"Oh. Great, dinner," Shirley said, downing the rest of her punch in one go. “I am starving.”
Max started out of her fantasy, a shame he was just about to kiss the bride. "Bright idea getting Shirley on to weddings,” she said after Shirley and Carl were out of earshot.
"Seemed a safe bet. When my sister was getting married we had wedding talk for months."
She stored that little gem of information with the rest that he had let slip. Slowly she was building a picture of him in her head. "I don't think I'll be able to eat a thing," Max said. "My stomach feels as though it's full of knots."
"Relax, this is going fine."
They were making their way into the dining room. It was set out with tables seating ten people. Name cards were placed prominently in each place, and there was a waiter at the side of each of the two doors leading in telling people which table they were at. Max hoped they would be with people she didn't know.
No such luck. Although they avoided another encounter with Phil.
Instead they were sat with her boss, and a couple of PA's. Max longed to tell Dan to be very careful about what he said, the stories would be round the office in no time tomorrow. Her need to keep a low profile had gone horribly wrong, but what did she expect bringing a man like Dan here? There was nothing about him that did not attract your eyes, whether male or female she acknowledged.
"Good evening, to you all," her boss said, sounding as though he had already had a few glassfuls of the punch. Max always remembered him as a dower man, never much in the way of a smile crossed his lips, except for tonight.
"Good evening sir," the other's murmured.
"Oh, we aren't going to be so formal tonight. You know it’s first names only, so, Bob, please. And this is my wife, Elaine."
Everyone smiled at Elaine, who looked on good naturedly. She was an old fashioned wife, from before the need to have eye candy on your arm became a must.
"Now, I know you Maxine, and who have you bought with you?" He turned to look at Dan.
"This is my boyfriend Dan." She waited for someone to shout liar, imposter, but that duty only fell to the voice in her head.
"Dan, nice to have you here." And so it went around the table until they all were introduced. Thankfully by then the first course arrived, and they ate, the conversation light and stilted.
Wine glasses constantly filled by waiters who appeared from nowhere, soon Max felt the buzz in her head telling her to stop drinking. She tried to sensibly switch to water instead, but her head already felt slightly lighter than the rest of her, not quite anchored as it should be.
Luckily he turned his attention to she rest of the people at their table while they ate. The PA's were in awe, and wanted to talk about themselves and their ambitions, which suited Max perfectly.
"How you coping there?" Dan asked, quietly.
"OK. The food is making me feel better."
"It's good isn't it. I guess they don't skimp on quality at dinners like this."
"No. Not when the reputation of the firm is on the line. There are specially invited guests, other than employees. Big clients, prospective clients too. That's why we all have to be on our best behaviour."
"I thought you were always on your best behaviour, or is there a wild woman in there waiting to come out."
"I'll have you know I am very well regarded professionally."
"I don't doubt that Maxine, you fit right in here. But what about at home, when no one is looking?"
She stared straight into his face, "What do you think?"
"I have my fantasies, but I would like to know the truth, see it for myself."
She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out, so she forked more of the first course in her mouth, and tried not to let the heat inside her get out of control.
"So what plans do you two love-birds have?"
It took a moment for Max to realise Elaine was watching them with interest, an indulgent smile on her face. "None, really." Max tried not to sound defensive in her reply.
"Of, you don't mind me prying do you? It's so nice to meet a young couple so in love."
Max nearly choked on her asparagus. She reached out for her glass of water, to find it being placed in her hand by Dan.
"Here, Sweetheart."
"Thank you," she coughed, and took a sip. One look at Dan's face told her he was going to run with this one, he had a mischievous glint in his eye. Her heart sank.
"Well, Elaine. We don't make too many plans. Max works so hard, and is very dedicated to the firm. I expect you can sympathise with that.” Obviously, Elaine could, so Dan carried on. "In the near future we hope to visit Max's father."
"Oh, so you haven't met Max's parents yet?"
