“You’re quiet!” He smiled at her as he opened a bottle of wine in his kitchen; Maddie was sat in the lounge looking far more than quiet. When she was like this Evan was always nervous.

She was anxious, that was true. And for once it wasn’t about what he might do to her, how he might hurt her. What she had to say would hurt him eventually, unless she told him soon, before he got involved.

                “Thank you for introducing me to your family. I loved it, they are really nice people.”

He nodded, “there are definitely worse parents to have. And Malcolm is the greatest father figure.  I mean my Dad was an amazing man, but he was gone before I got to High School. I was established as a chef when Malcolm came on the scene, but he has always supported me, even when I was away for months at a time...and my mother cried every night!”

Maddie smiled, “she loves you, that is so obvious to see. And a great thing.”

Sensing her sadness in the silence he reached out and took her hand, “them being the way they are is their problem, not yours.”

She nodded, “I know, but it doesn’t make it any easier.” Smiling at his earnest face she knew this was the moment, “we need to talk.”

Evan went into serious panic mode. She had that flighty look in her eyes and he feared what that meant. He was leaving for Italy on Monday, and would be away for several days, the last thing he wanted was to go when things weren’t great.

                “We’ve had a fairly hectic day, and I’m away the day after tomorrow. Why don’t we just enjoy relaxing...next weekend we can spend time together, have a deep and meaningful, when we’re both less stressed. Ok?” Coward, his subconscious screamed, and as he looked at her, the lip secured between teeth, the reluctant nod, nothing made his stomach any less unsettled.

                “Ok.” She paused for a moment then smiled, “you’re right, it’s been such a nice day, we don’t need to get all serious.”

He slid onto the seat beside her, running his hand up her spine to cup the base of her skull, “are you sure?”

For Maddie, Evan had the same effect on her every time he touched her, it was all too easy to forget that she had things to tell him, already her body was dissolving into tingles, she was already fighting the urge to push her body up against his. When their lips finally met there was no answer needed, desperation to be closer took over their every thought.

As he pulled the dress over her head and devoured her with his eyes, Evan scooped her into his arms and strode caveman style up to the bedroom.

The following evening they went to a nearby Indian restaurant, their favourite place. After eating a beautiful meal, they relaxed over coffee, and it was then he smiled.

                "So Miss Newman? How are we going to survive three nights apart? I can’t keep my hands off you."

She smiled back coyly, "I’m sure we’ll manage, somehow!"

                "I suppose we can always phone each other..." he gave an elaborate wink.

Maddie giggled like a child at the hint of innuendo, she loved that he was so single-minded when it came to her, he wanted her, needed her, and it felt wonderful, not scary or terrifying. Blushing she kept her eyes on his.

                "And," he added, "when I come back we have a decision to make. About moving, ok? I don’t want to pressure you, but time is rapidly disappearing for you. You’ll be homeless...or rather housemate-less in a couple of weeks."

She nodded, "I know."

It was all she offered on the subject, but that night after tearing their way to his bedroom, she stayed. She slept all night, and he sensed some sort of victory that she hadn’t bolted again.

Madeleine worked hard so that the days Evan was away passed as quickly as possible. She loved her job, even though she felt it could tax her more than it did, but she had a sense of belonging, and set herself challenges every day, on top of those from Eric, as he was more and more distracted with the new management structure setup.

Having carte-blanche to change the remit of her job was a good thing. She changed all the documentation, some things were so antiquated. She also got to know the rest of the business, visiting the restaurants; she had very little HR experience so she enrolled on a two day course to improve her skills. And that happened to be two of Evan’s four days away.

Despite this, Maddie still found her mind active, wandering to the man who’d taken over her world. She knew what her answer would be come Friday, there was no way she could refuse living with him, it was all she wanted, but she still had to open up to him, tell him the rest of the story. And that meant laying herself bare for him. She had no idea how he’d react to her revelations, and that was what scared her, that he’d walk away.

                “Penny for your thoughts!” Gina called through the office door to her. “You look a million miles away.”

Maddie shook herself, “sorry, I’m a bit distracted.”

She laughed, “so would I be if that hottie had left me alone. You are one lucky lady!”

Sighing, Maddie logged off her computer, “lunch?” Gina glanced at the clock, it wasn’t yet twelve. “Eric is away, if he questions it I’ll think of something, come on.”

                “Zumba? Really?” Maddie could barely believe she’d agreed to this, she looked down at her lycra clad legs and groaned. “I’m not coordinated...I had a glass of wine at lunch...”

Cindy laughed, “aren’t you the queen of excuses tonight? Get your trainers on; we’ve got ten minutes to jog to the gym. It’s a good warm up.”

An hour later they showered in the changing rooms, cooling down after an intense session of aerobic dance.

