Chapter 50:
A/N: Chapter 50 LOL, remember when this was supposed to be a one-shot.
Carla
"Right you, straight to the factory when you've finished, no skiving off." I wind Michelle up as we reach the medical centre. "Sure you don't need me to come?"
"I'll be fine." She assures me. "This new counsellor woman seems nice."
"Yeah she does." I nod, kissing her quickly. "Let's hope she's not too nice, might sweep you off your feet."
"Shut up." She narrows her eyes, letting go of my hand. "I'll see you in an hour."
"Yes you will." I wave her off, turning to strut down the cobbles towards Underworld. I notice there are now wreaths on the houses and lights on the big Christmas tree by Maxine's Bench. I really needed to get my act together.
"Oh, Carla?" I hear Maria's voice, turning to see where she is pacing towards me from the entrance of her flat. "Can I have a word?"
"Well I've gotta open up the factory." I wave my keys. "Is it urgent?"
"Well... No not really but..." She pushes her hair back. "It's sort of a business opportunity I guess... Can I meet you in the Rovers at lunchtime?"
"Uh... Yeah ok. I guess so." I respond, instantly intrigued. "Say twelve?"
"Yeah that's great." She looks back at the flat, stressed. "Better go, I've got to get Liam to school."
"Ok, give him kisses from me." I smile as she walks off, and I head towards the factory. "Hello. Sorry I'm two minutes late."
"Could be worse, could be two minutes early." Sean jokes, laughing to himself as I open up the doors and he dips his head as he passes me.
"Mrs Connor? Can I have a word?" Beth asks, rather timidly for her usual boisterous personality.
"Ooh, eager aren't you?" I tease her. "Not even inside yet."
"It's about Sinead." She confesses and I scan the area, noticing she hadn't passed me into the factory.
"Oh yeah where is Sinead?" I ask uneasily. "...Everything ok, Beth?"
"Can we go in the office?"
"Yeah course." I nod as she walks past me solemnly. "Right, you know what you're working on. Let's get to it." I clap my hands, scooting past the shop floor and into the office. "Do you want a seat, Beth? Michelle's not in for an hour."
"Yeah I, uh... I..." She stutters, looking as if she is about to burst into tears and I place a hand on her shoulder supportively.
"Sorry I'm late!" Sarah sings as she enters the office. "Mad queue in Roys. I brought you a coffee though." She places a takeout cup down on my desk, suddenly reading the situation. "I'll uh... Start by checking on packing."
"Thanks Sarah." I call as she leaves after dumping her bag, turning my attention back to Beth. "Hey, take your time. Has something happened to Sinead?"
"She's got um... She's got cancer." She admits and the word hits me hard, transporting me back to when we found out the news about Hayley. "Cervical."
"But... She's pregnant." I very obviously point out and she just nods. "Well... What are they going to do? They can treat it, right?"
"That's exactly it." She brushes a tear from her cheek. "They can't start chemo until the baby is born... So they're faced with... You know, do they continue with the pregnancy and risk her health or..."
"Oh God." I put my head in my hands. "Poor Sinead."
"I only found out last night. She's been going in for all these appointments for weeks and we haven't known why."
"Well tell her to take all the time off she needs. I'll organise her sick pay right away." I assure her and she smiles appreciatively. "Why don't you get yourself off, ey? You look like you've hardly slept. Tell Kirk he can go with you and all."
"Are you sure?" She looks shocked at my kindness.
"Yeah, we'll manage." I place a hand on her cheek supportively. "Hey, give her my love won't you?"
"Yeah, course I will." She slumps out of the office. "Thanks Mrs Connor."
Michelle
"Hello." I call as I enter the office, in high-spirits after my surprisingly successful therapy session. The atmosphere in the office, however, did not feel quite as positive. "They all look miserable as sin out there."
"How did you get on?" Carla asks and I glance at Sarah awkwardly.
"I'll uh just... Would you like a coffee Michelle?" Sarah offers, walking past me before I can even answer.
"It went really well." I smile, taking a seat at my desk. "She's lovely, a really good listener, you know? I feel... I don't know, clear-headed all of a sudden." I tell her giddily, noticing her slightly hazy stare. "...Unlike you, it seems."
