In preparation for the big Thanksgiving Night and before her shift began, Fiona laid out all of her music and pulled together a Mix Tape for the end of the night. She knew after the club shut everyone would come back to Grove Road.

She set her CD player and placed the cassette in the slot and began her craft

She started with

Bruce Springsteen Born in The USA
Don McClean American Pie
Neil Diamond Sweet Caroline
Boston More Than a Feeling
Meat Loaf Paradise by the Dashboard Light
Tom Petty Freefalling
Fleetwood Mac Don't Stop
Blondie Union City Blues
Madonna Express Yourself
Red Hot Chilli Peppers Californication
The Doors Light my Fire
The Beachboys Wouldn't it be nice
Simon and Garfunkel Homeward Bound

She placed the tape next to the stereo and made her way to the Hospital

Later, Fiona wore the only clean going out clothes she could find which was a tight pair of jeans and vest with a waistcoat, she was 3 hours late off duty. She showered and caught the bus into town. She walked into the Sports Cafe and it was clear that the party had been in full swing for a good while.

 The Sports Cafe was bedecked in Stars and Stripes everywhere. The waiting staff were dressed as cheerleaders or American Football players. Fiona made her way through the throng of inebriated homesick Americans as she tried to locate her group. She spied a very drunk Richard crossing the landing at the stairs.

Fiona walked towards the group Richard picked her up and swung her round kissing her as he did.

"See this," he held her up "this is the bloody perfect woman."

"How much have you lot been drinking? She laughed, she saw Lyn and mouthed sorry at her.

"No worries Fiona, they have been playing who would be their sexual fantasy real woman tonight." Lyn laughed.

"It's the boobs,"  Nikki laughed "obsessed aren't they?" Nikki looked at all three of them. They were all blessed in the upper half.

"You know I found them all once with my clean washing trying to see if they could fit their heads in my bra when I caught them they were like naughty school boys!"

"They are playing fuck, marry, kill again," Nikki shouted above the crowd.

"We are most quoted," shouted Lyn, "with Suzie always on kill. David is taking it quite well but Suzie's friends could pickle vinegar with their stares."

"I stood on two of them on the dance floor and warned a third off who got a bit close to Dan," Nikki stated drunkenly.

"I need a drink!" Fiona roared to be heard above the music and headed towards the bar and attempting to buy herself a drink.

"Whoah Ninj! You are on catch up! "shouted Reece, motioning to the table laden with drinks." Two double Vodkas and lime here love!"

Fiona rolled her eyes, she thanked the skies She was off duty tomorrow or she would be the first Zombie midwife in existence.

Three hours later the group were suitably fed and sozzled. Reece was regaling them all with his surfing tales. Whilst caught up in their stories Fiona looked across the room and locked eyes with David. They smiled at one-another, he motioned for her to come over and sit next to him.

Fiona moved across the room and scooted up next to him as he lifted her arm for her to move closer in. He squeezed her shoulder and she looked up at him. It felt to David as though time stood still, he looked at her and saw the warmth that passed between them.

"I am so sorry about last night," he whispered into her ear. She smelled great. He could feel her tense at his attention to her ear. He really wanted to kiss her neck and hear that groan escape her lips again.

"What part?" Fiona wasn't sure what he had to apologise for. His behaviour had been much worse in the past. His breath on her throat made her draw in breath to calm herself. The signal her body was receiving went from throat to nipple, to groin in an instant. 

"All of it, I spent a very uncomfortable night on the couch, thinking about Suzie and things, and I just wanted to say sorry to you. She has no right to be so horrible to you, you have been nothing but kind to her and I wish she could just get over the fact I fancy the pants off of you. However you don't want me, so she will just have to do instead." he sighed. His feelings were harder to hide when hammered.

Fiona turned to look at David to ensure that he wasn't messing with her, he gave her the most serious look she had seen on his face. She knew that David was hammered. However, the rush of heat to her nether regions began to take over rational thinking.

He broke her gaze to find several of Suzie's friends staring at him. He shifted uncomfortably in the chair and whispered to Fiona that he was going to the toilet. She nodded and let him out of the booth.

On his way back from the gents he stopped to get a beer at the bar. He watched Fiona across the room as she laughed at Reece's stories. Not seeing her every day was not reducing his crush on her one bit.

