Chapter Five.
Disclaimer I don't own Coronation Street or any of its characters.
Chapter Five.
The Bistro
It had been 3 days since the revelation and Carla were in the bistro catching up with Michelle.
"Oh my God, I can't believe I missed it, he just came out with it? And you never told him how you felt?" Michelle asked in disbelief.
"Yeah and no, I didn't want him to think I was some fruit cake, did I?" Carla replied, rolling her eyes.
"Oh give over, will ya, I still can't believe I missed it." Michelle huffed, playfully.
"Anyway, I need your help, it's our first date on Friday, and I need you to make yours truly here look a million dollars." Carla chuckled.
"Oh shut up, you're gorgeous as you are. Hang on, that's tonight!" Michelle exclaimed.
"Have you seen these dark circles?" Carla asked, pointing to her face.
"Concealer is a girl's best friend. Where is he taking you, then?" Michelle asked?
"Mana's, so it's a formal article." Carlo shrugged.
"Manas? Carla, you do realize that that is the most exclusive and expensive restaurant in the city, it's like a year's waiting list just for a table." Michelle exclaimed, before quickly realising where she was.
"What? I'd never heard of it before." Carla replied, shrugging her shoulders.
"You wouldn't have, it only opened 1 month ago," Michelle told her.
"That's why then, so formal?" Carla asked.
"Slash cas." Michele offered.
"Right I'll see you later, I have to get back to work," Carla told her, giving her a kiss on the cheek.
Carla walked into the factory and was greeted with the biggest and most beautiful bouquet of red roses she'd ever seen.
"There stunning, Mrs Connor," Sinead told her.
"Wish my Gary would buy me flowers like that. They are gorgeous." Izzie smiled.
"Must have cost a few bobs," Beth muttered, begrudgingly.
"Beth, if you haven't got anything nice to say, just don't say anything at all," Sean scrolled her.
"I'm only saying," Beth replied defensively.
"Well, don't." Sean rolled his eyes at her.
"I'll put them in water for you Mrs Connor." Hailey offered, taking the flowers off her.
Sender - Carla
Receiver - Frank
"Thank you for the flowers, you didn't have to. C xx."
Sender -Frank
Receiver - Carla
"You are very welcome, still on for Friday? F xx."
Sender - Carla
Receiver - Frank
"Why didn't you tell me Mana's is the most sort after and expensive restaurant in the city? C xx."
Sender - Frank
Receiver - Carla
"I just wanted to show the woman I love much I really appreciate and value her and that's you. Money isn't an issue. F xx
Sender - Carla
Receiver - Frank
"You don't need to, I know that already. I'll go halves with the bill. C xx."
Sender - Frank
Receiver - Carla
"No, you absolutely will not, this is my treat and my lady deserves nothing but the best. F xx."
Sender - Carla
Receiver - Frank
"I'm coming to your office. I won't belong. C xx." Carla text back, grabbing her coat and bag.
End of conversation.
"Hayley, I'm going out for a while, hold the fort, I don't belong. And no Sally you may not sit in the office." Carla called over her shoulder.
Frank's Office.
Carla arrived at Frank's office 15 minutes later.
"Hi, I'd like to see Frank Foster, please. Is he available?" Carla asked the receptionist at the front desk.
"I'll just see if he's available at the moment." The receptionist replied, frosty looking Carla up and down.
"Abigail is there a problem here? Frank asked as he came out of his office upon hearing their voices.
" Eh, no Mr Foster, no problem at all," Abigail replied strutting nervously.
"Good, I'd like it to stay that way and for further reference, this is my partner, Carla. Carla this is Abigail, my PA." Frank introduced them.
"It's nice to meet you, Abigail," Carla replied, holding out her hand for her to shake.
Abigail could feel her bosses eyes on her and knew if she wanted to keep her job, she'd have to shake Carla's hand so she did.
"And you too," Abigail replied with a tight smile.
Carla and Frank made their way into his office.
"What brings you here?" Frank asked as he sat on the sofa opposite his desk.
"You know what." Carla huffed.
"Oh, the restaurant, my mother raised me to be a gentleman and if she ever found out that I let you pay half the bill, she would skin me alive," Frank replied with a hearty laugh.
"I can't, it's too much," Carla replied sitting down next to him on the sofa.
"Ok, what do you want, Carla? Really want?" Frank asked as he looked her in the eye.
"You don't want to know." Carla chuckled nervously, her eyes darting around the room.
Frank pulled out his phone and made a quick phone call.
"Yeah, Abigail, cancel everything on the calendar for today. What do you mean am I sure? Of course, I'm sure." Frank replied, irritated at being questioned by his secretary.
"What did you do that for?" Carla asked, in curiosity.
"We are going to talk, lay everything on the table, the good, the bad and the downright ugly, no fancy restaurant, no pretence, no hiding. Just me and you." Frank told her.
Suddenly, Carla got scared, it never ended well for her, once she'd let someone in, they either hurt her, she hurt them or she went into a self -destructive mood and ruined things anyway.
"Where are you going, Carla?" Frank asked as Carla got up and turned to leave.
"I'm too damaged, you don't want me, not really. I hurt people, I'm not good enough for you. You need to let me go, you deserve someone better." Carla whispered as a tear rolled down her cheek.
"I want you and only you, flaws, scars and battle wounds and all. I want to give you everything you could need, want and desire. I love you, Carla. I want to be with you and only and I don't care who knows." Frank poured his heart out to her.
"You promise? Because once we do this, there is no going back." Carla told him.
"Cross my heart," Frank promised.
So that is exactly what Carla did, she told him about her alcoholic mum, her absentee dad, her younger brother, Paul, Tony, the kind lady she met in the cafe that day that changed her life, she told him of her hopes, dreams and fears.
Frank sat and patiently listened to every word Carla had to say.
"I'm not going to sit here and say I'm not shocked, some of that is unimaginable and I want you to know that if ever you have something on your mind or you just want to talk, never be afraid to come to me. Now it's my turn." Frank told her.
He told her everything, about his parents, his sister Catherine, his business empire, losing his fiancee Natalie in a car accident three weeks before their wedding day, his business partner stabbing him in the back and stealing hundreds of thousands of pounds. He told her everything.
by the time they were both finished they were shocked to realize that they had talked well into the night and before they knew it it was nearly 7 o'clock.
"I feel like we have really gotten somewhere today and I don't need a meal that is overly priced to know that this is for real and the long haul. Come back to mine, fish and chips sound good to you?" Carla offers.
"Do you know what, that is the best offer I've had all year." Frank smiled as the two of them gathered their stuff and left the office.
"You do realise that the whole of Coronation Street is going to know the ins and outs of us and will be gossiping in corners." Carla told him.
" let them, there's only one person's opinion I'm interested in." Frank smiled in return.
Red Reck
The couple went to red reck, stopping at the chippy on the way, they enjoyed a nice romantic evening, talked about everything under the sun and it didn't break the bank.
A/N I hope you enjoyed reading this, tell all your friends and review!
Shoutouts
CarlaConnor Lover
Oooh I bet that Carla's gonna regret being so pleased about what Frank's told her once she realises that by tomorrow morning everyone in Weatherfield will know about it! I'm so pleased that Carla and Frank have finally started the road to happiness on this story and that this is a Carla/Frank Fiction as there aren't many of them sadly! Can't wait to see what happens next xxx
She might, who knows? It might not always be fairytales and rainbows.
There isn't, is there? Which is such a shame! I quite liked his character before he turned nasty! I think if the storyline was different they would have made a lovely couple! Enjoy xxx