"Hey? No, no." She reaches for my hand. "That's brilliant, I'm proud of you sweetheart."
"...What's up?" I narrow my eyes, glancing out to the shop floor. "Everyone looks like they have a rain cloud hanging over their head."
"Yeah uh..." She hesitates before getting up, sitting down on my desk in front of me. "We've been given some news this morning... Sinead's got cancer. Cervical cancer. That's why she's been having all these hospital appointments."
"Oh..." I trail off, staring down at the floor as the news hits me. I instantly feel guilty for being so upbeat about overcoming my problems. "But they can cure it, right?"
"They don't know, sweetie." She strokes her fingers through my hair. "...They can't start treatment until the baby is born. By which time, it might be too late. Unless they decide to... Terminate the pregnancy."
"God that's... Terrible." I look up to meet her caring gaze and she just nods, holding her own. "Are you okay?"
"Me? Yeah I'm fine." She breezes over it. "It's them out there I'm worried about... It affected them all so badly when Hayley was diagnosed. It's like a family, you know? Family of misfits but a family all the same. I'd be lost without them."
"Yeah." I just say quietly, reaching up to place a hand against her cheek. "Want a hug?"
"Go on then." She forces a smile as I stand, nuzzling her head against my chest once I have wrapped my arms around her. "Love you."
"Love you." I kiss the top of her head, as the office door reopens, Sarah quietly placing a mug down on my desk. I flash her an appreciative smile, still holding Carla as Sarah takes a seat at her desk. "Uh, Sarah, could you check how far along with the Sid Altree order we are?" I ask as Carla releases herself from me. "I'm gonna phone him and try and get us an extension on the deadline. Looks like we'll be a couple of machinists down for a while."
"Yeah course." She stands obediently, grabbing a clipboard and heading out of the office again.
"You sure you're ready for that?" Carla asks, looking up from her desk.
"What a phone call?" I scoff, logging into my computer.
"You know full well he'll want to meet you." Carla raises an eyebrow and my heart starts pounding at the thought. "He'll use any excuse."
"Yeah well." I shrug, bravely. "Bring it on."
Carla
"The bank have said they'll consider a small loan, but I thought, you know what? Why don't I ask the best business person I know." Maria continues to sweet-talk me as I gaze, unappeased, at the doodles she had presented as business plans.
"Dev?" I joke and she lets out a sarcastic laugh. "Uh, stop showering me with compliments Maria and tell me what you want."
"I want you to invest in me!" She says excitedly and I try to detain an exasperated sigh that is desperate to leave my chest. "I want you to invest in my salon! Well, Claudia's salon."
"But you and Claudia are going to be equal partners, aren't you?" Audrey pipes up, eavesdropping on our booth. I was so pleased this was how I was spending my lunch break.
"Not exactly no."
"Well good luck, dealing with that one."
"We're working together Audrey, not against each other." Maria argues and I subtly roll my eyes, developing a headache just from Audrey's voice. "And she thinks I can go really far, actually. It's been quite nice having someone believing in me for a change." As she finishes, Audrey just lets out a bemused scoff, turning her back on us. "Anyway, what do you reckon?"
"So..." I bring her attention back to mine, folding my arms. "Will you want cold hard cash?"
"Yes please!" She says, like it was a tenner in a birthday card.
"...And why should I do this?" I proposition her, knowing she had a speech prepared.
"Um, because I'm a sound investment." She offers. "And you'll get it all back, doubled, in a year."
"Ooh, that's ambitious."
"That's me." She preens, and I am quick on the uptake to shatter her pride.
"I was joking, that was stupid." My eyes drop back down to the plans she had scrawled out, debating it for a moment. She was family, after all, and at the moment the factory was sailing, it wouldn't be hard to find the cash to help her out.
"I don't know, do I?" She sighs, desperation in her eyes. "But I do know that I'm a good hairdresser. I'm a great hairdresser actually. I'm a hard worker. You know, Carla? I know I can make a success of this."
I study her for a moment before finally offering her a warm smile. "I think you will do."
"So you'll invest?"
"Maybe." I tease her, handing back her notebook. "On two conditions."
"Go on, hit me."
