If he was, he was out of luck, how could she trust him now?

They ate their dessert then getting up first Steve held Rose's chair while she got up and they moved to a corner table in the small bar area.

"I hope you enjoyed your evening Rose?"

"Yeah, it was nice to have some other company for a change. Jackie and Pete are always talking about how things used to be, before, you know?"

"Before what? Before she was lost?" Steve asked, hoping she would talk or did she know the purpose of this date? "So you never knew them, before you got them back together?"

"Well no, what would they want to do with me? I lived with my mum on a council estate and I worked in a shop, until mum was taken that night. I was convinced she'd come back but when she didn't, well the council were good and I claimed some special benefits, for those who had lost relatives then I thought if she was still out there somewhere, hospitals or homes were a good place to look but I tried everywhere, except a few private homes that were being used for those who had been caught up in things. I managed to get a job eventually at one of them and Jackie was one of the patients."

"So you made friends with her?"

"Yeah, she remembered some things, when I told her my name, she said her dog was called Rose."