Rose went bright red when she realised she'd just kissed him in front of everyone who happened to be looking, which was bound to include Mickey and his cronies but at present, she didn't really care.

"I promise I will trim my beard for tomorrow night. If you finish your drink, we can go elsewhere?"

"Aw, let them watch, I'm not bothered. If he goes telling tales to my dad, I'll know where he got them from but as I already said, he never warned me not to come and meet you. Have you two come to some arrangement or something?"

"You could say that. We have a common enemy, well two now. Jack Harkness and possibly Martha Jones, she apparently called your father earlier."

"What?" Rose asked, a bit too loud. "She did what? That was totally out of order, what did she hope to gain?"

"Calm down Rose. She was trying to get me in the middle of it by saying to him I had asked both of you. I assured him that was not the case."

"You have to do something about her Alec, it's getting too much. I'm sorry I dragged you into a petty fight between two women for your attention."

"It is a long time since that happened, I can assure you."

"Oh, so you don't mind us fighting over you then?" Rose grinned, finishing her drink and putting the empty glass on the table.

Hardy didn't know if she wanted another or she was going to leave, with or without him.

"Yes, I do mind, I do not welcome her attention. What do you expect me to do about it? I said I would go tell her in front of her work colleagues. Do you want me to arrest her?"

"No, she might take that the wrong way. Leave her to me, trust me?"

"If you say so. What are you planning?"

Rose smiled at him and kissed his cheek.

"Woman stuff, you wouldn't get it. We can be really catty when we want to be. I just need to know you'll go along with whatever I say?"

"That depends. Is it going to give me a bad name?"

"Nah, it might get around that you know me a bit better than you actually do."

"In what way?"

"I'll leave that to your imagination."

"I don't want to know as long as your father does not have me arrested."

"He won't do that. Besides, she'll probably stay away until tomorrow night, she'll be planning her moves for the dance, starting with your arrival. Why don't we go separately, you get there first and let her think I'm not coming?"

"I was right, you are very sneaky. You want her to go after me?"

"Well as long as you don't go inside with her? I'll get there a few minutes later and snatch you from under her nose and plant a big sloppy kiss on you."

"We had better have some practice then. Are you ready to leave?"

"Where are we going?"

"I will get you a bottle of wine then you can find out where I live."

"Later, let's stay here a while longer?"

"If you insist? I have a better idea about tomorrow night. You get there first and fight over me."

Rose nudged him.

"Are you enjoying this?"

"Maybe not?"

"No, you may have something. She might run off if she sees me wearing the same dress."

"Aye, she will want to make a good impression on me. Are you sure you want to wear the same one?"

"Why not? We won't be the only ones, we've sold loads of them. The only difference is, she'll be upset, I won't be. So, which is it then, who arrives first or do we still arrive together?"

"I would not like you to cause a scene either way, maybe we will get there early, together?"

"You take all the fun out of it. Afraid you'll end up arresting me?"

"I will try to remember the handcuffs. Sure you want another drink?"

Just over an hour later, Hardy planned on getting Rose to his new cottage before it got dark but had no idea how to get her back down the steps once it did get dark but it would be easier than going both ways. He went to the bar and bought a bottle of wine and they both left, Rose taking his hand though Hardy thought that may be just for Smith's benefit. He led her around to the car park and towards the houses in front of his cottage.

"So, you live up there then? I might have guessed. How many steps are there?"

"Thirty six, so I have been told. Maybe I should just take you home?"

"Do you mind? It'll be dark soon, how do you manage?"

"I get up there before dark, well just about. There is a handrail but I will take you home but maybe you would consider the effort would be worthwhile tomorrow night? I will put the wine in the car for now or do you want to take it with you?"

"No and I'm sorry Alec but I won't make it down those steps in the dark in these shoes, you should have warned me."

"When I pointed it out the other day, I thought you would have guessed? I apologize Rose, I should have thought about it. Why don't I just take my car tomorrow night, then you can leave a flat pair of shoes in the back to change into after the dance?"

"Oh, you won't be able to have a drink."

"I only drink light lager, then I do not really enjoy it, I can drink something else. I hope you will want to come back with me after the dance?"

"Did my dad tell you to have me home before midnight?" Rose smiled, seeing he looked a bit disappointed.

So was she, she really wanted to kiss him properly.

"He did say if I kept you out all night, I had to take you back and introduce myself to your mother."

"Oh, sorry, he would. We should set off walking, since you had a drink."

"It was nothing Rose, less than 10 percent alcohol so I can drive you around."

"Afraid to pass the arcade again or we'll see Martha?"

"I refuse to answer that," he smiled, going in his pocket for his car keys, relieved he still had them on him.

"So can you remember the way then?" Rose teased him as she got in the car.

Five minutes later, he was stopping outside her house, turning around while he could.

"I seem to have a habit of bringing you home early," he remarked as he turned the engine off.

