Disclaimer: I imply no ownership of the characters. They are the property of shed Productions and the BBC.
I use them only for creative purposes.
Part Eight
The next few weeks were fairly run of the mill for the Lark City Post. Victoria settled happily in to her new
job, although she continued to be pestered by the sexist comments and ongoing insinuations from Jim
Fenner. His slap from Karen didn't seem to dampen his spirits for long. If anything, it had made him all the
more set on pursuing any woman whom he considered available. Victoria found that she enjoyed working
with Nikki and Mike and on the occasions when they used photographers, Denny and Shaz always
managed to make her laugh. Following the story on the arson attack on Rachel Hicks, Shell Dockley had
been convicted of arson, attempted murder and attempted abduction of Rachel's baby. This had shaken
Denny up quite a lot as she had once been very attached to Shell and it took a few night's in the pub with
Nikki and Victoria and all the other usual drinkers to really cheer her up. Slightly surprisingly, Karen had
rejoined the drinking group. She had slid away from this little circle of friends when she began seeing and
then living with Jim Fenner. Nikki thought it took a lot of guts for her to return to accompanying them on
their frequent trips to the Printer's Pres, because they had all known what a bastard Fenner was capable of
being and Karen had blatantly and blindly ignored everyone who'd tried to tell her. It had only been the
taped evidence from Rachel Hicks which had finally convinced her everybody had been right and that she
had a lot of spade work to do with them all. A few weeks after the Fenner incident, Karen was still sat at her
computer ploughing through various stories that had been submitted to her during the day, yet it was nearly
six on a Friday evening. Yvonne, also working somewhat later than normal because of the new
developments on her fraudulent vicar was packing up when she realised that she wasn't the only one still in
her office. She poked her head round the door to Karen's office on her way out.
"You coming out for a drink with the rest of us later?" Yvonne directed the question at Karen's reflection in
her computer screen.
"Not if this lot's anything to go by," Said Karen, gesturing towards the huge pile of proofs on her desk.
"All that has to be read and altered in time for Monday's edition."
"So, leave it till Sunday like the rest of us," Yvonne said, determined to get Karen out of her office. Karen
turned back to her computer.
"You can't hide in here for ever, you know," Yvonne said gently. Karen shot her a rueful smile.
"Want a bet?" There was so much certainty in those three little words that it made Yvonne wince.
She lit two cigarettes and handed one to Karen.
"You'll get yourself a written warning," Karen said sardonically. Anton Meyer's immense dislike of
smoking was well known throughout the office. Yvonne walked over and opened the big window as wide as
possible. Karen got up from her chair and joined her. They stood there in silence.
"No one's gonna give you any grief, you know," Yvonne said to try and break the silence. Karen squinted
at her through their combined cigarette smoke.
"Why," Karen said bitterly. "Because you were all right, and I was too blind to see what a bastard he is?"
"Look, yes, Fenner's always been the biggest dick in this place and yes, you had your eyes shut on this
one. but it doesn't matter. We've all been there."
"What, even you?" Karen sounded surprised at the suggestion that Yvonne Atkins could also lose her
dignity and self-respect because of a bloke.
"Oh yeah," Replied Yvonne. "It's common knowledge that my ex, Charlie, was screwing around with that
tart Renee Williams from the Mail. I was the only one who couldn't bloody see it." Yvonne stubbed her
cigarette out on the wall outside and ditched it. Then she turned back to Karen. "So, will we see you later
on?" Karen smiled.
"Yeah, okay." For now, Yvonne had to be satisfied with this.
Later on that evening, Nikki, Victoria, Mike, Yvonne, Cassie, Alex, and a few others were sat around a couple
of tables in a corner of the Printer's Press. It was about 8,30, and Mike was just about to buy a round of
drinks when Karen appeared through the door. The conversation halted slightly and Cassie made no
attempt to hide her look of surprise.
"Karen," Mike said. "Good to see you. What are you drinking?" Karen sat down between him and
Yvonne.
"A large Scotch please. It might stop that pile of proofs on my desk from haunting me." Yvonne smiled and
handed her a cigarette.
