Hot Ginger: The 3rd Date

Their desserts arrived and Neil let Saoirse share his. "I'm surprised we haven't seen anyone from work yet." Saoirse said, looking around.

"We might not have seen them but they've probably seen us." Neil said calmly, digging his spoon into his cheesecake. Saoirse looked at him alarmed. "Well, all they're gonna say is 'I saw you and Saoirse having dinner', aren't they?" he asked. Saoirse nodded. Neil shrugged like he didn't see what the big deal was.

Saoirse hummed as she thought. "Yeah. I suppose I just want to keep it under wraps for a while." she said, looking at him. Neil nodded as he ate his food.

Once they'd finished eating, Saoirse insisted they split the bill and then they went to a cocktail bar nearby. It was styled as a plush 1920's speakeasy, with velvet occasional chairs and booths, little round, dark wooden tables with little black glass lamps under beaded, umbrella-shaped lampshades. Very moody, dimmed lighting and well-laid out tables made the perfect anti- social, social space for a couple trying to maintain a discrete presence.

They sat in the far corner in a deep, two- seater red velvet sofa. Neil went to the bar and returned with their drinks. "Funny how the barman thought the Jack Daniels and Coke was for me and the Sprite was for you!" he said raising one eyebrow and holding up the highly decorated glasses.

"They always make a proper show of the drinks in here no matter what you're drinking." Saoirse said. Neil looked at her and waited. "And yeah, smash the fucking patriarchy!" she said forcefully, discretely flicking the V sign towards the bar.

"That's what I was waiting on!" he said with a wide smile, clinking their glasses. "Cheers to that!" he said as he sat down beside her. They sipped their drinks then set them on the table. Neil lifted his left arm and wrapped Saoirse in it, sliding his hand round to her left hip and she leaned gently into his embrace. "You're gorgeous." he said in his gentle, low voice, looking down at her and smiling.

"Thank you." Saoirse said timidly, suddenly feeling self-conscious. She turned her body towards him, lifted her head and leaned up to kiss him softly as she held her left hand on his knee. Neil kissed her gently and then slid his tongue into her mouth. Saoirse's hand crept up his thigh to his hip, playfully thumbing the rivets on his jeans. They kissed slowly, Saoirse's right hand gently caressed Neil's lower back and grasped at his shirt and Neil's right hand found its way slowly up Saoirse's left thigh. Neil smiled and broke their kiss, squirming away from her touch and they gazed at each other. "I love the way you kiss me." Saoirse said softly with a dreamy smile. Neil gazed at her with a smile in his eyes. "It's worth the beard burn." she teased.

Neil stroked her mouth and laughed quietly. "I've been asked to shave it off before." Neil said.

Saoirse's eyes widened. "No, don't do that!" She said, stroking his face to feel the bristles on her palm. "I love your beard." she smiled.

Neil nodded. "I wasn't going to, ain't nobody telling me what I can do with my body!" he teased.

"Good! It's not like it's unkempt, you're always really well groomed." Saoirse said. "So handsome, Neil." she smirked and kissed him quickly but softly. Neil laughed heartily. "I love the feeling of a beard against my skin, especially..." she stopped.

Neil looked at her. "Especially...?" he prompted. She looked at him shyly. "What?!" he laughed. "Don't leave me in suspense." he squeezed her body in his left arm and her thigh with his right hand.

She lifted her drink. "Especially on my neck and... other places..." she said timidly, taking a sip of her drink and looking away.

"Don't get shy on me now." Neil's warm breath tickled her neck as he spoke in her ear in his low voice and kissed her head. She looked up at him, smiling with pursed lips and he gazed at her with a want in his eyes. "Shall we play a game of Hot & Cold?" he asked with a smirk rippling his top lip. She sipped her drink before putting it back on the table.

She maintained eye contact with him, smiled with her tongue heavily digging into her cheek and raised her eyebrows. "I love the tickly feeling of it, especially against my..." she said quietly with a smirk as she ran her fingers over the bristles. He stroked her cheek. "Warm" she said. He kissed her cheek softly. "Are you playing?" she asked.

"You want to know where I want to feel a beard on me?!" he laughed.

"NO!" she tutted, squeezing his thigh. "Favourite places to be kissed or touched?" Neil smiled and tipped his head. They both instinctively looked around the bar to see if they recognised anyone then their gaze met and they laughed. "Coast is clear." she said.

Saoirse stroked his cheek. "Warm-ish." Neil said, tilting his head. Saoirse frowned. "Up. Higher." he said, looking up.

"Ooh your hair?" she smiled with delight.

