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When she looked back up she noticed McKay was watching her again, a small smile tugging at his lips. “You really are a hard girl to figure out,” he said.

Dinah shrugged. “I’d get used to it if I were you.”

McKay chuckled, looking forward again. They passed by the group in front of the pub, no one that Dinah knew, and continued walking through the empty streets. The heat and pressure of his hand holding hers was distracting. Neither spoke, but for some reason she didn’t find it at all awkward. It was a comfortable silence that one might find with someone they’ve known for a long time. This couldn’t be said for the two of them, and yet it really wasn’t awkward at all. And McKay seemed either unaware or completely content to continue holding her hand.

Dinah wondered if it was normal to overanalyze things like this when it came to the opposite sex? Maybe that was why the girls in her school when she was younger always seemed like idiots to her when it came to boys they liked. Was she just as bad as them now? God, she hoped not or she’d have to slap herself.

They were walking down a new street where more people were about, when she heard the distant notes of music. McKay led them to another pub, the sign overhead reading
Jack’s Beanstalk
in red lettering. A few people outside called out greetings to McKay, their eyes roving over to her interestedly. Inside, the pub was a lot different than the Bull’s Eye. This one didn’t seem nearly as rundown. Where the other pub was long and narrow, making it a little crowded, this one was wide and open, despite all the people inside. The entrance and bar were a level higher than the seating area below. Square tables were strewn about, already full of patrons. At the far end of the room was a small stage where a band was playing country music from years back. The lighting was lowered, except on the stage, where they were illuminated for the crowd to see.

There was a welcoming and comfortable feeling about it. Everyone was smiling, some talking to each other, most watching the band. A few couples were dancing in the small, open area right in front of the stage. Dinah watched the musicians play, smiling to herself. Her father used to play the guitar for her. She remembered listening to him as she fell asleep, loving the acoustic sound of the old melodies he’d play.

Listening to live music always soothed her soul. She was extremely glad she had decided to join McKay tonight, otherwise she would have never known this place existed. Maybe she could even come back here on her own some nights. She tore her eyes from the stage and met McKay’s amused look. Her smile turned into a frown instantly.

“What?” she asked defensively, raising her voice to be heard over the music.

McKay laughed, leaning in closer so he could speak into her ear. She breathed in deeply, loving the smell of him, a mixture of whatever shampoo he used, cigarettes, and what she assumed was just McKay. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look so happy,” he said.

She pulled back to glare at him. “You’ve hardly seen me at all,” she pointed out, making him laugh again.

“I guess not,” he conceded. “But I’m betting you don’t normally look like that too often.” He was bang on and it bothered her. She wanted to argue that there wasn’t much to be happy about in this world, but decided she didn’t want to ruin the night by fighting with him. Her silence seemed to be a confirmation to him. He squeezed her hand, offering her a small smile, before motioning with his head for her to follow. They moved through the crowd, heading toward the bar. An older man behind it broke out into a huge grin when he spotted McKay. He wiped his hands on a dirty looking hand towel before lifting a section of the bar to come out and meet them.

“There you are,” he said happily. “I was wondering if you’d make it tonight. I never know with you.”

“I know, I’m sorry,” McKay apologized. “Sometimes…well, things just come up.”

The man nodded, a certain understanding crossing his face. “Well I’m glad you made it tonight. Everyone has been asking about you for weeks.” Dinah had no idea what they were talking about so she stood silently by his side. The man looked at her, his eyebrows rising in surprise. “And who is this?” he asked.

McKay tugged on her hand so she stepped forward a bit. “This is Dinah,” he introduced. “A new…friend of mine. Dinah, this is Jack, of Jack’s Beanstalk.”

The man smiled meeting her eyes. She offered him a smile of her own, pulling her hand from McKay’s so she could shake his. “It’s nice to meet you,” she yelled over the noise. He held her hand, shaking it slowly, his gaze roaming over her face.

“What did you say your name was?”

“Dinah,” she supplied again.