"Someone taking my story in vain? Nick Jordan, one of the three news reporters appeared at Karen's
shoulder. Karen grinned up at him sheepishly.
"I'm only saying that at this rate it won't get read till Sunday." Mike came back with a tray of drinks and
handed Karen and Yvonne glasses of Scotch, Victoria a rum and coke and Nikki a large glass of wine. Karen
began to feel like she was becoming one of them again. Karen began looking around for someone. Then
she glanced at Nikki.
"Where's Tash tonight? I thought you two were inseparable." Nikki grinned.
"She says she's got a story to finish." Dominic, the other health reporter and who'd not long arrived said,
"Are you sure? There wasn't anything left over from today."
"That's what she said," Replied Nikki with a rueful look at Yvonne. "Guess I'll just have to
trust her." Yvonne didn't reply to this as she'd seen Tash looking far too long and hard at
Kirstie Collins, the personnel manager. Yvonne thought there might be trouble there, which
would probably hurt Nikki immensely. If Nikki loved anyone, she did with her entire soul.
Tash was sat in the living-room of the house she shared with Nikki. They'd lived together for
two years now. Tash knew that things were beginning to cool off with Nikki and there was no
doubt that it was her fault. Kirstie Collins, who Tash had been at college with, had become
head of personnel at the Lark City Post about three months ago. It had been a complete shock
to Tash, Kirstie turning up like that. She'd thought she was settled. She was in a job she loved
doing and was living with a beautiful and loving woman. But Kirstie had induced a spark in
Tash that not even Nikki could ever come close to. Tash loved Nikki, she knew that, but
Kirstie was something different. She made Tash feel special every moment she was with her.
Tash had been struggling with the beginnings of a new story, which didn't really need to be done
till next week, when she threw her pen across the room in frustration. She hadn't wanted to go
to the pub with the rest of them because all she could think about these days was Kirstie and the
last thing she wanted to do now was to sit amongst a load of people who thought Nikki was the
one she wanted to be with. Tash picked up the phone and dialed Kirstie's NUMBER.
"Hello," Kirstie's soft sultry voice answered.
"Hi, it's me. Just thought I'd see if you'd gone to the pub with the rest of them." Tash knew it
was the feeblest excuse she'd ever come up with but it was all she could think of saying.
"Well, as you can see," Kirstie said slightly mockingly. "I didn't." Tash took a deep breath.
"Kirstie, we need to talk."
"I know. I thought I should leave it to you. After all, you've got far more to lose than I have."
"I don't want to hurt Nikki."
"Tash, if we're heading where I think we're heading, you won't be able to avoid hurting Nikki."
"Kirstie, I couldn't believe it when you turned up here. You doing that has completely altered
the way I feel about a lot of things, and especially Nikki."
"Tash, will you be honest with me. You didn't really get over our going our separate ways after
leaving college, did you?"
"No, I didn't."
"And where did Nikki come in to all this?" Asked Kirstie.
"Nikki was funny, sensitive, wonderful. Nikki's everything I could ever want in a woman. But
there's something in you that makes me feel like I'm constantly on top of the world."
"Maybe it's just seeing me again, being reminded of what we had at college."
"Yes," Tash said. "Seeing you again has brought all those wonderful memories back but the
feelings I had for you then are still there. They're still as strong as they used to be. Kirstie, I
want to make a go of this."
"Good," Kirstie said flirtatiously. "I like a bit of excitement in my life and yes, seeing you again
had the same effect on me. Why do you think I applied for the job here?" Tash laughed and
her husky tones rippled down the phone to Kirstie's waiting ear.
"But Kirstie, we have to take things very slowly, at least until I sort things out with Nikki. I
can't guarantee how long that'll take."
"I know," Kirstie said softly. "But I'll be here whenever you're ready. As we've both got to
work with Nikki, we should try to hurt her as little as possible. So yes, let's take this one day at
a time." Tash ended the call feeling happy with life. Yes, she still had to get around the fact that
Nikki loved her and thought that Tash would be faithful to her. Nikki would be very hurt by
this, but Tash just had to find some way of minimizing that pain.
