"Are you ready, if we land this client it will mean big things for Underworld." Carla and Sian were sat waiting for their prospective clients to arrive.
"Yes, I think we have drilled each other enough, I know the numbers inside out." Sian was fed up of spending so much time with Carla, even when they got home Carla wanted them to continue on working.
"I know, sorry. I just want this to go great. To prove it was a good idea for us to set up the NB side of the factory. We are the dynamic duo after all."
"Even though we have failed to land the previous three accounts we went after." Sian knew they had great products, and extremely competitive pricing, it was getting more difficult to get back up again after each knockback.
"We will land this one, I have a good feeling about it. Here they are." Carla was on her feet. "Mr Reynolds, Ms Reynolds, thank you for joining us tonight."
"Please call us Abigail and John." Abigail couldn't help but take a double look at Sian, wearing a business suit, with an extremely tight pencil skirt.
"Shall we get straight to business, so we can enjoy the rest of our meal?" Sian asked pulling out her iPad.
"Who is Sian and Carla having dinner with? It looks like a bad double date." Kate questioned Michelle behind the bar.
"It is Garment Ltd, that massive client they are trying to land. You must have heard Carla mention it."
"Yes of course, I just forgot." Kate headed to the table to take their orders. "What can I get you?"
Sian snuck away from the table, claiming she had an important call to take, instead she went outside did a fist pump. They had done it, finally getting the account. "Kate can we get some champagne to the table please?"
"Sure thing, is it just me or is that girl at your table flirting with you?" Kate had noticed the flirty behaviour towards Sian as the night carried on.
"No, you are imagining things." Sian knew full well that Abigail was flirting with her, and she had failed to mention Sophie. What was a bit of harmless flirting going to do.
"Hi Sophie." Kate welcomed her friend, now worried how she would react seeing Sian and that woman flirting. "What brings you to the Bistro?"
"I thought I'd see how Sian was doing? She has been working so hard recently."
"The ever-supportive girlfriend. I think they got the business, Sian just asked for Champagne to be sent over."
Sophie looked at table Sian was sat at, she could see some other woman flirting with her girlfriend, and said girlfriend seeing to flirt back. "Looks like she is working really hard."
"Sophie, I am sure it isn't what it looks like. I am sure you flirt a little when you are out without Sian?"
"No, why would I? The only girl I am interested in is Sian." Sophie felt crestfallen, like she wasn't enough for Sian. "Maybe this is why she has been pushing me to get the second garage open, I am not good enough, just being a window cleaner."
"You know that isn't true." Kate knew Sian didn't care what Sophie did as long as she was happy.
Sian clocked Sophie at the bar chatting to Kate and headed over. "Hi baby, this is a nice surprise." Sian titled Sophie's chin up to capture her lips, leaving no doubt they are together. "Why don't you join us, we are celebrating."
Sophie was a little shocked by Sian's welcome. "I'd love to, I'll be over in just a second."
Kate was smirking at Sophie. "Oh yeah, that girl totally isn't into you and thinks you aren't good enough."
"I feel bad enough as it is without you rubbing it in!" Sophie huffed heading over to Sian.
"Abigail, John, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend Sophie." Sian was on her feet welcoming her girlfriend to the table.
"That'll be £20 please." Carla offered her hand across the table to Abigail.
"Fine, you win."
"What did you bet on?" Sophie asked.
"Abigail here thought that Sian was straight, that is why she kept flirting to see if Sian would say anything." Carla chuckled into her wine glass, this was the easiest bet she had ever won.
"But you already knew I was gay? How was that fair?" Sian queried.
"You knew? I want my £20 back." Abigail couldn't believe she had been played.
"Carla and I even live together. Why on earth would you take that bet?" Sian was still confused.
"I may be a little to blame. Abigail told me she thought she was bisexual, and I thought Sian was such a lovely girl. Maybe she could help her work through her feelings." John sheepishly admitted.
"Dad!" Abigail felt humiliated.
"I'm sorry, I thought I was helping." John smiled. "Do you know any nice single girls?" Fixing his eyes onto Sophie and Sian.
"Oh my god Dad, stop please." Now Abigail felt embarrassed.
"Not really, sorry." Sian honestly couldn't think of anyone to set Abigail up with.
"What about Kate?" Sophie innocently asked.
"What the hot waitress?" Abigail had perked up now.
"Yeah, she has been single forever. Let me get her over." Sophie waved over to Kate.
"Ow!" Carla murmured as Sian pinched her under the table glaring for Carla to stop this. "I wouldn't bother with our Kate, she is a bit of player, all the ladies love Kate."
"Who loves me?" Kate smiled.
