Part 27- in which I spill SOME of the beans....

I know, it's been ages since we last spoke, and I bet you've been dying to find out what happened that night with my swoonsome hero Donal Dashwood?

The truth is I've been so embarrassed I could barely show my face in public since the night in question, never mind talk about what happened. It would appear this nightmare life of mine will insist in continuing....

...oh well. It's been a couple of weeks now, so here goes:

I was of course dolled up to the nines-high-lights done, bright red dress, platform stillettos-perhaps a touch over-done for drinks with the boss, but this was a special occasion. We met in a wine and tapas bar on the outskirts of town. It was dark and cosy, only lit by candle light, with slow Spanish guitar music playing unobtrusively in the background.

Perfect! I thought, as I walked in. It was exactly what I had envisaged during my many imaginings of this evening!

Donal was already seated in a secluded corner table, a bottle of red wine uncorked and two glasses waiting to be filled. He was studying the tapas menu before he saw me, but once he set eyes on me he stood and greeted me with a kiss (lingering longer on my lips than would be considered appropriate for a boss and his employee I couldn't help thinking with absolute glee) and then like a true movie gent he pulled out a chair for me before pouring me a glass of the wine.

I was glad I had gone with the red dress-how very Spanish of me?

So anyway, we chatted for a while as the waitress hovered about us hoping we were going to order food. I think it must have been the first time in my life that I was so interested in the company I was in that studying the menu wasn't top of my agenda! Wonderful! I thought. Maybe falling for Donal would help me lose weight too! Though diet and exercise I secretly hoped! Wink wink!

The conversation was mainly about work obviously, but I could tell he was leading to more personal stuff. He would want to know if I was single, and free to be with him, without a doubt. But after about an hour of comfortable chat we were interrupted by the hovering waitress who wanted to know (for the third time) if we were ready to order food -and did we want another bottle of wine seeing as the first one was now empty?

That was when I began to think that our romantic date/meeting might not go as romantically as I had been hoping it would;

Donal said "I suppose we'd better just go ahead and order. Nigel must be running later than expected. I'm sure he won't mind if we start without him. Besides, we'll be pissed if we drink anymore wine without eating something. What do you fancy Ruby"?

I think my mouth may have opened and closed in a goldfish stylee for several seconds. Was I drunk already? Did he say something about Nigel?

"Did you say Nigel is running late"? I enquired, praying deep inside that the answer would be a resounding 'NO'.

"Well yes Ruby. He's an hour late", Donal looked around him as if to say "Well he ain't here is he"? Like I was meant to have missed him already. I felt like a daft blonde.

I muttered something about not realising Nigel was coming along tonight too and Donal began to explain (as if to a three year old) that of course Nigel was coming along, after all, he would be heading up the team I was now a part of and as of Monday (when Donal would be gone) I would be working as Nigel's right-hand woman.

Oh bring on the deep fried squid and kill me now!

We were just placing our tapas order (enough for three) when the slimy greasy one arrived and squished into our tight corner next to me. He had obviously been running because sweat was dripping from his forehead and had stained the armpits of his shirt I noticed as he removed his jacket. My appetite left me.

Once again (I was beginning to grow accustomed to the feeling) my heart dropped clean out of my chest cavity and hit the floor with a thud. I sensed my evening of romance and seduction may now take an unwanted turn.

Thankfully the second bottle of wine was quickly dispatched to our table.

The food arrived. We ate. Nigel pressed his damp body as close to me as was humanely possible without the act of love-making. I held for dear life onto my spicy meatballs and octopus rings.

Stay calm, I told myself inwardly, nothing to worry about. We'll all leave soon and Nigel will take one taxi while Donal and I will take another. Together. And we'll go back to his.

Nigel ordered a third bottle of wine. To make up for arriving so late. I remember thinking "Oh, what the hell! Wine is wine".

It was about half way through this bottle that Donal announced he had to leave. I felt panic rise within me and I immediately sobered up.

"I'd better go too", I announced, leaping to my feet and attempting to drag my coat from underneath Nigel.
I was sure this was how Donal had planned it, so that we could leave together.

But he was putting on a good show, obviously for Nigels sake, so he wouldn't catch on to our plan.

"No no Ruby. The night is young. You stay here and help Nige finish the wine. I hate to be a party pooper but I have an early start driving home in the morning and I need my beauty sleep".

Nigel nodded along and filled my glass up. Again panic.

Okay, if he was talking me out of going surely that meant I was supposed to make him stay.

"Tomorrow's Saturday" I said. "Why do you need to leave so early? Stay for another and treat yourself to a lie in". I'm not totally sure but I may have winked at that point.

His reply?

"Sorry Ruby but I really have to get on the road in good time. It's my daughters birthday and my wife will kill me if I miss her party. Especially after being away from home for so long".

And once again guess what happened to my heart?

Married? But he hadn't told me he was married! All that time we'd spent together and he hadn't even mentioned a wife...or a daughter! But then, I guess, why would he? After all, we were only working together. And he was my boss!

So Donal left after thanking me for all of my hard work and wishing me lots of luck in my new position. I returned, with immediate effect, to the feeling of devastation from which he had rescued me for two whole weeks. Nigel smiled and topped up my glass....

What happened then? I'm still not ready to talk. But when I am, you guys will definately be the first to know....