#also my pos car better start ffs

[valoale]

Wish me luck today I’ve got a photography gig for the longest time and of course it’s an outdoor location and of course it’s -15 degrees Celsius outside and on top of that I need to drive over 100km and the roads are icy as fuck and I still have the shitty winter tyres I’ve been bitching about for weeks lmao

Let’s see how I’ll survive, running on faith at this point

[lockdownuk]

Lockdown Diary Part 7

A personal account during the lockdown in the UK due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

23/03/2020 8:30pm Boris Johnson, UK Prime Minister, gives a live address to the nation to, effectively, put the country on lockdown to stem the spread of the deadly coronavirus strain, Covid-19.

Many of us have been self-isolating for days but this latest development within the UK in reaction to the pandemic feels very serious and very scary. I decided to keep a simple diary and where better but online.

Day 181: Typing on day 182. I received an email from someone at DSM who had got my CV from Helen Proctor (she was the manager that interviewed me along with the founder) and wants me to interview for a IT business consultant role for a shoe firm (Loakes) in Kettering. I called the chap and had a quick chat and arranged it for Wednesday.

A few beers, as it’s Friday, and caught up via video chat with Foggy and Irish Mike (Foggy’s on quarantine having holidayed in the south of France). It was a late one and they were both pissed, but nice to chat. Andy and Ham were meant to join but were no shows - Ham had his sister’s funeral this week - might explain it.

Day 182: I messaged Ham - he went round his folk’s house after work last night as his two sisters were there. I have to admit, I am ignorant of all of Ham’s brothers and Sisters so he may well have meant one was Preaya in an urn.

Someone on the Oundle Chatter FB group asked about Google Hangouts (on behalf of her son who is attending college and they have online classes using it. I am now about to look into it for her. Why did I get involved. It’s 8pm on a Saturday, ffs!

Update, I researched it and messaged her - seems I hit a nail on the head and she seemed suitably grateful. Booze and pizza coming right up (at 9:15pm)

Day 183: Up at just before 2pm - I drank shed loads last night and went to bed after 4am. Faffed about but did manage my stair climb, a 10km walk and I am now making a roast dinner-ish tea (chicken breast stuffed with red leicester and wrapped in bacon) with all the veg and yorkies (I am trying to empty the freezer as it needs defrosting).

Day 184: I posted on FB that today was half a leap year of lockdown (that’s wrong, should have been yesterday). Rachel replied that it isn’t lockdown anymore. I replied that it is for me but that got me thinking - are we officially in lockdown still? Checked, and we are. Posted that on the same thread and Badger replied that the current level of lockdown has been uprated to level 4, whatever that actually means. Rachel’s post worries me - 1. ‘cos it’s indictative of the far-too-relaxed attitude and, 2. I wasn’t even sure even though I’m still observing the same lockdown behaviour that I was before Boris made his announce on March 23rd. Scary how facts bleed into fiction. 

Jim contacted me today, asked me to call. I did so, he says I’ll be asked to return to work (from home) on the 5th October (two weeks). Shirley from HR will be in contact. I’ll believe when I see the email from her! 

Day 185: Boris announced a tightening of the relaxed lockdown including pubs shutting at 10pm. None of it really affects me since I’m still in as full a lockdown as when it started.

Received an email from John Morton at DSM for an interview at Loakes tomorrow (Wed) at 09:30am.

Received a Facebook message from the editor at Oundle Chronicle - he wants to do a short article about the photos I take and post on the Oundle Chatter fb group.

Day 186: Interview went ok.

Called Dad and Rita to let them know that I received an email from RCI confirming that I will be back at work on the 5th of October.

In the evening, Facebook had posts concerning somebody walking round Creed Road with a knife in his hand, and the police getting involved!

Day 187: Spend spend spend. Paid my speeding fine today £357, my water bill £147, bought two new duvet cover sets and two new sheets £58, a new pair of walking boots (my relatively new Hi-Tec are leaking and falling apart) £75. Oh, and the car insurance renews day after tomorrow, £230. Thank fucking fuck I’m being taken off furlough!

Day 188: Friday and I’m going to have a few beers and watch a couple of films.  I’ve been trawling through Seinfeld and am most the way through S3, and it’s brilliant. The Kramer character is mentally good. One episode had the actress who played Janice in Friends - that episode is a classic - which also included an scene whereby the cast are all exclaiming ‘Saturday night’ similar to the Friends TikTok trend. Got a call this morning about a service delivery lead role for EPM, a education service provider, based in Huntingdon. It’s a good role, very involved, reporting directly to the head of IT. But it’s only £32k pa. I replied to the email the recruiter subsequently sent to say I am interested but that salary is less than £5k pa than I am on now as a 2nd line support techie!  Lastly, I am well on my way to doing 500,000 steps in September!

