The morning after the night before ...

“I am not going to stop saying it, but I guess your right”

She nodded giggling as he kissed her.

"Maybe not in front of our friends... for a while at least... ?"

She suggested.

“I’ll see you tomorrow?”

She laughed.

"Unless you change your mind ... I'll call you when I get home and see where you're at ... we can make plans then... "
 
“If you want me to refrain from saying it in front of others people” Alex said shrugging and not letting it hurt “Call me as soon as you get home” he said kissing her and opening the door “I will be waiting” He said smiling his most charming smile at her.
 
“If you want me to refrain from saying it in front of others people”

She saw he was upset by her comment and sighed.

"Let me break things to them one stage at a time, Alex."

She clarified.

“Call me as soon as you get home”

She assured him she would and headed out to where her taxi had pulled up.

“I will be waiting”

She waved and got into the cab, giving her address as she settled down in the seat with a sigh.

A final wave as the taxi reversed, giving her the opportunity to look round curiously at Alex's place realising she had no memory of arriving here the evening before.
 
Alex sighed and closed the door smiling a little. All in all it had been the best day of his life. He resisted the urge to dance around his apartment and instead made himself a quick dinner. He kept himself busy knowing if he didn’t he would end up waiting by his phone. He cleaned up and grabbed his stuff for tomorrow. He ignored the leather cut marking him as a prospect and instead sat down on his couch grabbing his food and eating while he waited for her call.
 
The taxi carried her across town and came to a halt in front of her small apartment. Signing the chit for the taxi fare, Shanna headed inside and up the stairs to the second floor where she let herself in almost tripping over the bulky envelope that had been put through her door. Opening it she found her mobile phone, with it was a note.

Shanna,

We know you're still pissed at us, but we honestly didn't think you'd go off with that guy.
If you don't want to talk, then text us. Just let us know you're ok and not still hung over.
Maddie, Sian & Kate.


It hadn't even crossed their minds that she might never have made it home.
Shanna couldn't even remember leaving them and heading off on her own the evening before or the disagreement that led to them going their separate ways.
Closing and locking her door, Shanna made her way through the lounge and then to the kitchen where she put on the kettle and took out a mug. She needed tea and lots of it she decided. Dipping in her pocket, she took out the piece of paper and added the details to her contact list. Tea made, she dialled Alex's number. After she had made the call she needed a bath and a fresh change of clothes and then she would settle down to study her script for tomorrow.

The phone hardly rang before he picked up.

"Hi Alex, it's Shanna ... I'm calling from my mobile number, so you might want to save this ..."

She told him.

"Just letting you know I'm home safely ... are you ok?"

She asked.
 
“Yeah I’m okay” Alex said smiling as he heard her voice over the phone. He shut his TV off and got up walking across his bedroom as he cradled the phone to his ear. He ignored the darkness gathering and instead listened to her voice finding his body calming once more.

“Did you get home safe?” Alex asked going over to the bag that housed his work stuff and pulling it up. He reached in and ignored the leather cut and the clothes instead pulling out a simple black handgun. He had been putting off touching it until he spoke to her mostly because he was nervous about tomorrow. He could play his role just fine once he got there but the night before he always freaked out.
 
“Yeah I’m okay ... you get home safe?”

She laughed.

"Yes, no problem. I came home to find my mobile posted through my door. My friends don't even realise I was out all night, they just think I'm ignoring them."

If she had been attacked or happened to be laying dead in a ditch they would not have alerted anyone as yet. Shanna found she didn't want to think of that.

"I'm going to take a bath, wash my hair and then get going on my script, what are you up to?"

She asked him.
 
“Oh same old same old” Alex said checking his gun and then pulling out the motorcycle cut “Just getting ready for that meeting tomorrow then going to watch some T.V or some thing” he explained laying the gun on top of it and smiling “I never got a chance to ask but are you a night owl? Or are you a morning person?” He asked curiously.
 
“Oh same old same old ... Just getting ready for that meeting tomorrow then going to watch some T.V or some thing”

He told her. It seemed they both had things they should be getting on with.

“I never got a chance to ask but are you a night owl? Or are you a morning person?”

She laughed considering his question.

"Both ... either ... but not at the same time ... "

She answered him.

"... I'm used to early mornings with work ... and the re-enactment stuff ... but then again ... I like to be a 'night owl' as long as I don't have work or be up doing something the morning after..."

She wondered why he had asked.

"Why ... which are you?"
 
“Night owl all the way” Alex admitted laughing and going to sit back down on his couch “I didn’t want you to see it this morning but I detest mornings” He admitted smiling “I usually am I grumbling needy monster in the mornings until I wake up” He said not at all joking.
 
“Night owl all the way”

He surprised her by saying.

“I didn’t want you to see it this morning but I detest mornings ... I usually am I grumbling needy monster in the mornings until I wake up”

She laughed.

"That doesn't bode well then. I love early mornings cooking over a fire, mist over the fields and men getting kitted up for battle ... guess you won't be joining me on those outings after all ... "

She surmised.
 
“I am sure you can convince me to rise early” Alex joked shaking his head and leaning back on the couch “I think getting ready for a battle would put a certain spring in my step” He said looking at his gun and tightening his eyes softly.