Neil shrugged. "Well, yeah. My scalp." Saoirse reached up to touch his hair but he grasped her wrist. "Don't mess with a man's hair, he's trying his best to hold on to as much of it as possible!" he warned.

Saoirse winced and bit her lip in apology. "What?! Sure you've a full head of it! I love your hair, I just want to scrunch it." she giggled. He shook his head. "I can't wait to get my fingers tangled in your curly mop." He gazed at her. She watched his face as she ran her nails gently along the back of his neck and up into the back of his hairline.

"Hot." he said. Saoirse gave him a satisfied smile. He softly caressed down her neck to her collarbone with his fingertips and laughed quietly at her facial expression as she took a deep breath. "Oh is that hot?" he teased. Her eyes widened and she took a slow, deep breath. "From there to there?" he asked, tracing a soft trail from her jaw down her neck to her collarbone again with his fingertips.

She nodded. "Actually anywhere you touch me is going to be 'hot' because it's you, Neil. Also, it's a long time since anyone has touched me."

He leaned in and kissed her. She slowly ran her palm down his chest. "Hot, warm, cool, hot." He said quickly with a smirk. She giggled. Neil smiled with pursed lips. Her hand caressed down to his lower abdomen before moving to his hip then down his outer thigh. Saoirse licked her lips. Starting at her shoulder he caressed down her arm to her elbow then over to her hip and down on to her thigh. His hand was warm on her thigh and his fingers teased across to her inner thigh. She nodded and mouthed 'hot' to him.

Neil's gaze flickered slightly and he made a low groan noise. "Hmm, I don't do oral." he said, sucking his teeth and shaking his head slightly. Saoirse lifted his hand off her thigh and moved swiftly out of his grasp across the sofa away from him with a look of disgust on her face. Neil laughed loudly. "OOOH! That was visceral, Saoirse!" he laughed. She raised her eyebrows and smirked at him. "I am only joking. I didn't expect such a reaction!" he chuckled.

"That's an actual deal breaker right there. No oral? No way! I don't care how much of a hot ginger you are. See ya!" she teased animatedly. Neil grasped her hand and playfully pulled her back across the sofa to him. "That's one of my favourite things." she said, frowing exaggeratedly. "That's why that was so strong!"

Neil raised his eyebrows. "That's 2 favourite things tonight so far. You've almost got enough for a song!" He teased.

Saoirse laughed. "I don't think 'Starling murmurations' and 'getting licked out' would fit it very well." she smirked. Neil laughed heartily. "I was reading an article about this cohort of...men, for want of a better word, who point blank refuse to give their girlfriends oral sex." Saoirse said, looking at him.

Neil shrugged with one shoulder as he swallowed a gulp of his drink. "Not everyone enjoys it." he said.

"Yes, I understand that but what I mean is these guys vehemently expect...no DEMAND it for themselves!" she said, articulating every word.

Neil looked at her. "They're like 'I don't eat pussy but hurry up and suck my dick' or what?" he asked. Saoirse nodded forcefully. Neil frowned "They obviously haven't met you yet then!" he teased. Saoirse laughed. "Do you want another one?" he asked, nodding towards her empty glass. She agreed and watched him as he went to the bar. He bounced impatiently on the balls of his feet the way she had seen him do at lunchtime in work and it made her laugh.

"I don't want to give you a complex but," she started as Neil set their drinks on the table.

"But you're going to carry on. Alright, what? What is it?" he asked, smiling at her.

"When you're waiting on something and you're impatient you sort of bounce on the balls of your feet." she smiled. "You do it in the kitchen in work when you're waiting on the microwave."

"I'm hungry and I want my lunch!" he said, defensively.

"Have you seen Over The Hedge?" she asked.

"No?" he asked, sipping his drink.

"It's an animated film about animals who wake up from hibernation to find a new housing development built and they have to try to get over the hedge to get food." she explained.

"Okay?" he said, looking puzzled.

"You remind me of Hammy from Over The Hedge." she giggled. He looked puzzled. "Have you got your phone there? Google it." she said.

Neil took out his phone. "How do you spell it?" he asked. She spelled it and he searched then glanced up at her with a dour look on his face. She smiled. "IT'S A GINGER SQUIRREL!" he exclaimed. "Fuck sake!" he shook his head and put his phone away.

"What?! No! He doesn't remind me of you cos he's ginger! It's the way he gets so excited about his food." she explained but Neil wasn't having any of it.

"Alright, enough of that. Any other insults you want to throw at me?" he asked.

