Shannon got up the next day her head pounding. However, she couldn't help but smile when she thought of Joe. She told herself not to be so stupid, he was with someone else, but when she remembered how she'd been moping over her ex Mark it did raise her spirits somewhat. She checked her phone hoping for a message from Joe but there was only a brief text from Donnie suggesting they meet up. She went into the kitchen to make some coffee when her phone rang.

'Hello?' she answered without paying attention to the screen.

'Hi babe,' a familiar voice said and she felt warm inside. So she was 'babe' again.

'Hiya Joey, what are you up to?'

'I'm on domestic duty today,' he said in a hushed voice. 'I wanted to check you were ok.'

'Well of course I am.' She wasn't going to go all Fatal Attraction on him.

'I kinda hoped I wasn't that easy to forget.'

'Who said I forgot?' She smiled. 'Maybe I'm thinking of you right now.'

'Yeah...Good cos I'm thinking of you right now.'

'You are?'

'I know I shouldn't be. I should be thinking about colour schemes and wedding lists, and all that shit but actually I'm thinking of you.' She held her breath. 'And what you're wearing or not wearing.'

She let out a giggle. 'Joey please don't try to engage in phone sex cos that sort of thing was never your forte.'

'Yeah I know,' he said more seriously again. 'I'm just telling you the truth.'

'And what about Katherine?' He was talking to her like a single guy.

'God I don't know,' he admitted. 'This feels like something else.'

'Something else?' Shannon asked frowning. 'You make it sound like something is going on.'

'Isn't there?'

'I thought last night was the past,' Shannon said with a firmness she didn't feel. 'A nostalgic one night stand?' That's what she'd been telling herself, she couldn't allow herself to get hurt again.

'Well maybe I want a repeat performance,' he said lightly.

'No way! I won't be your last fling.' She knew that would only lead to heartache.

There was a long pause and then Joe spoke again. 'Say I was thinking of more than that, I could be making a big mistake here.'

She took the phone from her ear for a moment, not wanting to listen. 'Well if you think you're making a mistake you need to sort that out without my influence.'

'Yeah I know, but I still like you Shan, well more than that, and I'm trying to figure this out.'

'Well, it's best that you do that by yourself. I'll see you around.' She quickly hung up on him. It pained her to do so but no way was she going to set herself up to be his bit on the side. Whatever feelings she had for him, she had more self-respect than that.

~~~~

Joe looked at his phone as if he was expecting some sort of answer to jump out of it. He couldn't believe that a few months ago he'd been all set on the path he was taking and now he wracked with doubts. He'd been telling himself he barely knew Shannon, he was simply remembering the girl she was, but after last night that was a joke. There was a part of him that wanted to be with her, but he also wanted to be with Katherine. That couldn't have changed overnight.

'Joe, why don't we stay home today?' Katherine suggested interrupting his thoughts.

'Yeah sure.'

She sidled up to him. 'We've both been working so hard I thought we could do with some alone time.'

Inwardly he cringed. This was about as blatant a come on as Kat would make, however, he could ignore her since she was hardly transparent. 'Good idea, I've been so busy it'll be nice to do nothing all day.'

'How about I get us a nice drink to put us into the weekend spirit,' she said smiling. 'We'll lock the door, close the curtains, turn our phones off.'

'Sure.' However, he continued to look at his phone. Katherine went to the kitchen bringing back some drinks.

'I said phones away,' she said looking up at him.

Joe sighed, he knew that was his signal to make a move. He put his phone down. 'Satisfied?'

'Yeah,' she said her mouth parted in anticipation. He kissed her as she expected but almost instantly he remembered how Shannon had felt in his arms. He chastised himself for comparing but he had done it before. In the past it had been more along the lines of thanking God he'd moved on from the selfish little bitch, not wishing she was in his arms instead. His thoughts brought him up short.

'Is everything ok?' Katherine asked leaning back to look at him.

'Yeah course,' he said but he was already disentangling himself.

'Right, it's just you don't seem very into this,' she said her cheeks flushing.

He shook his head. 'Sorry, I've got a banging headache, I drank too much last night.' He tried to look apologetic. 'Actually Kat, I think I'm gonna go for a run. It might clear my head and then I'll be better company for you.'

She smiled weakly at him. 'If that's what you want?'

'Yeah, I don't want to be a grouch all day. I'll go for a run and come back a civilised human being.' He gave her his best winning smile. He knew she'd done nothing wrong, the fault lied with him and he had to fix it.