"You do yourself a proper business plan, not in this stupid teenage ring binder scribbly pad." I poke it distastefully. "And number two. I have free haircuts for life and a blue rinse when I'm eighty five."
"Yes!" She squeals excitedly, lurching forward and wrapping me in a hug.
"Hang about, let me just run it past Michelle first." I hug her back for a moment.
"Why?"
"Why?" I raise an eyebrow. "Because she's my wife, Maria. It's a big thing to go into without informing your other half."
"Oh yeah." She remembers. "Almost forget about that whole you two being together thing sometimes."
"Ah, charming." I flash her a smile, gathering my things. "Anyway, better get back to the factory. You get working on those business plans, you. Love ya."
Michelle
"She will literally be back in five, Mr Bellman, I'll let her know you called." I speak politely down the phone, hanging up when he was finally satisfied. "Don't let me forget to tell Carla to call him back, he's in a right mood." I mention to Sarah. "Right what was all this about King's Robes? They're looking for some draft designs?"
"Oh yeah, I noted it all down in the file." Sarah presents it to me professionally. "So he's thinking of going for something quite-"
"So it's true then." The office door flies open and I snap my head around, face turning sour when I realise it was not actually one of the machinists entering unannounced - it was much worse. "You are working here?"
"Seems that way. What are you doing back?" Sarah squeals, running at Nick and wrapping her arms around his neck. I'd have thought it sweet, if I wasn't shell-shocked and quite threatened by his return.
"Yes, what are you doing back?" I lace my tone with disapproval, watching as he turns to face me.
"Oh hi Michelle." He waves, curtly, clearly having no blood to bear. "You're back here and all?"
"Well it is my factory." I flash him a smile and I see his expression falter in confusion.
"Carla signed it over to you?" He frowns. "I thought you were working at the Bistro?"
It dawns on me that he wasn't aware of anything that had happened in his absence, suddenly eager to make the announcement. "Well no, else I'd be married to Robert, wouldn't I?"
"Things didn't work out then?" He clocks my wedding and engagement rings. "But it did with someone." He grins, playfully. "Go on, who is it? You didn't get back with Steve?"
"No I did not!" I retort and Sarah looks put out at his sudden interest in me.
"Uh, 'scuse me!" She clicks her fingers in his face. "You've hardly said two words to me since you came in here. How come you're back?"
"Well I-" He begins as the door flies open again, Carla entering and not noticing him leant up against the wall.
"Chelle, I just had a meeting with Maria. I need to run something past you..." She starts, before turning to face the scene in front of her. "Wow uh... Hello." Her eyes fall upon Nick. "What are you doing here?"
"I just popped in to visit my sister." He stands up straight, placing his hands in his pockets. It was like watching my own nightmares play out in real life, and there was no way of waking up from them. "You look well."
"Oh..." Carla runs a hand through her hair awkwardly. "Thank you... So you're back in town then?"
"Yeah uh... Yeah look, I better be going." He points to the door, taking a few paces forwards so that there was less than a metre between them. "I can see you've got a full order book."
"Yes!" She snaps back to reality. "Yep."
"Are we ok?" He asks gently, measuring her mood. I grit my teeth, noticing how her face creases politely when she turns back to him.
"Yeah, oh sorry, I was just thinking about work."
"Well maybe we ought to have a catch up... Clear the air." Nick suggests and my blood runs cold, watching how Carla hesitates, her eyes drifting to mine. She could tell I was watching the scene play out like a fanatic in front of a television programme, desperate not to miss a single word, a single flicker of emotion. Nick's eyes move down to her hand, noticing her ring. "Oh... Moving on up I see." He indicates. "Met some surfer dude in Devon?"
"Haha." Carla just laughs nervously, watching at how I have an eyebrow poised argumentatively. "No." She composed herself, giving a slight cough as she slips past him, to my surprise, bending down and pecking me on the lips. "How's it been, sweetheart? Any news while I've been on lunch?"
I can tell Sarah's face is flushing behind us, Nick's brain working to keep up with the astonished look on his face.
"Uh..." Is all he can release, as Carla drapes her arms around my shoulders. "Wow... Right, ok."
