Cross the Line
Part Seven

After a much needed drink, Naomi took Conor to a small restaurant she knew, a little place with mismatched furniture and a cluttered beer garden filled with potted plants, candles and wrought iron chairs. Sitting opposite her Conor took in the secret world with wide eyes.

“I love it here!” he announced. “It’s so cool!”

She nodded, “I found it a few years ago. You feel like you’re away from the rest of the World. And the food is good. But you have to know about it, you can’t just stumble across it really.”

They’d been shown to a table out near the patio, and the waiter had taken their bulky purchases and deposited them in the cloak room. Naomi relaxed into her seat and smiled at him.

“This is the sort of place you had in mind when you said you like nice environments and nice food?” when she nodded he smiled, “I just hope that my company lives up to the rest!”

She smirked, deliberately not answering as she picked up the menu to read it. Laughing heartily at her provocative lack of response, he picked up his own menu and started to browse.

“So what do you recommend?” he asked from behind his menu, she peeped over the top of hers, just her eyes showing, glittering with enthusiasm. There was something so vulnerable, yet provocative about the gesture that he found his body leaping into a rather enthusiastic response. Wriggling in his seat he managed to ease the tension of his suddenly too tight jeans. He’d not sat at a table with a woman and such a violent erection since he was a teenager...it’d been a long time since he’d been with a woman, this was his body’s way of reminding him he thought, then smiled to himself at the lack of conviction the argument had even to him.

“Everything is good, but the veal escalope or the fillet steak are out of this world!”

Her voice dragged her back to the present and his eyes found hers, still peeking around the hard covered menu. Grinning he replied, “Well I never turn down a steak, especially if it’s recommended!”

The food was perfect, and Conor had picked a bottle of oaky red that matched their steaks perfectly. After laying down his knife and fork, he sat back his hands linked over his stomach, in a gesture that already Naomi was replaceing comforting, familiar.

“That was top dollar! I will definitely come here again!”

She smiled, “I told you!”

Nodding he sighed in appreciation, “So how did you replace this place? I mean I’ve not found somewhere so great outside of London, or at least one of the big cities.”

She nodded, “It’s definitely a bonus for this town that’s for sure! I can’t honestly remember how I actually came across it, but I have some friends, and we try and come here once every month or so. This place tops our list of eat-out venues.”

“So you’re obviously local to here Naomi but other than that, I don’t know anything about you!” He was still lounging back, his eyes watching her lazily, but yet attentively.

She drank her wine, “my parents lived across town I was born here, schooled here. I went to London for Uni, but as I said, given the choice I came back here. Something about better the devil you know and all that.”

He watched her talk, the death of her parents obviously still upset her, was still raw, but he now knew that the death of her best friend somewhere in the middle contributed greatly. Now as she spoke, he knew that this grief was still a huge part of her makeup.

“Do you regret the move back here?”

She shrugged, “sometimes! I could be living the high life...but then that was never me. There was also the fact that they were never in a very good state financially, it took me a while to sort it all out after Dad died. It left me in debt. I’ve just finally got myself square on that front.”

This was food for thought, Conor thought. He was seeing deeper into her past and suddenly realised how complicated she was. He’d sensed sadness in everything that she did, it was never far from the surface, and now he could see why. She’d lost SO much in such a short time. He thought back to the menagerie that was his family; he’d grown up in an environment where there was never a moment’s peace. He’d been hounded by his sisters, brothers, and then later nieces and nephews. But he wouldn’t change a thing. In fact he knew that the closeness of his family had been the force that had got him through the acrimonious split with Orla.

“When did you father die?”

She sighed, it was painful but she couldn’t avoid talking about things forever, “my mother died when I was almost fifteen. Cancer. But quick, you know? Saw a doctor because of stomach pains, and it was pancreatic cancer, already too advanced to treat. Within three months she was cold in the ground.” Gasping at the memory she shook her head, “my father wasn’t great before she died, without her he drank more, barely ate. Ironically when I started University he was getting better. But he died of pneumonia a week before Christmas five years ago.”

