Carla furrowed her brow as she let a loose tendril of waves fall from the curling tong she was holding. It was Friday night and she was somewhat wishing she had declined Frank's invitation to dinner. For one thing she didn't want him to think that she was interested in him in a romantic way and another more pressing reason was she really didn't want to leave Peter on his own with both Megan and Simon. It wasn't that she didn't think him capable but it would be the first time he was on his own for a long period of time, where she couldn't just rush off or something. She looked up as Simon wandered into the bedroom holding a cup of coffee between two hands, walking as carefully as he could manage. "Dad thought you'd like a coffee."
"That was kind. Which dress do you think I should wear kiddo?" Carla asked as Simon's chocolate eyes looked at three outfits laid out on the bed.
"The red dress." He said finally as Carla nodded.
"Good choice." She replied as she glanced at her watch seeing what time it was.
"Where are you going?" Simon asked quizzically as Carla understood his curiosity. After all she had been a pretty constant presence in the past month since Leanne's premature passing. "Oh just to some work meeting, but it means I have to go out for dinner."
"I wish you didn't have to." Simon said as he sat on her bed, his little legs swinging back and forth.
"I wish I didn't have to either pet. I'd much rather stay home with you, your Dad and Megan."
"Dad said we could watch a movie whilst you're out and order pizza."
"Well now I'm even more jealous. But we can all do something tomorrow can't we." Carla suggested as Simon beamed at her.
Gail sighed as she looked at her eldest son who sat at the dinner table a indignant look on his face. "Mum it wasn't some quick one night thing, we were in love."
"Nick she was married." Gail said as Nick scoffed a little. /span/p
"Yeah and at one time she was married to me. She wouldn't leave Peter, reckoned he'd end up back on the booze if she did. Plus she was fond of Simon and said it would be hard on him. We were going to move away but well she was adamant that she had the baby before we left." Nick said as Gail listened intently.
"But that little girl, she could be yours."
"It's more than possible. I tried the other day to get hold of her dummy so we could have a DNA sample but well it was so busy in the bistro and then with Kylie and Tina scrapping there wasn't time." Nick stated as he ventured a guess that his mother was already thinking of kitting out the spare room in his Victoria Quarter's flat as a nursery. "But you need to know, we need to know Nick." Gail said with urgency. Truly she was fond of Max, but she ached missing Bethany her granddaughter and well if Megan was her grandchild she would be ready to battle for access. She knew Gloria and Stella were looking at the legal route to obtain custody but well if Nick was biologically Megan's father then he'd have rights. Far more so than a grandparent. "You have to get some DNA love."
"I do realise that. It's just how."
"Well Sally was saying about Carla having a dinner meeting with a client tonight, think Sal was pretty interested in the guy herself. Anyway it'd mean Peter was in on his own. It'd only need him to use the bathroom and you'd have chance to take a swab of Megan's saliva or pocket one of her dummies."
"So what do you think. Reckon they'll let me in one of those posh restaurants?" Carla said as Peter looked up from where he was tickling Megan's tiny feet delighting in her baby squeaks of joy. He attempted to suppress the feelings of longing he had for her. "Well I guess they might let the riff-raff in tonight so you might be in luck." Peter said as Carla rolled her eyes at him. "Oy you!"
"No truly Carla, the guy's going to be putty in your hand. Reckon you can ask for any price you want and he'll be more than willing." Peter said as Carla arched an eyebrow.
"You do realize that makes me sound like another type of working girl." She stated as she moved to the kitchenette to wash her coffee cup.
"Sorry." Peter said sheepishly as he scooped Megan up and let her snuggle against his shoulder.
"No fair, you can't use those puppy dog eyes and a baby in order to get away with comments like that." Carla said as she put the washed cup on the draining board. She frowned a little as she heard the buzzer sound. "I guess that's my ride. I'll have my mobile on if you need me."
"Will you stop worrying. We've got the most recent Pirates of The Caribbean movie to watch and the pizza menu to select from. We'll be fine." Peter said as Carla slipped on a black fitted jacket.
"You will call if you need anything won't you." She asked as Peter nodded his brown eyes not wandering from her as she ran a hand lightly through her loose waves.
"I will but we'll be fine. You go and have fun."
"That's unlikely. Reckon you and Si will have more fun tonight than me. But needs must and well I guess having dinner with Frank will be beneficial for the factory." Carla said ruefully as she leaned over the couch and dropped a kiss onto the top of Megan's head. Peter smiled at the clear attachment she had for Megan and knew that for all Megan would miss not having Leanne in her life, Carla would be an amazing godmother. "Well go on, he'll think you've stood him up." He stated as Carla sighed and nodded.