"But yeah, we can have a catch up sometime if you want? We'll make a thing of it, hey? Michelle, Sarah, you'll come won't you? I'm sure we've all got lots to catch up on."
"...Evidently." Nick nods, trying to keep the shock out of his tone. "I'll uh... Right well... I'll um... Go then."
"I'll see you out." Sarah ushers him, flustered at the turn of events and I open my mouth as soon as she has closed the door.
"'Uh, um, uhh, Carla, uh.'" I imitate him, noticing the wistful expression on my wife's face. "Well that was a joy." I try to keep my temper, annoyed about yet another inconvenience strolling into my life. I raise my head, realising I have had no response, noticing how she is gazing out onto the shop floor, deep in thought. "Well this is reassuring, thanks babe."
"What? Oh sorry." She composes herself again, turning to face me. "Sorry it's just, well I haven't seen him since the day after our wedding day, have I?"
"...So?" I know it's a stupid thing to say, but I was already defensive. Peter might have screwed Carla over, I knew she would never make that mistake twice. But Nick never wronged her, she was besotted with him once upon a time. If he decided he wanted her back, there could be trouble.
"So it's just weird." She shrugs dismissively, taking a seat at her desk and beginning to rifle through the Bellman's file.
"Weird how?" I glare at her and I notice her do a subtle eye roll.
"Oh don't do this, Michelle."
"Do what?"
"This weird possessive jealousy thing." She sighs without thinking and anger flares up inside me, desperate not to have it out in the workplace, when Sarah could walk back in at any second.
"Possessive?" I just arch an eyebrow, shocked at the terminology.
"Well, no, I didn't mean that." She puts her head in her hands. "I just, you did the same with Peter for months, don't start it with Nick and all."
"Start what?" I raise my voice slightly and she just lets out a quiet groan. "'Cause it seems like you're the one starting things-"
"Michelle I am pregnant with your children, I married you, we own a business together, a home. Ok?" She suddenly snaps. "I have no interest in Nick anymore. None. Right? And that's the only time I'm going to say it. End of story."
The room falls into silence, even the clock ticking awkwardly as if it dared to. I try to formulate a response, momentarily debating whether to back down or fight my corner further.
Luckily, the phone rings out, offering me an option C, and flicking my tongue against my cheek sourly, I reach out to answer it. "Hello Underworld." I hear Mr Bellman's demanding voice down the line, refraining from sighing exasperatedly. "Yes I know it's been seven minutes not five, she's right here." I hold the phone out to Carla without even meeting her gaze, standing as soon as she had taken it from me and making any excuse to leave the room. "I'm gonna go check stock."
Carla
"Thought you were checking stock?" I notice her sat on the sofa as soon as I open the flat door, glass of wine in her hand. "I was worried."
"Sorry, I did text you." She points to her phone and I take my coat off, going round to sit on the coffee table. I study her for a moment, weighing up my possible words, noticing she was flicking through an old photo album. "Are you done for the day or just taking a break?"
"Depends whether we sort this." I tap her knee gently and eventually she looks up. I could tell she had been crying, she would never admit it though, so I decide not to point it out. "I'm sorry for how I spoke to you, that was wrong of me."
"It's fine." She just brushes it off. "I probably deserved it... Me and my possessiveness."
"Baby I didn't mean it like that." I sigh, tracing my hand up and down her leg. "I just don't want you to feel threatened by anyone."
"Ha, I don't." She scoffs childishly, but I let it pass for the sake of peace.
"As long as you know I love you and only you." I try to get her to look at me and eventually she rolls her head, meeting my gaze like a moody teenager. "I'd blame the hormones but I'm not trying to get out of it."
She just gives a slight cough, putting the photo album to one side and leaning forwards, taking my hands in hers. "...Well, Sarah's got some explaining to do. He didn't see that one coming, did he?"
"She did say he was a little shocked." I smile back at her and she laughs slightly. "...Sorry. Am I forgiven?"
"I'm sorry too." She squeezes my hand. "But we are not going for a drink with him."
"Ah, thank God." I joke, as I pick up the photo album she had been flicking through. "Wow... Look at us. I can't have been much older than..."
