since we started working more closely, I can see you've got a good heart. You can be abrasive at times but I've got used to that. I even like you, a little bit, but not too much." Julie smiled.
Max sipped his coffee. "I'm not as bad as people make out. My job comes with a lot of pressure, when it comes down to it if I don't get results I'm out. If I mess up, I won't have the money to pay for my brothers' education, they're both coming to the end of medical school and it's very expensive. I can't afford to not succeed.
"Anyway, enough about me, do you have a steady boyfriend?"
Julie pulled the jacket closer around her. "Not really, although there is one guy I'm in touch with by email but we've not met yet. He's into all the things I enjoy. He's an artist too, he plays tennis like me, he likes to travel and he's very witty."
"Sounds like me," Max laughed.
Julie blushed and sneaked a peek at Max's brown eyes. "Hmm, he does actually, only he's in Cardiff."
Max picked up his coffee. "I grew up in Cardiff. And I worked there on a project before I moved to London. Maybe I know him, what's his name?"
"I only know his username, FastDriver."
Max choked on his coffee and spurted, "You must be joking! I used that username for a blind date service until it locked me out for inactivity or non bill payment, something like that. With moving to London and the new job I just hadn't got around to sorting it out."
Julie's eyes bulged, "You're FastDriver? Come on, you don't expect me to believe that, you must have been looking at my computer."
"Honest to God, Julie, this is not a wind up. I've known Merlin for years because he visits Cardiff a lot, I even have close friends who hang out with him. And because he's famous for his matchmaking I thought I'd give it a go. Phone him and ask or if you like I can prove to you right now this is for real, I 'll tell you your username."
"Go on then, Max, what name do I use?"
Max looked Julie in the eye and lowered his voice. "I've been emailing BlueCat."
Julie shivered and shook her head, "This is ridiculous, this isn't funny, Max. It's not right to play with someone's feelings like this. If this is a joke, you must, you simply must tell me now."
"I can assure you, Julie, I would not joke about something like this, and I certainly wouldn't do that to you. I like you, I mean, I respect you too much. And to prove it, I'll tell you the last message I sent you."
Julie glared at him. "Ok, go on, I'm all ears."
Max took a deep breath and paused before saying, "I told you when we meet, we'll dance in the light of the full Moon."
"Oh my God, it is you." Julie's mind flashed back to Merlin's room, the fortune telling and Linda's insistence that Merlin had found her a husband. She was speechless, all she could do was stare at Max and wonder what to do next.
* * *
Max had booked a table in the finest French restaurant in Brussels. Still feeling overwhelmed by the revelations of the day, Julie wore her favorite dress, an elegant black evening gown.
Max pulled out her chair and helped her into her place before taking his seat. In the candlelight of the 18th century room he looked very handsome in his navy dinner jacket.
Julie still didn't know how to relate to him, was this a date with FastDriver or a friendly celebratory dinner with her boss? She couldn't tell anymore. All she knew for sure was that she felt nervous and excited in a way she hadn't for a very long time.
The food was excellent and the champagne flowed freely.
"Julie, there's something I have to tell you. The day I held that first office meeting, I liked you the moment I set eyes on you. The rest of them looked like lambs to the slaughter but you stood out from the pack and not just because you 're a very attractive woman but because you're bright. I could see that right away. I choose you to work on this project with me because I wanted to get to know you better. I know, it's not very professional of me but I really
Max sipped his coffee. "I'm not as bad as people make out. My job comes with a lot of pressure, when it comes down to it if I don't get results I'm out. If I mess up, I won't have the money to pay for my brothers' education, they're both coming to the end of medical school and it's very expensive. I can't afford to not succeed.
"Anyway, enough about me, do you have a steady boyfriend?"
Julie pulled the jacket closer around her. "Not really, although there is one guy I'm in touch with by email but we've not met yet. He's into all the things I enjoy. He's an artist too, he plays tennis like me, he likes to travel and he's very witty."
"Sounds like me," Max laughed.
Julie blushed and sneaked a peek at Max's brown eyes. "Hmm, he does actually, only he's in Cardiff."
Max picked up his coffee. "I grew up in Cardiff. And I worked there on a project before I moved to London. Maybe I know him, what's his name?"
"I only know his username, FastDriver."
Max choked on his coffee and spurted, "You must be joking! I used that username for a blind date service until it locked me out for inactivity or non bill payment, something like that. With moving to London and the new job I just hadn't got around to sorting it out."
Julie's eyes bulged, "You're FastDriver? Come on, you don't expect me to believe that, you must have been looking at my computer."
"Honest to God, Julie, this is not a wind up. I've known Merlin for years because he visits Cardiff a lot, I even have close friends who hang out with him. And because he's famous for his matchmaking I thought I'd give it a go. Phone him and ask or if you like I can prove to you right now this is for real, I 'll tell you your username."
"Go on then, Max, what name do I use?"
Max looked Julie in the eye and lowered his voice. "I've been emailing BlueCat."
Julie shivered and shook her head, "This is ridiculous, this isn't funny, Max. It's not right to play with someone's feelings like this. If this is a joke, you must, you simply must tell me now."
"I can assure you, Julie, I would not joke about something like this, and I certainly wouldn't do that to you. I like you, I mean, I respect you too much. And to prove it, I'll tell you the last message I sent you."
Julie glared at him. "Ok, go on, I'm all ears."
Max took a deep breath and paused before saying, "I told you when we meet, we'll dance in the light of the full Moon."
"Oh my God, it is you." Julie's mind flashed back to Merlin's room, the fortune telling and Linda's insistence that Merlin had found her a husband. She was speechless, all she could do was stare at Max and wonder what to do next.
* * *
Max had booked a table in the finest French restaurant in Brussels. Still feeling overwhelmed by the revelations of the day, Julie wore her favorite dress, an elegant black evening gown.
Max pulled out her chair and helped her into her place before taking his seat. In the candlelight of the 18th century room he looked very handsome in his navy dinner jacket.
Julie still didn't know how to relate to him, was this a date with FastDriver or a friendly celebratory dinner with her boss? She couldn't tell anymore. All she knew for sure was that she felt nervous and excited in a way she hadn't for a very long time.
The food was excellent and the champagne flowed freely.
"Julie, there's something I have to tell you. The day I held that first office meeting, I liked you the moment I set eyes on you. The rest of them looked like lambs to the slaughter but you stood out from the pack and not just because you 're a very attractive woman but because you're bright. I could see that right away. I choose you to work on this project with me because I wanted to get to know you better. I know, it's not very professional of me but I really
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