"Don't wait up." She said as she breezed out of the door of her apartment, Peter's eyes following her retreating form.
"Right can I get a pint and a white wine cheers." Michelle said as she stood at the bar of the Rover's, Sean serving her.
"Course. Here you'll know if this is true won't you?" Sean asked as he checked to see whether any of the Price's were around. Thankfully Gloria was nattering on the phone to an old friend and Stella had gone into the back to go over some costs. "Know what?"
"If it's right about Mrs C offering Peter financial help to get a good solicitor if he ends up fighting for custody." Fiz said as she sat with Beth and Kirk in a booth. Michelle gritted her teeth slightly. "Whatever Carla decides to do with her money isn't anything to do with me." She said though her tone gave away how she truly felt about things.
"Chelle, don't." Steve said pleadingly as he touched her arm in an effort to comfort her.
"I'm fine Steve!" She said stubbornly as she handed Sean the money for the drinks. Beth waved over at Tracey as she entered the pub, talking loudly into her mobile phone. "...and seriously I told him as if I'd even lower myself to him!" Tracey stated as she rolled her eyes at her friend's suggestion. "Anyway I'll speak to you soon... Yeah I'll let our Peter know you asked how he was." Tracey said as she ended her call and settled herself in the booth next to Beth.
"Alright you. What you fancy?" Beth asked as Tracey shrugged.
"Just a white wine cheers." She answered as Beth told Kirk to go and fetch Tracey her drink.
"So how're you doing?" Beth asked as Tracey shrugged.
"Alright, it's not too bad running the bookies though Peter will eventually have to come back to work but right now it's understandable that he needs to be with the kids." Tracey said. True she might have an icy attitude to most but when it came to her step-brother she was genuinely fond of him and protective, a trait which led to her glowering as Gloria stood mopping up some spilt pints on the bar. "Oi madame you got something to say?" Gloria snapped as Tracey sneered.
"Only what kind of person goes trying to take a baby from a grieving father?" She stated as Gloria's eyes flickered with annoyance.
"Well if he were a decent father I might not have any issue with him having Megan with him. But like I've said, he's more interested in Whisky bottles than his daughter's milk ones." She said spitefully as Tracey's lip jutted out somewhat.
"You are a bitter old witch aren't you."
"Alright that's it you can get out!" Gloria said jabbing a finger in the direction of the Rover's doorway. Tracey cackled in mirth.
"Oh please. Like you have any authority to order me out."
"Well I might not but the police might."
"Oh whatever. Like police will be bothered in a poisonous granny with a grudge." Tracey argued as Norris and Mary looked over with interest from their table.
"They will be when I let them know we're been harassed by you." Gloria said as Tracey rolled her eyes.
"Oh please. If I were harassing you, you'd flamin' well know about it." She snorted as Gloria knew that as low as it might be, goading Tracey into a fight might help her and Stella's pursuit of custody.
Frank smiled as he pulled up into the City Centre carpark. "It's not a long walk to the place." He said as he looked down at the high heels Carla was sporting.
"I'm sure it'll be fine. I'm an old hand at walking in heels." Carla said as she wrapped her silk scarf around her shoulders as Frank opened the door for her.
"It must be nice to have an evening away from everything at your place. I mean a baby and a young boy must be having a big impact on your sleep."
"They're fine. I like having them at my place." Carla said a little angered by Frank's thoughts that she thought Simon and Megan a hindrance.
"Oh right, well I reckon you'll be happy when you have the place back to yourself, I mean no offence but you don't seem the type to enjoy having bits of colourful plastic toys scattered about."
"Look Frank, this is meant to be a business meeting." Carla said as she followed him to the nice looking restaurant.
"Sorry." Frank said as he opened the door allowing her to wander in first.
"This is really good." Simon said as he sat on the couch thoroughly enjoying the film he and Peter were watching. Peter smiled at his son, as he fed Megan her bottle. "Glad you're enjoying it."
"Megan's not watching it though."
"No, well I don't think she'd understand it much would she." Peter said as Simon shook his head.
"No. Dad?"
"Yeah mate?"
"Why did Carla go out tonight? Doesn't she like us anymore?" Simon said as Peter furrowed his brow.
"Well Carla's very busy and she has a factory to run. Tonight she's seeing a client about some orders." Peter said as Simon looked vexed.
"I think she'd have liked this movie."
"You reckon?"
"Aha. She didn't sound very excited about going when I took her a mug of coffee." Simon said as Peter chuckled at his son. "She said we could do something fun tomorrow. Can we go to the seaside?"
