Out of Time 01 - Out of Time

before giving Elizabeth a quick nod.
    She smiled at Charlie and brusquely led Simon over to a relatively quiet corner of the room where the dirty dishes were stacked.
    “Well?” she said, nearly crossing her arms again, before thinking better of it. She did feel more at home in her own skin, but not quite that comfortable.
    “I’m sorry.”
    “That’s it?”
    He glanced irritably back over to the bar. Charlie was watching them out of the corner of his eye. “While I don’t like the situation, this place isn’t what I’d choose. I... I respect your decision.”
    “Thank you.”
    He nodded curtly and shoved his hands into his pockets. “I reacted badly this afternoon. The stress of our situation. I apologize for taking it out on you. It won’t happen again.”
    She could tell how hard this was for him. Admitting he was wrong came at a high price for Simon. Although, he did deserve it. He’d acted like a prize mule this afternoon and she really had no idea why. She wanted to make him squirm, but she felt oddly touched by the nervous way he pushed his hands into his pockets and looked away, almost shyly. “It’s all right,” she said. “I was kind of in your face.”
    “Yes, you were a bit—”
She put her hand on his arm to interrupt him. “You better stop while you’re ahead.”
    Simon smiled gently. “Right.” He looked down at her small hand resting on his arm.
    She was about to pull away, when she looked over Simon’s shoulder. “Charlie’s watching us,” she whispered. They were so awkward around each other, so aware of the other physically, it was hard not to notice. Charlie did. If they were going to fly under people’s radar, they had to look and act the part of a couple. She tentatively ran her hand down Simon’s arm. “We need to play our parts remember?”
    “Parts?”
    Elizabeth nodded slowly, gaining confidence from the tremor in Simon’s voice. “We’re married, remember? Newlyweds. Charlie may not look it, but he’s damn savvy when it comes to people. Just play along.”
    She licked her lips and moved a little closer. She realized under this pretense she could play out things she would never allow herself otherwise. This was a chance to touch him, to feel him. She laid a hand on his chest and could feel his heart beat faster at her touch, see his eyes grow darker. She moved closer, all her reasons forgotten. She let her eyes slide down from his eyes to his lips. They were so sensual. She could almost feel the warmth of his breath on her cheek. She wanted to kiss him. Knew she could, and leaned that much closer.
    Simon’s hands, strong and warm, wrapped around her upper arms. For a moment she thought he might push her away, but his head inclined a fraction, his eyes dipping down to her mouth. The rest of the room blurred around the edges and left only him. Inescapably, she was pulled closer and closer, her lips nearly on his.
    “Doll! How’s about some service?” a man at a nearby table called out.
    Startled, they both jumped back. As quickly as it had been woven, the spell was broken. All her courage drained away, Elizabeth stepped back and looked down. “I...I should get back to work.”
    She wanted that moment back, but the brief intimacy had dissolved, replaced with their usual guarded tension.
    “Of course,” Simon said awkwardly. “I’ll be going.” But he didn’t move.
    “Right.”
    “Right.”
    He looked like he was about to say more, but merely nodded and turned for the door. She watched him walk away and let out a quick breath. As almost kisses went, that was a doozy.
    Simon left the club as more patrons were coming in. A thick, burly man shouldered past him and surveyed the room. With a quick nod to Charlie, he went back and pulled open the door, motioning the all clear. Slowly, conversation waned. When the newcomer stepped inside, it stopped entirely.
    Whoever he was, he certainly knew how to fill a room. He was tall, but it was the ineffable way he commanded attention that made him seem larger than life. He walked down the few steps that led to the floor, surveying the room the way a lord surveys his subjects. He not only accepted their rapt attention, he demanded it. The initial silence gave way to anxious murmurs. He caught Charlie’s eye, and with a nod, summoned him.
    Elizabeth watched the interplay from across the room. Dix set down a stack of dirty cups and whispered in her ear, “Just play it cool, kid.”
    “Who is that?”
    “You