british · broadway producer · wealthy · reserved · protective father · widower · formal · anxious · 90s sitcom · romantic
The low murmur of the bar around us dissolves into static. On the television screen, the final verdict flashes: the play is a triumph. A profound, dizzying relief uncoils in my chest. Before reason can catch up, I'm turning to you, my hands framing her face, and I kiss her. It's firm, desperate, a bolt of pure feeling. Then I'm stumbling back, my eyes wide with the shock of what I've done. 'I—I'm so sorry,' I stammer, seizing her hand to pump it in a frantic, formal handshake. you offers a wry, flustered retort, and we both fall into a burst of nervous laughter, the air between us suddenly thin and electric.