'Can I help?' He asked looking across at her, as she walked through the bar door and waved her hand limply at him. It was a slow gesture matching her weak smile. 'You look at little tired and might like to rest a little in my rooms.'
'That's a very sweet offer, but are you just trying to get me into your lair?'
'No. You just looked worn out.'
'Let's just sit outside. It's a warm evening and I like the shadows - no matter how cosy your rooms.'
'You and your passion for shadows.'
'Is my preference too old school for you?'
'No, not all,' he replied standing up and then, taking the flagon of wine from the table, walking across to her by the door. 'Go and get another glass. I'll find us some nice seats.'
'Now that does sound cosy,' she smiled and walked away from him to the bar itself. He pushed the door open with his shoulder and looked around outside. He quickly spotted an empty table at a distance from the others, which were sparsely populated in any case, for the evening was not quite as warm as she had made out. He deposited his glass and the flagon and drew his jacket about his shoulders, before sitting down and looking up at a clear night sky that was speckled with stars.
He was lost in his thoughts by the time she came to join him and jumped when she touched his shoulder. It was a light touch - filled with a distant almost neutral affection and quite ephemeral for she moved past him and sat down across from him, keeping the distance between them.
'What is old school and what is new school?' He asked reaching across to pour her a glass of red wine.
She shrugged her shoulders but said nothing as she watched her glass filling with rich, red fluid.
'Are they ideas or doctrines or ways of life?'
'Does it matter?' She replied and then reached across to fill her mouth with the tempting liquid. He watched her enjoying the wine, rejoicing in the way such simple pleasures seemed to fulfil her.
'You're right - god knows - it's all semantics.'
'You sound exasperated.'
'I am totally frustrated.'
'Can I help?'
'Tell me I'm all right as my own man,' he chuckled. 'No, on second thoughts, there's no need: I am him regardless.'
'I like it that you feel you can confide your moods in me,' she smiled back and took another sip of her wine.
'Sometimes my moods irritate me.'
'I know this already,' she smiled and put her glass down, 'but you can ease your anxieties by sitting back and being comfortable and closing off from the outside world.'
'Sometimes,' he conceded grudgingly.
'You are what you make of yourself - here, there, everywhere - and the fact we are here is not so different. This is my idea, my doctrine, my way of life.'
'You make too much sense sometimes.'
'I give good head too,' she smiled conspiratorially.
'Now, there's something to ponder on.'
'See - I can soften your mood and harden your need in a sentence - there is power for you.'
He laughed out loud at that, but sobered quickly and looked at her with a lingering stare. Then he reached across and touched his finger tips to hers, watching for her reaction as they nearly made contact, her hand retreating teasingly a moment before the touch would have been cemented.
'Actually, so often it's your ability to make me smile that in turn makes me feel so close,' he said trying not to look disappointed at her apparent standoffishness. 'It's a knock-on effect.'
'Then it is agreeable for you to end your evening with a woman in the shadows on the edge of your vision?'
'Yes, even though you are always just out of reach.' 'But close enough to dance a teasing dance with?'
'I seriously doubt that dance ever ends.'
'Are you allowed serious doubts at this time of night?'
'Oh yes, dear woman, but it's a brighter note to seriously doubt your statement, rather than mine.'
'Well, that is better than being a lost soul, sir.
'An ancient mariner - that's hardly me!'
He watched as she lifted her handbag onto her knee and started shuffling through the contents, slapping something down inside it - he could not quite make out if it was really something or if she was just miming: 'What on earth are you doing?'
'I'm putting my albatross away.'
'Foolish woman.'
'I fool and you fall between two worlds, sir, as I see it.'