He shuddered, she’d have been twenty and alone...what a hard life.

“So that doesn’t make for great Christmases I suppose?”

She shook her head, “last Christmas Day I spent in the air heading to New Zealand, I’ve had a few skiing trips...but generally I don’t impose on others and pretend it isn’t happening!”

Conor couldn’t believe it, he thought back to the numerous Christmases spent in this parent’s farmhouse, they’d never had a quiet time, aunts, uncles, plus the eight of them...it was always wild, and fun. The thought of Naomi alone and pretending Christmas wasn’t happening broke his heart. His parents were staunch Catholics, but he didn’t practice religion at all, but he still appreciated the time with his family, sharing stories, laughing. He couldn’t imagine life being any other way.

“Don’t feel sorry for me!” she snapped watching his face contort as he thought deeply about her words. “I don’t pity myself, and I don’t appreciate you doing it!”

Conor reached out and captured her hands, “I do not pity you, I’m just thinking how much you’ll love Christmas when you have your own children!”

That caused another shudder, the thought of children...she shook her head, “Not me. I’ll be a great aunty to friend’s kids, that’s as far as I go!”

They were straying into dodgy territory, so Conor deliberately turned the conversation to the wedding, his family, anything light hearted. He shared stories from his youth, antics from a large family, she was extremely nervous about meeting them, he reassured her that they were the easiest people in the World to get along with and hoped the stories helped ease that tension. He found himself looking forward to his mother’s reaction to her, she’d never liked Orla, and he’d started to appreciate over the years that she was a very astute judge of character.

Conor walked her home in a pleasurable silence, but when he spotted Naomi shiver, he slid an arm around her shoulder. It was a summer day, but the sun had set and they were left with a cool chill.

“This is purely to keep you warm!” he offered as she flinched. “You’re cold!”

He juggled the bags in his spare hand, then pulled her a little closer. She only lived a mile out of town, so they were there quite quickly, again the conversation was light, easy flowing.

“Coffee?” she asked, looking up at him once they reached her door, not sure what she wanted from him in response. She was unsettled by the easiness of the situation, the way they’d fallen into a comfortable companionship...and then there was that hint of sexual tension...attraction. She didn’t like relationships; she preferred her own company and hated the thought of ruining this happy friendship with anything more.

He gazed down at her with a smile that caused a tingle to whip through her, ending at her toes, “Far too tempting Naomi. I don’t think either of us needs to complicate this, do we?”

She bit her bottom lip as she shook her head, so glad that he’d made the sensible decision for her. His eyes were on her, and they were warm, that icy blue suddenly soft. His hand had dropped from her shoulder to rest at the small of her back, the touch was causing ripples of warmth through her and she was amazed at how she was almost quivering.

Smiling gently, he lowered his head to land a very gentle brush of his lips on hers. No more than a touch. Just as she acknowledged the pressure, the feel of those warm lips, just as her heart began to pound and her head swim at the exotic sensations, he was gone, leaving her on the doorstep bereft, her fingers touching the place his lips had brushed and waiting for her heart to stop racing.

Naomi barely saw him in the run up to the wedding; he was in London to discuss some cases, as well as outstanding projects he had before he had taken on Simon’s position. She kept herself busy, she didn’t want to spend too long thinking about the forthcoming weekend, or reflecting on the past and THAT kiss. She’d of course analysed it at length with Emma the following day over lunch. Emma was concerned that this wedding trip would be too much for Naomi, she could tell that her friend was affected by him, by his kiss.

“I thought you could do this Naomi, flirt, have a laugh, but now I’m not so sure. You’ve been out of the romance game a long time. I don’t want to see you get hurt!”

Naomi laughed, “I work with the man, and we’re going to a wedding as friends. It was a platonic kiss, I know it was. It just surprised me.”

