Chapter 7 – Conference Call

"I don't believe this!" Alex shouted. "Oh, that bloody man!"

"What've I done this time?" Gene asked, standing in the doorway of his office.

"Not you. Bloody Keats" she muttered. "He's making me go to a conference with him."

"Persistent bastard isn't he" he muttered back, crossing the room to stand behind her. "Why you?"

"I don't know" she whimpered.

Gene put his arms around her, kissing the sensitive spot behind her ear. "It'll be fine, Alex" he murmured.

"Ugh, do you mind" Ray muttered, disgusted.

"Shut up, Ray" they said in unison.

"I'll talk to him and ask if he can change it" Alex said with a hint of resignation in her voice.

"Absolutely not" Keats said bluntly. "It has to be you, Alex."

"Are you sure there isn't anyone else?" Alex pleaded.

He simply shook his head and she walked out, trying to stay calm. She walked through CID to Gene's office.

"He's still making me go" she told him.

"Just be on your guard, sweetheart" he said. "The bastard'll try anything to tear us down."

The weekend of the conference arrived all too soon. On the Friday Alex packed up and Gene drove her to the station. Keats was waiting for them outside, leaning against his car.

"Evening, James" Gene muttered.

"Evening" Keats replied, smiling smugly. "Ready to go, Alex?"

She sighed heavily. "Yes" she said.

"Good. Let's go then."

She turned to Gene. "Bye" she said sadly.

"Bye, Bols" he murmured, pulling her into a hug. "I'll be here waiting when you get back."

She smiled tearfully. "Missing you already" she whispered, kissing him lightly.

Then she turned and got into Keats' car. Gene watched as they drove away. If anything happens to her, he thought, I'll make that bastard wish he'd never been born.

They were on the road for about 2 hours. It seemed to Alex that they were going incredibly slowly, but she reasoned it was probably down to Gene's reckless driving. She smiled slightly when she thought of all the times they had fought about his speeding.

At last they pulled up outside a small, shabby looking hotel. Alex got out and stretched before retrieving her bag from the boot. They walked inside and the receptionist smiled at them. Keats gave their names.

"Ah, yes" the receptionist said. "You're in Room 5 on the first floor. Enjoy your stay."

Whatever Alex had been assuming about the sleeping arrangements, she was surprised by what she actually found. From Keats' smug expression she could tell whose doing it was.

"If this is some sad attempt to lure me away from Gene" she said in an acid tone, "then you've got another thing coming."

"Me?" Keats feigned shock. "I wouldn't dream of it."

They unpacked and went downstairs for dinner. They engaged in light, polite conversation. It took an extreme effort from Alex not to punch him in the middle of his smug face.

When they went back up to their room, Keats flung himself unceremoniously onto the bed. Alex saw that his eyes followed her around the room. She suspected he might be a little bit drunk.

Her suspicions were confirmed when he lurched off the bed toward her. "Alex" he slurred. "There is a reason why I booked a double room."

He grabbed her and started kissing her. His hands roamed around her body.

She struggled against him, at last managing to free herself and push him away. She slapped him hard across the cheek.

"Don't you dare touch me!" she screamed.

"Is this about me, or about Gene?" he asked. "You could do so much better than him."

"What, with you? Ha!" she spat. "I wouldn't sleep with you if you were the last man on Earth!"

"Oh, come on, Alex" he laughed. "What's he got that I haven't?"

"He's a good, kind, decent man" she shouted back. "You know what we did last night? We stayed up till 2am and he held me in his arms and we kissed and we savoured each moment. Because Gene understands what I need!"

"Oh, for God's sake" Keats muttered. "Well, why don't you just go home, then?"

"Yeah, I will" she hissed, storming out of the room.

Alex snatched up the phone and dialled. Gene picked up after 5 rings. "Hello" he grunted.

"Gene" she gasped, "I need you to come here and take me home."

"What's that bastard done to you?" he growled.

"He kissed me, so I pushed him away" she gabbled. "Then we argued and I walked out."

"It's ok, darling" he breathed, struggling to keep calm. "I'll be with you in the morning. I promise."

"Thank you, Gene" she sighed. "I love you."

"I love you too, Alex."

Alex woke in the morning to find Keats staring at her. "Don't look at me like that" she mumbled.

It was only then that she noticed what he looked like. "You look bloody awful" she observed.

"I was pissed" he muttered. "And you were talking in your sleep."

"What did I say?" she asked. "Nothing too revealing, I hope."

"You said Gene's name a few times. And you asked for your knickers back." He smirked.

She went bright red and flounced into the bathroom to get dressed.

The Quattro squealed into the hotel car park in a cloud of tire smoke. Gene stepped out and strode purposefully toward the building.

"I'm looking for Alexandra Drake. Where is she?" he demanded of the receptionist.

"Room 5. First floor" she blurted out without thinking, looking utterly bewildered.

He took the stairs two at a time and was soon banging on Alex's door.

"Oh good" Keats sighed sarcastically when he opened the door. "The Neanderthal's here."

Gene grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pushed him up against a wall. "If you ever lay a finger on my Alex again" he hissed "then I'll do much worse than this." And he punched Keats twice in the stomach.

Alex had been watching all this from the bathroom door. When Gene let Keats go, she walked out into the room. "Gene" she breathed.

He turned round. "Hey, you" he smiled. "Come here." He enveloped her in his arms, softly kissing her temple.

"Missed you" she mumbled.

"It's been one night" he chuckled. "Let's go. Give twatface some time to reflect."

He released her and she grabbed her bag from the bed. She took his hand and they walked out.