The surgery was too empty for Carol's liking. Usually, after a morning like this, she would have busied herself with her patients, but the current spell of good health in Aidensfield had made her restless. She opened and closed drawers, for no particular reason other than to keep herself busy.
It had been an hour since Mike had accompanied her back to the surgery, gathering the few files that he needed for the case. She'd still been angry at Joe, and to be frank had found it difficult to answer the bombardment of questions he was throwing her way.
They'd talked for a bit afterwards, not that there was much to say. They'd met before at Phil and Gina's wedding. He asked if she remembered being sandwiched between him and Rob at the dining table, she'd laughed. Before he left to go back to the station, he'd asked her out for a drink. She'd said no, of course.
It was that that she was thinking about right now. Sure, she'd been mad as hell at Joe from that morning, but would have saying yes been such a bad idea…?
Suddenly, she felt two hands on her waist from behind. She spun around, alarmed, to find Joe, smiling down at her.
Great.
"Hello, Miss Cassidy. I wondered if you fancied a drink with me this evening."
Two in one night. Can't be bad.
She clasped his hands in her own, and removed them from her waist.
"Not tonight Joe. I don't really feel like it."
"Are you sure I can't tempt you with my Scottish charm?"
"Really Joe, just leave it."
He took a few steps back and studied her unsmiling face.
"Carol? You seem…angry."
"Do you realize what you did this morning?"
"No…"
"Joe, you asked me out at a crime scene."
He was confused. He hardly remembered what he'd said that morning, but he'd recognized the anger in her face moments after he'd spoken.
"I…"
"No Joe, no excuses. I can't do this anymore. I can't pretend that everything's OK, that you can say what you like to me, when you feel like it. You never know when I'm upset, what I'm feeling. I'm sorry, Joe. I need some space to think, some space to breath, and this….it's just not what I need right….now."
He paused.
"Carol…"
But it was too late, she was gone.
Adrenaline filled him inside, and then it was gone, and he felt empty. He stood, staring at the place where she had been stood, letting his mind figure out what to feel.
He felt….angry. Angry at Carol, angry at himself. How could he have been so stupid? How can she have been so callous? It was a mistake, that was all! She was always making mistakes, making him feel like this, and yet she never apologized, he never lost his temper. She was always doing this. Disagreements about work, Rachel, and now this!
He began to angrily change his clothes as he the stormed around his bedroom upstairs. Wardrobe doors slammed open as his anger towards Carol built. He tugged on a shirt that she detested, he made sure he combed his hair into a parting – he knew that really got to her.
What the hell had she been thinking? That she could treat him like this all the time. That she could decide the rules. Not telling Miller about their relationship, blaming him for picking up the phone this morning. He was glad it was over.
He pulled his jacket from the coat-stand and slammed the door on his way out. His footsteps slammed against the pavement, and his warm face glowed in the cool evening air. The walk to the pub took him half as much time as normal, absorbed by thoughts of Carol, and he felt surprised as he found himself stood in the bar at the Aidensfield Arms.
He felt suddenly conscious that he was scowling. Gina smiled at him, and he forced a smile back.
"Joe?"
"Yeah?"
"What's up?"
"Hmmm….Nothing."
"I can tell."
"Really?"
"Yeah….Carol was just in here. She had the same angry expression on her face."
"Oh."
"You look like you could do with a drink."
The Aidensfield Arms was suddenly the last place Joe wanted to be. He began to realize that a pint in the pub was not going to take this all away.
"I'm good. Thanks, Gina."
"OK, maybe you could do with more than a drink. Look I'm just about finished here, Oscar's given me the night off. Do you fancy going into Whitby? A friend of mine's just opened a club down there – could be a laugh?"
He contemplated it. Clubs weren't really his thing, but perhaps a bit of dancing, a few drinks…..
"You know what Gina? I'm going to say yes."
"Brilliant. Just one thing, Joe."
"What?"
"Sort your hair out first."
He blushed and tussled his hair back to it's usual state of disarray.
"Better?"
"Perfect."