"Yeah, don't make too much of a habit of it. We should have walked. We could still go somewhere else?"

"Maybe just for a few minutes, it will be dark soon."

They got out, Hardy hoping no-one would want to get out of the Tyler's driveway or turn around. Rose led him across the cliff path and over onto a bench facing the sea, sitting down then putting her arm in his.

"I come and sit here sometimes, just to be on my own," she told him, leaning into his arm. "I love watching the sun go down over the sea. Sometimes I think how lucky I am we came here, I could still be living in London and working in a boring department store or something. What brought you here, you never said?"

"A lot of things after my last case. I asked for a transfer, this was it. I put three killers away and this is how they thank me but I am beginning to think it may not be so bad here."

"Because you enjoy getting my dad to clean up the arcade?"

"No, because the arcade owner has a beautiful daughter who is going to the local dance with me tomorrow night."

He put his arm around her shoulder, even though they were in plain sight of people passing by below though thankfully, no-one was walking down the path beside them. Rose leaned her head on his shoulder and he took her hand. They stayed until the light faded, then they walked to the back of the house.

"So you sit out there often then?" he asked as they stood in the driveway. "Is your bedroom at the back of the house?" he pointed upstairs.

"No at the front but the biggest room's my parents. Dad bought the house off some barrister who was moving back to London, we stayed in a caravan until it all went through."

"Miller suggested I took one until I found somewhere to live, which is why I took the cottage."

"Don't you like caravans?"

"Not exactly, it reminds me of family holidays. I think I came here once before, on holiday. I seem to remember those cliffs."

"Wow, when was that then?"

"Before you came here probably. Rose, I am much older than you, you know that, don't you?"

"Well yeah, of course I did Alec. Does it matter?"

"No, if you are ok with it? I should let you get inside. Until tomorrow then and I will call for you, I don't want to have to break up a fight before the dance. I would not be surprised if your friend Mickey gets into one before tomorrow night is over."

"He just gets carried away sometimes, sorry. I don't know if he's planning on going to the dance, since I turned him down."

"Well when you did turn him down, it gave me the hope you might agree to go with me."

"If I'd said no, would you have gone with Martha?"

"Honestly? No, I don't think I would, I do not like being chased."

"Is that why you asked me, because I wasn't chasing you?"

"Perhaps. You were flirting with me though."

"Huh?"

"In the arcade, for making you almost bump into me."

"No I wasn't. Well maybe, afterwards when you came out of the arcade. Did my dad tell you anything about his plans?"

"Why would he do that? I have not seen Harkness hanging around, maybe he has left town? We did figure one thing out, why your father is always called down to the Weymouth arcade."

"Don't tell me, Jack's behind it?"

"Yes, so maybe your father won't be in such a hurry to leave next time? Anyway, enough of the arcade and it is forbidden to mention it tomorrow night."

"Yeah, gotcha. Night then."

"Goodnight and maybe tomorrow night we can drink some of that wine?"

"I'll remember my flat shoes but maybe by the time I have to go back down the steps, it will be light?"

"Well that was the idea, there are two bedrooms."

"Well since you don't like women chasing you, you may well offer me the spare room?"

"I hope it does not come to that?" he asked, leaning down to kiss her.

The kiss lasted longer than the one they'd shared in the pub, making Rose tingle.

"I hope not either. Bye Alec."

They kissed again and Rose watched him drive off. She let herself in and went to find Pete.

"Good night out? You weren't long."

"Yeah, Mickey was in the pub with his mates, it sort of spoiled it."

"I'm getting worried about him, he's not staying as late as he used to."

"Well just hope he doesn't start a fight."

"I know, he's been warned. So you and the DI eh? Why didn't you just admit it?"

"I didn't know what you'd say Dad, sorry."

"Well, I've told him to make sure he treats you right. If you have any trouble with him, tell me."

"I don't think I will. Shame you can't do something about Mickey and Martha."

"I told Mickey to go to the dance and see if Martha had a spare ticket," Pete smiled.

"Well she's in for a shock tomorrow night 'cos Alec's calling for me."

"I should hope so. He'd better bring you home at some point as well. Are you planning on staying out? I want to know whether to set the alarm."

"I can disarm the alarm Dad. I'll have to see how things go. I know I should have told you about him but the police have always been causing you trouble apart from the last one. Alec's not like that and I thought you'd be a bit upset."

"I'm not upset love, just a bit surprised."

Hardy had driven off, a bit disappointed he'd not been able to get Rose to his cottage but he couldn't really blame her for not wanting to try and get up and down those steps. What had he been thinking when he took it on for a month? He was never going to last there so the sooner he found something else when the month was up the better, even if it did mean bringing back memories of staying in a caravan, they had to be better than they were thirty years or so ago.

