Pippa had caught up with Rose at the bus stop, since her bus was late as usual.

"Hi Rose, why isn't Lee taking you to work this morning?"

Rose had looked up from her phone.

"He's starting late this morning sweetheart. What's wrong with your mum taking you to school?" Rose had asked her.

"She told me to get the school bus, I hope I've not missed it," Pippa had told her. "Mum was acting a bit funny this morning, she told me to be with my friends for a change but she knows I hate catching it. She also stopped me going into the living room."

"It's not passed while I've been here, don't worry. It was probably nothing, she probably didn't want you to miss the bus. Don't tell Lee but I'm thinking about taking driving lessons," Rose had smiled, putting her phone away. "I don't want him to teach me."

Pippa let out a laugh. They'd seen the school bus approaching and Rose had waved goodbye to her young friend. She had wondered why Cate would do such a thing, unless she'd suddenly decided it wasn't worth getting pulled up by the police for drunk driving.

It had bothered her all day though, Claire had been glancing at her all day and stopped her as she was about to leave.

"This isn't like you Rose, what's been wrong with you today?" Claire asked her.

"It's probably nothing Claire. It was just something Pippa said to me this morning and Lee saying he was starting work late," Rose tried to tell her.

"Rose, you've been really good while you've been working here, don't spoil it," Claire replied. "Want to go to the pub for a drink?"

"Yeah, why not?" Rose smiled. "I've no idea what time Lee will be home and I can find something quick to cook."

Claire was feeling sorry for Rose and bought her a drink and they went to sit in the corner.

"Seriously Rose, is everything okay between you and Lee?"

Rose took a sip from her white wine with lemonade.

"Honestly? I don't know Claire. Ever since we started to have more to do with our next door neighbours, he seems to find any excuse to talk to Cate. Maybe he finds her more mature than I am?" Rose wondered.

"Listen to me Rose, there's nothing wrong with you. If he thinks that, then that's his problem, not yours," Claire told her.

Rose tried to shake it off as she got the bus home, then she started doing some spaghetti and kept it on a low setting, waiting for Lee to get home. Lee had been pleased with himself all day, thinking Rose had no idea he'd been next door and had sex with Cate. A few times a week wouldn't go amiss, he could use Rose for practice, she was easy to please, unlike Cate, who had insisted he not fool around and just get on with it.

Maybe he just liked having sex with someone who was as bossy as he was? Still, living with Rose was just about bearable, he had nowhere else to go and he'd made an agreement with Ricky that he wouldn't get out of that easily.

The summer turned into autumn, there were a few warm Sundays where Pippa would call round to say her dad was setting up the barbecue so they would go round, Lisa joining them. Rose asked her one Sunday afternoon if she'd got a job yet.

"No, I'm still waiting," Lisa told her while watching Pippa on her trampoline.

"Then get enrolled on a hairdressing course, it worked for me," Rose advised her. "Seriously Lisa, what have ya got to loose? I can give ya the number if ya want?"

"I suppose so?" Lisa replied. "Look at those two," she pointed to Lee and Cate at the table in the corner. "Why don't you go spoil their fun?"

Rose remained in the patio doorway, seeing Cate lean forward and Lee watching as her v-neck top gave a good view of her cleavage. Ricky was taking no notice, as usual, Rose thought. Apparently, attending the barbecue was his hobby.

Rose was pleased a few weeks later when Lisa called round to tell her she'd got a place at the hairdressing college.

"That's great," Rose told her as she made some drinks. "Well, tell me how ya getting on."

Lee of course had to enter the kitchen to see what was going on.

"You'd better watch out Rose, Lisa may apply for your job," he laughed.

Lisa laughed nervously, until Lee let out a laugh. Rose failed to see the look between Lisa and Lee. Little did Rose know was that Lisa had called round a few times to see Rose when she wasn't in. The first time had been innocent enough a few weeks previously and then the night one of the girls Rose worked with was leaving to have a baby and Rose had been slightly jealous.

Rose had thought she and Lee had been in a relationship long enough to be at least talking about it but after him eyeing Cate openly, she was now in doubt he'd be a good father. Lisa had knocked on the door before going to see Cate and Ricky.

