He let go and went to the dresser and retrieved a clean pair of shorts then went to get a clean shirt, he needed to do his laundry at some point but he might just get her to do it for him, the washing machine was like something out of a science fiction programme and he had been tempted to throw the instructions into the river more than once.
Rose put the t-shirt on hastily but Alec bent down one more time to kiss her, pressing himself against her then let her go.
''So what about him, your fiancé?''
''I don't know Alec, what about him? He's at the other side of the world and he might just as well be at the other side of the gap between universes. He came back for a week and went away again, he never even insisted to the production company I went with him though I could have stayed in the hotel but he was filming all hours, then they went out into the desert and for what? To do a crummy re-make of a 1960's vampire film that was just as crummy back in the day. I don't know why he wanted to be in it, said he wanted to make his break into the American market but I don't think that's gonna help his cause any.''
Alec gripped her shoulders. ''I get it Rose, you're angry with him for leaving you and maybe after all this time you're still angry with your other boyfriend and don't bother denying it, he wasn't just a friend was he? You can have a boyfriend without the sex bit you know but I'm not a substitute for either of them so don't think I am. What we just did was more than nice but I admit it was me that initiated it so if you want an apology, I'm sorry but it was just payback for you using me as a decoy groom to be.''
''Yeah, sorry and there's no need for you to apologise Alec, it was nice. Maybe I should go get dressed and go get my stuff then I'll go find another hotel and leave you in peace and trust you'll call the hospital tomorrow on your own. How are you getting there?''
''Taxi unless I get so bad they take me there in an ambulance but I won't let it get to that, I promise. I need to get through that hearing and I know now I won't be there if I don't do something.''
Rose reached out her arms and put them around him and he kissed her forehead. ''Go on Rose, get out of here while you can and we'll say nothing about this again, I mean me going soft.''
''Let me take you there Alec, please?''
''I'll think about it after breakfast. You know we could have a big bust-up in front of the cameras?'' he smiled.
Rose swatted his arm. ''Yeah thanks for that Alec but how am I going to explain that to the real James and more importantly, my mother?''
Alec was about to answer when his phone rang. He squinted at the name displayed and frowned, tempted to hit the red button to ignore it as the name 'Claire' came on the screen in bold white lettering. He thought he was rid of her but it seemed that was not to be. Rose looked at him, guessing it was important.
''Go ahead, I need to get dressed but you're coming with me to get rid of those reporters.''
''Fine, this won't take long.''
Rose went off and Alec answered, wishing he'd changed his phone number. As if dealing with Rose Tyler wasn't enough in his present condition.
''Claire, what is it?''
''Alec, you've got to help me, Lee's back.''
''No he isn't, I have someone watching out for him, calm down. How do you know he may be back?''
''He's been trying to call me, I've had three unknown calls already today.''
''Claire, I get a dozen a day all from people trying to get me to claim for accidents I've never had and money back on loans I've never even taken out, if I took notice of them I wouldn't be waiting to go back to work and been on medical leave. Just ignore them, it's nothing and I'll be alerted if he comes back into the country.''
''Please come and see me Alec, why have you stayed away all this time? I haven't seen you since you moved me in here.''
''I got caught up in a murder investigation in case you'd forgotten and part of the deal was, I move you somewhere safe and you go back to work part-time. Why would he start calling you now?''
''I gave up my job Alec, I couldn't work for that woman, I'm just going to work for myself, doing hair in client's homes.''
''That's a laugh Claire, how are you going to get there?''
''Thanks for the vote of confidence Alec, I can get around on my own thanks very much.''
Rose chose that moment to come out of the other bedroom and startle him by putting her arms around his neck and kissing his cheek from behind and asking who was on the phone. What was she trying to do?
''Have you got a woman with you Alec?'' Claire laughed.
''Mind your own business, I have to go now and stop worrying, if you get any more calls just ignore them.''
''I can't, it might be someone wanting to make a booking.''
''Well even if it's him, unless he has access to the phone company, he won't know where you are. Ok, if I get time I'll come and see you but I have to attend court next week over that murder last year.''
''Oh, where's that then?''
''Yes Claire, like I'm ever going to tell you that.''
He hung up and went to the kitchen where Rose was making coffee for herself and tea for him and had four slices of bread in the toaster, Alec glad the bread hadn't gone off as they still had to go shopping, or rather he had, he wasn't sure how serious Rose was about going with him but she was a woman, they lived to go shopping.
''Sorry Alec, I'm used to doing that with James, it's non of my business who Claire is. Is she your girlfriend?''
''No, never in a million years was she or ever will be my girlfriend. She's from that case you were looking at, Claire Ripley.''
''Oh, that Claire? Sorry, must have been that proper snogging you gave me earlier that fuzzed my brain up. You know for a man who's on his last legs, you don't half know how to snog a girl. Didn't you even think about it though?''
Alec looked at her as she buttered the toast, Rose looked upset there was no marmalade or strawberry jam but expected if she were to keep visiting him she would no doubt acquire some later.
