Green Light by Mandy MI5 (cowbell) chapter 1

[MandyM15]

Episode 9.2. Harry is in his office, it's late and he is looking at the flight departures schedule for Robert Westhouse. The phone rings.



"Yes?"

Ruth is sitting in her front room on the phone whilst Beth is busying herself in the kitchen.

"Sorry, it's me. I know it's late."

"Listen…. given what you said re: what I said, I don't think we should be sharing late night tete a tetes. Let's just stick to work."

"…..this is work."

"….good."

"um.. something's bothering me about the gunman. Hold on."

Beth waves to Ruth as she heads out the front door.

"Beth's just gone out. Sorry, um… they couldn't escape down the fire exit because Lucas was coming up it, plus we had that hotel cordoned off in minutes. Harry, they couldn't have left that building."

"So, what did they do?"

"I think they had a room booked."

"But we checked all the rooms. Anyone with African connections was taken by the police for questioning."

"Well I have a guest list on my computer, I'll go through it in the morning."

"…Anything else?"

"…."

Unable to speak Ruth takes a healthy glug of the Malbec she'd opened earlier.

"Ruth?"

"You're there late…."

Another glug.

"I am leaving soon"

"I…I was just about to get a Lasagne out of the oven…I was going to share it with Beth but she's gone out for dinner with Dmitri …I don't suppose you…"

"….Ruth, I"

"I need to talk to you Harry…really talk to you….. come over, please?"

"I don't think I can Ruth"

"It's just, I was thinking about how ridiculous I am"

"You're not ridiculous Ruth"

"But some of the things I say are"

"For example?"

"Well…. Like when I said that we, um….. couldn't be more together than we are right now…for example."

There is a long pause. Ruth finishes off her glass of red, Harry ponders her last remark and smiles.

"Would you like me to pick up some wine on my way over?"

Feeling the butterflies rising in her stomach Ruth now wonders if she can go through with this. Looking to the half empty bottle of wine she decides that if she has another glass before he gets there she might just brave enough to live out the small fantasy that had been developing in her head for the past nine years.

"Um..Yes, wine would be good" stammers Ruth

"Right. Well I'll see you soon" Harry replies in the sexiest, softest voice he can muster.

Ruth hangs up and pours herself another glass.

Sitting in the car Harry hopes he has read the situation right. Could she finally be coming round to the idea that they should be together? Stopping at the first off licence he see's Harry nips out and is delighted, after scouring the shelves for only a couple of minutes to discover the perfect bottle of wine. He gets two. Jumping back in the car he sets off to Ruth's house.

Ruth meanwhile, between glugs of wine is rushing around finding candles, napkins, placemats and two clean wine glasses. Feeling more than a little fuzzy having finished the bottle of Malbec she bought on her way home from work just two hours ago, she decides she needs to get changed.

Harry, just five minutes from Ruth's is happily driving along, whistling a little when a set of temporary traffic lights suddenly halts his advancement.

Upstairs, Ruth has pulled every moderately sexy item of clothing out of her wardrobe and, in a slightly inebriated state is trying everything on all together. Nothing goes together, she has nothing to wear! Taking it all off again she stands and looks in the mirror, at least the underwear's not too bad, at least they match! Frustrated Ruth grabs a pair of jeans and a fitted aubergine sweater and heads back downstairs, grateful for whatever was taking Harry so long to get here.

Finally a green light signals Harry's progression.

Ruth turns the oven off, tosses some salad leaves in a bowl with some balsamic and olive oil and sets the table.

Pulling over at the kerb outside Ruth's house Harry pats down his hair, grabs the two bottles of wine from the passenger seat and makes towards Ruth's front door.

Ruth presses PLAY on the stereo and as she wonders if Al Green might be a bit too obvious there is a knock at the front door.