Ray woke up on the sofa with a raging hangover the next morning. Val walked into the lounge and handed him a cup of tea, perching herself on the edge of the sofa.

 

‘How are you feeling?’ She asked.

 

He could hardly bring himself to speak to her, the hangover making his mood even worse...but Ray had always been polite to everyone when he was sober.

 

‘Look, Ray, we really need to talk about this, at least give me a chance to explain to you why I did it?’ Val felt like crying almost straight away.

 

He got up, and pushed past her to the staircase.

 

‘I don’t even want to look at you right now, Val,’ and he didn’t, as he stormed up the stairs back to bed.

 

‘What about work?’ Val called after him.

 

‘Tell them I’m sick!’

 

 

***

 

‘But I don’t see why not?’ Kris protested as Jo raced around her getting something to eat.

 

‘It’s not the right time, I know we can afford it, but I’ve got too much work on at the moment...and so have you!’

 

Kris was still trying to talk Jo into having a holiday, using some of the money they’d inherited from Gary.

 

No means no, Kris!’

 

Right, thought Kris, if that was her attitude...she would just have to put her con plan into action, to get some more of Gary’s money for herself.

 

‘Morning,’ Lisa walked in, bright and breezy. Kris walked out of the room.

 

‘Ignore her,’ Jo smiled, ‘she’s never nice to anyone in the mornings!’

 

‘Do you know someone called Nathan Cameron?’ Lisa asked, almost flushing with excitement as she uttered his name.

 

‘Unfortunately yes,’ Jo sighed.

 

‘He was chatting to me in the pub last night...quite a guy.’

 

‘Oh no, not another one falling under his spell! Look Lisa, you’re a grown woman and it’s your life, but I’d steer clear if I were you!’

 

Lisa smiled ‘Are you saying this because you went out with him once? Is he your ex?’

 

Jo looked flabbergasted ‘God, no! But I know what he’s like, and he’s hurt people I know….’

 

Jo got on with her morning preparations, but Lisa knew that – in spite of any warnings—she’d be seeing Nathan again!

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

Sam and Ros were at last having a talk about the baby.

 

‘I suppose I kind of shut myself off for a while there, because of my past with Nick.’

 

‘What do you mean?’ Sam asked, looking puzzled.

 

‘Well, in all the time we were together, having a baby is the one thing that we never got around to. We were young, having fun, building our careers, there wasn’t any time for anything else. Every time that the subject came up, we always assumed that one day the time would be right...it would always be there, for some other time.’

 

Sam smiled ‘Yeah, from what I remember about Nick, he wasn’t exactly the fatherly type!’

 

Ros started getting more emotional now.

 

‘Except he was a father, and I never knew it...he snatched away our future, that’s what it feels like, Sam. Some other woman was living out our future. It was meant to be me. OK, I knew what he was like, deep down, but I never imagined that he’d ever have a child with another woman…’

 

‘And you don’t want a child with me, do you?’ Sam wondered out loud.

 

 

No. No, you’re wrong. This has made me realise what I’ve found with you, and that I need to lay Nick’s ghost to rest once and for all.’ She leaned over to kiss him, and they hugged each other.

 

 

***

 

 

Nathan had bumped into Lisa in Alborford, and after having a drink together they strolled towards Rex Road.

 

‘It feels like I’ve known you for ages already,’ Lisa cooed, rapidly falling for his charm. Or bull, depending on how you look at it!

 

‘Same here, darlin’. I knew that I recognised that beautiful face across a crowded room!’ They laughed, but Nathan was feeling slightly jumpy when Laura’s house came into view. After all, he’d just started seeing her again, and had told Lisa that she was only a friend.

 

‘Anyway, I think I’d better be getting back, got stuff to do,’ Nathan was thinking on his feet.

 

Kris was walking their way, her attention suddenly alerted to them.

 

So soon?’ Lisa replied in a deliberately girly, lovestruck voice.

 

Nathan leaned over to kiss her.

 

Kris’s jaw dropped, as she watched them snogging against a wall for some time, before she stormed back into the house.

 

***

 

 

Val was chatting to Josie at Number Two.

 

‘What am I going to do? I never thought he’d find out about this!’

 

Josie seemed preoccupied, and was slamming cupboard doors as she made drinks.

 

‘I can’t imagine, Val, it’s a right mess you’ve created!’

 

‘Thanks, you’re a real friend!’ Val was shocked.

 

‘I’m sorry, but I’ve got things on my mind,’ Josie replied.

 

‘Such as?’ After Josie’s backlash, Val wasn’t feeling very sympathetic.

 

 

Well, it’s difficult to explain this...but I don’t know if Don is Sam’s father.’

 

***

 

When Lisa arrived back at Number Six, Kris was already starting to throw her belongings into the street.

 

‘What the hell are you doing, you mad cow?’ Lisa almost laughed.

 

‘You can get out of here, you sl*g! You do realise that he’ll chew you up and spit you out, don’t you?!’

 

‘Oh, I get it now! Jo was talking about you! Let’s not be silly now, Kris,’ Lisa smiled, picking up her coat.

 

‘Shut your face and keep out! This is no longer your home, bitch!’

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