Romance was spreading through

Rex Road on Valentine’s Day.

 

At Number Two, Josie was cooking Don a full English breakfast, to take to him in bed..until he came downstairs that is!

 

‘Oh, Josie love, that’s good of you,’

he kissed her and looked down at the floor, where Daisy was eating her breakfast.

 

‘What on Earth is that?’ He laughed.

 

Daisy’s bowl had a heart shaped sticker on it.

 

‘Well, I couldn’t leave her out could I?’

 

‘What are you like?’

 

 

***

 

 

At Number Four, Richard had already made breakfast for himself and Rachel, and they stayed in bed to eat it.

 

‘Croissants with egg and bacon too! Excellent!’ Rachel wolfed down the first piece.

 

‘That’s not all, Rach, I’ve booked us a table in town for a meal tonight,’ he smiled.

 

‘Wonderful, I finish work early today, so will be able to get myself tarted up! Have you spoken to Ros over the last couple of days?’

 

His face fell ‘Oh, here we go, you should stop worrying about her.’

 

Don’t be like that, she’s my best mate round here. I haven’t seen her this week,

I think she’s been spending most of her free time with Sam.’

 

Richard poured some more coffee for her.

 

‘She needs to get on with life...and she certainly is,’ he snorted with a dirty laugh.

 

‘Typical bloke, you would look at it like that! It’s too soon for her to start another relationship.’

 

‘Isn’t that up to her, darlin’?’

 

 

***

 

 

Talk of the devil, Ros and Sam were rushing around at Number Ten, both in danger of running late for work.

 

‘I’ll see you later gorgeous,’ Sam kissed her, rushing past Cathy in the hallway,

‘Oh, hi Cathy!’

 

‘Sam,’ Cathy shuffled through in her dressing gown, feeling hungover after a heavy night.

 

‘You look rough!’ Ros giggled.

 

‘Thanks.’

 

‘And you deserve it, after what you’ve been up to. You’d better hope that no trouble comes from this!’

 

Cathy woke up a bit at this point.

 

‘What do you mean?’

 

‘Trust me, you do not want to get on the wrong side of Val Lucas!’

 

 

 

***

 

Kris and Jo were laughing at the cards they’d got in the post that morning.

 

‘This one’s from that guy I told you about, y’know, the drippy one who stares at me in lectures? I’m sure of it. Hang on, look at this, Jo?’

 

They compared two particular cards.

 

‘We’ve got the same one, with the same handwriting,’ announced Jo, noticing that Nathan was taking a sudden interest.

 

‘Wouldn’t know anything about these, would you?’

 

He burst out laughing.

 

‘A boy can try, can’t he?!’

 

Kris winked at him ‘Sweet, aren’t you?’

 

 

***

 

Laura and Rhys spotted each other in town that lunchtime.

 

‘What are you grinning about?’

 

Rhys looked embarrassed.

 

‘Ooh, is that a Valentine’s card you’ve bought for someone. You’d better hurry up and deliver it! You soppy thing, didn’t realise you were a little romantic, Rhys!’

 

‘Shut it,’ he snapped.

 

‘Who could it be for? Not Cathy MacDonald surely?! Face it bruv, she’s twice your age, it’s never gonna happen,’ Laura was laughing now.

 

 

***

‘It already has happened!’ Rhys cried.

 

‘What?!’

 

 

***

 

That evening, Rex Road was even more full of LURVE! Don and Josie were having a quiet night in, deciding to forget about Sam and Ros for at least one evening. Ray and Val had gone out for a meal, Ros and Sam brought a takeaway home, while Richard and Rachel had just arrived at a restaurant in town.

 

‘And a bottle of the house red please,’ Rachel smiled to the waiter.

 

‘Feeling OK about Ros now?’ asked Richard.

 

‘Yeah, don’t worry, I’ll pop round tomorrow or something...Anyway, imagine if we’d got further into the wedding plans, we could have got married today?!’ Rachel was excited every time she even thought about getting married. She’d certainly had a change of heart where marriage was concerned once the ball was rolling.

 

‘So what did the vicar say when you spoke to him?’ asked Richard.

 

‘Well, it looks like there are a few slots to consider, the first one is next month! What do you think?’

 

‘About next month? Well...it’s as good a time as any, we could get everything sorted by then...yeah!’

 

***

‘Hi Laura,’ Ros had popped out for another bottle of wine for her and Sam, ‘aren’t you on a date tonight?’

 

‘Nah, Valentine’s Day hasn’t been good to me this year,’ she sighed.

 

‘I can’t believe that!’

 

‘It’s been good for my brother, or so he tells me!’ Laura looked pretty annoyed, and a knowing Ros looked at the floor.

 

‘Erm.’

 

‘So it is true! Disgusting!’

 

‘Are you going to tell your mum?’

Ros asked.

 

‘I’m not sure yet,’ and with that Laura walked away.

 

 

***

 

At Number Six, Kris and Jo were getting ready to go into Norwich clubbing.

 

‘You coming? Hurry up and get ready!’

Kris smiled at Nathan.

 

‘I didn’t think you’d want me cramping your style?’

 

‘Well, maybe you will,’ said Kris, and Jo laughed, ‘but I need someone in reserve for a snog...y’know, if things don’t work out with any other bloke.’

 

‘I’m so flattered!’

 

Ros arrived back with the wine.

 

‘What’s wrong?’ Sam asked. ‘You look a bit shaken up.’

 

‘I am, hold on a minute,’ Ros stood at the bottom of the stairs.

 

‘Cathy? Are you still up there? Could I have a word?’

 

Cathy trotted downstairs, ready to go out to the pub.

 

‘Yes, you’ll have to be quick, I’m meeting someone. You’re not the only two lovebirds in Alborford,’ she giggled.

 

‘Shut up, Cathy. I bumped into Laura Lucas...she knows about you and Rhys, pretty soon Val will know and I don’t want to be dragged into this! I want you out of here, so pack your bags!’

© 2010 Danny Alborough / DJA Publications
All characters, names and situations are fictitious.
Any similarities to places or people, living or dead, are purely coincidental.