Commitment

Part 95

By the time she reached the main house she was calmer on the outside even if on the inside she was falling apart. That kiss had to mean something. Well, at least to her. She had been in love with him for months, seeing him around wasn't going to make that much difference to the way she felt. She just had to make sure she didn't give away her feelings, especially as they now were business partners.

"Hi." Loretta came smiling toward her.

Regan nodded. "Hi." She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, to buy herself some time.

"You ok?" She was here to drop off something for her grandfather. "You look, I don't know." She laughed to cover her concern. "Kind of, you, you look shocked. Or something."

Regan shook her head. "Oh, just a bit, er, but, no, er, nothing important." Rummaged through her mind looking for an excuse to miss the potential interrogation. " Er, excuse me. Do you want anything, I was just going to get a glass of water" Lore shook her head, and Regan fled for the kitchen.

"What's up with Regan?" Quietly Sam asked his granddaughter and look back at the corridor. "She's just dashed past me."

Loretta threw her hands in the air, "I don't know." Loretta looked out of the lounge window, thought about her chat with Regan, and with a frown on her brow, she turned around. "Do you think she's had another run in with Gray?"

Sam shook and nod at the same time. "Not sure. She wouldn't rush off. Unless she was really upset." He had told Loretta about yesterday, and his views of a real relationship between Gray and Regan.

Two minutes later Regan rejoined Sam and Loretta at the dining room table in the kitchen. She had pinned a smile on her lips, her hands cupping her mug, she asked them about their plans for the evening, as if this was normal. Though curious, Sam and Loretta did their best to maintain a semblance of an ordinary, casual conversation. Regan did her best not to appear overly brittle, kept her smiled intact, but was crumbling on the inside. Even with her best intentions she over reacted when Gray arrived at the lounge.

"Excuse me, Granddad and Lore. Regan, we need to talk." Gray stated and his gaze remained on Regan.

"No we don't." She replied and shook her head to warn him off from saying anything that might embarrass either of them. Best to take charge of the conversation, her brain said silently. She looked at him, and said firmly, "I told you. It won't happen again." She laced her fingers and locked them around her knees, hoping that she would keep her embarrassment in check.

"Yes..." Gray put his hands up only for Regan to interrupt his declaration.

"I've apologised for overstepping the mark." She stuck to her promise to stay calm and hide her feelings. But on the inside that crumbling was more like the impact of a nuclear weapon.

"We can't pretend it didn't happen." Gray narrowed his eyes. Lore and Sam exchanged a look.

"No. You're right. But it won't happen again." Regan said firmly. She fully intended to maintain her calm façade: after all, they have to remember they have a business to run. "You have my word."

"What happened?" Sam burst out unable to contain his curiosity.

"She kissed me." Gray stated bluntly but kept his eyes on Regan.

Sam was not startled at all but Loretta looked astonished, then glanced from Gray, to Regan, to Sam and back to Gray.

Regan blanched, feeling all sorts of a fool and then stated with her usual honesty. "It was an accident!" She looked at Sam, saw he was smiling, then she glanced over at Loretta who was still in shock. "It was just a kiss. A kiss. I mean, just an accident." Regan tucked an errant lock behind her ear, to give her time to cover her emotions, because she looked flustered. "I know he has a girlfriend." The embarrassment was clear in her eyes. "I've apologised. It won't happen again. It was just a one-off. It didn't mean anything to us, it kind of just happened, Gray didn't mean to kiss me. Sometimes, things happen and they are, er, out of control. It was just a one-off. It won't happen again. " She got to her feet, this was falling apart, she thought, as Sam's smile was now a grin and now Loretta was not in shock. "Now if you'll excuse me," Regan tucked an invisible lock of hair behind her ear, "I would rather not make another spectacle resulting in me issuing another apology." And she practically ran out of the room leaving a look of dissatisfaction on Gray's face.