                “Vino?” Cindy was applying makeup in the communal mirrors when Maddie emerged from her cubicle. “It’s only eight o’clock, and I hear they do a great chicken salad baguette.”

Maddie shrugged, “I’ve eaten out every day for about a week, talk about extravagant.”

Cindy grinned, “but we’ve earned this one. That was a hard class.”

Sat at a table in the modern lounge Cindy poured the wine, as one glass became a bottle, and laughing they headed home later than planned. Evan was due home the following day and she’d missed him more than she thought possible.

Maddie knew that she wanted to live with him. She knew it’d be hard, but these days apart had been so difficult. She called him the following morning to tell him, but he was with some clients a last gasp meeting. Instead she spent the day awaiting his call. He finally called at three o’clock. But it wasn’t good news, his flight was delayed, some air traffic controllers strike somewhere on his route. He’d be home, he just didn’t know when. Her heart sank.

                “Ok, I’ll see you later? Call me when you’re here?” There was an almost begging quality to her voice which she hated. But she wanted to tell him she wanted to move in. Slumped back against the desk she groaned, she’d been so excited to see him; it may be tomorrow before he got home.

Seeing her disheartened face Gina popped her head in the office, around the door.

                "Hey! You’ve got it bad, haven’t you?"

                "Do I look that sad?" she chuckled. "Evan’s been delayed...he was meant to be home to take me out for dinner. Some strike with air traffic..."

Gina sighed, "So come out with us, you’re always all coupled up as it is!” Her sojourn with the footballer had ended and she was definitely looking for fun again. “A few of us girlies are going to a new bar in town. Free drinks until ten for ladies!"

She hesitated. A few months back there was no way she’d have missed up on the opportunity for free drinks; such was the influence of Evan on her life. For the first time ever she consciously realised that she didn’t miss that lifestyle, though she’d consider joining them for drinks as she had nothing else on, she didn’t need that life. For so long she was dependent on the moment, the here and now, but for the first time in years she could start to think about the future. Couldn’t she?

                "Come on Maddie! You can tell Evan where you are, he can even join us when he finally arrives! You KNOW it makes sense."

Powerless to resist, two hours later they were sat in a window table at ‘Steel’, a new bar on the doorstep of their office. All week Gina had been gushing about the place, the modern decor, the fabulous menu and the barmen who served their delicious cocktails.

The place was buzzing and within an hour there was barely any standing room in the bar. The girls took in turns to wind through the scores of people there to sample the atmosphere.

                “Truth or dare!” One of the girls announced before they all started to concoct ridiculous challenges involving securing items of clothing or photographs of body parts from the unsuspected men that started to flock around in increasing numbers.

With a few more glasses of wine inside them, the girls got even more rowdy. Maddie sat back laughing as Gina and her friends started to flirt outrageously with a gang of men who were stood nearby. Again it was strange to feel like a spectator when she’d normally have been in the thick of it, how times changed!

                “Come on Maddie! Drink up!” Gina slid another glass of what the girls assured her was a blackberry champagne margarita. Delicious, and to delicious to be rushed. But as she sipped the glass her phone buzzed. Pulling it from her hand she smiled when she saw Evan’s name pop up. He’d landed at Heathrow, and hoped to be with her in an hour, all things going to plan. Her heart lurched with longing, and she told him where they were, and that she’d be waiting for him.

The hubbub from the bar eventually spilled out on to the pavement as people meandered between neighbouring venues, it was a busy part of town and despite being autumn it was a relatively warm evening. The girls made their way in and out and they were stood talking in the cool and dark evening to the other various groups that had gathered on the pavement, she kept checking her watch, but the hour was travelling far too slowly.

The girls squealed, and when Maddie turned around she saw Gina wrapped around a suited rather young looking man...boy, sharing a rather passionate kiss. Maddie smiled, good for her. She thought, Gina was a nice girl, and whilst she seemed to have a rather poor sense of judgement when it came to men, Maddie couldn’t help but think that most women did.

The others were having chasers, some luminous coloured shot, she was passing though, the way things were going she’d be unconscious before Evan arrived. Moving along the pavement she hitched herself up to sit on a waist high wall, pulling out her phone to check up on the progress of Evan.

In a taxi.

Sighing she lowered herself down to the floor again. She could intercept his taxi at the intersection, taking a few minutes out of his journey, and negating the need to come into the pub and be absorbed and distracted by Gina and her friends, she wanted the two of them alone, asap.

Crossing the road, she walked away from the busy place and the group of girls, she’d partied with. The road took her past a very high class restaurant, and there were groups of people stood outside having a quick smoke, so she had to move around them. As she stepped back on the kerb beyond the restaurant, she heard a voice that made her both freeze...and want to run.

                “Madeleine?”

Glancing slowly over her shoulder, she saw a face that had haunted her for years, a smarmy, overconfident and nauseating face.

Jake.