He thought if he immersed himself in Suzie that his feelings would wear off. In fact, the exact opposite happened, he found himself falling more and more for Fiona. He needed to know if she felt the same. The look she gave him said she did. The fact that Suzie had screamed her out and she didn't retaliate meant that she felt something for him surely? 

Suzie had been hellish that morning. He knew she was desperate for a ring on her finger and he really wanted a long term relationship too. He just wasn't convinced he was ready or that Suzie was the one. Was she, if he still had a crush on Fiona. 

He knew that Fiona was damaged goods. In David's experience, it would be another six months before Fiona could learn to trust anyone again. However, he was counting on the fact that Fiona would want him then. Currently, he had Suzie and she was keen as mustard. David was torn in two wondering what course of action to take.

He was nearly 30 and he couldn't dick about forever,  Suzie certainly pointed that out with venom that morning. Suzie gave him an ultimatum which was to never see Fiona again if he wanted to move in with her.

It was harsh he argued but Suzie's resolve was set. When he was with Suzie he was sure he could easily give up Fiona as a friend, in truth he had only known Fiona for five months, however, tonight seeing her he knew he felt like he had known her all of his life.

Seeing her with Reece and the rest of the team he was conflicted at best and at worst overcome with jealousy. Her easy nature with them all. Their shared in-jokes and stories that he was once interwoven into. He felt like an outsider in his own group of friends. The worst part though was that with Fiona for once he could be himself, he could let his guard down, be goofy and dorky without fear of retribution or ridicule.

On top of all of that, Fion was totally his type, she was a natural girl next door. He hated over made up women with false nails, lashes and even worse false boobs. Those chicken fillet bras were the worst. Suzie had worn one when they met and he had to perform his best acting job ever by not fainting in shock at her b cup breasts. On the other hand, Fiona was an E Cup, which was a revelation, as he and the rest of Grove Road thought that breasts stopped growing after a double D cup. He pictured himself with Fiona's breasts in his hands, the weight and the softness of them and .....

He shook himself out of his fantasy about Fiona and reminded himself that Suzie was good for him he chided himself. She came from a long line of Doctors, had gone to private school, had only had a handful of previous lovers and was looking to settle down quickly. She was serious, organised and safe.

Their sex life was the same organised and safe, not passionate and crazy. No spontaneity, Suzie had outlined what she liked and in what order, which took the guess work out of the situation for David. She was responsive to him and he knew that she enjoyed their bedroom antics. However listening to Fiona shag the dancer around the house last month, he was dead sure that Fiona was a wild cat in the sack. She certainly seemed inventive for sure.

Emma, Suzie's best friend, moved across The Sports Cafe to stand next to him which jolted him out of his thoughts. He smiled down at her and she poked him hard in the chest. He jumped back as though he had been shot.

"You better behave tonight!" She shouted in his ear "you told her yet?"

David looked at Emma. This was his choice. He was moving in different circles. Mature circles. He needed to move on. Change and grow.

"Nope but I will!" David sighed. This was it, he had to make the choice between standing still and waiting or moving on with purpose. 

He watched as Fiona picked up her bag and coat and headed to the toilets. Emma did the same and marched in behind Fiona.

Fiona saw Emma poke David in the chest and guessed the content of the conversation. She sighed and started to look for her things to try and slip out unnoticed. She gave Richard her share of the bill and made her way to the toilet. She overheard Emma talking to her friend when Emma was in the toilet queue.

"I told him that if he didn't tell her tonight then Suzie would finish with him." Emma was making sure that Fiona got the message. Her little pinched spiteful face was ripe for a punch, however, Fiona was two drinks shy of that action.

Fiona walked out of the toilet cubicle and spotted Emma and the two girls with her. Fiona washed her hands and addressed them all in the mirror above the sink.

"Suzie has nothing to worry about. Truly she doesn't, for the record though it's sad that she is so insecure. I had someone shag my fiancé behind my back and so you all know I would not do that to another woman ever." she spun on her heel and ran down the stairs to the front door.

Fiona needed space away from Emma, away from David and away from her feelings. She sped off to find her way home to Grove Road and her bed as quickly as possible.

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