Those words were more true then he realized

“If I return home victorious will I have won your hand?” Alex asked trying to get his mind off the depressing thought.
 
“I am sure you can convince me to rise early”

She wasn't sure if that was a double entendre?
He had been active enough that morning, but then it was late by the time she'd finally awoken.

“I think getting ready for a battle would put a certain spring in my step”

The idea of him role playing definitely appealed, she mused.

“If I return home victorious will I have won your hand?”

She laughed.

"Only my hand ... ? Judging from this morning, I'd have thought you'd want much more of my body than that ..."
 
“Well I thought earning your hand would lead to other parts of your body” Alex said looking at his books and smiling softly “will you be my wife and accompany me to the battlefield? Help me don my armor and help stitch my wounds? Tis very lonely to be moving towards battle and not having the light of my life besides me” He said slipping into the role a little “to welcome me home with open arms and even open legs”
 
“Well I thought earning your hand would lead to other parts of your body”

He told her meeting her challenging quip.

“... will you be my wife and accompany me to the battlefield?"

His question made her blush, even though he could not see her.

"Help me don my armor and help stitch my wounds? Tis very lonely to be moving towards battle and not having the light of my life besides me”

She giggled at the picture he painted.

" ... to welcome me home with open arms and even open legs”

She gasped and scolded him.

"Alex ... that's no way to talk to your wife! ... And for the record, it's traditional to be in the same room as the girl you're proposing to ... "

She told him.
 
“Well when I return form my first battle” Alex said leaning in and smiling as he thought about her blushing “glorious and triumphant and most certainly not dead I will march into the camp and take you into my arms kiss you and then propose for every one to see and then afterwards you can help your returning soldier relax from the horrors of war” He said smiling and getting up enjoying himself quite a bit “if it pleases you my lady”
 
“Well when I return form my first battle ... glorious and triumphant and most certainly not dead I will march into the camp and take you into my arms kiss you and then propose for every one to see and then afterwards you can help your returning soldier relax from the horrors of war ... if it pleases you my lady”

His words were outrageous, but she found herself being carried away by the fantasy.

"I think that would please me very much ..."

She told him.

"... although ... I do have a date with a murder tomorrow ..."

She told him with a sigh.

"With your imagination it's a shame we didn't rehearse together ... "

She commented wistfully, though she knew that if they were together it would be unlikely any work would actually get done ...
 
“Its to bad I cant come!” Alex said smiling happily “though my date would end up murdered” he said smiling and then looking at his books again “though Alex Stone the lovable con artist would have enjoyed such a fancy party” He said letting his imagination work again “he enjoys rubbing shoulders with the rich in the nice suit he conned out of some nice old man pretending to be the wealthy son of a oil tycoon from far away see he never had much growing up so he liked letting the rich fawn over him like he was some prince even though it’s the farthest from the truth”
 
“Its to bad I cant come! ... though my date would end up murdered”

She laughed as he continued.

“... though Alex Stone the lovable con artist would have enjoyed such a fancy party ... he enjoys rubbing shoulders with the rich in the nice suit he conned out of some nice old man pretending to be the wealthy son of a oil tycoon from far away see he never had much growing up so he liked letting the rich fawn over him like he was some prince even though it’s the farthest from the truth”

She chuckled.

"You really should do something with that imagination of yours, Alex ... maybe you should come to one of our events and check it out ...?"

She suggested, not wanting to pressure him.

"... actually ... there's a fancy dress party coming up .... want to be my 'plus one'? I'm sure we could pick something fun to play between us... "
 
“I would love that actually” Alex said excitedly smiling and dacnign around the room a little “what’s the theme? What should we go as? Can we get costumes?! Alex asked his voice rising a little almost like a kid at Christmas. He was an imaginative person and he had never met any one who liked roles as much as he did. Role playing was a interest of his even before he met her. His mind was already flashing with the possibilities and things they could be together.
 
“I would love that actually ... what’s the theme? What should we go as?
Can we get costumes?!"


She loved that he was so enthusiastic.

"We can talk about it tomorrow. I'll get some information at work on Monday."

She told him.

"As for costumes ... I have ... connections ... "

She told him cryptically.
 
“Cool” Alex said already pumped for it “I cant wait!” He admitted grinning like an idiot. He sat down on the couch and smiled his mind already cooking up things to be and do “don’t you have lines to practice?” Alex asked suddenly smiling “need some help?” He offered.
 
“Cool ... I cant wait!”

She found herself grinning ridiculously.

"We'll have fun ... "

She agreed.

“ ... don’t you have lines to practice? ... need some help?”

She sighed.

"You know I do ... and right now you're distracting me again... "

She seemed unconcerned about that however.
 
“So let me help then” Alex said moving the phone and getting comfortable on the couch “give me your character and tell me about the party” he said closing his eyes so he could visualize better.
 
“So let me help then ... give me your character and tell me about the party”

She laughed.

"By phone!?! I can't do it like that ... "

She told him.

"Besides, it's not a party ... it's more a play ... acted out in different places in the hotel. The fun doesn't start until I arrive of course ... the cat amongst the pigeons as it were... "

She found herself talking about it despite her insistence that she couldn't rehearse in that way ...
 
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