Emma was still concerned but knew that ultimately Naomi would do what she wanted. She just had to be prepared to pick up the pieces if it went wrong. That’s all a friend could do.

By Wednesday, the usual girls’ night out to the local pub, Naomi was glad of the respite from her growing nerves. They tried to question her on the coming weekend, but she was determined to steer conversation anywhere but towards her trip. The last thing she needed now was five different opinions on what she should do. She’d promised Conor that she’d go and it was important to him, she had no intention of letting him down.

He called Thursday afternoon, Gloria giggling like a teenager transferred the call, “it’s his lordship!”

“I won’t get in to the office tomorrow, I’m stuck here. I’ll have to meet you at the airport.” It was so nice to hear his voice that she almost ignored the efficiency in his voice.

“Hi Naomi, how are you? I’m fine thanks for asking Conor!” She chastised.

He sighed then she could hear him chuckle, “sorry. It’s so bloody busy that I wanted to get out the important bits. No excuse for a lack of manners. My mother would kill me! How’s work? Managing everything your end?”

“Yep. I’ve met with three new clients, but I’ll discuss the details when you get back. You did predict the Parker case would be a nightmare.”

She heard him sigh, “I know. But what can we do? I think we’ll win there are just more delays than I hoped. And I wanted to be there to help you get to the airport, as it is, I’ve arranged for you to be picked up from the office at three o’clock, out flight is at half four, but I’ve already checked us in, so we can get straight on to the flight.

He reeled off the flight details to her. “If there are any problems, call me. Yes?”

She agreed, then hung up. One more sleep!

Naomi was packing for the trip later, carefully fitting her new clothes in to bags that wouldn’t crush them too much when there was a knock at the door. Sarah her neighbour stood there with a huge parcel.

“This arrived for you earlier. They left it with me as you were out!” she handed her the parcel.

In the living room, Naomi ripped at the paper. It contained two boxes, one from an exceptional London jeweller, the other a World famous lingerie shop.

Firstly she opened the jewellery box, and inside was a heart locket, in white gold, set with a cluster of a precious stone the exact colour of her dress for the wedding. There were matching earrings too. She took a deep breath and opened the other box, then she gasped, it contained three sets of beautiful underwear, a tight supportive basque and knickers that would look perfect under the dress for the wedding, another set in a flesh colour, as well as a strapless bra and pants which she knew was meant to go under her red dress.

“Wow!” she spoke the word out loud as she took in her gifts. She knew before she opened the envelope that they were from Conor. The note simply said “I can only imagine your face at this moment, but I just wanted to complete the outfit! And apologise for deserting you. Hope you’re not too nervous, but...well, if you feel good from the skin up, no one can get you down! Thanks so much for agreeing to this, Conor”

After pondering the implications and appropriateness of the gifts, she picked up her phone and sent him a quick message, “You shouldn’t have, but thank you, it’s all beautiful!”

Emma was a little more sceptical, when she phoned her, and for the first time ever, Naomi wished she hadn’t shared this information.

“A man buying you sexy underwear? He’s only doing that to get into it! Come on Naomi, it’s not too late to pull out! I mean how does he even know your size?”

Naomi had wondered about that at length, but it was all from the same boutique as the clothing she’d bought, and the saleswoman there had measured her to select appropriate clothes, most of their clothing was made to order, they only kept a small amount of off the peg clothing.

“It’s hardly a sleazy request or a proposal of marriage! Every meal or drink a man buys you could be construed as an attempt to get you into bed. You don’t know him Em.”

Emma groaned, “No I don’t and I’m supposed to be your best friend! It’s all a bit shady to me and I’m worried you’re going to get hurt.”

“Well I won’t!” she assured her friend, “I’m going into this as my usual sceptical self, and to be honest, you can’t get hurt if you don’t care! And you know me, I don’t do romance, so I’ll be fine!

Just who are you trying to convince, a voice echoed in her head as she hung up, Emma or yourself?