"Hi Lee, is Rose in?" Lisa had asked innocently.

"She's out with her friends from work, she didn't say what time she'd be back. You can come in and wait for her if you want?"

He had opened the door wider and she'd nervously gone inside, after squeezing past him and them touching slightly. Lee wondered what it would be like, if he had a chance with her? He'd experienced Cate, who was more mature, he'd of course experienced Rose, who was hesitant to have her first time with him and then there was Lisa.

He'd let her inside and offered her a glass of white wine that Rose kept in the cabinet.

"What time will Rose be back?" Lisa asked him, sipping from one of the fancy glasses Rose's mother had sent to them when they'd moved in, rather sexily Lee thought.

He'd also thought he used to look at Rose like that, when they'd first met. Now, he had to pretend he wasn't having sex with Cate and contemplating doing the same with Cate's niece, who had been giving him the eye.

He'd been snapped out of his daydream by Rose returning and going into the kitchen to make herself a strong coffee.

"What?" he asked as the two women looked at him after Rose joined them.

Lisa burst out laughing, nudging Rose, who was trying not to join in but failed, pointing to him.

"You were so out of it then," Rose laughed.

"Stop it you two," Lee objected, which just made them worse. "I mean it. Rose, stop it, now."

Rose tried to look serious but failed again.

"Sorry but you were miles away then," she managed to splutter.

"Women," Lee huffed, wishing he still smoked but now the sight of a cigarette made him sick, after Rose had put him on a quit smoking chewing gum just after they'd met. "If you two are going to have a laugh, I'm off to see Ricky."

"Are you going to tell him I'm here?" Lisa asked him, trying to recover but Rose wasn't helping.

"Why should I?" he asked her, hoping Ricky was out and Pippa would be in her room but what then?

They had been playing a dangerous game and they both knew it. If Rose found out, she'd pack up and go back to London but if Ricky found out? He may get violent and also leave Cate and that wouldn't be fair on Pippa, who he was fond of. If Lisa was interested in him, maybe he'd ditch Cate and groom Lisa to how he wanted her, which was the ways he wanted Rose, who wouldn't oblige.

It may be worth his while encouraging Lisa to pay a visit whenever she felt like it, she may even bring Pippa along. The younger cousin was almost twelve, another year and she'd be interested in boys, wouldn't she?

He went off but Ricky answered the door.

"Hello mate, what are you doing here?" Ricky asked him.

"What do you think mate? Your Lisa called to see Rose and two women in the same house is more than enough," Lee laughed.

Ricky patted him on the back.

"Come and have a beer until Lisa leaves. I expect she'll be coming to see Pippa," Ricky told him.

Lee thought more like Ricky was hoping she'd come to see him.

"Is that Lee?" Cate called out to them.

"Yeah, he's come to seek shelter from Rose and our Lisa getting together," Ricky laughed.

"Well when she comes round, ask her about Saturday night," Cate reminded him.

"What about Saturday night?" Lee asked as he invited himself in.

"Some fancy do Cate wants to go to. Why don't you and Rose come along, they'll be some tickets left," Ricky suggested.

"Yeah, I'll ask her shall I? We can leave the two of them and stand at the bar all night," Lee joked.

"Don't you go encouraging him Lee," Cate chastised him. "Did Lisa say when she was coming round? I hope it's before Pippa's bedtime?"

Rose and Lisa had calmed down and were talking.

"Seriously Rose, my uncle gives me the creeps sometimes," Lisa was telling her.

"Why, what's wrong Lisa?" Rose asked worriedly, putting her hand on Lisa's shoulder. "You can tell me, I won't tell Lee."

"Promise?" Lisa asked her. "I only go round for Pippa's sake, poor kid. Uncle Ricky dotes on her though and my aunt treats her like she's still two. She told me she couldn't have any more kids, though I seriously doubt it. I think they only stay together for Pippa's sake."

Rose found that hard to believe but Lisa seemed serious about it. She was getting more worried they were spending too much time with their neighbours, since Cate had invited them round to Sunday lunch this week, now there were no more barbecues. It had seemed rude to turn it down but she expected Ricky would be doing the cooking, if they were having guests. It seemed Ricky liked showing off in the cooking department.

