Don’t forget to help build the Alborford community in the Forum. You can help influence the plots with your own discussion threads…and look out for topics that I’ll put there to get things moving!

 

If you would like to advertise on the site, please get in touch by clicking ‘Contact’.

 

Finally, ‘Rex Road’ does not charge a subscription at the moment, but if you’re feeling generous and would like to show some appreciation for the new look with your currency, feel free to donate something via Paypal (DanAlborough@aol.com),

or get in touch with me for my address to donate in other ways.

 

Now, I’ll stop waffling…back to Alborford we go….

 

Jo arrived at The Headless Pint on Monday lunchtime for her first shift of the week. Jack shiftily greeted her…they hadn’t discussed their one night stand at all, and it was starting to bother him.

 

‘How’s the college stuff going?’ He asked.

 

‘Oh, fine thanks,’ Jo replied politely.

 

‘Well, if you need to cut any shifts, or, erm, have any more…well, don’t hesitate to ask…you know…’ Jack felt nervous, and was spluttering and stammering a bit. Jo gave him a suspicious look while she started putting out ashtrays.

 

‘OK, Jack, thanks.’

 

He couldn’t take the tension much longer and tried to bite the bullet.

‘Jo…do you think we could-‘

 

She span around suddenly and gave him such an intense look that he lost his nerve.

 

‘What?’

 

‘Oh, erm, it’s not important now…doesn’t matter.’ He went into the cellar and felt like kicking himself for being such a wimp.

 

 

Kris, meanwhile, was writing notes for an essay back at Number Six Rex Road, when there was a knock at the door.

 

‘Oh, hi there, how are you?’ It was Marsha Arnold, Jo’s mother. The two of them didn’t particularly like each other, but seemed to be tolerant for Jo’s sake.

 

‘Is Jo not in?’ Marsha asked.

 

‘No, sorry, she’s working a shift at The Headless Pint….erm, come in, please!’ Kris remembered her manners after an awkward pause and Marsha edged past her into the house…the house that she now owned. Once they were in the living room, she got straight down to business.

 

‘I’m going to sort out a new lodger for the place as soon as possible.’

 

Kris felt her temper starting to stir.

 

‘But I thought that we were going to sort it out ourselves, Jo and I?!’

 

Marsha started to walk around the room, clearly choosing her next sentence carefully.

 

‘Well, the thing is…we feel that it’s best if we give you both a helping hand in that respect. I mean, not being funny, but the two of you won’t be moving very quickly, will you?’

 

Kris was definitely close to losing her temper with Marsha altogether now.

 

‘What exactly do you mean? Just cut to the chase please?!’

 

‘Well, what with Gary dying and Phil leaving, I doubt that you girls will want to deal with this, to let someone into the house soon…but it needs to happen quickly…

so we’ll save you both the worry!’

 

Max got back to Holland Road early, leaving work at three o’clock, and found a supposedly sick Fiona on the sofa, reading more bridal magazines.

 

‘You’re obviously feeling better than you were?!’ He laughed.

 

‘Yes thanks, much!’ She smiled and got up to kiss him. Nothing was going to make Fiona feel ill for long when she was obsessing about the wedding.

 

‘It’s so exciting Max! April 23^rd! I can’t believe that we’ve finally got a date set!’

She was practically dancing around the room now.

 

‘I’d better talk to Jack about booking a room at the pub, hadn’t I?’ Max added and Fiona grimaced slightly.

 

‘Oh, sweetie, I wish that we didn’t have to have the reception there! I quite fancied the Alborford Park Hotel really…’

 

Max sighed and put an arm around her.

 

‘You know the situation though, it’s too short notice for the hotel, and for most other places. Besides, Jack’s a mate and says the food will be his present to us…I’ll make it up to you with the honeymoon, asap darling!’

 

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON

 

Fiona had met for a lunchtime coffee with Lisa, on the High Street. The two of them had become good friends after living together at the Holland Road flat for a while.

 

‘So, you’re still convinced that Nathan is seeing Laura are you?’ Fiona asked.

 

‘More than ever, I’m hearing more of his lies and BS every day of the week…I’m not going to have him making a fool of me!’ Her voice became loud enough for most of the café to turn around, and then she bowed her head in embarrassment.

 

‘Well, we need to do something about it then, don’t we? The question is…what?

We haven’t managed to get our timing right yet.’

 

‘Is Max having a stag night?’ Lisa asked.

 

‘Oh, you can bank on it! He’s sorting out something with Jack, meal, clubbing, lock-in, you name it!’

 

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