She tutted. "Nooo!" she whined. "That wasn't meant to be..." She met his gaze and she smiled at him until his frown broke and he chuckled. She leaned up and kissed him quickly, his eyes still fixed on hers. She felt like he was looking into her soul, she was mesmerized as always and couldn't look away.

She ran her hand up his thigh as they looked at each other. "Ooofffftttt Neil," she breathed. He tipped his head inviting her to speak. "Your eye contact game is STRONG!" she emphasised. He still gazed at her but didn't respond. "I really like that about you." she smiled. "It's fucking intense. I've never met anyone whose eye contact is so good." she said.

A smirk teased his lips. "Likewise." he said in his low tone.

Saoirse nodded. "Eye contact and your body language." Neil flinched and Saoirse smiled. "You can't hide it. It's very reassuring to me." she smiled. "I trust you." she said.

"Either you can trust me or I'm a psychopath." Neil said. Saoirse tutted. He squeezed her in his arm. "Nah, I get it." he articulated sincerely as he sipped his drink. "I know I don't need to worry about explaining myself." he said nervously.

Saoirse smiled at him "Just a look." Neil nodded. "Honestly, even if I am wondering what you're thinking, I really enjoy the non-verbal communication. Especially at work." she smiled and her skin rippled with goosebumps as she thought about it.

Neil gently stroked her arm. "Anticipation really gets you, doesn't it?" he asked in his soothing tone.

She raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Sometimes you're so observant it scares me." she laughed quietly as she looked away briefly.

"You can't hide it!" he quipped, looking down at her with a smile.

Saoirse smiled shyly at him and nodded. "OK, yes. I'll admit I love the anticipation but that's all you're getting tonight." she said, pointing her finger at him. Neil raised his eyebrows and jerked his head back, wondering what she meant. "I'm not telling you all my secrets yet! Let me keep some little joys about you to myself!" she smiled. "Maybe it's just me but there's something else there. Some other type of connection or wavelength between us?" she asked.

Neil frowned in thought. "Must just be you!" he chuckled as he hugged her against him. Saoirse knew he felt it but didn't want to say anything else so she just left it.

"I was thinking... you said you broke your neck surfing?" she asked. He nodded. "But you told me the other week that you were mountain biking! AND you still go surfing! How...? Aren't you scared?" she asked.

"No!" Neil's eyes widened. "I LOVE IT!" he said enthusiastically with a wide smile on his face. "Mountain biking, surfing, snowboarding, kayaking, climbing..." he listed.

"Anything outdoorsy and risky?" she asked with her eyes wide.

"Yep! Love it!" he said. "Why?" he asked.

"No, I just...I guess I really admire that, especially after your accident. I didn't realise I was bound by fear until right now." she said with a laugh. "Most of my hobbies include being indoors and the most risky thing that could happen is... well, I suppose it's all relative." she said as she thought.

"What do you do for fun?" he asked.

"Not sport!" she joked, looking down her body. "Music mostly. Going to gigs, listening to music, I sing in a choral group..." she started.

"You sing?" he interrupted. "Like in church?" he asked.

She made a face. "Well, we rehearse in a church hall but we're not affiliated with the church. I really enjoy singing in a group of people, but I don't 'do' church." she gave an awkward laugh. "I'm not a fan of religion. Organised or otherwise. I respect when people are but it's not for me." she looked at him cautiously. Neil nodded and she realised he wasn't judging her. "I underestimated the amount of time I'd be spending in churches or singing hymns when I joined the group." she laughed. "But I sang and did theatre when I was at school and it's something I missed doing. I'm glad I'm able to do it again." she smiled.

"Are you a good singer?" he asked.

She laughed nervously. "Oh I don't know about that but I enjoy it anyway." she said with a shrug.

Neil smiled. "Ahhh you definitely are then, Saoirse. Only people who are good singers say they're not!" he nodded. Saoirse shrugged.

"So I do that...I like going to different restaurants, just trying new things and stuff like that. And I like the cinema, theatre, museums and art galleries and exhibitions. There are only some of my friends who like that so I go on my own a lot." she said.

"On your own, really?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yeah, I don't mind. I like spending time on my own and I don't need to worry about anyone else." she shrugged. "Sometimes I feel a bit embarrassed if I get emotional and I'm just there on my own crying at a painting or whatever!" she gave an embarrassed giggle. His face softened as he looked at her. "It doesn't bother me but it would be nice to have someone to share it with sometimes." she said timidly.

"What sort of art do you like?" he asked.

