Shit shit fuckin shit John mumbled as he slammed the gold edged cream card on the desk in the office.

He should really try and go in more often but it was a crappy place, crappy space and Isabelle wasn't here.

So yea, mail piled high.
Bills, thankfully, went straight to the accountant. Which was fab-tabulous although the mark up on each iddy bitty bill was horrendous. Better than me doing it me-self, better than them piling on the desk and being forgotten about like this particular letter, my lights and cable would have been turned off ages ago if not.

Looking at the time, which was way too early for a bloke of his upstanding magnitude to be up, John huffed and stood with hands on his hips like he usually did when he was agro at something or other.

Could they, I don't know...

Should they, probably...

Did I promise?.........................yea, I sorta did.

Shit fucking shit, Isabelle is going to scream at me. Well I would if I was a sheila that would like to look some semblance of decent at a high society fundraiser. Me- well a suit out of the cupboard, don the Elvis badge, and bobs-me-uncle, I'm done.

John dawdled back toward the main apartment, maybe that was half the trouble. Out of sight out of mind.

If the mail landed in front of me under my nose, well then, I'd be all organised and ready for catastrophes like this. Well it wouldn't be a catastrophe then because I would actually know about it, wouldn't I.

Stop dawdling you arse and go break the news to Isabelle, beautiful, fun Isabelle. Hope she doesn't say no. She wouldn't would she?... nah. She'd have me back even at this eleventh hour of notice. Surely.

Ohhhhh cuppa tea that would hit the spot. No mate- Isabelle, straight to the sleeping beauty, break the news to recently disturbed napping mermaid, slam the door and run... To get a few seconds ahead of recently disturbed and antagonised sleeping beauty tearing after me for the late notice and then...

And then tea, in the teapot too, none of that teabag shite.

John felt like a stalker as he stood hovering over Isabelle, sound asleep she was, unaware of the next super hectic- John looked at the bedside clock.... Ummm three to noon plus seven... (to the seven o'clock kickoff)... Ten hours. That is entirely do-able. Hair, makeup, dress, oh yeah she'll need a really nice gown for this one John thought as he tapped the card in his hand.

Hold up, I may have a semi-plausible idea.... yes, I could sort this, it will be all wrong but, hey, at least a man tried. John took off back toward the office and rolodex full of contacts.

Jumping back into bed, he snuggled down into the layers, hands smoothing over her hips, grazing her tum, ducking a little lower for fun....

"Mmmmm John... what time, ohhhh..." Issy wiggled as she woke, John was all over her and she smiled, cat like; stretching and rubbing her eyes "I need to brush my teeth..."

"Sorry, that's all I can wake you with this lovely morning, Isabelle" John retracted his fingers, hands, limbs from all around her, and kissed her cheek "Terribly sorry, we have things to do, places to go luv" John smacked her rump, making her squeal, roll and straddle him in one movement "Nope not going to happen. Outta bed, up and at 'em. You have appointments Isabelle"

"No I don't" Issy cocked her head as she now hovered straddling him. The puzzled look on her face stayed there til John smoothed her brow with a thumb "Do I?"

"You do"

"Sally?" Issy looked at the ceiling, god knows why, the answer wasn't there "Noooo. I said I'd see her tomorrow. Thank goodness, now.... where were we..." Issy smiled sexily, relieved she didn't have to leave the bed... and the man lying beneath her.

"Don't hit me"

Issy withdrew her fingers from his hair and leaned back upright.

"Wh?, What have you done? And stop saying I'm going to hit you!"

"Oops sorry...Nothing, I have done nothing... And that's sort of why you could possibly hit me like, really Mark-slap hit me. I'm a wee bit frightened. May I?" John pointed at Issy's arms ignoring her grumpy frown over the Mark-slap aside and grabbed both of them gently placing them at her side. Safely holding her arms as she began wriggling to escape, he fessed up "Well, you see luv, I may have rsvp'd a function..."

"Well that's ok, you can go... Oh you want me to go aww that's lovely... but why the arms?" She wriggled a little more, all over...

If it wasn't Johns libido sinking them into the sheets, it was hers...

John winced ever so slightly "Well you see I actually rsvp'd maybe four or five weeks ago... No six, definitely six as I was just back from the lake after Sallygate. Yea six, I think"

"And..."

"I sort of... Well it's tonight isnt it..." John winced as he spoke and watched Issy's eyes widen. "I want you to come, I had thoughts of us going- together, you know. It sorta slipped my mind to tell you?!"

"Just a party..."

"No, not really"

"What does 'no, not really' even mean John?"

"It's sort of a black tie thing"

"Sort of a black tie thing, meaning a black tie thing"

Yeah"

"I can't go" Issy looked around the room for her navy kimono wrap, she needed coffee, pronto. "Let me go" Johns hands released Issy slowly. His palms hovering for the possible rebuttal "I can't John, I'm sorry... I need a dress, my hair is a mess... that would take hours and hours, appointments. I'd never get an appointmen-" the doorbell sounded cutting Issy off.

"That'll be the hairdresser now... Hop up luv"

"John, a hairdresser to the apartment?! How in the world?"