"No, we haven't had a chance. My parents live overseas." Max wanted to kick Dan under the table, but restrained herself.
"Oh, really. Are they retired?"
"I think Max's father is similar to Bob perhaps, don't know what retirement is all about. Is that about right, Max."
She nodded, wiping her mouth on a napkin, and then dabbing her eyes where tears had sprung up from her coughing fit. She hoped she wasn't in her panda disguise again. Then she turned her attention back to the conversation.
"Bob wouldn't know what to do if he retired. I'd like to go on a round the world cruise, but I doubt he could pull himself away."
"How many years have you been married," Max asked, trying to steer the conversation into a neutral, danger free area.
"Fifty years next year."
"Wow. You must have married young."
"I was eighteen. It was long before he became an important business man. We've helped each other through a lot. He's my best friend."
"Do you have children?" Max asked, not knowing if she should know or not. It wasn't the kind of thing that ever cropped up in the bank's internal newsletter.
"Three, all grown up of course. My daughter is a doctor, Bob was disappointed she wasn't going to join him at work. She always was his favourite."
"That's not wholly true, Elaine," Bob said, joining the conversation.
"Yes, it is Bob. She was a daddy's girl, she’s got your stubborn attitude, and went off to change the world in a different way."
"She works in third world countries. Helping those less fortunate."
"You must be very proud."
"We are, but sometimes it's a worry."
"How about you two, kids on the horizon?" Elaine asked.
"Oh, no." Max shook her head.
"Not until we've known each other a good deal longer," Dan added.
"Sensible. Sensible. And I would hate to lose Max to maternity leave any time soon."
"Don't worry, Bob." She still felt awkward calling him that, especially seems she would have to go back to calling him, Sir, on Monday.
"Oh, main course. I've been looking forward to this all day," Elaine said. "They came over to the house with sample menus, and when I say samples they actually cooked them all and let me try them. The beef was delightful, so we went with that. Let's hope they maintained the standard."
Max watched Elaine. She might be matronly, but she had the look of a woman who was made of steel. No wonder Bob had never strayed, she would give him what for if he ever stepped out of line. They certainly complemented each other. Right now she was telling him very tactfully to cut down on his wine. Max hid her smile, and moved her attention away from them, looking around the dining room instead.
So many of her work colleagues were here with their partners, it was good to feel part of that for once. Through her working career she had dined alone at these dinners, or brought Robin along as a substitute. Finally she fitted in, and she planned to enjoy every moment of it. they had passed the test so far, managing to believably act like a couple. She could kiss Dan for doing this. Well, she could kiss Dan for anything, any excuse would do. While they ate, she remembered the feel of his lips on hers, his tongue exciting her sensitive flesh, probing for more.
She would need a cold shower by the end of the evening. That drew her thoughts to when she would have to pay him and say goodbye. Would it be after dinner, or after sex? She swallowed a piece of meat that was too big, and had to gulp it down, her eyes watering again, but she managed not to cough. Not exactly a vision of sophistication, but Dan didn't seem to notice. He was chatting to the husband of one of the PA's, they were talking sport, the level at which all men seemed to find a common language.
Realising she had slipped into silence for too long, she made small talk with everyone else, but her mind kept slipping back to images of Dan, in various states of undress.
"So what happens after dinner?" Dan asked, innocently, but the look in his eyes was far from that.
"There's music, dancing, that kind of thing."
"And how long are we expected to stay for?"
"I don't know. I usually go home early."
"Sounds good to me."
"Is my company boring?"
"Oh, no. But I much prefer it when there's no one else around."
She swallowed down her panic, and bravely asked, "What do you have in mind?"
"You, me a room somewhere."
Dessert was placed in front of them, and she picked up her spoon, gripping it so hard her fingers went numb. What would happen if she slept with him, apart from the obvious. The deeper she stepped into this lie, the more it smothered her. If she went with him, and they had sex, would she ever get over it? She knew it would be good, too good, she would be ruined, unable to take a lesser man seriously. And next to Dan, no other man could measure up.