"Thirteen." She nods, dropping her eyes to the page, where I was stood, arm around a younger Michelle, mud splatters on my cheeks. "I believe that was the day you taught us to play football, Carla Donovan style."
"Oh the days I played sport." I reminisce jokingly.
"Played sport?" Michelle scoffs. "That's one way of putting it. You still had mud on that t-shirt for years."
"Yeah well, we didn't have Persil back at the Donovan household. It was hot water or nowt." I shrug, turning the page to see a photo of me, Liam, Rob and Michelle, stood outside a grotty looking caravan, forcing the smiles on our faces. "Grim."
"Yeah it was a bit minging." Michelle pulls a face, thinking back to the 'holidays' we used to spend in the caravan park. Johnny and Barry's idea of fun. The one week a year me and Rob would be taken from our abusive parents. At the time, I couldn't understand why they were so insistent on taking us with the Connor family. Now I understood, it was Johnny's way of 'treating me'. "We really pulled through, didn't we?"
"Yeah we did." I smile, looking up at her. "Ahh..." Turning the page, my eyes fall upon a photo of an early teenage Michelle, grin plastered on her face, a cake with thirteen candles sitting before her.
"God no." She throws a hand over the photo, wincing. "Look at my braces."
"It's cute!" I pull her hand away laughing, running a finger over the photo. "You look genuinely happy."
"Yeah I was." She murmurs, daring to drop her eyes down to the photo again. "Lou made me that cake. Must've only been a few years before she passed actually..." She works out, before changing the subject. "Hey, that party was the first time Rob tried to kiss me. He must've only been about twelve."
"Ha, relentless, that one." I scoff, thinking about how many relationships and near-relationships had taken place in our bubble. "...Wow, we really were a dysfunctional family, weren't we?
"Mm." She just mumbles, taking the album from me to stick the corner back down where it had come loose.
"Speaking of family, there's something I need to run by you." I remember and she looks up, the terminology clearly triggering her inquisitiveness. "I told Maria that I, well, we would invest in her salon. You know, the one she's opening with Sylvia?"
"Ok." She just drops her head back down, clearly unbothered.
"Well it's gonna be about ten grand." I elaborate. "Thinks she's gonna double it by next year though."
"We better get free hair-dos." Is all she says, surprised she wasn't more argumentative about us throwing thousands of pounds at a business that might not even survive.
"Yeah, that was one of the conditions." I tell her, noticing how involved in winding back the years she was. "Right well, I'm heading back to work for an hour, I need to lock up anyway... Don't drink all that wine while I'm gone."
It's as if I see a cog rotate in Michelle's brain, as if a little voice has just reminded her of her morals. "Well uh, I can go and do that." She offers suddenly. "Why don't you have a bath?"
"Ey?" I frown, confused as to how I went from the dog house to this in less than ten minutes.
"Well it should be me doing all the hard graft." She points out, grabbing her bag. "You should have your feet up, relaxing."
"I'm not ill." I let out a shocked laugh.
"No, but you'll make yourself ill if you keep putting yourself under all this pressure." She kisses me quickly, heading off as if nothing had ever happened. "See you in a bit." She closes the door behind her and I wince, unable to keep up. One moment she couldn't leave bed because of her anxiety, the next she was skipping to work on her own.
Michelle
"Right Sarah, you might as well get off and all." I sigh, finishing up on my computer, there had been more to get through than I anticipated. Maybe I had needed Carla's help after all. "I just have to get this email sent off to King's Robes so that they pick it up in the morning."
"Right ok well don't be working too late." She checks the clock, it had nearly hit six. The early December sky had darkened, the machinists were down the pub and I could practically hear the rest of the bottle of wine at home calling my name. "Take care of yourself, yeah?"
"Yep, see you tomorrow." I dismiss her, hearing the quiet slam of the office door, followed shortly by the familiar squeak of the factory entrance. It was eerily quiet once everybody had left. The lamp on my desk shedding deep, yellow light into the office. This was the biggest step I had taken since by relapse and I didn't want to be here any longer than I needed to.
Finishing up with the email and hitting send, I take a look at Carla's desk, taking the liberty of scooping up her loose paper work and assembling it neatly ready for the next day. Grabbing the shopping bag that I had picked up on the way here, I pulled out the bouquet of flowers, laying them on the desk alongside a bar of Carla's favourite chocolate, ready for when she arrived the next morning.
