'So how are you enjoying your long weekend?' Kelly asked Shannon when they met up for a drink after Kelly's work out in the gym. Shannon glanced around at the people drinking protein shakes and smoothies while she twirled the spoon around in her coffee. 'Wouldn't you like to know,' she said trying not to smile.

Kelly gaped at her. 'Something's happened I can tell,' she said her eyes brightening. 'Is it Donnie?'

'No Donnie's just a friend,' Shannon said thinking that if only she could fall for him life would be so much simpler.

'So not Donnie but someone?' Kelly asked slyly.

Shannon nodded, a smile playing on her face. 'I guess you could say I've taken a trip down memory lane.'

Kelly gasped, faux shocked. 'Oh my god, you mean Joey? I should have known, he has never got over you.'

'Do you really think so?' Shannon asked trying to temper her own enthusiasm.

Kelly's smile faded slightly, her eyebrows coming together in a frown. 'Shan he's getting married.'

Tell me something I don't know, Shannon thought as she resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

Kelly let out a long mock groan. 'Shit, I'm doing the bridal party's hair and makeup. Thank god I took a deposit.'

'Kelly can you not think about work for once,' Shannon said irritably.

'It's my livelihood. But seriously Shan, Joey's getting married, what do you think he's playing at?'

'I don't know,' she admitted chewing her lip. 'It's been so long since I've been involved with anyone I don't think I can see straight.'

Kelly snorted. 'You must have some sort of idea if he's using you or not.' She paused as if choosing her next words carefully. 'And since he's getting married I'd say that indicates you're nothing more than a booty call.'

'Way to bring me down Kell,' she said her shoulders sagging.

Kelly's face softened. 'I'd love nothing more for you to meet the man of your dreams. I know what you went through and I'd hate to see you hurt again.'

Shannon nodded, she knew Kelly of all people was on her side. 'I really don't know what to do. Joey said he wants to see me again, and I want to see him.' Her hands knotted together in her lap and she made herself straighten them. 'I think I want him back.'

~~~~

Katherine had left home early that morning to do a spot of shopping and then meet up with Eva and Danielle for lunch. They were supposed to be discussing their bridesmaid duties but Kat would rather think about anything else, every time she thought about the wedding anxiety clawed at her. She'd been tempted to cancel her lunch plans and go home but she couldn't bear to be around Joe, their conversation the previous evening had sickened her.

'So how're things going with the monster in law?' Eva joked while Kat looked through the menu for something to order despite her non-existent appetite.

She put the menu down still undecided. 'Actually, Margaret's been fine. To be fair I can't complain about her.'

'Oh and we thought we were in for a bitch fest,' Danielle said her mouth turning down in mock disappointment.

'Well we could still have one,' Katherine said taking a sip of water as she considered the wisdom of confiding in her friends. 'How about Joe's been secretly meeting up with his ex, apparently he's her new confidant.' There was a pause as two pairs of eyes widened.

'What!' Eva exclaimed reacting first.

'I knew she was a bitch,' Danielle said self righteously, her voice rising. 'I could tell when she came in the salon. She has this sly, man stealer look about her.'

'Thanks for the reassurance,' Katherine said wryly, and yet in a way she was reassured that it wasn't unreasonable to be upset.

Danielle shook her head. 'I'm sorry, but what's happened? I mean why is Joe even meeting up with her?'

'I don't know, he says they're friends, that she was his best friend,' she said feeling a sharp stab of pain. 'He's never said I'm his best friend.' She couldn't believe how much those words, probably said innocently, had hurt. It suggested that Joe had had an intimacy with Shannon that they didn't now share.

Eva frowned. 'But weren't they kids when they were together? Maybe Joe was a nerd who had no friends period back then?'

Kat wanted to believe that but she knew it went deeper. 'They split when they were nineteen but the friendship goes back years. I can't compete with that,' she said with an air of defeated resignation.

Eva and Danielle frowned at each other not sure what Katherine meant. 'Are you saying he's having an affair with Shannon?' Eva asked tentatively.

'No,' she said not wanting to consider the possibility. 'But I don't like how he's getting close to her again. He's changed. Since Shannon's come alone there's definitely a distance between us.'

'Well tell the bitch to back off,' Danielle said seeing her glum expression. 'You and Joe are happy, and I bet she's come along with some sob story to try and reel him back in.'

And that was exactly what she suspected Shannon was doing. Crying on Joe's shoulder, getting her claws into him...but of course, Joe wouldn't hear a word said against her.

'I'm not going to fight like an alley cat over him,' she said forcing a laugh.

'But Kat he might think you don't care,' Eva said still serious. 'Guys are dumb. They love a bit of flattery, to feel needed. If this Shannon's acting like the damsel in distress a guy like Joe's gonna fall for it cos he's so nice.'

She shrugged her shoulders. 'If he's gonna fall for someone else that easily then it's over anyway,' she said sounding braver than she felt. Eva and Danielle looked at each other, clearly not convinced by Kat's words.

'So is the wedding off then?' Danielle asked shocking Katherine.

'God no,' she exclaimed.

'But Kat-'

'I'm not going to walk away, deep down I'm sure Joe's committed. It's the secrecy that's getting to me that's all.' Danielle and Eva looked bewildered and she made herself smile, picking the menu up and pretending to be engrossed in the options.