John stood in the doorway as Issy rushed to find clean items to grab a super speedy shower. "I figured this would be a way of helping you to still say yes to taking my arm this evening to the charity I donate to"

Issy stopped her movements, fingers clasped around her knickers from her overnight bag on the floor. John sponsored a charity, how the hell was she supposed to be mad now, she couldn't. And here he was, trying to do everything to help – hairdresser to the apartment included. "...I didn't know"

Crossing the room in long strides John hugged Issy to him " 'Course, you had no idea..." John leaned back and smiled with sincerity "This charity, this is the one I help the most. The one I donate to yearly without fail. Will you come?"

"Of course" Issy kissed his cheek "I still need a dress and-"

"I'm on it luv, all on its way, van loads of frocks and shoes, you'll be belle of the ball"

"Oh, you're a darling man... Just not too much alright, don't go over the top with the clothes. I'd rather go in rags and donate the money saved instead. OK?"

"I'll do my best to find some decent rags for me lady..." John smirked and let her go, pushing her gently toward the bathroom "Shower!?"

"Yes.. oh geee, yes. Shower"

****

The day was, at times, hectic and mad with worrying appointments, then lulls would fall in between.

Issy sitting near idle and not wanting to mess up her hair or makeup was a sight to see.

John grinned from behind the newspaper as he lay on the couch, he was a lazy bugger and could easily take a few hours and nap or read or nap some more... but Isabelle..... Isabelle needed something in her hands, mostly wanting the typewriter but without one... well there was one down in the office but he hadn't told her that little nugget of information yet, so she was writing long hand. Her swirling cursive, neat, tidy and flowery hitting the page then crossing out and changing and marking things in a different order, she was all over the shot.

"I'm going to buy that computer" John raised a hand to shush her negative redress "I want to have a go, and while you're here...... maybe you can have a trial run on it, give it a good workout" John waved a hand so she could take the 'floor'.

"That's a fantastic idea" Issy placed the notepad and pen down on the coffee table, it should be a tea table really, not much coffee has ever been sat on it from all Issy has learned of John and his tea drinking habits-in the bed, by the sink, in the bath...

"What- are you kidding? You said-" John sat up, idly scratching his neck and thought he should really have a shower but what the hey, in and out in under twenty- shower, shave, suit, tie, read to go- he could pop in around six thirty and still have an age.

"I said I don't want you to buy me one" Issy shrugged grinning "Can always bugger your one up and go home, couldn't I!"

"Cheeky... alright then, tomorrow- computer shopping. I'll get Jules to come too he's quite savvy, if Sean was here I bet he'd be all over it as well" John flung the newspaper over the notepad and beckoned her to him, one finger waggling to draw her closer, she wasn't having any of it though, her hair was ready, her makeup perfect. She shook her head in slow motion and John pouted.

"That's what you get for morning hair and makeup appointments. It's your fault I can't ravish you"

"Spoil sport"

"Hey I was all for it!" Issy grinned broadly, flashing him a piece of flesh from behind her kimono.

"Full. Of. Shite"

"I had it all planned" Issy held her hand up ticking off her agenda "morning glory, afternoon delight, evening dining down under, midnight slap and tickle-"

"Thank god- We can still do the midnight slap and tickle!!" John cried out in relief following her back into the bedroom.

"I should really get a full day's value out of this hairs' fancy up do, don't you think?!"

"Nah, I don't think I could go without for that long"

"But it's so lovely" Issy patted the hair along her neck, stood and craned her neck in front of the mirror to look at the back of the creation atop her head. "We could really push a few hours more of my hairdo to at least lunchtime tomorrow and have a nice meal out with it, a last hurrah if you will"

"No way. I booked you for after the function tonight, not tomorrow afternoon"

"I'll see if it's in my planner" Issy deadpanned while patting the dresser, looking for her planner.

"Gentle Isabelle. Gentle with the ego please"

"You need to get ready" Issy sank down on the edge of the bed, next to the new shoes she had selected.

"Such a spoil sport you are. All right, but I reserve the right to adjust my meal times on the way to dinner"

"I guess I could give you a small five-minute window to push the merits of your cause" Issy smiled indulgently as she threaded the laces of the high heels around her foot and ankle "Do I look like Wonder Woman lassoed me round the ankles?" John shook his head in the negative as he crouched down and ran a hand down her smooth legs, teasing probably himself, more than her. His fingers skimming over the Cleopatra design gold weave look that was crisscrossing her lower legs. "Off you go you, or I'll book Charlie's Bistro for lunch tomorrow..."

John rolled his eyes in hilarious delight. This was fun, happy bantering. The to and fro of words rapid-fire and laced well with sarcasm and wit, she was a beauty to look at, and smart as a whip too.

Turning on the shower, he tested the water temperature. How am I so lucky to have met her. He stripped down and hopped in.

And that's another thing.... when do I say it? The L word..come clean with myself and her. It's just a word, one little word and still it sits there on the tip of my tongue and never spilling into her ears as she gives again and again of herself. Shit, bloody shampoo and eyeballs, ouch.

Concentrate.

Shower. Shave. Dress like a bloody penguin and take Isabelle out. Get ready you old fool.