Miss Gray

five

Following the exchange, Anna was desperate to finish her work and leave as quickly as possible. The second she was done, she turned off her lamp, grabbed her coat and shoved the train times in her pocket.

"Anna." Michael called as her hand touched the handle of the door. "I'm taking you out for a drink tonight. Garrison, meet me there at seven." She responded with a small smile and left, walking home.

***

Anna sat in the living room, sipping on whisky and staring down at the numbers which seemed to all get muddled together the more she drank.

Finally coming to a decision, she reached for the pen she kept in her coat pocket and circled the time she would leave Birmingham forever.

By the time half past six rolled around, Anna had sobered up again but her decision didn't falter. Putting on her best makeup and most flattering dress, she left the house ready to enjoy her last night.

Stepping through the Garrison doors just before the agreed time, she saw Michael leant against the bar with a whisky in his hand and another sat next to him.

"Someone's thirsty." Anna joked, sitting down next to him.

"It's for you." Joking clearly wasn't his thing. It didn't go unnoticed by Anna that Michael seemed to be far more relaxed with her than he had been previously. Although now she was no longer a threat to his position in the company.

"I know, thank you."

"Just want to make sure you enjoy your last night in Birmingham." The conversation was dying down very quickly, something which didn't go unnoticed by Anna or Michael. To fill the silence, they would drink. And the more they drank, the more they found to talk about. Eventually they weren't drinking at all due to there conversations never having a pause.

"It's getting late. I have a bottle of whisky back at mine." Michael slurred, his arm draped lazily over Anna's chair, a warning to the many men in the bar to not try anything.

"Luring me with the promise of alcohol are we Michael?"

"It's not a promise actually, I can't remember if I do actually have one or not."

"Well seeing as you seem so desperate for me to go to your house, I will oblige." She stood up from her chair, swinging her coat over her shoulders while Michael struggled to get up from his. Anna chuckled at the thought of her being able to out drink this man. She was a Shelby after all.

Sliding her arm through his, she helped him out of the pub doors and down the street to his home. Michael was barely staying on his feet. Each man they passed would throw a sympathetic chance to Anna but no one stopped to help. Luckily, it wasn't a long distance to Michael's home.

Leaning him against the brick wall, she reached in his coat pocket, feeling for his keys. Michael thought of a dirty joke about Anna's hand being in his pocket but the whisky prevented him from saying it. The cold bricks against his back must've somewhat brought him to his senses as he managed to walk through the door and into the living room all by himself.

Anna locked the front door behind them and followed him into the front room where she found him slumped on the sofa. She walked past him to the fire, which she lit before finally relaxing. The silence they felt now was more comfortable before, there was no longer any pressure.

"Don't go." Michael mumbled. When Anna looked over at the voice she saw that his head was against the back of the sofa, eyes barely open but still fixed on her. "Please."

"I thought you wanted me to go."

"I don't. I want you here."

"No, drunk Michael wants me here. Sober Michael couldn't care less."

"If you say so." She wanted him to say she was wrong but he didn't. Sitting up and moving closer to her, he cupped her face in his hands.

After several moments of silence, Anna leaned in to him, securing his lips in a kiss unlike any they had shared before. The one in the kitchen was over fast and barely anything. The one in the pub was hard and angry. This one was full of emotion. They both savoured the taste of each other on their tongues. Michael held on to Anna as if she would disappear any second.

Moving his hands to the back of her dress, he began to unbutton it, making Anna's breath catch in her throat. It took her a second for her brain to register what they were doing but once she realised, she knew she wanted it. Her hands moved from the sides of his face down to his waistcoat, which came off without a problem.

Slowing the pace, Anna broke the contact between their lips, making eye contact with Michael. His eyes were dark and stared at her with hunger. Anna was the first to break the contact, not being able to resist staring down at his partially naked torso.

"Is something wrong?" He whispered in her ear.

"No." And with that Michael connected their lips once more but this time with the hunger he had shown in his stare. He pushed her, forcing her to lay back on the sofa. She let out a small yelp which made Michael stop for a moment and stare down at the practically naked woman below him.

He had dreamt of this moment but the reality far exceeded his expectations. Dropping his head, he placed small kisses down her neck and onto her chest whilst removing the rest of her clothing. Who knew a gangster could be so gentle?

Not wanting to break contact for longer than he needed, Michael jumped up, removing the rest of his own clothing before repositioning himself between her legs. His fingers automatically tangled themselves in her hair, once again pulling her in for a kiss. There was no longer urgency in their actions, they both felt entirely content. Anna smiled into the kiss, thinking about the hatred they felt for each other after they first met. Somehow that had evolved into this.

Michael trailed his hands from her chest all the way down her body until they finally came to rest underneath her thighs, lifting them slightly to make it easier for him to slip inside of her. The moan which escaped her lips sent his mind into overdrive. They moved to a gentle rhythm, not letting the restrictions of the sofa limit them. They were both in a state of complete euphoria, something which transcended beyond this moment and throughout the night.

***

Anna woke the next morning, fully undressed laid above Michael, who was in a similar state. Pulling herself out of his grip, she sat up on the sofa, ignoring the headache knocking at the front of her brain. Reaching for her watch, she saw that it wasn't too late, she could still make it.

Once she was dressed she didn't allow herself to look back at Michael's sleeping form through fear it would force her to change her mind.

After calling at her home to pick up the suitcase she had already packed, Anna made the walk to the train station, tears welling in her eyes as she passed the places she had grown to love.

She arrived still fifteen minutes early. Sitting on the platform, she stared into nothing. There weren't many people around, allowing Anna to become fully submerged in her own thoughts.

It felt like hours before her train pulled up, making a loud screech as it stopped. Anna dragged her gaze up from the floor to the train, pushing herself up to her feet. With her bag in and, she walked the short distance to the train, where she was welcomed by the conductor. With one foot in Small Heath and one foot in her new life, she heard s voice.

"Anna, wait."