~~~~

'What are you doing here?' Shannon asked Joe as she opened the door to him, and he could hear the pleasure in her voice.

'I just stopped by on the off chance,' he said stepping inside.

She smiled looking up at him. 'You almost missed me, I was at the gym with Kelly.'

'You, at a gym?' He was incredulous. Growing up she'd always been on the skinny side and exercise had never held much appeal to her.

'I met her after her workout,' she said with a laugh. 'So what do you want?'

'I told you I wanted to see you again,' he said pulling her towards him, grateful they didn't have to worry about prying eyes. 'If I recall rightly you said the same.' He felt her tense up ever so slightly.

She cocked her head to one side. 'I know I said that, and I do, but you're with someone else.' She met his eyes questioning him.

'Say I dumped Kat, would we be together?' He had to know.

Her eyes flitted away. 'Maybe, but I don't want you to dump her because of me,' she said her voice wavering. 'If you think you would have been happy to marry her if this hadn't happened then you should still marry her.'

'And that's what you want?' he asked disbelievingly. It was true he'd have married Kat without question if they'd never met up again, but that didn't mean it would have been a good decision.

'I don't come into it,' she said looking up at him.

'Bullshit, stop being a martyr, what do you want?'

She looked down biting her lip. 'That doesn't matter Joey, I don't want to be responsible for ruining your life. Say I tell you I want to be with you, and you dump Katherine, and then we don't work out...'

'At least we'd have tried,' he said. 'If I married Kat now I'd be selling both of us short.'

Shannon shook her head. 'You're so transactional about everything.'

'That makes no sense,' he scoffed. She was stupid sometimes.

'Joe if you dump Kat and we don't work out it will all have been for nothing,' Shannon said her face hardening. 'I'm not putting myself on the line whereas you'd be giving up everything.'

'Well say we didn't work, don't you think I'd meet someone else?' he asked tongue in cheek.

She raised her eyebrows. 'You really do fancy yourself,' she said lightly but he felt her relax in his arms.

'Nah I fancy you,' he said bending down to kiss her, getting a crink in his neck. He vaguely remembered she at least eight inches shorter than him, compared to Katherine's three.

'Joey I don't want to be your other woman,' she said pressing her hands against his chest and trying to get out of his grasp.

'That's not what I want either,' he said amused as she struggled unsuccessfully against him.

'You don't know what you want,' she said exasperatedly. 'You've told me more than once that you don't want to get married but you're still with Katherine.'

'I'm trying to let her down gently,' he said loosening his grip on Shannon so she could finally wriggle free.

She stood back her cheeks pink with the exertion. 'Well until you do finish with Kat, I don't want to see you.' She folded her arms across her chest and glared at him defiantly. His eyebrows knotted together, was she actually serious? Somehow he didn't think so.

~~~~

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