I suspected he’d stopped at that point because he was finding it hard to relate this to us, however the very fact that he was showed he trusted us, which i found very encouraging considering where i wanted this friendship go….
Dave put the bottle back down and continued.
“They were sat near each other at their desks, bob leaning across toward trevor….both finding this particular sum very funny…. sniggering…it might not have come to anything but then bob turned to look at me”
Dave stopped again, clearly finding it hard to relive the situation.
At that point i felt so sorry for him and, being a caring person i reached out and put my hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently, ” hey it’s ok love…you don’t have to say anymore….we understand”
While doing so i noticed how hot and damp he felt…and how big and solid his shoulder was.
Dave aimed a warm smile at me and i smiled back up at him. It was one of those moments you remember.
I could see he was hurt, close to tears actually, but there was also anger.
He pulled himself together and continued, “he looked at me like i was a joke…. pathetic…you know….then he shook his head….that’s what did it…i just snapped…”
He continued explaining how he’d stormed over to bob all guns blazing. The resulting fight had ended up with daves black eye, and a broken nose for bob.
Both men had been summoned to the managers office and been given an official warning, and made to shake hands, apologise to each other.
With the break over, we began walking again, playing catch up with the group.
Talking as we walked. Dave telling us more about what had happened since the fight.
He told us that we must think him mad revealing such personal things about himself to us, after all, this was only the second time we’d met.
I put him at ease, replying that he could talk to us about anything, adding a big helping of sympathy. John too joined in with my reassuring, calling his work colleagues idiots and urging dave to ignore them, they weren’t worth it.
This pleased dave immensely, he obviously just needed someone to talk to about it, he’d been through a lot and seemed lonely.
This placing of trust in us did lay those first foundations of our friendship.
A friendship we still enjoy to this day.
We chatted easily together for the rest of that morning, us finding out more about him and he likewise us.
I did make a point of asking him if there was any lady currently in his life? making sure i did it in a very subtle way.
There wasn’t anyone, he was still in shock from his marriage break down to think about any relationship, not at the moment anyway.
This may sound heartless but at the time that knowledge was music to my ears….
From this point on i knew exactly what to do, how to take this forward.
After our walk we kept on chatting in the car park, john taking a closer look at daves car, some kind of sports car.
We were still there a good half hour after the others had gone, easily chatting away, enjoying each others company.
We eventually said our goodbyes, but before leaving i made a point of going right up to dave, placing my hand on his arm and looking him in the eyes, i told him john was right, ignore those idiots at work they weren’t worth losing his job over.
Then i added, “…and if you don’t mind me saying….tina is in idiot too….it’s her loss….what woman would want to do that when she has someone as handsome as you?”
As i said it i gave him a special look that would leave him with no doubt how i felt about him.
Once again he blushed and turned to look shyly at john who was stood close by, a broad grin forming on my husbands face as he watched dave blushing.
Dave was momentarily struck dumb at my words and the look i gave him, so john jumped in before he could speak, “hey!….I’m right here?!”
He said it in a loud voice but the humour was present in his tone and the grin broadening.
Dave began grinning too, then thanked me for saying such a nice thing about him.
John then added, “hey dave….watch out….i think she’s after you mate”
It was said as a joke of course to lighten the mood, or at least that’s what dave believed at the time.
Little did he know, at the time, that is precisely what i was after.
John knew of course, and that’s why he said it.
I gave my husband a special knowing look as he passed me to get in our car.
Returning my attention to dave i gently squeezed his arm before letting go, drawing back away from him i kept eye contact for a brief moment while saying, “see ya next week love…”
Then added, again with the same admiring look I’d given him earlier, “..i mean it… you’ll be fine…tina must be mad letting you go”
I winked as i said it, dave smiled warmly and i turned and got in the car, leaving him standing there.
As john gave me another knowing look and then proceeded to drive away i looked through my door mirror.
There was dave still stood watching us, he stood there watching us leave until i could see him no more.
Perhaps I’d made more of an impression than what I’d realised…
Indeed, much later in our relationship with dave i did remember that time he watched us leave and i asked him a question which had been on my mind since then.
I asked him what he was thinking at that moment?
He replied that he was thinking about me, in an intimate way. For the first time in all those months his mind had been averted from his wife and all the troubles.
He told me that i was the first woman he’d thought about in that way since the separation.
Little did dave know it then, i was about to avert his attention in a much more physical ‘hands on’ manner.
And give him more than just something to think about….
End of chapter 20.