If all went well tomorrow night, he would help Rose up there if she changed into some sensible flat shoes and if he had to, he'd even offer her the spare room but he was hoping it wouldn't come to that. What would she agree to though on a first proper date? Kissing would be nice and anything beyond that would be a bonus, he shouldn't expect her to have sex with him the first time he took her there though no doubt that was what the nurse had in mind, were he to somehow agree to go to the dance with her.

He was quite looking forward to being fought over but hoped no-one would get arrested over it but Rose might get tired of it if she met her now rival before the event. He got to his parking spot, got the bottle of wine and a torch he kept in the glove box out and locked the car, hoping he wasn't being watched.

Martha had finished work and made her way down to the harbour, going in the pub and seeing Mickey on his own in the corner. Should she go talk to him? Maybe the detective might wander in for a drink and if she was talking to Mickey, he might get jealous.

"Hello Mickey, buy me a drink?"

"Why would I want to do that?"

"Have you spoken to Rose?"

"Not lately, she's avoiding me. What did you ring up Pete for earlier?"

"Well, Rose is under some illusion the new DI is taking her to the dance. I thought he'd be a bit annoyed about it."

"He never said anything to me. If he mentioned it to Rose, it didn't work, they just left."

"What?" Martha asked, sitting down. "They were both in, together? Did they leave at the same time?"

"Well yeah so if her father said anything, she was taking no notice. What's it to you anyway?"

"He's supposed to be taking me to the dance, that's what. I even bought tickets."

"You mean you asked him?" Mickey laughed.

"Not exactly, I just dropped some huge hints and got him to give in."

That wasn't quite true but Mickey didn't know that.

"So he's two-timing both you and Rose?"

"Well if you put it like that, then yes. Why was he with her when he's taking me out tomorrow night?"

"Sure you've not got your wires crossed? Are you sure he actually agreed? Why don't you make him jealous and turn up with someone else?"

"It's a bit late now to find someone Mickey."

"I'm not doing anything tomorrow night, did you say you had two tickets?"

"Well yeah but if you want one, you can pay for it and you can buy me a drink."

Mickey got up after asking what she was drinking, then got his wallet out to pay for the ticket though he begrudged paying out to go keep an eye on Rose but surely Pete didn't agree with his daughter going with Hardy?

He agreed to meet her there, she wasn't parting with the ticket to make sure he would actually go in with her. He didn't seem that bothered she was using him to get to Alec Hardy and make him jealous, not that she was actually going to dance with Mickey except to get the detective's attention and once she'd done that, Mickey was on his own.

All the next morning, Rose was trying to concentrate on work and not a certain Alec Hardy. The two Saturday girls were giggling in a corner as she seemed right out of it between serving customers and Alice was going to be having words with her during their break.

"Come on then, tell me what's wrong?" Alice asked as she made Rose a coffee.

"Nothing, I'm just nervous about tonight, that's all. We went to the pub last night and he invited me back to his place but I didn't go."

"Why the hell not? Geez Rose, what's wrong with you?"

"Because it was getting dark and there's a load of steps up to it, that's why."

"Oh. Don't tell me he's renting that cliff cottage?"

"Yeah, I had a feeling he was and when it's light, it won't be a problem."

"It'll be dark when you get out of the dance."

"Yeah but if he helps me up there, I don't intend going back down in the dark."

"I should think not as well. So has Martha been causing any more trouble?"

"Yeah, she had the nerve to ring my dad yesterday to tell him Alec was asking both of us. The night before, she was waiting where he was parking his car. She's getting to be a liability."

"You're telling me. Anyway, we'll see who he turns up with tonight and my bet's on you."

"Thanks Alice. Best get back to work."

Hardy had been to do his grocery shopping, hoping the nurse didn't use the same supermarket. He got some lemonade for Rose, a box of nice chocolates and a bunch of flowers so if he took her back home the following morning, he could present them to her mother if he kept them in some water and Rose didn't think they were for her, though he would explain that her father wouldn't be so mad at her keeping this a secret if he tried not to hide it any longer.

He hadn't wanted to keep things quiet and now there didn't seem any point after tonight, everyone who was there would see them together and the word would soon spread. He just hoped the nurse wouldn't be a sore loser and tell everyone Rose had stolen him from her and he wasn't branded as someone who had let her down, not that there was any truth to it but small towns were notorious for gossip.

Rose was about to go for lunch when she decided to send Alec a text to see if he was out and about. He sent one back saying he'd meet her the same place as yesterday, much to her surprise. Would he think it was a bit much, with them going out tonight? When they met up, he put her at ease.

"I was surprised to get your message."

"Yeah, I just thought, if you were already out, you'd have to eat."

They sat down then he went to order but neither of them saw Martha across the way, standing on the bridge between the river and the harbour, who could make them out quite clearly so as Alec had greeted Rose with a kiss on the cheek on her arrival, she was less than pleased. When she got to the dance, she was going to cling to Mickey and see how long the detective lasted her doing the same to him.