"I was just telling Abigail here that you are a total player, a different woman every night…"
"What? What are you on about?" Kate snapped, Carla knew about Rana so why would she say such a thing.
"It is my fault, I suggested that you and Abigail might get along. And now everyone is embarrassed. Why don't we finish these and head to the Rovers?" Sophie felt awful that her suggestion had gone so wrong.
"I think that is a great idea. Nothing like getting to know your suppliers better." John smiled putting his coat on.
Over the last couple of days after some gentle prodding from Imran, Rana had headed back to Coronation Street. He was right she couldn't hide forever and needed to face up to her decisions. The first person she ran into outside the Bistro was Kate. "Hey."
Kate's face lit up seeing Rana. "Your back?"
"Yes, I need to take care of some business with Zeedan. Can I meet you at your flat after?"
"Of course." Kate risked stroking her thumb over Rana's knuckles, desperate just to touch her in some way.
"Is Zeedan in?" Rana asked Michelle.
"Yeah, I'll send him out, I think he is due a break."
Rana had rehearsed what she was going to say so many times. "Zeedan, thanks for seeing me."
"What do you want Rana, the contract is drawn up, all you need to do is sign it. Why are you being such a bitch about it. I thought we agreed, and then you run off like a little baby."
"I'm not signing it, I am not an object that can be bought and sold."
"I think your parents would say otherwise. Remember I can ruin your name." Zeedan didn't like this confident version of his wife.
"That is a risk I will have to take. I can't live a lie, and this contract…" Rana gestured between them. "It would destroy us both, we both need to move on."
"Move on? Move onto Daniels dick you mean!" Zeedan shouted incensed with anger.
"Zeedan, watch your language." Michelle chastised. "We might be quiet, but you don't speak to people like that."
"What do you know, she has been fucking Daniel behind my back. I'll speak to her however I want."
"Zeedan." Again, Michelle warned, where was Robert when you needed him.
Unlike before when Rana would cave and break down in tears, not this time. "Michelle is right, you don't get to speak to me like that. I am sorry that I hurt you, but I don't deserve this. I was even going to ask my Dad if he would still invest, but why would I?"
"Don't push me Rana, or you will regret it."
Whilst not entirely sure what was going on, Michelle was starting to get scared, Zeedan was issuing threats and right into Rana's face. "Zeedan I think you need to calm down."
"Fuck off Michelle!"
"Don't talk to her like that, your problem is with me." Rana wasn't backing down.
Michelle had sent a frantic text to Robert, Kate and Carla. Hoping one of them would arrive to help. "Zeedan I know this hurts now, but it does get better. You will find love with someone else." Michelle looked at the door hearing it open, it was Daniel.
"Everything okay?"
"Here he is to join the party. Why don't you just fuck her here in the Bistro." Zeedan sneered.
"What are you on about?"
Zeedan marched over and punched Daniel sending him flying. "I know it is you!"
"ZEEDAN!" Rana again was trying to curtail her husband's temper. "Zeedan no, it isn't Daniel I told you."
"Oh my god Daniel." Kate came running over helping to pull Zeedan off him.
"Let me go!" Zeedan easily pushed the girls off him. "It's time you got what you deserved." Zeedan punched Daniel again who was no match for him.
With no other help looking to come, Kate was in a panic. "It's me!"
"What's you?"
"It's me, I am who Rana has been having an affair with." Kate spoke louder this time.
"What?"
"It isn't Daniel, it is me. I have been with Rana."
Rana's face fell, how could Kate do this to her. "You shouldn't have done that."
"Been with her? You mean had sex?"
Kate looked at the ground feeling ashamed of the hurt she had caused Zeedan. "It doesn't matter. Please…leave Daniel alone."
Michelle had dragged Daniel onto his feet and sat him in one of the booths. "Robert, where are you?"
"This is great, not only are you cheating whore you are a dyke as well." Zeedan gave a nasty laugh.
"Zeedan please, it's not what you think…" Terror was racing through her body, her parents would completely disown her now. "I'm begging you, please don't tell my parents."
"Don't talk that way about Rana. I love her!" Kate wouldn't have Zeedan talking like that about Rana.
"The contract is off the table for sure now, or maybe I can demand more money. If they were upset at you cheating imagine if they knew you were gay." Zeedan even smiled.
"What contract? What is he on about?" Kate asked reaching for Rana.
Rana moved away from Kate and closer to Zeedan. "Please don't do this."
"Too late, say goodbye to your family and your reputation is going to be dirt when I am finished."
"How could you do that?" Rana cried over to Kate. "Why would you tell him?"
"He was attacking Daniel and I panicked. What contract was he talking about?"
"It doesn't matter, I need to get to my parents before he does."