Lisa interrupted her daydreams.

"Rose, you look miles away? Is there something wrong?"

"No, it's fine, really. Are ya off to see Pippa? I've been worried about her recently, Cate's stopped taking her to school, I see Pippa going off early but Lee's never offered to do the same and drop her off. I was gonna see about driving lessons but I don't want Lee to teach me and he wouldn't let me go to a driving school, he says why pay for lessons when he's capable."

"You should learn Rose. Poor Pippa though, when my aunt's got use of the car. I expect it's because she drinks most of the night and she doesn't want to get caught," Lisa told her.

"Is she really that bad?" Rose asked her.

"Sometimes. Well I'd better go before I miss Pippa, she looks forward to me calling in to see her. Have you been invited for lunch this Sunday? Pippa mentioned it, she said she wanted me to practise doing her hair after you've shown me," Lisa laughed.

"Hey, that was my job," Rose laughed back.

So on Saturday night, they all went out, Lisa staying to keep an eye on Pippa but Rose didn't enjoy the evening very much. Ricky was paying more attention to her than to Cate for her liking, then she was left on her own with her.

"You don't have to agree over everything with Ricky you know?" Cate asked her.

"I don't want to seem rude," Rose replied.

"Well that's how he works Rose, just be careful," Cate warned her.

After an uncomfortable evening out and Sunday lunch the next day, Rose and Lee were expected to invite their neighbours back the following Sunday, which Rose was reluctant to do and just before they were due to arrive, they were in the kitchen.

"We're not gonna do this every other weekend?" Rose asked him.

"No but it would have been rude after we were invited to their house last Sunday," Lee reminded her. "What's wrong with you anyway? Don't you like our neighbours?" he teased her.

Rose didn't want to answer him. She wasn't entirely comfortable Lee chose to spend their time with Cate and Ricky but she enjoyed young Pippa's company and when Lisa came to visit, though Lee seemed to be getting a bit too friendly with Lisa for her liking. Lee though thought he was making it perfectly clear to Lisa he was giving her the come-on but Lisa hadn't yet taken the bait.

Lisa had confided in Rose that this young man was hanging around the estate and she'd thought he was waiting for her. She told Rose she'd seen him when going for the bus home if Ricky wasn't in a fit state to drive her and he'd finally approached her to ask her out.

"What do I do Rose?"

"Well, it's up to you Lisa. I met Lee at a party and we got on really well. You won't know until you give him a chance," Rose advised her.

It was now coming up to Christmas and Lee hadn't been happy Rose was inviting her mother down.

"You have to meet her at some point," Rose had told him.

"Maybe so but for the whole holidays?" Lee complained.

He was in a bad mood since Cate had got tired of him and told him not to go round any more after Pippa had gone to school and she'd warned him to stay away from Lisa. So Jackie went down to stay with them over Christmas, having heard all about him though she thought he was a bit old for her daughter.

It hadn't gone down well, since Jackie wanted to take over and he told Rose after her mother left. They'd argued over it and Lee was becoming even more tired of Rose's reluctance now Cate had kicked him out. So over the next few months, Rose noticed his change in mood and finally confronted him about it.

"You're asking what's wrong with me?" he asked her one night. "And what's this with you hanging around with your boss all the time?"

"I don't hang out with Claire that much," Rose replied. "Only when you say you're gonna be working late. I don't wanna be in on my own, that's all."

"Why not?" he wanted to know.

"You really wanna know? Ricky keeps calling to see if you're in, he can't be bothered seeing if your car's there or not, that's why. He gives me the creeps sometimes."

"I thought you'd be interested in him, since you won't go all the way with me," Lee joked.

Rose was about to lash out at him but he caught her arm.

"You never complained before," Rose replied. "Have ya been going elsewhere?"

"Really Rose, what do you take me for? I may have been tempted but you'll give in to me, eventually."

Rose thought sometimes Lee could be full of himself. Did he think she'd never noticed how he looked at Lisa?