''I told you, no. She's a liar and she uses people, especially men and she's just trying to get some attention. I put her somewhere safe after she testified against her husband but after the pendant got stolen, he was set free and he took off to France somewhere. I have someone watching out for him if he comes back.''
''Oh. Well you know last night, when I set off to go back to the hotel and I turned around to come back? I saw a man on the other side of the river, half turned around sitting on the wall, smoking by the looks of it but I wasn't taking much notice.''
''Where Rose? Was he looking across here?''
''I couldn't tell, it was just for a few seconds, I was making sure no-one was following me. Do you think it was him?''
''Maybe but how he knows where I live, I don't know. Let me make a phone call then we'll go get your things but if he's watching this place, you'd best go find somewhere to stay.''
''And leave you on your own? Forget it, I'll get another room but maybe you should come and stay with me until he's gone if he's only looking for his wife?''
Alec was calling his contact but soon lost his temper when he discovered he'd lost track of Lee Ashworth.
''Since when? What is the point of you Craig? For goodness sake, you were supposed to watching out for him, now he might be watching my place for me to lead him to his wife.''
Rose tried to calm him down. ''Forget it Alec, let him follow you now you know, if you don't go near her, he won't find her, will he?''
''That's not the point Rose, he could get nasty if he doesn't get to find her but he's been away for a long time, why has he come back now?''
Rose put her arms around his neck as she got up, offering him a piece of toast. ''Maybe he just misses her, I know how he feels, besides, if he comes here, he'll just find Rose Tyler and her famous boyfriend James Smith, won't he?''
Alec took the toast from her, not sure he should be letting her do these things though now, it was a bit late as he had seen her almost naked only half an hour ago.
''So he comes knocking on the door, I answer and ask him what the hell he's doing disturbing me and my boyfriend and since you no longer look like the old you, he'll be none the wiser. Just act like you really are James, you know, arm around me and telling him to back off.''
''Well it may work but hopefully he'll just keep watching but I still want to know how he found me.''
''Maybe he had a spy too? Come on then, let's go get my stuff and put on a show for the kiddies if they're still outside. Just keep your head down and let me go first, then you follow a few minutes behind me or maybe, we should say we went for a morning walk by the river?''
''Are you always so devious?''
''Yep, that's me. We walk arm in arm over the bridge talking about our wedding plans and tell them we're looking at venues later on in another part of Dorset and we're leaving town.''
''Yes, then they all follow us, great plan.''
''Well we don't know unless we try, do we? So are you in or not?''
''Do I have a choice? Remind me again why you're marrying that actor, did you give him a choice?''
Rose looked at him. ''That's not fair Alec, why do you keep going on about him all the time?''
''Oh I don't know, maybe because you're still wearing that ring and you're trying to pass me off as him to the press and yourself.''
''Hey, I never said that, you really think I'm trying to pretend you're him?''
''Yes, I do think that because earlier, you could have stopped that.''
''That's beside the point and I didn't let you just because I miss him.''
''Who are you trying to fool Rose, me or yourself? Face it Rose, you're mad at him for going off and leaving you, just like your other friend.''
Rose pushed past him but he grabbed her arm. ''Get off me Alec, if that's what you think. I'll get my stuff and you'll never have to see me again.''
She pulled away from him and he followed her to the room she had left her purse and mobile in. He stood in the doorway, blocking her exit.
''I'm sorry. I'll come with you, you can even drag me around a wedding fayre if you want but I don't think it's a good idea to still do that interview tomorrow, we end it all today, if that's what you want? Tell them I've gone back filming like you suggested earlier and I'll tell that newspaper editor not to bother printing that article and to forget it, that you've changed your mind about it, she's got her money anyway, why should she care? You are still going to pay her?''
Rose smiled and put her purse on the chair after putting her phone in her jacket pocket. She moved nearer and put her arms around his neck.
''I'm sorry too and yes, I miss both of them and honestly, until you began mentioning my other friend, I was trying to forget about it but you dragged it all up again. You have no idea how long it took me to get over losing him, then I met James and he keeps leaving me as well, though not to other universes but like I said, it may as well be. I just want my old boring life back and for a short while, you made me think I had so just let me go, Alec Hardy, with your broken heart and look after yourself will you?''
''Why, if you're leaving?''
''You said if I left, you wouldn't use the excuse you wouldn't get yourself fixed, to get me to stay.''
''I changed my mind.''
''That's not fair Alec.''
''Neither is you leaving or using me as a decoy. Is that all I am to you Rose? A decoy?''
He put his arms around her waist and leaned down, looking into her hazel eyes. Rose looked up at him, wishing now she had never started this but he was just as much to blame, for going along with it, he could have said no and told her to stay away from him, well he'd tried but she had taken no notice because she wanted to have some fun with him, showing him he was not as tough as he made himself out to be.
''No Alec, you're not just that to me but it's impossible, you can't be any more, this is getting complicated, I never meant this to happen.''
''Meant what to happen?''
Rose stood on her tip-toes and whispered in his ear, ''You just don't get it, do you? Some detective you are, Alec Hardy.''