Chapter 10

Thank you so much for all your reviews... So I've written quite far ahead now and have planned some drama for this fic ;) Please review! Laura x

Connie lay on her back slowly waking up. It was still early and she didn't need to be in work today until the afternoon. She rolled over to see Cal still lying next to her asleep. The temptation to wake him up was impossible to ignore but she knew she'd only regret it. Instead she rested her head back down and closed her eyes.

A little while later she opened her eyes again to see Cal looking at her. She smiled realising he was just watching her. "What?" He moved a strand of her hair from her face before leaning down to kiss her. "Nothing…" Cal ran his hands through her hair while she moved closer to him, laying her head down across his arm.

"Con, you know these past few months with you…" he laughed looking at her "…they've been the best I've ever had." Connie looked down feeling her cheeks flush red before he put a hand under her chin and lifted her gaze back up to his. "I love you Connie Beauchamp and I never thought I'd be saying that to you." She closed the distance between them putting her lips onto his. She felt his hands move to her waist as she knelt up on the bed.

Connie's hands went around his neck as he deepened the kiss. She moved so she was kneeling over him as they kissed. Cal lay down, Connie moving back with him. Their hands wandered as they lay there until Connie moved back slightly breaking the kiss. "Somehow over the past few months I think you've made me do the same… Fallen for someone that I thought I never would." Cal smiled again up at the woman he cared so much about.

The rest of the morning was much of the same until Connie got up and had a shower. Cal was sitting on the bed when she came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel. "So do you think you'll go to Zoe's hen night?" Connie searched through her cupboard while Cal sat back and enjoyed the view. "I don't know, I don't think I'll even go to the wedding to be honest… Are you going out with Max?"

"Wait what? You can't not go to Zo's wedding, you're her bridesmaid. And anyway, you couldn't make me turn up dateless for their wedding!" Connie turned round smiling at the thought before speaking again. "Who said I'd go with you? I'm still not sure about tonight. Someone has to work-" "Dr Keogh is in… And there are plenty of other staff in as well, so don't try make excuses." She rolled her eyes before getting dressed for work.

Cal was sitting downstairs when Connie walked down in her heels and black dress. She put down her jacket and sat on the sofa next to Cal resting her legs across his lap. He ran his hand up and down her leg before looking over at her. "Why do you dress like that when you know I have to work with you for the day?"

On arriving to the hospital Connie wandered in holding onto Cal's hand. She still found it weird doing that, yes they'd been together a few months now but around work they didn't show it as much. "I'll see you tonight?" Connie nodded and smiled as he bent down and placed a gentle kiss on her lips before leaving her to go into her office.

The shift flew by for everyone as they were excited for the wild night out ahead of them. Zoe had said to Rita she didn't want a big fuss but that was certainly what she was going to receive. Connie came out of her office and greeted Tess in the entrance. "I'm glad you've decided to come with us tonight, I think Zoe might need it when she realises how not quiet this is." Connie laughed before waiting for Zoe.

Max and the guys had already left and were having a pint in the pub across the road before leaving for the night ahead of them. The group consisted of Max, Iain, Lofty, Big Mac, Cal and Ethan. "Here's for your last night of freedom Max, nothing's the same entering into married life-" "And you'd know how exactly?" Cal smiled raising his glass "There's more than one way to be in a married life you're just going the conventional route…" Max laughed "I'm not even going to ask!"

Zoe walked outside the hospital to see a black limousine parked outside. "Rita, what happened to a quiet night with a few friends?" Rita put a sash around Zoe's neck before they began getting inside. Robyn and Dixie got in first followed by Rita and Tess. "Let's get smashed!" Zoe looked over the roof of the car towards Connie who just smiled and shrugged as they climbed in.

The girls were all sitting around a table laughing and talking when someone walked over. "Mum, I'm glad you could make it!" Zoe looked past the table and noticed Greta standing next to Robyn. "Greta, how lovely you're here." Connie could sense the sarcasm in her friends voice and had a sip of her drink to try and hide the smile. Zoe glanced towards Tess and Connie knowing they'd both know what she thought about her soon-to-be mother-in-law there.

After several drinks everyone began getting up to dance. "Come on!" Connie stood up pulling Zoe up from the table. Tess watched as the woman walked away from the table leaving her to sit with Greta and Robyn. "I thought you'd want a break from that fun chat-" "Thank you! But I really don't dance…" Connie laughed. "Live a little, do you really think I normally come to places like this?"

They joined Rita and Dixie at the bar who had just ordered a round of shots for them, Rita hadn't been drinking all evening as she was in work first thing. Connie knew that Rita wasn't in work tomorrow and that there was probably more to it than that but decided it was best to leave it tonight. "To Zoe and Max-" "And the cow of a mother-in-law!" Rita added the last bit before they all swallowed the drinks in one. "What was that?" Zoe pulled a face at the vile taste before they headed for the dance floor once more.

Max walked down into the club followed by Cal and Lofty. "Please tell me there's no stripper because Zoe will kill me!" He turned back around and headed for the bar with them. "No strippers but plenty of girls about-" "Yeah and I'm getting married Lofty, nice try."

They ordered some drinks before looking around. The club was getting pretty busy but it wasn't hard to recognise the girls a little further down the bar.

Connie was standing next to Zoe talking about their love lives. "You know, I never thought I'd be getting married, especially not to Max! I mean, he's a porter and half my age-" "Yeah but you love him. He makes you happy so let it be!" They ordered a drink before turning back around to see Dixie and Rita dancing like a pair of idiots. "Did we look that bad?" Connie laughed before having another sip of her drink.

"Anyway, what about you? How's it going?" Connie smiled moving the straw around in her drink. "He said he loved me this morning. I couldn't bring myself to say it back though… I don't know, I just can't say it-" "Well do you?" Zoe looked at her friend who had another drink. "Of course I do, but I can't tell him that!"

Max looked over to where Cal was watching. "Hey, don't forget you're a taken man just as much as I am!" Cal smiled turning back, "I know I am… And the woman who holds my heart happens to be the one I'm looking at standing with your soon-to-be wife." Cal smiled watching Connie dancing around with Zoe, he had never seen her out like this and it was certainly an interesting sight.

Iain had already bumped into Rita who came out of the toilets and nobody had seen them both since. The guys assumed he had gone home and Dixie had seen Iain come into the club so guessed they'd gone home. Cal was getting up and walking through the crowd of people to get to Connie. She was wearing a short black dress with short sleeves. She had on a huge pair of heels, and it was impressive she hadn't yet fallen over in them.

Cal moved behind her as she danced around and put his hands around her waist. Connie rested her hands on his and moved them away. "Look I'm sorry but- What are you doing here? I thought you were with Max." She realised who it was standing behind her and smiled when he laughed at her reaction. "Hello to you too, and Max is right there with Zoe." She glanced up to see Zoe had moved away from her and towards her future husband.

"You look incredible tonight, so just how many men have you had to say that to tonight?" She smiled as he put his hands around her waist again. "It's good seeing you out like this, enjoying yourself." Connie smiled as she danced with Cal before looking up at him. "I love you… I never said it earlier and it's been making me feel awful all day." Cal bent down and kissed the woman in front of him. When he moved back she smiled opening her eyes again to look up at him. "I think they can cope without us now, let's go home." Connie smiled as Cal led her from the club and towards a taxi.