“Dinah?” He nodded slowly, narrowing his look. “You remind me of someone I knew a long time ago.” What was she supposed to say to that? There was an awkward silence before he let go of her hand and took on an easy grin again. “Well it’s nice to meet a friend of Pete’s here. I hope you enjoy your night with us.”

“Thank you,” she said.

“I’ll get you two some drinks. Why don’t you go down and take your usual table,” Jack suggested. McKay reached out and took her hand again as if it was the most natural thing to do and led her down the steps to the lower area. Dinah noticed how people looked up and recognized him with a level of excitement. They walked around the tables to a small one just left of the stage, the only one still empty for some reason.

“This is my table,” McKay said.

Dinah cocked a brow. “So no one can sit here but you?”

McKay laughed with a slight hint of embarrassment. “I never said that, but I guess they usually leave it empty in case I come by.”

That was strange, she decided. He pulled out a chair and motioned for her to sit. That was also strange. It was like they were on an actual date, which they weren’t. Enemies didn’t date. And yet, McKay was being considerably nicer to her than he had the night before after practically ignoring her the entire time. Was it because his friends weren’t there to see it?

He pulled out the chair beside her, letting his long legs stretch out. A waitress arrived just then to place two pints of beer on the table. She smiled shyly at McKay before walking away.

“What do you think?” McKay asked, his voice near her ear. Dinah turned to find his face inches from hers.

She let her eyes roam over his face slowly. “Amazing,” she answered. Was that breathy voice hers? She should have been mortified, but the way his entire body tensed and his eyes heated had her pulse racing, and all she could do was stare back. She had been referring to the bar – hadn’t she? Maybe she should clarify that. She licked her lips, the air suddenly overly warm and dry, but whatever she was about to say froze in her lungs as she watched his eyes follow the trail of her tongue. She cleared her throat. “How did you get the black eye?” she asked, changing the topic. The energy between them was more than she could handle. It felt like she was about to combust at any moment, and yet she couldn’t look away to break the connection.

“I had a bit of a disagreement last night,” he answered in a low voice.

She failed at her attempt to smile lightly. Licking her lips again, his eyes glued to the motion, she said, “I bet you get in a lot of disagreements.”

He chuckled, his voice husky. “I bet the same could be said for you.”

“I don’t walk away from my disagreements with a black eye,” she countered.

“That would definitely be a shame.”

Her face felt like it had burst into flames. Was that some sort of round about compliment? Were they flirting? Oh God! She didn’t even know! How utterly lame was that?

“Were they soldiers?” she asked. Wrong question apparently. McKay sat up straighter, moving his gaze to the stage, effectively breaking their connection. She felt the loss immediately, while at the same time finally felt like she could take a decent breath.

“No,” he answered stiffly. Okay…she had no idea what she said wrong or why his mood changed, but she wasn’t about to press the subject. She didn’t know McKay, and wasn’t about to test his limits. She really wanted the night to go well so he’d welcome her back. So you can do your job, she reminded herself. Not so you can just hang out with him more. Right.

“I really love live music,” she said, changing the subject again. She looked up at the band playing. If only she could play an instrument. Maybe if she had learned, she wouldn’t be so bored in her room back at headquarters all the time. Dinah could feel McKay looking at her again, so she turned her head slightly. He was smiling appreciatively, his face and body relaxing once more.

“I’m glad you said that,” he said.

“Oh? Why?”

He winked, picking up his glass to take a sip of beer. “You’ll see,” was his only answer.

They watched the band play while they drank, him taking gulps, her tiny sips. She really did not enjoy the taste of beer. When the song ended everyone cheered and then the singer looked right at their table, his face split into a smile.

“We got a real treat for you all tonight,” the singer announced. “Mr. Pete McKay is here with us.” Everyone clapped and hollered. She looked over to find Pete grinning from ear to ear. He lifted his hand in a quick wave at everyone as they continued to whistle and cheer. His eyes met hers and he sent her another wink before getting up and walking to the stage.

What the…? Dinah watched, stupefied, as McKay grabbed an acoustic guitar from the side of the stage and strode confidently up to the mic.

“Ah! We made it just in time.”

