So after much deliberation, I decided this would not be the last chapter. Thank Dee for convincing me! Dee, thank you so much for your support and advice. You are truly an angel to us fanfic writers. Obviously I haven't planned your plot line to the letter as that would be very boring for you to read. But I hope all my readers enjoy the journey we're embarking on! All aboard for Chelsie Feels!

"Soooo" Beryl drawled, leaning back against their couch and peering at Elsie over the rim of her cup of tea. Elsie had just walked through the front door after being dropped off by Charles after their first date. Elsie took one look at her friend and could plainly see that Beryl was fighting sleep having stayed up to find out how it went.

"So what?" Elsie responded with a smirk, kicking off her heels and joining her friend on the settee

"How was it?" Beryl asked eagerly "its after 9, I thought you were dead in a ditch."

"Who are you? My mother?" Elsie asked sarcastically "and why on earth would I be dead in a ditch?"

"Well I would have suggested you went home with him or checked into a hotel somewhere but you're far too prim for that. So a ditch it was. Now stop avoiding the question."

"It was nice" Elsie admitted reluctantly, fiddling with one of the loose threads on the couch and not meeting her eye "he's a very nice man"

"Considering you're a journalist you certainly know how to save your words." Beryl grumbled "surely you have more to say than that? Did he kiss you?"

"For heavens sake Beryl it was only a first date! No, he didn't."

"Well will there be another one?" Beryl pressed, shifting closer to her friend

"I don't know. I hope so. He seemed distracted though."

"Probably by that dress" Beryl teased.

Charles had arrived on their doorstep at five thirty sharp. Beryl had ushered him into the lounge, engaged in a few minutes of chit chat before vanishing into Elsie's bedroom to find out exactly what had been taking her so long only to find that Elsie was still in her underwear. Eventually Beryl had convinced her to wear a dress that Elsie had deemed far too formal and a little too risqué. She had bought it to wear to the office Christmas party last year but had ended up getting the flu and staying home. She toned it down as best she could, adding a shawl and leaving her hair down to semi-cover the off shoulder dress but his eyes still nearly popped out of his head when she eventually emerged into the lounge.

"I told you it was too much" Elsie sighed "and no, I don't think that was the case."

"Well what exactly happened?" Beryl asked eagerly. Elsie sighed and started to tell her all about her date.

It wasn't that it was a bad date. She had certainly had worse in her life. But everything seemed forced. Their dinner was filled with awkward silences and at one point he seemed to be staring off into thin air, fork hovering above his plate. When she had asked if something was the matter he had jumped slightly, shot her a half smile and declared everything was fine. He perked up a bit during the play, even managing to laugh at a few of the more amusing lines. They chatted like they usually did in the car ride home and being the gentleman that he was he walked her right up to the front door, even kissing her on the cheek before walking back to the car. It wasn't like him to be so...well...uninterested in anything she had to say and truth be told it made her feel incredibly boring. Had her life become so monotonous that she was boring to even the most attentive of listeners?

"That doesn't sound like him" Beryl mused, draining the last of her tea and setting down her cup. "I wonder what the matter was."

"He probably decided he doesn't see me as anything more than a friend" Elsie shrugged before yawning into her hand "anyway, I'm going to bed."

"You're still coming by the restaurant tomorrow right?" Beryl inquired "Daisy is on leave and I need a bit of help with the lunches."

"Yes I am" Elsie answered "I think its about time I met this Bill and William you're always going on about."

Beryl ignored her and started collecting her plate and cup. Elsie sniggered slightly, said good night and made her way to her bedroom, sighing at her perfectly made up bed. It was almost like her life. Perfectly pulled corners, four pillows and a bedside table. Clean, simple, and utterly boring.

"Elsie!" Beryl called out as she walked into 'Patmore's Pies and Puddings' the next day at eleven o'clock. The place was empty at the moment, only opening in time for lunch at eleven thirty. Beryl naturally always got there early to set up and start cooking before the masses arrived. "I thought I told you to wear Green!"

Beryl's place had a very casual atmosphere, with simple wooden table covered in red and white table cloths and comfortable wooden chairs. A large fire place took up a great deal of space, making the place look very homey and incredibly warm in winter.

"I don't have anything green" Elsie responded, closing the door behind her "and as I'm only filling in I'm sure I can get away with blue."

"Well as you look so fabulous in those jeans, I'll forgive you." Beryl "Do me a favour and wipe down those menus will you? You wouldn't believe the gunk that people manage to get on them.

