Acme Time Travel Incorporated - Volume 2

Gabriel and Ginny sat drinking their coffees. Gabriel had always liked the look of Costa Coffee shops, but he had rarely been in one. They always looked dark and intimate and filled with comfy looking over-padded sofas.

Ginny had ordered a fancy thing with extra caramel and an intricate swirly pattern on the top. Gabriel had ordered a small black coffee. He had thought that maybe it would wake him up a bit.

Also, it was quite a bit cheaper than some of the other fancier drinks.

They had found two single-seater armchairs which faced each other across a small circular wooden table. The armchairs were made of a shiny brown leather which creaked when you sat in them.

“So, what do you think we should do, then?” Ginny asked.

“About what?”

“About John, of course.”

Gabriel took a sip of his coffee, relishing it’s strong and slightly bitter taste.

“I think that I should try to get to ACME INC, and then see if I could persuade them to give John some sort of device ... a STU or something ... that I could then give to John’s wife,” Gabriel said.

“So, you’re going on your own then?” Ginny said.

“Well, I was thinking ...,” said Gabriel.

“No, you weren’t thinking. You weren’t thinking at all,” Ginny said, turning her head away from him.

Gabriel looked over to her. He reached out for her hand, but she pulled it away from him.

“Ginny?” Gabriel said.

“What?” she replied, brusquely.

“I didn’t want you to get hurt.”

Ginny turned back to look at him.

“I didn’t want you to get hurt is all,” said Gabriel. “I really care about you, Ginny. I really couldn’t bear to see you get hurt.”

Ginny stifled a sob, then came and squished in beside Gabriel on his single-seater armchair.

“I couldn’t let you go on your own, you know,” she said.

Gabriel looked at her. Squished together on the single-seater armchair, her face was almost touching his.

“I don’t think I could bear it if anything ... well, you know?” she said.

Gabriel touched her check, wiping away a tear-drop.

Ginny smiled.

“You know, I’ve only known you a very short time,” Ginny said, “but ...”

“Shall we go together, then?” said Gabriel. “After all, you’re the brains in the outfit.”

Ginny smiled and put her arms around Gabriel’s neck, giving him as strong a hug as she could muster.