Dinah jumped at the voice. Seamus plopped down in the seat McKay had just vacated. Garrett and Trent dragged two more chairs to the table, each settling in like this was a normal thing for them.

“And how are we, this fine evening?” Seamus said to her.

“Fine, thank you,” she answered.

“Drinking like a fish again, I see,” Seamus commented, looking at her barely touched drink. Garrett laughed while Dinah smiled sheepishly. Apparently they noticed her dislike for the stuff. She reached for the glass, taking a larger gulp than normal just to prove a point, keeping her face neutral as she swallowed the bitter liquid.

“You almost managed to do that without looking like you want to spit it out,” Trent chuckled. “Nice try.”

Dinah laughed and shrugged. “The stuff is awful, what can I say?”

“You get used to it,” Seamus said.

The strumming of a guitar caught her attention again, and she looked back at the stage to see McKay sitting on a stool that had suddenly appeared, the guitar resting on his knee. Their eyes met, the room and everyone in it disappearing for that brief moment. He looked down at the guitar and started to play.

She knew the song instantly. It was an old song from the early two thousands, but one she was familiar with. She couldn’t remember the name, something about a scientist perhaps? Something like that, she knew. McKay’s voice started the first verse, and all her breath left her. His eyes were closed as he played an acoustic version, his voice hitting the high notes effortlessly. Goose bumps rose along her arms. Sitting there, watching him play in front of a captured audience, Dinah would never have suspected he’d be a part of the resistance. He didn’t look like a rebel. He looked like a young man losing himself in a piece of music, cut off from the horrors of today’s world. Save for the black eye.

Her eyes watched his fingers move over the strings, moving up to look at the tattoos covering his thick arms. She was lost in his every movement and sound, and didn’t snap out of it, even when he finished the song, until the room finally broke out into applause. He gave one of his quick waves before starting a new song, another familiar one. She knew this one well, her father being a huge fan of the Beatles like most Londoners. McKay sang the lyrics to ‘I’ve Just Seen A Face’, some people singing along with him, a few getting up to dance to it, but all Dinah could do was stare.

When he spoke of dreaming of her, his eyes met Dinah’s before looking away again. Every word in the song had her head spinning. Had he picked this song for her? Was there meaning behind it? Or was she completely off her rocker? What if McKay had absolutely no interest in her at all, while she was sitting here dissecting his performance like he was singing it just to her? Geez, she could possibly be a bigger loser than she thought, she realized.

The song ended and he went straight into another one, this time with the band playing behind him. Seamus stood and walked around the table to stand in front of her with his hand out. She looked at it curiously before lifting her gaze to his.

“Well come on,” he urged. “Let’s go dance.”

He wanted to dance? She had never danced with anyone before. This night was slowly taking a dive for the worse. She must have hesitated too long, because Seamus growled in frustration and simply yanked her out of the seat, dragging her to the dance floor. She found it funny that he treated her so casually. If he knew who she really was, he’d probably be terrified. What a difference a mask can make. She stood awkwardly in front of him, crowded by the other dancers.

“Uh…Seamus?”

“What’s the matter?” he asked, wrapping his arm around her waist and grabbing her right hand.

“I’ve never…” She couldn’t even say it, it was so embarrassing. Seamus seemed to get it though, and his face morphed into a look of understanding.

“You’re never danced before?” he filled in. Dinah nodded, biting her bottom lip nervously. “Well you’re in luck then, because you’re looking at the best dance instructor on this side of the ocean.”

That got a smile out of her and she relaxed fractionally in his hold. “Is that so? Says who?”

“Says me.” He smiled proudly. “Just follow my lead.”

They danced to three songs, McKay’s voice filling the bar with its smooth, husky tone. Dinah laughed so much her stomach actually started to hurt. Seamus twirled her around, completely oblivious to anyone else around them. Garrett even joined them during the second song, cutting in to drag her through the moves. She felt completely uncoordinated and awkward and yet she was having more fun than she could ever remember having.

A new voice took over, starting another country song that had more people moving to the dance floor. Garrett had moved on to another partner while Seamus continued to swing her around. Sweat dripped down her back, but she hardly noticed.