Elsie had been convinced to help waitress for the public holiday when Daisy, Ivy, William and Jimmy took the day off. She enjoyed it though. It gave her a chance to talk to people, mix with people she usually wouldn't and gave her a chance to surreptitiously find out what people liked to read. It always gave her a slight thrill when she saw someone reading one of her articles, not realizing that the person who wrote them was currently placing a cup of coffee on their table. Of course there were time when the customer decided to talk to her and she always had to bite her tongue when one of them would make disparaging remarks about her article.

Today had happened to be one of these days, and she was doing a very good job about biting her tongue until this particular male customer had starting making suggestive remarks. Luckily Beryl had swooped in and sent her off to the kitchen to cool off before Elsie poured a hot cup of coffee all over him. Elsie attacked the washing up with unnecessary vigor for a good half hour until Beryl came back.
"You can go back out there now, he's gone." she said lightly

"I hope you banned him permanently." Elsie grumbled, picking up a tea towel and wiping down a glass.

"I'm afraid not. He's one of my better customers" Beryl answered "and you're wasting your time, we have a dish washer. But table seven could use some assistance."

Elsie glared at her, wiped her hands on her apron, grabbed her notebook and swished out of the kitchen allowing the swinging door to double back as she did so. Lunch hour was nearly over and quite a few of the tables were now empty. She made her way over towards the table situated in a cosy corner Beryl had said needed help, finding a person absorbed in a book.

"The Book Thief?" She asked as she drew near "I've heard its very good."

The man looked up and smiled. He had silver hair that was neatly cut, twinkling blue eyes and a small mustache.

"Well I'm enjoying it. It makes a nice change from medical books." He said, attracting her attention with his light Scottish accent.

"Ah so you're a doctor?" Elsie asked, sliding a menu towards him and giving him a friendly smile

"I am" the man confirmed "and you are? Forgive me for saying so but you don't really look like a waitress."

"Why on earth don't I? I thought the apron made it work."

"I don't think I can answer that without offending you deeply. I would say you type a lot though, judging by your nails."

Elsie looked down at her hands to discover that her nail polish was once again cracked and chipped thanks to hours on her computer.

"You're right" she admitted with a sigh "I'm a journalist."

"...And does this journalist have a name?"

"Elsbeth Hughes." she supplied, offering her hand for him to shake

"Richard Clarkson" he introduced himself "do tell me Elsbeth Hughes, would it be incredibly rude of me to ask you to join me for a cup of coffee?"

Elsie glanced around. Gwen and Andy seemed to be coping with the rest of the customers and Beryl was constantly nagging her to meet new people. Would it really hurt to have a coffee with this good looking Doctor? If nothing else it would give her a new friend and boost her confidence a bit.

"Why not? Let me just ditch the apron and explain to my boss that I'm taking the rest of the afternoon off." She gave him a cheeky smile and headed off towards the kitchen. She looked back as she walked into the kitchen to see him shake his head with a smile and put a book mark into his book. Maybe this time it would be more successful.

"That was quick" Beryl remarked from behind her blender

"I'm having coffee with the man at table seven" Elsie replied, pressing a few buttons on the coffee machine before reaching round to untie her apron "He might be useful for my next article" she fibbed

"Which article is that? The one about various positions-"

"Beryl!"

Beryl held her hands up in the air, and ducked her hair to hide a smile.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry." she said "But what about Charles?"

"What about him?" Elsie asked defensively "We went on one date that wasn't that much of a success. I'm free to have coffee with who ever I choose to. Besides, aren't you the one who's always nagging me to meet new people?"

"I'm always nagging someone about something so its hard to keep track as to what I'm currently nagging you about. I'm not saying you shouldn't have coffee with him but you have a knack of getting yourself into odd situations. Just look how long it took you to figure out that Joe was having an affair with that Ivy."

"He wasn't having an affair! He didn't even ask her out until we had well and truly ended. What possible situation could I possibly be getting into by having coffee with someone?"

"I don't want you in the situation where you try not to hurt Charles and this chap and end up hurting both of them"

"Oh for heavens sake!"

"Go and chat him though" Beryl said "it'll be nice to meet a new man if you really don't think you and Charles have a future. I'll get Gwen to take in your coffee."

"Thank you" Elsie said stiffly. Beryl rolled her eyes and came round to give her friend a hug

"You know I'm just looking out for you in that endearingly annoying way that I have." She said quietly in Elsie's ear who nodded and hugged her friend back. Despite Beryl's irritating ways and sheer nosiness she was truly one of the best friends that Elsie could ever ask for. She was there for her, through thick and thin, stupid mistakes and blindsides, new loves and broken hearts, successes and failures.

"Go on then" Beryl instructed, giving her a light push towards the door "invite him round for dinner so I can meet him!"

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