The next morning, Carla woke up in her flat after Peter had walked her home the night before. She still couldn't quite believe what had happened and that they were actually together. She rolled over in bed and picked up her phone that was laying on the bedside table. Her lips curled into a smile as she noticed a text from Peter,

Peter: Morning beautiful x

She quickly typed a reply and checked the other message that was from Michelle asking if she wanted to have lunch later that day.

She then scrolled through her emails and came across one from Frank.

Frank: Hi Carla, just checking that the order is going okay. Are we still on for dinner tomorrow night? Ive booked a table for 6:00.

She was dreading having dinner with him and had forgotten about it until reading his email. She quickly wrote a reply,

Carla: yeah 6:00 is fine, see you then.

After a long morning at the factory, made slightly more bearable by texting Peter throughout the morning, Carla was on her way to the Rover's for lunch with Michelle. She entered the pub and over to the bar where Michelle was serving,

"Hiya" Michelle said happily, "I'll be finished in two minutes, sit down and I'll bring your drink over"

Carla went over and sat at an empty table where Michelle appeared a few minutes later carrying two glasses of red wine.

"You alright?" Michelle asked sitting down at the table with Carla

"Yeah great thanks, you?"

"Yeah not to bad. You look happy today" Michelle said, noticing Carla's beaming smile that hadn't left her face since she entered the pub

"Do I? Well I am" Carla smiled,

"Any particular reason?" Michelle smirked

"Maybe" Carla said, enjoying winding her up

"Aww come on Car, tell me"

"Who said there was anything to tell?"

"You're not usually this happy" Michelle said curiously,

"Are you trying to say I'm miserable?" Carla laughed,

"No, you just look happier than usual"

"Just having a good day."

Michelle seemed to accept that as an answer and started talking about something else.

"I was thinking, why don't we have a night out soon"

"I never turn down a night out. Give me a day and time I'll be there" Carla said,

"What about Friday night? We haven't been out for ages"

"Yeah sounds good, where will we go?"

"That new cocktail bar that's opened in town looks good"

Carla and Michelle continued to talk over lunch and plan their night out that weekend.

Later that day about 6:00 Carla was at her flat, sitting watching tv with a glass of wine having just got in from work when her phone rang. Her heart beat quickened a bit and a smile appeared on her face when Peter's name flashed across the screen.

"Hello" Carla answered the phone,

"Hey, are you busy?"

"No just sat at home watching tv why?"

"I'm just about to take Simon out for pizza, do you want to come?"

"Have you checked it's alright with Simon, he might just want a night with his dad?" Carla asked,

"Yeah he said he'd like you to come"

"Yeah alright, I'll come"

"Great, I'll pick you up in 20 minutes"

"Alright, see you soon"

Carla hung up and quickly went to get ready for her evening with Peter and Simon, changing from her work outfit to something a bit more casual. Before long, the buzzer rang and Peter and Simon were at the door of her flat.

"Hi Carla" Simon said happily, following his dad into Carla's flat.

"Hi darling" Carla smiled, ruffling his curls,

"We ready to go then love?" Peter asked,

"Yeah, let's go then"

Carla grabbed her handbag and the three of them went out to Peter's car and started driving into town.

Back at the Rovers Michelle was serving behind the bar when Frank came in.

"Hello again" he smiled, "can I have a pint please?"

"Yeah sure"

"Has Carla been in today?" Frank asked,

"Not since this afternoon why?"

"Just wondering, needed to ask her something about work"

"Oh okay, well she might be in later"

"Right, thanks" Frank said, hoping that Carla would make an appearance later on in the night, little did he know she was out enjoying a lovely evening with Peter and Simon.

In town, Carla, Peter and Simon had just finished their pizza and the three of them were chatting.

"How's school Simon?" Carla asked,

"It's alright, quite boring. Did you like school Carla"

"Can't say I did Simon, no" Carla laughed, "are you enjoying being back with your friends?"

"Yeah it's great, I started on the football team this week"

"Yeah, he takes it after me, I was a great footballer when I was your age" Peter said,

"Oh I bet you were" Carla laughed, "what were you the referee?"

"I'll have you know I was very sporty when I was younger"

"Hmm I'll believe that when I see it" Carla laughed, "here Si, why don't you go and get yourself an ice cream?", she said taking out her purse and handing him some money.

"Thanks Carla!"

"Hey, am I not getting any ice cream?" Peter joked,

"Aww do you want some? Simon get your dad some as well please darling"

"Okay, do you want one too Carla?"