Max wasn't simply caught up on his looks, his humour, his understated intelligence. He was a force to be reckoned with, polite, but also firm. Compared to the men she met in day to day business she could trust him, but would he break her heart anyway?
"If you’ll excuse me, it's time we went to mingle," Bob got up and pulled Elaine’s chair out, helping her up.
She smiled up at him."Thanks Bob." She winked at Max. "You young things can keep going all might I expect. But I’m ready for home. Still business is business"
As their boss started towards the table next to them, there was a collective sigh of relief.
"I have never been more nervous in my life," said one of the PA's, her name was Judy if Max remembered correctly. She should remember, but when they had done their introductions she had been too busy staring at Dan.
"I know. Do you think anyone's been fired after one of these things? With all this free alcohol it takes a little self control not to drink too much to calm your nerves."
The other’s started to talk among themselves, so she turned her full attention back to her favourite thing. Dan.
"Well, we did it," Max said, and raised her glass. They drank to successfully getting through the evening. It had gone better than she thought possible, but now she wanted to bolt for the door before it all went wrong. She had never believed in luck, and this did not seem the time to start.
"Does that mean you're ready to leave?" Dan cut in, reading her thoughts.
Max bottled out on saying what she really wanted to do. She was torn between wanting to stay in his company as long as possible, and leaving."Not yet, I thought you wanted to make all these poor deprived women's heads turn."
"I'm sure they're not all deprived," he said modestly.
"No? What happened you wanting Amy to stare at you while you whisked me around the dance floor."
"My waltz night be a bit stiff, This is not the kind of dancing I usually do, but we can give it a go. Unless there’s something else you have in mind?"
Oh, there was. She wondered if there were any other parts of him that might be stiff, and stifled a giggle. The wine was doing things to her head again. But she wanted another glass, because above all it was making her brave.
And she needed that if she was ever going to find the guts to ask him for sex.
Max put her hand to her mouth in shock, where the hell had that come from. Until now she had not even considered it, but his teasing over dessert had wheedled into her brain, until it became a worm burrowing into her senses, making her body tingle with desire.
Men paid for sex all the time, why shouldn't she, a liberated women? No man to answer to. It didn't mean she didn't crave sex. The opposite was true, at this moment in time there was nothing she wanted more than to go upstairs with him and have mind blowing sex. It was so within her reach, all they had to do was walk out of here, along to reception and book into a room. A lavish room with a king-size bed, big enough to do all the things she had in mind.
"You OK there dreamer?"
"Yes. So are we going to dance?"
"Sure. I suppose you should have your monies worth." Was he trying to give her a gentle reminder that whatever happened, beyond him escorting her to the dinner, would be extra. Not all inclusive. As he took her in his arms and they picked up the tempo of the music, he whirled her around the dance floor. Nothing stiff about him at all. Or was there? She leaned into him as they rounded the edge of the room, and she felt the hard press of him against her thigh. He looked down at her, and where she expected to see him smile, there was nothing but longing and desire.
When she went to pull away, he placed his hand more firmly on the small of her back, and drew her closer. It felt so right, she belonged in his arms. A sob tried to escape her throat when she wondered how many other women had thought the same thing. How many others had there been? Did he treat them all as well as he treated her? Did he flirt with them, make them believe he was in love with them, or at least lust with them, just so they would sleep with him?
Closing her eyes she breathed in his scent. Making sure she would remember this moment for ever, the moment when she realised this could never be. Like Cinderella she had to flee the ball, pay him his money, and then get a cab home. Anything else was a romantic fantasy, and Max had learned long ago what real life had to offer, and it wasn't all princesses and ponies. She thought back to her boss, and how proud he was of his daughter. Max had never had that. Maybe that was what this was, her trying to buy the affection of a man. A surrogate for her father, who never told her she was beautiful, or danced with her at parties.