My head whips around at the sound of a faint thud, eyes fixated on the office window for a moment. My nerves started to itch, breath caught in my throat for just a moment. I was being paranoid.
Turning my back to where the sound had come from, I try to shut out the anxiety, finding my keys ready to lock up. Causing my blood to freeze in my veins, a soft rattle sounds, urgently searching for something I could protect myself with. The bottle. I remember the whiskey that had a permanent home in the bottom drawer of Carla's desk, although it had been untouched for weeks. Grabbing it, I fling the door open, my eyes shifting left and right, leaving no area untouched. The soft rattle sounds again and my eyes follow the noise to where Sean's flask had fallen off the table, rolling around carelessly on the floor. "Michelle you're so stupid." I mutter to myself, relaxing my tensed up body and lowering the bottle of whiskey from where it had been poised ready to swing. "Get a grip." I reach down to pick up the flask, hammering it down on the table and spinning on my heel, letting out a frightened squeak all of a sudden. It's as if my heart had actually stopped for a moment, clapping a hand over my mouth. "Sid! Oh God, you scared me!" I try to compose myself, brushing my skirt down with my spare hand and trying to maintain a level of professionalism. "What are you doing here?"
"I was just passing, I saw the light on." He flashes me a sickly smile, making my skin crawl. "I thought I would pop in and see if you fancied a drink in the Bistro, you can fill me in on how the order's going." He takes a step forward and I feel my feet glueing themselves to the floor, freezing me in place. "Or we could have a drink here, since you seem to have it prepared." He chuckles wickedly, pointing to the bottle in my hand. "Since I happened to miss you the other week when I stopped by."
"I uh... I can't tonight." I just release, trying to make myself seem more confident than the trembling mess inside. "I've got to get back to Carla."
"Carla?" He narrows his eyes as I finally get the urge to move, swooping past him. "You live together?" He questions and I forget he didn't know the full story, eyes falling to my ring. "I thought you'd be living with your new man."
"...No." Is all I manage, collecting my things. At least out in the street, there would be people. The more people, the safer I was.
"How come?" He continues, barring himself in the way of the office door, either unknowingly or intentionally, I wasn't sure, I just wanted to get out. "Are things not working out between you?"
"Look, Sid. I've got things to do." I try to keep my tone bright, plastering a smile onto my face. "Another time though, yeah?"
"I'm only making friendly conversation." He holds his hands up, and I debate using the other door, but decide that might look as if I was trying to make an escape. Besides, I couldn't leave him in here when I needed to lock up.
"I know." I swallow, trying to keep the atmosphere upbeat. "And the order's going well. Thanks for letting us have that extension by the way."
"No problem." He replies curtly, reaching forward to place a burning hand on his shoulder. My stomach lurches, biting down hard on my lip. "I did you a favour. So why don't you do me one, hey? One drink."
"I said no." I say more forcefully and I see his eyes flare slightly. He wasn't used to that word, I could tell. Swanning around in his suit, demanding what he wanted and complaining when he got exactly that. I didn't want to spend a moment longer with his skin against mine. "Excuse me."
"...Michelle."
"I SAID MOVE!" I shout suddenly, my body beginning to shake, as the other door slides open suddenly.
"Chelle?" I hear the comforting voice, the only voice that could calm me down. I whip my head around to see Carla, worry laced into her expression at the scene before her. Sid immediately retracts his hand, composing his posture and smearing a winning smile on his face. Carla's eyes flicker back and forth, taking a step forwards protectively. "Baby, what's going on?"
"Nothing... I just..." I trail off, my voice coming out shaky and panicked. "I just wanted to go home."
"What are you doing here?" It is the first time I have heard Carla talk to Sid Altree like a piece of gum stuck to her shoe. Usually it was all flirty laughs and false manners. "It's past six."
"I was just passing." He shrugs, dismissively. "Thought I'd come in and see if this one wanted to bring me up to speed on the order quickly."
"Right. Well I heard her say no, so." Carla shuts him up and I take a step backwards, closer to her. "So that means no."
