Claire brought the first round of drinks, and Alex was unusually quiet. He sat there while Claire and Stevie talked. "So hang on a minute. You've been engaged all this time, and yet you were still looking at other men?" "Hey, I can look, just don't touch" "Some girls get all the luck" "I don't know about that?" "What?" "Nothing. You all right Alex? You seem a little quiet tonight" "I'm fine. Do you want another drink?" "Yeah. She on your mind again?" "Who?" Stevie asked. "I'll get those drinks," Alex said before walking off. "What was that about?" Stevie asked. "When I was ill, he couldn't sleep one night, when he was sleeping on the couch. I'd ventured outside and figured he couldn't sleep over this woman" "Who was she?" "Didn't say, only that they had kissed, sort of and that it was complicated" "I don't know how you can be so calm about this" "What else am I supposed to do?" "Tell him the truth" "Didn't I just tell you he liked someone else? Anyway, this nights about you" "You deserved to be as happy as I am" "If only it would happen. Pigs would have to fly" "There you go" Alex said placing the drinks down. "Why don't you two go and dance?" Stevie said. "No, you two dance though" Claire said. "I don't want to dance, but I think you two need to talk" "What about?" Claire said turning to Alex. Stevie raised her eyebrow to him. "If you don't, I will!" She threatened him. "Will someone just tell me what's going on?" "Lets dance" He said, getting up. He knocked the table and a drink went flying, spilling over Claire. "Oh great! I'm soaked. Thanks. You could have been a bit more careful" "Sorry, here, I'll get a cloth" "Don't bother, I need to get out of these wet cloths" Tess came over. "Come on, I'm sure I've got something in the back of the van you can get changed into" She took her sisters hand and went to get Claire changed. Alex walked over to the bar to get another drink.

"I am not wearing that!" "Fine, stay in those wet cloths" "Haven't you got anything else?" "No, now come on, you'll look fine" Claire reluctantly got changed and didn't have any of the enthusiasm that Tess had. "Let me do your make up" "I don't think so" "Oh come on Claire, now sit still!"

"When are you going to tell her?" Stevie said in Alex's ear. "When I get the chance and you stop putting me on the spot" "Well it's the only way something might actually happen" "WHY DON'T" He realised he was shouting. He was really getting up his nose and he wanted her to leave him to do it himself, that was if he was going to. He looked around to see if anyone had noticed and carried on with gritted teeth, not noticing that Claire had come down and saw the two together. "Why don't you butt out? I will tell her when I'm ready. This isn't easy you know. It's going to change everything!" "Well the longer you leave it, the harder it's going to be" "I need some air" He got up and stormed out. Claire stood there as something suddenly dawned on her. Her best friend had betrayed her. Alex was the one at the pub and she was trying to get Alex to tell her about it. She just stood there. She didn't hear anything around her, or see anything. For those few seconds the world froze. She couldn't believe it. It hurt. The sadness turned to pain and the pain turned to anger. She jumped when someone tapped her on the shoulder. "Sorry, didn't mean to frighten you" She smiled at what was an extremely handsome man standing in front of her. "I just wondered if you fancied a dance?" he held out his hand. "I'd love to" She said, taking his hand and they started dancing together. He whispered something in her ear and she laughed. He bought her a drink and she sat down at the bar with him all over her. Claire was flirting like mad and Stevie didn't know what had come over her. She tried to talk, but Claire wouldn't let her. "Come on, I fancy another dance" She said, heading to the dance floor with the man following her. He made her laugh. Tess was impressed with what she had done until she saw Claire draping herself all over this stranger. "What's got into Claire?" she asked Stevie. "That's what I was going to ask you." Alex waked in and went over to them at the bar. He then followed everyone's gaze. He went fuming at the sight that laid before him. "What on earth is she playing at?" He said, before walking over to her.

Alex grabbed her by the arm and spun her around to face him. She stood there gob smacked and stared into his eyes. "What the hell do you think you're doing mate?" the bloke that Claire had been dancing with asked. "Just piss off! This has nothing to do with you" Alex told him, without breaking eye contact with Claire, but still holding her arm. "Excuse me, but we were in the middle of something" "I said PISS OFF!" "NO!" Claire shouted. Most people had gone quiet in the pub to see what all the fuss was. "We were dancing, now let go of my arm" "Dancing? Is that what you call it? I thought you." "What?" "We need to talk" "Well I don't want to hear it, now if you don't mind" "What are you playing at Claire?" "Having fun!" "With him? I don't think so. You're showing yourself up" "So? Why do you care so much all of a sudden?" "Well if you'd let me talk?" "I'm listening" She stared at him, but he didn't say a word. "Get lost Alex, and leave me alone" His grip had loosened so she pulled her arm free from and turned back to dance with the man that was still standing by her side. He'd had enough. He grabbed her again, but this time, lent in and kissed her. There was gasps form the on lookers. Tess was as shocked as everyone else was, but Stevie had a grin on her face. There were cheers from some people. When he finally let her go, Claire didn't know what to do. Her knees were wobbly and there was silence, until the sound of her hand slapping Alex's face was heard. "Will you stop doing that!" She said. "Why don't you leave her alone" The bloke said. "Are you still here?" Alex suddenly realised he had every single set of eyes on him, and so did Claire. He took her by the wrist, but she didn't care about everyone else, she was not budging! "What is your game Alex?" "Me, I'm not that one that claims to be in love, and then parade myself around like you are" "My best friend Alex, my best friend" "What are you talking about?" "Oh come off it. You too knew each other and you are acting strangely around each other and me. So why don't you just come out with it, tell me what it is you've been trying to say all night?" "Me and Stevie? She has been trying to get me to tell you the truth. and the truth is. dame it Claire I love you!" there was total silence and Claire, for once in her life, didn't know what to say. Her jaw had dropped and she just stood there, looking into his eyes. "You. You. you mean. I." "Claire, just shut up and kiss me!" In one motion Alex pulled her waste forward as her arms flung around his neck and in one magical moment, they kissed with such intensity, sparks flew and Claire was swept away, having never felt such passion in her life. Everyone cheered and clapped and Claire went bright red. Their lips finally parted and Claire's cheeks began to ache because even if she had tried, she couldn't remove the massive smile on her face. Their foreheads touched as she said "I love you too" and with that, he kissed her again, never wanting to stop. He squeezed her tightly and spun her around, both of their hearts racing, feeling scared, excited, but most of all overjoyed with happiness.

"You knew about this all along?" Claire asked Stevie. "He was the bloke I was talking to in the pub. I said I was visiting a friend who had fallen in love with her best mate and he said he knew how it felt. I didn't realise who he was until he showed up at Drovers. He gave it away when he asked me to forget about the whole thing. I was trying to get him to tell you how he felt" "So you both knew all this time and didn't think to tell me?" "It was worth the wait though wouldn't you say? Except for the slap in the face." Alex piped up. "No, I quite enjoyed that. It's what you get for not telling me sooner" "Well at least I got to see you in a dress" "That doesn't mean you can spill beer over me again" He kissed her and Stevie was glad that they were together at last