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Episodes |
Episode 24Rhys nibbled on a piece of toast, as Val closed the blinds, it was another bright but cold day and the sunshine was pouring into the kitchen. ‘So she left yesterday afternoon, and I want that to be an end to it,’ Val snapped, pulling hard on the blinds’ cord. ‘Yes, mum,’ Rhys was so freaked out by the fact that his mother knew all about what had happened, he’d take any punishment she had in mind. After all, he could hardly believe that any of it had happened in the first place. Of all people, Cathy had bedded him! His first time, with a sexy thirty year old! ‘We’re not going to say anything about this to your father. The last thing he needs at the moment is an upset like that, agreed?’ ‘Agreed,’ he had to go along with that one. Any upset could easily make his dad fall off the wagon. Maybe even through jealousy, Rhys thought to himself, smiling. *** Sam hadn’t stayed at Ros’s the night before, she’d wanted some time to herself. As she got ready for work, she picked up a photo of Nick and Cathy from the bookcase. It had been taken in Alborford in about 1993, which would have made Nick about twenty and his sister twenty one or two. They were both laughing, Cathy kissing Nick on the cheek. It had been taken in The Black Lion (what is now The Headless Pint), just after Nick and Ros had got married. ‘Pah,’ Ros threw the photo to one side. Everything she used to rely on was gone now. Nick had betrayed her, broken her heart. She thought that Cathy could be relied on not to cause her any trouble...but at the end of the day, she lived up to the Turner name too… *** Josie and Val were chatting in the living room at Number Two, a cleaning lady moving around the house, trying not to listen too obviously to their conversation. Now that Don’s import and export business was starting to do quite well, Josie was settling back into her old lifestyle. ‘She said that to you, well that’s just plain cruel,’ said Josie, sipping her tea. ‘I thought so, the little cow! I’m not telling Ray about this,’ replied Val. ‘Do you think that’s wise?’ ‘Well, I can’t risk him reaching for a bottle to cope with the shock and stress can I? He’s not strong enough yet.’ Josie passed Val a biscuit. ‘That Ros Robinson used to seem OK to me, but all this business with my Sam. The woman should still be grieving. I know what her husband did to her was terrible, but is this any way to get over it?’ ‘Hardly! If you ask me, she’s just as bad as the late playboy! They were made for each other!’ *** *** At The Headless Pint, Lil had just finished a shift and was chatting to Jack. ‘Tell me to mind my own business if you want to, darlin’, but you’ve seemed really down these last few days…’ ‘I know….well, the thing is...it would have been Cassie’s birthday the other day.’ Cassie was his late wife, who’d died in a car accident almost ten years ago. ‘And Nick dying so suddenly last year, it just,’ he started to tail off. ‘It brings it all back to you, doesn’t it?’ He nodded as she spoke. ‘I know you’ll never forget her, Jack, and you’ll have these setbacks from time to time, but you’ve got to try and get on with everyday life too,’ Lil reached for his hand. ‘You’re right, can’t let down my public now can I?’ *** At Number Six, ‘So how long have you lived here, ‘About a year, I’d lived in a couple of other places before, then saw the ad that Kris and Jo had put in the paper,’ he carried on writing as he spoke. ‘So, you’re in your final year at college, and Kris and Jo are in their first?’ Nathan asked. Yeah, I’m 21 and they’re both 19, not that you’d know it half the time!’ He laughed. ‘Phil tells me you lived in Nathan noticed how he had avoided the subject of his past life, and made a mental note to tackle this in the future. ‘Well, I see her every day, don’t I?’ ‘You know what I mean!’ ‘We’ll see, Young bloke like me doesn’t want to tie himself down. She’s a nice girl though.’ *** Sunday afternoon in ‘What are you doing, Val? I’m not an invalid you know!’ ‘I know that love, but you’ve got to take care of yourself. You’re doing so well, I’m just trying to help,’ Val felt so nervous, worried that he’d find out what had been going on with Rhys and Cathy. He put an arm round her. ‘And you are helping...just relax a bit!’ That night in the pub, Jo was working a shift, as she often did when her workload was a bit lighter. As she served someone, she noticed that Nathan swaggered in, making a beeline for Laura, who was having a drink with her friend Natalie. ‘Hello ladies, mind if I join you?’ ‘No, not at all. Nathan isn’t it?’ Laura smiled. ‘Yes, Cameron, Nathan Cameron, half-brother to the famous Phil Shaw!’ The girls giggled at his act, as he began to take their drinks order. ‘Hello, you look like a man on a mission?’ Jo asked, beginning to pour Nathan’s pint. ‘Mind your own business...and two vodka and Cokes please, Jo,’ she was shocked by his nastiness, which was instantly swapped for charm and confidence again. *** Back at Number Eight, Rhys was in his room, listening to some music and thinking about finishing some work for the next day at school. Something suddenly occurred to him and he grabbed his mobile phone, finding Cathy’s number and dialling it straight away…. Answerphone. He desperately wanted to see her again. ‘I was told you were a bit of a looker, Laura, and the source was very accurate,’ by this time, Nathan had a hand on her leg, and she wasn’t going to stop him. Laura was lapping up the attention. ‘I think I’ll be heading off,’ announced Natalie, feeling like the stereotypical gooseberry. ‘Oh, so soon?’ Nathan laughed. After Natalie had gone, Jo looked across the pub and spotted Nathan and Laura kissing at their table. They all knew that Nathan fancied himself and was a charmer with just about everyone he met, but Jo had seen another side to him tonight and was worried about what Kris may be getting herself into… ‘I’m going to be keeping an eye on you, Mr Cameron,’ she muttered under her breath. © 2010 Danny Alborough / DJA Publications |