"Well this isn't the warm welcome I was hoping for." He practically spits, throwing his toys out the pram like so many men did when they realised they couldn't have total control. "I'm saving your bacon with this order. I've just given you an extension. I'd have thought you'd be a little bit more grateful."
"Yes and we are." Carla nods boldly, clearly not bothered by his rising temper. "But when I walk in here and you have your hand on my wife, refusing to let her leave her place of work, I'm not so grateful."
"...Your wife?" Sid raises an eyebrow, a sick smile cursing his face again. My face screws up in disgust at the way I can mentally see fantasies playing out in his head, retracting fully so that I can smell Carla's perfume, feeling her arms secure around my shoulders. "You didn't think to mention that you two were..." He waves his finger between us. "Aren't you sisters?"
"No!" Carla shouts in disgust. "And I didn't mention it because business, Sid, doesn't involve my love life."
"Ok, calm down." He raises his hands defensively, before pointing at me. "She said she had a man on the go."
"No I didn't, you assumed." I murmur, feeling protected by Carla's embrace. "Just like everyone assumes."
"Right well..." He mutters, angrily. "This didn't quite go to plan, did it? Let's hope your manners clear up the next time I see you, Michelle. Else I might be forced to pull this order."
"Oh no you won't be liaising with Michelle anymore." Carla informs him and I turn to face her, confused. "From now on, if you want to discuss the order, you talk to me."
"I don't like your tone." He takes a step forward menacingly.
"And I don't like yours." She fires back.
"You're treading on thin ice here girls-"
"Women. Not girls." Carla grits her teeth and he just scoffs, shaking off her comment. "And threaten us with the order all you like, maybe we don't want it after all if it's going to involve sexual misconduct."
"Excuse me?" His mouth falls open in shock.
"Carla-" I begin, but she just shifts me backwards, stepping in front of me.
"Yeah. That's what I said. The way you're initiating physical contact with Michelle is extremely inappropriate."
"Oh you're winding me up." He jeers, wiping a hand across his mouth. "She's always begging for it. Turning up in her mesh dresses with her pretty little smile on her face, her flirty tone, just so you can get an extra zero on my bank transfers. I know your game. Don't ask for it if you don't want to-"
I let out a shocked cry as Carla slaps him clean across the face, his cheek flushing dramatically as he lets out a pained groan.
"You're crazy." Sid just manages to growl, standing upright again and lifting his palm to his face. "You'll be hearing from my solicitor." He grabs his briefcase. "Order's off."
"Pleasure doing business with you!" Carla shouts after him as he struts out of the factory and I just stare at her, eyes wide. Eventually, she turns to face me, concern easing back into her expression. "Hey, you ok?" She comes over to me, placing a hand gently against my cheek. "Come here. You're safe." Pulling me into a hug, she can feel how much I am shaking. "Don't worry. You won't be seeing him again."
"Carla..." I just swallow, pulling back once I had a slight hold on my nerves. "That's a sixty grand order."
"Yes well, I've said it before and I'll say it again, you come first." She tells me, so reassuringly it makes my heart fizz. "It could be six hundred grand, I don't want him anywhere near this business. Not when he's gonna scare you like this. Ok? He's gone, he's not coming back."
"Mm." I just nod, taking a deep breath, soaking up her care. "Thank you."
"Pfft, anytime." She shrugs off, smiling softly and it makes me laugh nervously. She scans the office, eyes falling upon her own desk where it had slipped my mind that I had decorated it ready for the morning. "Ooh... I think I've got an admirer." She takes a step towards the flowers and a soft blush graces my cheeks. "Kirk's gonna be gutted when he finds out I'm married."
"It was supposed to be a surprise for the morning." I groan, finally returning to myself slightly now that I knew I was safe.
"Mm." She turns her back on them. "Well then I never saw anything." Coming back over to me, she wraps me up in her embrace, kissing my cheek and then my forehead. "I bet you could do with a glass of wine." She softens her voice, pushing a piece of hair behind my ear. "Home?"
"Yeah." I slip my hand into hers, sighing in relief. "Home."
Loved writing this hehe, let me know what you think! Dead cute festive chapter coming up next :)