"I don't know about that fella. We'll have to see what the weather is like won't we." Peter said as he was cut off from his words when the buzzer sounded.
"Is it Carla?" Simon asked hopefully.
"I doubt it mate. Let's go see." Peter said heading over to answer the buzzer, Megan snuggled safely against his shoulder.
"What the hell is going on?" Stella asked coming through from the backroom having been disrupted from her accounts by the raised voices from the bar.
"This little madame seems to think she can gob off about the fact we're trying to safeguard our granddaughter from a dangerous father."
"Our Peter's not a dangerous father. Anyway at least he hasn't missed out on the whole of his kid's childhood. Unlike some people!" Tracey argued as Stella pursed her lips at the accusation. "That's a low blow and I have it on good authority that had it not been for unfortunate circumstances then Simon would still be enjoying the beaches of Australia." Stella seethed as Tracey wrinkled her nose up.
"Whatever, Peter's a good Dad."
"Yeah well I suppose that compared to you he's a potential parent of the year." Gloria shot.
"Excuse me?"
"Well I'm sure it's slightly better to have a parent who's an alcoholic rather than a murderer." Gloria said as Tracey clenched a fist.
"See she's violent. Reckon that Peter get's violent an' all when he's got a drink in him." Gloria said as Stella looked at her mother imploring her to stop making a scene. "I suggest you get yourself home." She said as calmly as she could to Tracey who pulled a face.
"I ain't done nothing." She said as Roy shook his head slightly at her use of double negatives as Hayley nudged him, sipping her tomato juice.
"Don't get involved." She whispered.
"But. I wasn't get.." Roy trailed off as Tracey smashed her glass on the floor.
"Oi what do you think you're doing!" Stella said.
"Well if you aren't letting me drink the rest of it, I'm getting my money's worth." Tracey smirked as she spun on her heel and headed out of the doors, them slamming behind her.
"Nick, what are you doing here? Carla's not around if it was her you were wanting to speak to." Peter said as he opened the door, Megan's little hand splayed on his cheek as she wriggled in arms. "Oh it was actually you I was wanting to see. Hey Si." Nick said as Simon waved a hand and returned to watching his movie.
"Oh."
"Yeah, I know it's still really raw but I was wandering what your plans were regarding the Bistro." Nick said as he frowned slightly that Simon was still about. He had hoped that he might be in bed or having a bath. Out of the way.
"Well I'll get you a drink shall I." Peter said as Nick sat down. "You okay taking Megan for a minute or two." He asked as Nick nodded.
"I'd love to." He said wandering if he could sneak Megan's dummy whilst Peter was otherwise occupied and Simon happily immersed in his film.
"You want a coffee or tea?" Peter asked.
"Tea please." Nick said as he smiled down at Megan who he cradled in his arms. "So how's things?" He asked trying to appear friendly.
"Well as well as they can be I guess. Eventually we'll have to think about moving back to the flat or getting a new place." Peter said as he cherished the fact Carla was happy to have him and the kids stay but knowing that it could only be a temporary thing. "Well this little one certainly seems happy enough." Nick mused as he tried to take the dummy from Megan but discovering she had a strong grip on her soother.
"...and they ended up getting married." Frank said as Carla tried her hardest to feign interest in his story of a former girlfriend and his ex-best friend.
"This is a really nice place." She mused as she looked around the elegant decoration.
"Oh one of my friends part owns it. He's not in tonight but I'll be honest he does a decent discount and I don't get landed with a table by the loos." Frank said as Carla smirked. "Not bad." She paused slightly thinking of her own friends. Leanne was gone and Michelle was hardly speaking to her at the moment, only managing to tell her she thought she was been stupid having Peter and the kids stay at her apartment. "I'm sorry, I should have though mentioning friends. The lass must have had something about her been good friends with you."
"She did. Leanne, she was flighty and determined. I think she reminded me of myself a little, just had the right idea not to become some arm-candy for a man who didn't really love her." Carla said as she sipped her wine, thinking bitterly of her late husband who'd spent the last years of their marriage seeking out escorts for fun and games. Frank raised his eyebrows. "Seriously, some lucky guy had the audacity to hurt you. Well the guy sounds like a complete idiot. I bet he'll be rueing the fact now."
"Doubt it, he's dead." Carla said as Frank looked down slightly afraid he might have offended her. "Oh it's okay it was a while ago. I'm over it. And before you ask it was a car accident, not me going all Glenn Close on him." Frank chuckled as the waiter brought over their main courses. "Oh I just need to nip to the bathroom." Carla said excusing herself knowing she wanted to say goodnight to Simon before he went to bed. That and she wanted to ensure Peter was okay, without been obvious about it.