I use them only for creative purposes.
Part Eight
The next few weeks were fairly run of the mill for the Lark City Post. Victoria settled happily in to her new
job, although she continued to be pestered by the sexist comments and ongoing insinuations from Jim
Fenner. His slap from Karen didn't seem to dampen his spirits for long. If anything, it had made him all the
more set on pursuing any woman whom he considered available. Victoria found that she enjoyed working
with Nikki and Mike and on the occasions when they used photographers, Denny and Shaz always
managed to make her laugh. Following the story on the arson attack on Rachel Hicks, Shell Dockley had
been convicted of arson, attempted murder and attempted abduction of Rachel's baby. This had shaken
Denny up quite a lot as she had once been very attached to Shell and it took a few night's in the pub with
Nikki and Victoria and all the other usual drinkers to really cheer her up. Slightly surprisingly, Karen had
rejoined the drinking group. She had slid away from this little circle of friends when she began seeing and
then living with Jim Fenner. Nikki thought it took a lot of guts for her to return to accompanying them on
their frequent trips to the Printer's Pres, because they had all known what a bastard Fenner was capable of
being and Karen had blatantly and blindly ignored everyone who'd tried to tell her. It had only been the
taped evidence from Rachel Hicks which had finally convinced her everybody had been right and that she
had a lot of spade work to do with them all. A few weeks after the Fenner incident, Karen was still sat at her
computer ploughing through various stories that had been submitted to her during the day, yet it was nearly
six on a Friday evening. Yvonne, also working somewhat later than normal because of the new
developments on her fraudulent vicar was packing up when she realised that she wasn't the only one still in
her office. She poked her head round the door to Karen's office on her way out.
"You coming out for a drink with the rest of us later?" Yvonne directed the question at Karen's reflection in
her computer screen.
"Not if this lot's anything to go by," Said Karen, gesturing towards the huge pile of proofs on her desk.
"All that has to be read and altered in time for Monday's edition."
"So, leave it till Sunday like the rest of us," Yvonne said, determined to get Karen out of her office. Karen
turned back to her computer.
"You can't hide in here for ever, you know," Yvonne said gently. Karen shot her a rueful smile.
"Want a bet?" There was so much certainty in those three little words that it made Yvonne wince.
She lit two cigarettes and handed one to Karen.
"You'll get yourself a written warning," Karen said sardonically. Anton Meyer's immense dislike of
smoking was well known throughout the office. Yvonne walked over and opened the big window as wide as
possible. Karen got up from her chair and joined her. They stood there in silence.
"No one's gonna give you any grief, you know," Yvonne said to try and break the silence. Karen squinted
at her through their combined cigarette smoke.
"Why," Karen said bitterly. "Because you were all right, and I was too blind to see what a bastard he is?"
"Look, yes, Fenner's always been the biggest dick in this place and yes, you had your eyes shut on this
one. but it doesn't matter. We've all been there."
"What, even you?" Karen sounded surprised at the suggestion that Yvonne Atkins could also lose her
dignity and self-respect because of a bloke.
"Oh yeah," Replied Yvonne. "It's common knowledge that my ex, Charlie, was screwing around with that
tart Renee Williams from the Mail. I was the only one who couldn't bloody see it." Yvonne stubbed her
cigarette out on the wall outside and ditched it. Then she turned back to Karen. "So, will we see you later
on?" Karen smiled.
"Yeah, okay." For now, Yvonne had to be satisfied with this.
Later on that evening, Nikki, Victoria, Mike, Yvonne, Cassie, Alex, and a few others were sat around a couple
of tables in a corner of the Printer's Press. It was about 8,30, and Mike was just about to buy a round of
drinks when Karen appeared through the door. The conversation halted slightly and Cassie made no
attempt to hide her look of surprise.
"Karen," Mike said. "Good to see you. What are you drinking?" Karen sat down between him and
Yvonne.
"A large Scotch please. It might stop that pile of proofs on my desk from haunting me." Yvonne smiled and
handed her a cigarette.
