Three's a Crowd

"'We'?" Theo said, giving Gareth a grin. Dani could see how the man scored so often: he had a smile that promised a wild night. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't interested.

Maybe another threesome?

"Definitely," Dani said, giving Gareth's hand a squeeze. "It's been an amazing few weeks. I've not had a chance to thank you two for everything you've done for me. I could never repay you... I mean that literally: I don't get paid anywhere near enough to afford you guys."

Mark made a dismissive wave, smiling at her. "Don't mention it. Alex is fond of you: that's all the reason I needed to help."

"Plus screwing Jake over," Theo added.

"That was a good feeling," Mark said. "Honestly when you called us that night and told us what you were planning I didn't think it would go down quite so sweetly."

Dani nodded, still recalling how hard her heart had been beating when she dialled the number on the way home from Myle Hye's station. It was the number Mark had called her on several weeks earlier, not long after she had given Alex her own number. He had promised to be there if she needed him, and that night Dani had needed both Mark and his friend, Theo; they both had delivered, securing a restraining order against Jake which meant he had not been seen for weeks now. It seemed Jacob Cook was well and truly out of her life.

"God, that was so much fun," Dani said. Grinning madly.

"I get worried about you when you get that look," Gareth said, not unkindly.

"You should have heard her!" Theo said, grinning.

"Don't piss this woman off," Mark said.

Gareth theatrically shuddered. "Oh God no! I've seen the crazy shit she draws!"

"Thanks, babe," Dani said, giving his shoulder a squeeze. "I'm glad I've installed the fear of me into you."

Grinning at each other like some love-sick teens, Gareth and Dani shared a kiss.

Mark gave his friend a look, which Theo returned; rolling his eyes as well.

"Glad you've moved on," Mark said. Giving Gareth a look, he added: "you seem like someone who isn't a total cunt: I'm sure you'll be good for Dani."

"That's probably the nicest thing anyone has ever said about me," Gareth said, smiling. "How is the bastard son of the devil these days?"

"Well and truly in the doghouse," Mark said. "As well as required to keep a mile away from this lovely lady at any given time."

"Thanks for that," Dani said. "I'm not scared of him anymore, but... it does help me sleep." The lights and noise of the city also helped: Dani had not had need to use sleeping pills since she had moved in with Gareth. A shame: they had certainly come in handy! Although now she thought of it: "Hey... Theo? Mind if I ask you a question?"

"Hmm?" Theo looked at her with those big green eyes over the menu as he pondered lunch.

"I used to be able to look at your family home from Jake's bedroom window," Dani said; seeing a strange look come over Theo's expression she pressed on: "Do you live there?"

"No," Theo said.

"He's got a place in Petty Moore," Mark said. "We walk to work together."

"Does anyone live there?" Dani said. "I kept seeing a light on in one of the bedrooms."

"That's worrying mate," Mark said. "Do you not have security in that place?"

"No one lives there," Theo explained. That odd look still in his eyes. "Mother moved out many years ago. She lives in Cunny-by-the-Sea, down the coast. The house is empty."

Dani was about to mention the light in the window, but the arrival of the waiter rendered that unspoken, and after a few minutes she forgot all about it; instead enjoying lunch with the men in her life who weren't total dickheads.

Halfway through his sandwich (a chunky chicken club) Mark made a sound and slapped Theo.

"What?" The taller man asked, putting down his baguette.

"Alex asked me to tell you that you should have given her a warning about your cousin before she hired her."

Dani swallowed. "Your cousin works at PC?"

"Er... yeah... Haley," Theo said. "Tall. Dark haired. Probably a little strange. Anyway, what's Alex's problem?"

"Mate, did you not hear what your cousin did?"

Theo blinked. "What did she do?" He asked. His voice was strangely flat.

Noticing Gareth and Dani avidly paying attention, Mark split his attention between all three of them as he explained that the head of Transport for Eroshire, a guy called Harold Fennick, had been having an affair with one of the barmaids at the Paradiso Costiero for a few months now. It was also an open secret that the head of the East England Transport Union, whose members also included TFE workers, another chap called Joe Regal, was also cheating on his partner with one of the PC barmaids.

"No one thought much about it until Harry and Joe went to Alex's nightclub for drinks after the talks went through," Mark said.

"Oh my God, they were both fucking Haley!" Dani said, grinning.

Theo had his head in his hands.

Mark nodded. "Of course! They realised when they both started flirting with her," Mark said. "It turns out they knew Haley had been seeing other guys, but she kept telling the both of them that they were the better lover. So naturally instead of being sensible and getting annoyed with her they decide to start a screaming match at each other right in the middle of PC, resulting in the two of them storming out to contact their staff and tear up the agreement they just signed."

