Convenience

Part 110

Beatrice replied, making sure her words were carefully enunciated, "The last time I spend time with you, you clamped my car!" He grinned utterly captivated by her attempt to put him in his place. She tried to keep the disdain out her voice, "You have probably checked me out of this hotel!"

David took a breath and shook his head before he asked, "Why would I do that?"

Feeling all sorts of a fool, suddenly she was tempted to yelled. "Because, well, to be perfectly frank given today, what do you think! You..."

He put up a hand to stop her. They can't have an argument now! Not now. They had a great time at this dinner, talking, listening even laughing. Beatrice huffed. David exhaled slowly. He reminded quietly, "You and I both know," he waited a beat "that we had a good time tonight." The gentleness in his voice had Beatrice spinning all sorts of options, regarding their relationship. But she decided that she needed to pull herself together.

She snorted and told him calmly, "Hardly." She smiled with her lips but without a trace of sincerity.

Not again, he thought. She was back to one-word responses. David said, "When we agreed to that truce, we managed to have a civil, good, friendly conversation." She contemplated arguing the point. "Actually, we had a great time. You can be really funny! And smart. And you know a lot about lots!" Really liked their conversation.

She snorted. But her palms had suddenly gone clammy. That was the trouble; she could barely breathe when David focused on her like this. He was right, she was smart, but she had completely forgotten where they were as she'd honed in to listening to him, talking to him. Her focus on him. Enjoyed their conversation. 

"Really." Beatrice huffed and pursed her lips in agitation.

That had his eyes flicking up to meet hers. He loved looking into her eyes. "I really enjoyed your company today, at the lunch, and tonight." He tipped his head to one side as he studied her reaction to his statements. "I really liked your company."

Beatrice said in what she hoped was a calm voice, "Really? That's why you clamped my car!" She had dropped her guard that afternoon, and at lunch. Trusted him. That really rankled. She'd exercised poor judgment earlier. And she was finding it hard enough to walk away now. What would she be like, if she stayed?

David took a breath and said again, "I am really sorry." Their eyes met and held. It was almost as if they were surrounded by a soundless bubble, given they were at a public restaurant. People's voices, people's actions, nothing registered.

Several seconds passed. Beatrice told him honestly, "I accepted your apology, earlier." She asked, "Why did you do it? It doesn't make any sense. I don't get it?" She asked quietly, and knew that her heart had stopped as it waited for his reply. "Why?" She asked haughtily, "Why clamp my car?"

He rubbed his ear, then sighed, "As I said earlier, based on my experience."

She scowled. "Honestly, I don't get it." She reached for her cloak of composure. "Based on what experience?" She exhaled.

"I wanted you to stay." David's face was serious. Her eyebrows rose. "I didn't want you to turn up at the office, stay for a couple of minutes, and that would be it." He rubbed his forehead and exhaled. "As I said, I tend to identify a goal, identify a good process and get on with that!"

She tipped her head to one side, "Wouldn't it be better if you simply asked me to stay?"

He snorted, "Really? You would've stayed?"

She wasn't sure. Maybe. Things have changed. Beatrice was starting to realize that David could easily get past her defences.

When she left her home on her way to Auckland, she had reviewed their status, what she wanted from that meeting, and thought about what might happen. But reality was different! Perplexed she all but frowned up at him. "Fine." Coming to a quick decision, she waited a beat, drew in a lung full of air and said, "Now that is settled." She had learnt over the years to stand up for herself when the occasion warranted it. Like now, "I need to go home!" Her backbone went ramrod stiff.

David blinked. He was taken aback by the direct statement, given it came out of the blue. "What?" He looked at her in bewilderment.  This wasn't just some small act of defiance? He had been upfront. Honest. And she was leaving?

She sighed, rolled her lips inwards as she considered the merit in what she was about to do. Then Beatrice stated with equal coolness and a fair amount of terseness, "I need to go home." She had to stick to her guns. What was she supposed to do now? She felt distinctly uneasy. She looked over her shoulder and hoped to catch the waiter's eyes. She really needed to go home obviously not right at the moment, assuming she still had a room at the hotel, but she really need to go home, tomorrow.