"Someone taking my story in vain? Nick Jordan, one of the three news reporters appeared at Karen's
shoulder. Karen grinned up at him sheepishly.
"I'm only saying that at this rate it won't get read till Sunday." Mike came back with a tray of drinks and
handed Karen and Yvonne glasses of Scotch, Victoria a rum and coke and Nikki a large glass of wine. Karen
began to feel like she was becoming one of them again. Karen began looking around for someone. Then
she glanced at Nikki.
"Where's Tash tonight? I thought you two were inseparable." Nikki grinned.
"She says she's got a story to finish." Dominic, the other health reporter and who'd not long arrived said,
"Are you sure? There wasn't anything left over from today."
"That's what she said," Replied Nikki with a rueful look at Yvonne. "Guess I'll just have to
trust her." Yvonne didn't reply to this as she'd seen Tash looking far too long and hard at
Kirstie Collins, the personnel manager. Yvonne thought there might be trouble there, which
would probably hurt Nikki immensely. If Nikki loved anyone, she did with her entire soul.
Tash was sat in the living-room of the house she shared with Nikki. They'd lived together for
two years now. Tash knew that things were beginning to cool off with Nikki and there was no
doubt that it was her fault. Kirstie Collins, who Tash had been at college with, had become
head of personnel at the Lark City Post about three months ago. It had been a complete shock
to Tash, Kirstie turning up like that. She'd thought she was settled. She was in a job she loved
doing and was living with a beautiful and loving woman. But Kirstie had induced a spark in
Tash that not even Nikki could ever come close to. Tash loved Nikki, she knew that, but
Kirstie was something different. She made Tash feel special every moment she was with her.
Tash had been struggling with the beginnings of a new story, which didn't really need to be done
till next week, when she threw her pen across the room in frustration. She hadn't wanted to go
to the pub with the rest of them because all she could think about these days was Kirstie and the
last thing she wanted to do now was to sit amongst a load of people who thought Nikki was the
one she wanted to be with. Tash picked up the phone and dialed Kirstie's NUMBER.
"Hello," Kirstie's soft sultry voice answered.
"Hi, it's me. Just thought I'd see if you'd gone to the pub with the rest of them." Tash knew it
was the feeblest excuse she'd ever come up with but it was all she could think of saying.
"Well, as you can see," Kirstie said slightly mockingly. "I didn't." Tash took a deep breath.
"Kirstie, we need to talk."
"I know. I thought I should leave it to you. After all, you've got far more to lose than I have."
"I don't want to hurt Nikki."
"Tash, if we're heading where I think we're heading, you won't be able to avoid hurting Nikki."
"Kirstie, I couldn't believe it when you turned up here. You doing that has completely altered
the way I feel about a lot of things, and especially Nikki."
"Tash, will you be honest with me. You didn't really get over our going our separate ways after
leaving college, did you?"
"No, I didn't."
"And where did Nikki come in to all this?" Asked Kirstie.
"Nikki was funny, sensitive, wonderful. Nikki's everything I could ever want in a woman. But
there's something in you that makes me feel like I'm constantly on top of the world."
"Maybe it's just seeing me again, being reminded of what we had at college."
"Yes," Tash said. "Seeing you again has brought all those wonderful memories back but the
feelings I had for you then are still there. They're still as strong as they used to be. Kirstie, I
want to make a go of this."
"Good," Kirstie said flirtatiously. "I like a bit of excitement in my life and yes, seeing you again
had the same effect on me. Why do you think I applied for the job here?" Tash laughed and
her husky tones rippled down the phone to Kirstie's waiting ear.
"But Kirstie, we have to take things very slowly, at least until I sort things out with Nikki. I
can't guarantee how long that'll take."
"I know," Kirstie said softly. "But I'll be here whenever you're ready. As we've both got to
work with Nikki, we should try to hurt her as little as possible. So yes, let's take this one day at
a time." Tash ended the call feeling happy with life. Yes, she still had to get around the fact that
Nikki loved her and thought that Tash would be faithful to her. Nikki would be very hurt by
this, but Tash just had to find some way of minimizing that pain.