Mel POV
“Rose.”
Harry. She swivelled around on the bar stool and smile at him. Her smile faltered somewhat when she noted the glower on his face, but since she couldn’t think of what she might have done that would cause a scowl she just shrugged and slid off her stool to join him for dinner. Waving her thanks to the bartender and grabbing her nearly untouched glass of wine, she turned and nearly ran into the immovable wall that was her new husband. She somehow managed to not spill the wine down his white shirt or her own outfit.
“Good heavens,” she exclaimed. “I didn’t think you’d still be standing right there.” Reaching out, harry gently took the glass from her hand and took a sip, “This is quite good,” he acknowledge. “What is it?’
“It’s an Italian Vintage red wine.”
“You know your wines.”
Mel grinned. “Sometimes. Sometimes I just know my bartenders. That’s Leon,” she added, smiling over at the young man behind the bar. “He recommended it.”
Harry frowned slightly, and then motioned to the bartender that he would join her in a glass of wine before they sat down for dinner.Moving to the stool next to her, he helped her back into the seat she had just vacated. Leon placed a glass of wine in front of harry, and then winked at Mel.
“You make friends quickly,” harry observed.
“You were last. And he’s a nice guy,” Mel said defensively.
“You’re my wife.”
“Hard to forget that. Especially given the ring on my finger.”
“Good.” The satisfaction in his voice gave Mel pause, and she looked at him warily.
“Why on earth do you care?” she asked suspiciously. He just smiled cooly at her.“A man likes to think that his wife recall that she’s married to him. Particularly if she just married him that morning.”
“I see.”
“I assume Leon did not get your number this evening?”
Mel nearly spewed her drink out of her nose. She looked up at Harry. Was he serious? He thought that she was out picking up men the same day that she’d married him? She shook her head in disbelief. “What exactly do you think I would say to the man? Sure, here’s my number. Call me in three years time and I would be available.
“You’re an attractive woman,” harry started to say.
“With a wedding ring on her hand,” she said, raising her left hand and pointing to the ring. “And a fairly strong moral compass. I think you can rest easy that I’m not out picking up men on the same day as our wedding.” It looked like harry got the unuttered message. He simply chuckled, and then raised his glass to her.
“To my wife. May our wedding bring us.....” he hesitated, as if thinking of what he should toast to.
“Peace?” Mel contributed after a few seconds. “Friendship? Contentment?”
“I was going to say mutual satisfaction, but perhaps your sentiments are more suitable for a wedding day,” he acknowledged dryly.
Rolling her eyes, Mel clinked her glass up against harry’s. “To us,” she sighed. “Whatever ‘us’ ends up being.”


Harry POV
“You’re hoping for more?” his eyebrow rose skyward as he looked over at her.
“I’d like to think that we at least might get to be friendly. But I’d settle for not killing each other,” she said taking a sip of her wine. He turned his stool to look directly at her. Might as well get this out in the open, he thought. He really wasn’t looking for double entendres, or any kind of flirtation, and he probably should make that clear.
Look, Rose. I was wrong about you. As I mentioned to you before, I assumed you would be some sort crazy, reclusive, socially-maladapted woman. It’s clear that you’re not. In fact, it occurs to me that you are probably used to men falling at your feet, for number of reasons. But it’s important that you realise that I’m not planning to do that. Hazarding a glance at her, he realised that she was giving him her full attention.
“This is only going to work if we treat it as a business arrangement. We have a contract. Let’s keep things fully professional, and perhaps friendly, if we get that far. Rose smiled slightly as he wrapped up his argument. “Spoken like a business man. But I agree. I know that you want a clean relationship, with no emotional entanglements. So your limitations work for me, and I’m happy to hear you voice them.”
“An unemotional relationship, same thing. To us, Rose.”
Rose raised her glass. “To us.”
“With that settled, shall we have some dinner?” he asked.
“Yes, please. I’m starving. Leon fed me mixed nuts, but they only take a girl so far.”
“Leon again?”
“Yes. I may leave you for him some day, harry. He feeds me and places wine in front of me. He sets the bar pretty high.”
“Not if I can help that.” harry chuckled, and then helped her off her stool. Motioning to the hostess to indicate that they were ready to be seated.