She shrugged. "It's hard to say because I don't really KNOW a lot about it. There are a couple of exhibits I've seen of different artists but I find sometimes I don't really 'get' it. I just go and walk round the exhibits and if I see something I like, I stop and look." she said. He nodded. "I like the atmosphere, it's calm and peaceful and you can learn something." she said. "A bit like when you go walking in the forest park, it's liberating and takes you away from life for a while." she said. "You're there with the power of nature around you and it's so humbling and therapeutic. I need to get out in the forest park more." she said, thoughtfully.

He nodded. "That is how it feels." he said with a soft smile.

"So you're either in the sea or in a forest?" she asked.

He laughed as he nodded. "Pretty much! And you're either singing in a church or crying in a museum?" he teased. She smiled with her lips pursed.

"Who wouldn't think this was the perfect match?!" She joked. She excused herself to use the bathroom. "I was thinking..." she said as she returned and sat back down beside Neil.

"Uh oh, not again!" Neil teased as he finished his drink.

Saoirse shook her head and rubbed his thigh. "I know this is only the 3rd date we've been on but we see each other at work every day so it's kind of different." Neil nodded. "Since I've been single so long, I feel like I don't really know the...etiquette? anymore and also, I'm older now so a bit more responsible."

"Ok..." Neil said, bewildered. "I'm scared now..." he chuckled nervously.

"I don't want to make it awkward but I feel like I should bring up the practicalities of sleeping together." she winced a smile.

Neil looked at her sharply. "When I was talking about STDs earlier, I was joking!" he said urgently. "I don't have an STD and if I've had a one night stand I use a condom." he said quietly as he moved his face closer to hers.

Saoirse shook her head. "Oh, no, I didn't think that!" she said with a smile. "I don't have an STD either by the way. I do have an IUS though!" she giggled. Neil's forehead furrowed. "InteraUterine System. A coil in my womb, basically." she said.

"Right OK. Instead of the pill?" he asked. Saoirse nodded. "I've heard about it. How does it work?" he asked.

"Ehmmm, you mean actually?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. He nodded. "It releases hormones into my womb which make the mucus of the cervix thicker to prevent sperm getting in and it keeps the lining of my womb thin." Saoirse explained with a smile as Neil's face froze. "Basically, it's 99.something% effective at keeping me not pregnant!" she chuckled. "Which is all you care about really!"

Neil sighed and shook his head. "Nah, it's not 'all I care about'!" he smiled. "Being older and responsible..." he teased. She raised her eyebrows and smiled at him. "Does it stay in all the time or...?" he shrugged.

"Yeah, I had surgery to put it in and it just stays there all the time." she said, not wanting to go into too much more detail.

Neil nodded. "Ok. Can you feel it?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No, there are strings that hang out of the womb that you're supposed to check you can feel." she explained. Neil frowned. "But to be perfectly honest, my arms are short and I'm not a contortionist!" she giggled. He raised his eyebrows. "I haven't actually had sex since I got it. You might be able to feel them, I don't know." she shrugged. "But they shouldn't interfere." she nodded once. "Do you want another drink?" she asked, wanting to move on.

"Yeah...ermmm..." Neil thought for a moment. "I'll just have Sprite again." he said, reaching into his back pocket for his wallet.

"No, I'll get it." she smiled and got up to go to the bar.

"Saoirse," Neil called. Saoirse turned back to him. "Tell the sexist barman your boyfriend loved his Sprite in a fancy glass but he's after something more masculine!" he joked.

"My boyfriend, eh?" she smiled and her eyes lit up. Neil raised his eyebrows and a smile rippled his top lip. Saoirse queued at the bar then quickly turned and back closer to Neil, who was looking at his phone. "Neil, they've got the 0% Guinness if you want?" she asked. Neil turned up his nose. "Sprite then?" she laughed.

She returned from the bar and sat with her right leg under her. "Thanks. I'm not sure about that 0% Guinness yet." he said. Saoirse hummed in agreement as she sipped her drink. "Is this it?" he asked, holding his phone up to her that displayed a picture of the type of coil she had. She nearly spat out her drink in surprise but nodded. Neil nodded and put his phone away.

"Bit of light reading for you this evening?" she jested. Neil raised his eyebrows as he sipped his drink.

"Did Matt speak to you?" Neil asked.

Saoirse's eyes flicked back and forth thinking. "Yeah, I saw him a couple of times today about the business case. Then he jammed the printer again so asked me to fix it." They both laughed.

"About me?" he asked. Saoirse shook her head. "I thought I'd let slip I was taking you out. He would probably say to you, wouldn't he? You two are close." he said.