Chapter 1

Lynda Day didn't always dream peacefully, in fact, it was quite a rarity.

In this one, however, she was dreaming of a long, sandy beach with the waves gently breaking on shore. The kind you see in romantic films, not that Lynda was a connoisseur of the genre. It was pleasantly sunny and Lynda was strolling the beach alone, the sand warm on her bare feet. No noise apart from the gentle shush of the waves. No pressure.

Then why was Spike running towards her at top speed? He seemed to be shouting something. Lynda stopped and listened hard.

"Lynda!"

"Spike?"

"LYNDA!"

Lynda sat up suddenly. There at the foot of her bed, in real life and not on a beach in paradise, was Spike Thomson, grinning that infuriatingly American grin with his stupid sunglasses on.

"Spike?" She frowned, what was he doing in her bedroom? Was this still part of the dream? Bit of a downgrade, if so.

"Hey, you recognise me straight after you wake up, that's a good sign!" Spike took his shades off and looked at Lynda, with the hint of a smirk. Lynda realised she was sitting up in bed in her favourite stripy pyjamas opposite the one person that drove her crazy and did what she always did when she was embarrassed; started being bossy.

"Spike Thomson! What the hell are you doing in my room at 8.30 on a Saturday morning?"

"Your mother was just about to go out to the shops but she said I could wait around for you to wake up." Spike plunked himself down on the bed. "I think she meant downstairs but I thought if I could see what you look like in the mornings, I could make up my mind whether to marry you or not."

"So?" Lynda said in an annoyed tone.

"So I think that maybe we should put a screen in the middle of the bed. You'd scare Godzilla away."

Lynda threw back the covers and swung her feet onto the floor, "Spike, I do not appreciate you coming into my bedroom cracking your terrible jokes at me while I'm half asleep! I need some time to prepare my return fire."

"Let me guess," Spike looked thoughtful, "You're not a morning person."

Lynda sighed and stood up, then wished she hadn't.

"Hey, Boss! Why don't you wear those into the newsroom again sometime? I forgot how cute they were."

Lynda threw Spike daggers as she grabbed her dressing gown from her wardrobe, "Come down to the kitchen if you must be here, idiot."

"Anything you say, Lynda dear," Spike pulled himself up and followed Lynda out the door and down the stairs. They reached the kitchen and Lynda put the kettle on.

"Tea or coffee?"

"Coffee," Spike made himself comfortable on a chair. "Nice house. I've been here once before but that was only a quick run-through."

Lynda leant against the counter, crossed her arms across her chest and gave Spike a stern look. "Okay Thomson, spill. Why are you here?"

"What, you mean I can't visit such a vision of beauty and not have a reason?" Spike looked taken aback.

"Spike!" Lynda was losing patience.

"Alright, don't get your mane in a mess. I came over to see if you were thinking of maybe trying out for the part of Juliet in the school play."

"School play?" Lynda could hardly believe her own ears. "You came to see if I was going to audition for the school play. At 8.30 in the morning. On a Saturday."

Spike nodded. "Yeah!"

"Why would I want to do a stupid thing like that?" Lynda asked.

"Well, it was either you or Kenny." Spike grinned his lopsided grin, "So how 'bout it, Boss?"

"Spike, I have a newspaper to run and can't very well drop everything for a stupid school play." Lynda turned to pour the hot water into the mugs. "Besides, I can't act."

"You, Lynda Day, can't act! Then you don't rehearse your insults every morning before school in the mirror."

Lynda sighed. "Look Spike, I'm just not interested, okay?" She looked at Spike curiously. "Anyway, why are you all of a sudden so interested in the school play?"

"Well, I was going to try out." Spike put a hand to his chest, "I think I'm quite a natural! 'Romeo, Romeo! Where for art thou, Romeo?' What'dya think?"

"That's Juliet," Lynda rolled her eyes. "Philistine."

"Philistine? I thought it was Capulet? Don't tell me I read the wrong Cliff notes!"