"So the whole fucking debacle three weeks ago was because two guys got pissy they weren't the biggest dick in the barmaid?" Gareth said, clearly bemused.

"That's SO Coytoss!" Dani squealed. "Fuck! I LOVE this city!"

Theo sighed.

*****

"I can't accept this!" Dani said.

Zehra hadn't moved from the doorway while she had watched her friend and her new partner tour the place. Dani understood: it was Zehra's old flat, after all. Despite the refurbishment after the unfortunate flooding had damaged most of the place, requiring so much to be replaced that the flat was now a veritable 'Ship of Theseus' conundrum, it was still Zehra's old flat. She knew all the nooks and crannies.

Still... "Zee... I can't accept this..."

"Yes you can," Zehra said. Arms folded and smiling at her friend's expression. "I don't need it. I'm moving in with Ade. You guys need the space more than I do."

"Are you sure?" Gareth said, giving Dani a squeeze. "I mean the rent for this place is a fucking steal."

"Rent for my new place is better," Zehra said, grinning. "Look... take the keys. The landlord's happy to transfer the contract to you two. Good landlord's are hard to come by in this city."

"Zee... I don't know what to say..." Dani said. Detaching herself from Gareth she walked over to Zehra and embraced her oldest friend. "Thank you."

"You deserve some happiness," Zehra whispered in her ear.

Hearing the regret in her friend's voice, and eager to reassure Zehra that nothing was her fault, especially not Chloe, Dani was about to respond when her phone went off. Not recognising the number she answered, annoyed at someone interrupting this beautiful moment with her friend.

"Don't hang up."

Her blood ran cold. "You're not fucking supposed to contact me!" She hissed. "This is breaking the restraining order! You could get-"

"Two hours," Jake interrupted her. "They agreed two hours. Stormy Dan Park. Next Tuesday. Two o'clock. By the fast food stand at the lake's edge. They'll text you the contact details. I've given them your number."

"Agreed what?"

"You can see Chloe."

Dani's mouth hung open. She was aware of Zehra asking her what was wrong, and Gareth's hand on her arm in concern. "What... why?" She said, her voice breaking. "Why would you do this for me?"

For the longest time it seemed as though Jake wasn't going to reply. Then: "just promise me you'll be a good mother."

He hung up.

*****

Deep in the heart of the city, the park known as Stormy Dan Park was a two mile by three strip of grassland punctuated by thick copses of English oak; some trees so old that myth held they'd been planted by the Angles when they founded Eros Shire over a thousand years ago. In fact the name of the park was actually Daniel Follett Memorial Park, after one of Coytoss' most famous shipwrights of the last century. His legendarily fierce temper earned him the moniker 'Stormy Dan' amongst those who worked his shipyards, and the name stuck long enough after his death that 'Stormy Dan Park' eventually became its official name, even on Google Maps.

Dani enjoyed coming here, but today she felt terrified; she clung to Gareth's hand like he was a liferaft and she was adrift in a fierce and stormy sea. Together they walked the paved path down between the oak trees, their branches giving shade on this warm, sunny day.

"It's going to be OK," Gareth said, obviously noticing how Dani kept breathing deeply, a hand on her chest as she felt her heart thudding hard inside.

"What if she doesn't recognise me?" Dani said breathlessly.

"Dani... she's never met you," Gareth said, but not unkindly.

Dani felt tears well up. "I've missed so much!" She said.

Stopping them both, Gareth held her hands as he stood in front of her. "You can't change what has already happened," he said gently. "But what you do from this moment onwards is entirely in your control. You're not the same woman you were when they took her away from you. They'll see that. I know they will."

"Miss Cohen?"

They both turned to regard the tall, smartly dressed woman approaching. A tablet was held in one hand, and the other was extended towards Dani. "Hi! I'm Nattie Madaki. We spoke earlier?"

"Yes, I remember," Dani said, accepting the handshake. Nattie's grip was firm; her long black fingers encircling Dani's smaller pale white hand quite easily. "Is..."

Natti half-turned and gestured at the small playground Dani and Gareth had been walking to. "She's by the swings. In the pink jacket."

Dani could see the child Nattie spoke of: sitting on a bench near the swings was a young girl; a thick head of black hair spilling out over her pink jacket. She was looking back at Dani with an expression of apprehension on her young face.

"I think she's as worried to meet you as you are her," Gareth said gently in her ear.