"No I'm alright thanks love"

"You can have some of mine" Peter said,

"Aww well isn't that nice of you" Carla laughed,

"Well you know, sharing's caring and all that"

As Simon went over to ask the waitress for some ice cream, Peter slipped his hand into Carla's under the table.

"Thanks for coming with us tonight"

"Thanks for inviting me, I've had a lovely time"

"So have I"

Simon returned to the table and sat down, Peter and Carla dropping each other's hands.

"Did you get it alright mate?" Peter asked,

"Yeah, the lady said she would bring it over".

After a few minutes, a waitress brought over two bowls of ice cream and placed them down on the table. Peter took a spoonful of it and mischievous grin appeared on his face.

He smelled the ice cream and looked across the table at Simon.

"Is that a different ice cream from last time Si, it smells great, Carla smell that"

Simon smirked, picking up on what his dad was going to do.

"Doesn't it just smell like normal ice cream" Carla said, confused,

"No it smells different, smell it"

Carla leaned over and went to smell the ice cream and Peter shoved the spoon in her face, covering her nose in ice cream,

"Peter! That's freezing!" She said, wiping the ice cream off in her hand and trying to put it on Peter's face.

Peter held up his hands and grabbed her wrist to try and stop her but she used her other hand to take some ice cream and wipe it across is chin, causing the three of them to burst I to fits of laughter.

Later on, Carla, Peter and Simon were in the car on their way home from having dinner.

"I don't think the table across from us appreciated our ice cream fight do you?" Peter laughed

"No, did you see the look we got from that woman. It was your fault anyway, I can't believe I fell for that, I should have known you were going to do that, it's the oldest trick in the book"

"I think you managed to get me back though, you did get ice cream all down my shirt so thanks for that"

"Don't lie Peter that was you, you're so sloppy, even your seven year old son made less mess than you." Carla said as they pulled up outside Carla's flat.

"Well thanks for tonight" Carla said, leaning over and hugging Peter, whispering in his ear, "when can I next see you?"

"I'll call you tomorrow"

"Okay, speak to you soon then, bye Simon"

"Bye!"

Peter sat for a few minutes in the car, watching Carla leave and make her way into the building, letting a smile appear on his face. He was snapped out of his daydream by Simon,

"Dad, are we going now?"

"Yeah, sorry son, come on then, let's get home" Peter said, starting the engine and driving away.

Later on, Carla was back in her flat, sitting watching tv with a glass of wine when the phone rang. She picked it up and answered it, seeing Michelle's name on the screen.

"Hiya Chelle"

"Hey, you alright?"

"Yeah good you?"

"Yeah I'm alright, what you up to?"

"Not much, I've not long got home. You?"

"Still working, just on a break so I thought I'd give you a call and have a gossip. Have you spoken to Frank?"

"No, why would I have spoken to him?"

"I thought he would have called you, he came into the pub earlier looking for you, said he needed to ask you something about work"

"Oh did he? Did he not say what it was?"

"No, he didn't say, something about the order"

"Well he'll probably tell me tomorrow, he's pretty much forced me into dinner with him, not that I want to go"

"Well don't go if you don't want to, you don't have to do anything you don't want to, even if it is to please one of your clients"

"It's not that simple Michelle, he won't leave me alone about it, if I go then hopefully that'll shut him up"

"Or just make him ask even more if he thinks you actually want to go"

"Yeah I suppose, I've agreed to go now though, so I'll just have to see what happens"

"I don't know what to think of that bloke, he's a bit desparate if you ask me, you maybe shouldn't get involved with him", Michelle said, her voice laced with concern for her best friend.

"Well it's too late for that now, I'm going to have to work with him at least for the next six months and believe me there's not one part of me that wants to"

"Well as long as you know what your doing. I worry about you having to deal with all these sleazy guys"

"I'll be fine Michelle, I'm a big girl"

"Doesn't stop me worrying though"

"Michelle I'm going out for dinner with him, what's the worst he could do?"

"Yeah I suppose, just be careful yeah?"

"I will, don't worry, now get back to work there'll be a queue out the door at this rate"

"Okay, speak to you soon"

"Yeah, I'll call you tomorrow when I get home"

After her phonecall with Michelle, Carla couldn't help but think about what she said, maybe she was better to get out of this while she could.

Please review! Thank you so much for the reviews on the last chapter! More drama to come from Frank in the next few chapters...