Drink Me

20. RED HANDED

RED HANDED

The rest of the weekend dragged in a blur.

Riley and Nicole had spent Saturday in Ikea where the woman had dragged him after an unfair debate that had involved a hot bath and a fancy nurse dress.

Walking through isles of quintessential living room reproductions, Riley couldn't help but think how gullible he was to a pair of perfectly bow-shaped plump lips and deliciously round hips. Had he been a real James Bond type of spy, the country would have been in serious troubles.

Sunday passed between a morning gym session with Aidan (where he had managed to limit the wedding talk to a "happy for you, mate" with a shoulder pat), and an afternoon at the pub with a couple of colleagues from work. Simon couldn't make it as he and Naomi had planned a visit to a farmers market in Devon and Riley wondered if his friend was as flawed as himself in the naivety department.

When five o'clock struk on Monday, Riley switched off his computer and quickly collected his things, leaving the secret GCHQ office. He arrived at Westminster Abbey at ten past five, and this time he found Alice waiting for him. They hadn't talked since Friday evening and a part of him wondered if she was actually going to show up. But there she was, in a pair of thin polka dot black tights and heeled Mary Janes emerging from a smart red coat.

She smiled sweetly as Riley appeared from the crowd and he sped up his pace to meet her.

"Hey, how are you?" he asked gently.

"A bit tired, you?" Alice replied honestly.

"Same to be honest," Riley said, only then realising how true that statement was.

"Would you like a coffee?" Alice offered pointing to a corner Pret a Manger.

The two entered the small cafe and queued patiently, comforted by the warmth of the place now tickling their red, cold noses. Alice removed her gloves and her ring appeared shining under the artificial light. It looked extremely expensive and Riley couldn't help but wonder if that was how Aidan had talked Alice back. He wondered how much his cousin's wealth had to do with Alice sticking around. Riley closed his eyes briefly, chasing those insulting thoughts to the back of his mind. He was just being irrational now, and he had to stop it.

"Black?" Alice was looking up at him with an impatient look on her face that mirrored the one of the barista behind the counter.

"You take your coffee black, right?" she asked again.

"Yeah, yeah, sorry," he replied with some embarrassment.

Alice and "Rico" shared a complicit smile as the man processed the order and the woman paid for it, leaving a five pound note as a tip.

"Thanks for the coffee," Riley said as they moved aside to wait for their drinks.

"My pleasure," Alice replied with a smile. "Is it Mars?" she asked then, casually to Riley utmost confusion. "The planet you're on today..." Alice explained, taking their steaming drinks from the counter.

Riley scoffed and shook his head. "Sorry, still thinking about a work issue," he lied.

"Oh, wanna share?" Alice offered, leading the way to the quieter second floor.

"Nah, you'd be bored to death before I even begin." The man chuckled.

At the top of the stairs, Alice scanned the half-empty room and her eyes slightly brightened as she spotted a table for two in the corner by the window. She confidently made her way to it and sat on the chair against the wall. Riley followed her in silence and took the seat in front of her, folding his coat in half and letting it hang on the backrest. None of them spoke for a while, focused on their steaming beverages.