Dani felt him nudge her forward, and she allowed her legs to move. Carrying her closer to the little girl, who watched her approach until Dani was standing before her. "Erm... hi," Dani said.

"Hi." Jesus, she even sounded like her! This close Dani could see how much Chloe took after her: there was barely any trace of Brad in her features. "Nattie says you're my mum."

OK: no beating around the bush with this kid. "I am," Dani said.

"Nattie says you couldn't look after me because you were sick."

"I was."

"You don't look sick."

"That's because I got better," Dani said. Feeling less apprehensive, she settled into a crouch in front of the girl. "I had great friends who helped me."

"I have friends too," Chloe said. "Nattie is my best friend. She told me I shouldn't be angry at you because you needed to get better before you could see me again."

"Your friend's very smart."

"She is!" Chloe smiled. It was looking into a mirror: only one that warped Dani's long features into a much chubbier face. "She also says I should keep practising my art. Do you want to see?"

"I would love to see!" Dani said. Slowly she sat on the bench beside Chloe as the young girl took out an art pad from her large pink bag and began to talk excitedly about her drawings: she was already quite talented, and Dani sat beside her daughter - her daughter! - and listened to the girl talk.

*****

"So who are you to Miss Cohen?"

Gareth reluctantly looked away from watching Dani and her daughter chatter to each other on the playground bench, totally absorbed in the sketchpad the young girl had pulled out of her bag to show her mother, to regard the tall woman from social services. "Boyfriend," he said.

"How long have you been seeing each other, may I ask?"

"Only a few months," he said. "I know: not a great indicator of a stable household for Chloe."

"That's not for me to judge," Nattie said. "I heard what you said to her. You care about her."

"A great deal."

"Don't take this personally, but you seem a little young to be a father."

Gareth shrugged. "Mum had me when she was nineteen. Same age Dani had Chloe. She made it work."

"True. As I said: this is not for me to judge."

"Who will be judging?"

Nattie gave him a warm smile. "Mostly Chloe."

*****

"I think that went well," Gareth said later that evening, as he brushed his teeth. Dani sat on the toilet beside him, staring at the plastic stick in her hands. He tried not to think about it as he saw to his teeth with the electric toothbrush. When Dani didn't respond he turned to her.

She raised the stick so he could see the result.

"OK..." Gareth said after a moment. "Well... I did say I would."

"You did," she said, grinning.

"And we're sure it's..." he left the rest of that sentence unsaid, not believing the possibility.

"It's definitely yours."

"OK..." Gareth said again. Staring at the stick. "Let's do this."

Grinning, Dani bounced to her feet and kissed her boyfriend and the father of her second child with furious passion. He gathered her in his arms and carried her in the direction of the bed, but their lust for each other saw them fall to the floor in the small corridor between bathroom, living room and bedroom.

As she rode Gareth into the polished wooden floor of their new home - courtesy of her friend - Dani listened to the sounds of their sex and the noise of the city outside, and felt full of life and possibility for the future ahead.

After feeling lost for so long, Dani now knew where her life was heading, and she was on board for every moment of it!

She felt fucking alive!

(And so ends-)

"Why are you looking so pleased with yourself?" Alexa Matthews-Kent asked her latest hire, a woman even taller than she was; which annoyed the blonde no end, but then hiring Haley Smith had been a favour to Theo, and so far the elegant brunette had been a model barmaid.

Even during that awkward scene between the TFE guy and the union head...

Which Alex refused to blame Haley for: she would be a massive hypocrite if she blamed Haley for the actions of two man-babies Haley had been sleeping with (considering Alex herself had also been in similar situations with men she had been fucking simultaneously without either of them knowing.)

So, that little city-shut-down-inducing hiccup aside... a model barmaid.

But every now and again Alexa caught Haley being... odd... like now: the woman had been still with a cocktail glass in hand for several minutes. Just staring into it like she could see something in the glass.

At the sound of her voice Haley turned those dark eyes - they had to be brown, but Alexa swore she could see a hint of purple - towards her boss and her smile grew. "Tell me, Alex: do you love a happy ending?"

Caught off-guard by the question, and fighting a strange sense of vertigo that seemed to hit her every now and again lately (maybe she needed to see a doctor?) Alexa frowned. "I guess... yes? Who doesn't?"

"But the problem with happy endings, is they're never truly the end... are they?"

"Yeah... life goes on I suppose..." Alexa gave Haley a weary glance. The woman really was quite the oddball sometimes.

Haley returned the cocktail glass to the shelves behind the bar. "But that's another story," she said. "For another time..."

Those dark eyes look back at Alex.

"And so ends another Eroshire tale..."

(...)