~~~~

Shannon met up with Donnie for a drink, desperate to distract herself from thoughts of Joe.

'Hey you look great,' Donnie said as she sat down. She tried to bask in his compliment but she felt flat, she knew without a doubt they'd never be more than friends now.

'So what have you been up to Mr McGillis,' she said trying to flirt a little even though it was pointless.

He gave her a wry smile. 'I've been getting fitted for my suit for the wedding of the year.'

Well, that brought her back to reality.

'Of course, you're best man,' she said flatly.

'Yeah I couldn't really say no,' he admitted with a frown.

She tilted her head to one side. 'You don't approve?'

'I think Joe's rushing into it. I know they've been together a while but I think he's doing it cos it's the next step.'

'Well marriage is the next step,' Shannon said with a lightness she didn't feel.

Shame her ex hadn't been on the same page.

Donnie took a long sip of his drink as if he was collecting his thoughts. 'I can't help feeling that Joe is treating getting married like a business transaction. And in a way I can see why. Katherine's perfect, smart, good-looking, but I don't think his heart's in it.'

Shannon felt a bubble of excitement inside. 'Well, that's for Joe to figure out,' she said keeping her face straight.

Donnie looked at her intently. 'And how do you feel about it?'

She inhaled deeply. 'Frankly, I hate it,' she admitted letting her feelings pour out. 'I don't want him to get married. I think he's making a mistake but it's not my place to tell him.'

'Then whose is it?' Donnie demanded. 'If his friends can't say, then who can? I've tried, maybe you should.'

Shannon shook her head. 'No it would be wrong coming from me. He needs to hear this from someone who doesn't have a vested interest.'

'Vested interest?' Donnie asked raising his eyebrows and she flushed.

'We have history together,' she said trying not to sound flustered.

'Has something happened?'

Shannon took another sip of her drink again avoiding his eyes. She was desperate for someone to talk to and he was her friend, but he was Joe's even more so. 'I can't say, you're Joe's friend.'

'I'm yours as well.'

'Let's just say it's bad,' she said twisting a strand of hair around her finger. 'It's bad enough to make me think he's not ready to get married.'

Donnie's eyebrows knotted together. 'Right so he's told you he wants to be with you or he doesn't want Kat? Or something in-between?'

'No he hasn't said that,' Shannon admitted her face heating up. 'And it could have been with me, or any other woman for all I know....'

'Shannon it would be easier to talk if you'd stop being so coy,' Donnie said a little impatiently. 'I'm not sure what you're trying to say.'

'We had a one night stand,' she said her voice barely audible.

Donnie's eyes widened. 'Shit, I thought you meant it was more of an emotional thing. Like a heart to heart or something.'

'Kinda a bit of both,' Shannon said refusing to meet his eyes. 'I told Joey he should consider it part of the past cos what else can it be? But he's been calling me all day.'

'And how do you feel about him?' Donnie asked his voice neutral.

'Maybe if we were both single I'd consider trying again but we're not so I can't think like that,' she admitted feeling churned up. 'And now he's getting me all confused cos he won't leave me alone. He's been calling all day.'

'I'll talk to him,' Donnie said. 'Get him to back off, and work out what the hell he wants.'

'I don't want this getting out Donnie,' Shannon said anxiously. She could well imagine their families' reactions. 'Katherine seems nice. There's no need for her to be hurt over my mistake.'

'Yeah but she's gonna get a lot more hurt if Joe marries her and it's you he wants,' Donnie said sharply.

Shannon bristled. 'I'm don't think he does want me. I think he wants a last fling or something. Or maybe it's to pay me back for dumping him, I don't know,' she said trying to sound dismissive. 'Either way, you can't tell Katherine.'

'No I guess my loyalty is to Joe,' he said his face expressionless. Shannon nodded but the knot of anxiety remained firmly lodged in her stomach. Until she resolved things with Joe she guessed it wouldn't be going anywhere.

~~~~

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