forbidden { michael gray } ON TEMPORARY HOLD

f i v e

After their conversation outside of the club, Michael and Talya decided to do exactly what they said they would: say a big fuck you to their family's opinions. Of course, their relationship was still very much kept a secret, but they saw each other far more frequently. At pubs, in parks, in fields. Whenever they could both spare the time away from their family, Michael and Talya would spend every moment with each other.

Only Isaiah and Anechka knew of Talya and Michel's involvement and had each vowed not to tell anyone.

A few days had passed since they had last saw each other, and Talya couldn't keep her mind off of Michael. She had been in work for hours and her pile of paperwork only seemed to be expanding. Mikhail was talking her ear off with something or other that had happened with the Blinders, and it was taking all the acting skill Talya had in her to make him believe she was listening. But as soon as she heard him say, Michael, he earned her full attention. "What did you just say?"

"I said, it's a wonder Tommy is earning so much money when his accountant is as young as Michael."

Talya frowned. "One could arguably say the same to you. It's a wonder the organisation is so well kept when the secretary is so young."

"Who says it is well kept?" He asked with a cheeky grin.

"Don't be rude," Talya said in mock-offence before rolling her eyes at her father. This was the side of him she liked; playful and funny. Not the fearsome gangster he had been for the past few weeks. She wasn't sure she had seen him crack a smile for almost a month until now. "Papa, are you alright?"

"Of course I am. Business is flourishing-"

"No. Are you alright? You seem stressed. Don't you think you should take some time to relax?"

Mikhail chuckled softly. "Oh, Talya. You are so sweet. But I cannot afford to do such things. You know this."

He was right, and Talya did know it, but it still bothered her seeing him look 10 years older from stress. With a sigh, she got back to work and carried on tuning Mikhail out as she did so.
                    ——
Finally, Talya finished the last piece of paperwork and scribbled her signature on it as quick as she could. It was already getting dark by then, everybody had left the office apart from her and she was more than ready to go home. When her father had left, he had been very serious about something, but Talya hardly even listened to him, she was so determined to get the work done and leave.

Pulling on her coat and locking the office door, she jogged down the stairs and twirled the keys in her fingers absentmindedly. The sun was almost completely gone, with the only source of light coming from the streetlights. Talya was grateful for her coat due to the almost freezing temperatures. Winter had come around quicker than ever, which meant trouble would soon follow. It was always the way around the festive period. Men got tired of their low wage when they were trying to buy presents and would either riot or join a gang to satisfy their financial needs. It usually lasted for a month or two before they got bored of trying to change their wage and got back to work, but it still caused enough inconvenience yearly for Talya to dread it.

"Talya!"

Her head whipped around to search for the source of the voice. A man was loitering near the alleyway, and as Talya stared closely she realised it was Michael. With a quick check to make sure nobody was around, she skipped over and wrapped her arms around his neck, any of her usual composure gone. She truly was like an ice queen who had melted when it came to Michael. She gave no airs and graces with him, maintained no ego and allowed herself to relax completely with him. And he was exactly the same.

With a goofy grin on his face, he planted a kiss on her lips. "I booked us a table for dinner."

"Where?" She asked, her eyes alight with happiness.