Day 189: I was woken by the doorbell - a delivery of one of the duvet cover sets. On the door mat was a missed parcel delivery note from Ryal Mail (I have to get whatever it is from Warmington PO) and a note from next door (No. 34) asking for me to turn my music down at 10.30pm. That’s fair enough but....10.30pm! What are they, 80 years old? I have felt low today. There is no rhyme nor reason as to my moods suffice to say I am not of the happiest dispostion on a permanent basis, resigned to being alone. In fact, I have come to terms with the fact I’ll die alone but, it seems, some days I cope with it a lot worse than others. On that cheery note, it’s 8.45 pm on a Saturday night so, I am about to launch into some beers, weed and pizza. I think tonight I’ll seek out the second John Wick film - watch the first last night - so fucking good. You gotta love Keanu!

Day 190: Hopefully the last Sunday of having an enforced no-work-on-Monday so I’m going to have a beer or two (it’s now 8:20pm - just cracked open a Bud), watch American Sniper and eat Chilli and naan bread and onion rings. I did a 12 km walk today - I recall a time when 40-45 minuts walking was enough. Today’s walk was 2 hours! I know it’s only walking but I feel fitter than I have for years; still unfit, but fitter. Day 191: Well, I enjoyed the decadence of boozing last night but it meant getting up at after midday! Still managed two walks, trip to Tesco’s in Hampton after picking up the mystery parcel from Warmington PO. It was two unknown bottles of beer for a marketing campaign I entered a few days ago! I have to not open the beers until I receive instruction whereby I’ll be joining in with other drinkers in video chat! Day 192: Smahed 500k steps for September with one day to go! Cleaned the kitchen - I’m going to do the whole house over the next few days while I have the free time since I’m back to work on Monday.  The lad from next door called round this eveing to ask if I got the note. When I said yes, he told me they (he and his partner) can still hear music. FFS! I asked where their bedroom was, it’s along side mine, so I guess it’s the TV sound that is travelling up and disturbing them. Great, fuck knows what I should do if I want to watch anything after 10:30pm. I suppose going back to work is good timing..I shall be going to bed around that time myself, especially if I want to get up early to get a walk in before starting at 09.00 am.

Day 193: Typing on day 194. Only managed one walk today, before 9.00am. It made a great change walking that early. I then set about doing housework (which I started yesterday) - I want to clean the house from top to bottom before going back to work. i.e. while I have time during the working week. I did the Kitchen yesterday and the whole lounge today. It’s fucking knackering. I managed 519k steps in September, works out at 9.6 miles per day, which is good and, also, annoying. I have taken delivery and laundered all my new bedding. It’s brushed cotton lushness, can’t wait to try it. Last ‘happy hour’ of (this current) furlough, so I had beers (and a fucking spicey sausage casserole)...hence penning this a day late.

Day 194: I didn’t get out of bed until nearly 2pm, FFS. Spome with Ricky Roberts about kayaking, it sound sliek something I could take up but, I would need to join the boat club to have somewhere to get in and out!

Day 195: Sueanne from work called to let me know she’s taking over from Jim ‘til new yer and that the team are looking forward to my return - lovely. Dad called, he and Rita are fine as usual - lovely.

Day 196: Got up fater 2pm. I was seriously fucking wasted last night. Had a video chat with Fog - just checked, it ended at 02.04am and I did a lot more drinking and smoking after that. I still managed a 9.7km walk and am now going to settle down to a few (just a few!) beers, shepherds pie and watch Casino. Day 197: Quiet Sunday with some bizarre results in Super Sunday in the prem. Man U lost at home to Spurs 1-6 and Liverpool were thrashed at Villa Park, 7-2. Work tomorrow, feeling a little apprehensive, not sure why. Got to go to the office (to reset password) at 09.00am

Day 198: Back to work. It went OK. I had to go to the office so that my a/c could be enabled and password reset and t get VPN working. There were a few problems but I was back home and logged in OK in the afternoon. Saw Mark in the office - he’s lost weight and was telling me about a cycling accident - I knew about it, but I didn’t realise he had been in hospital and had a plate put in his shoulder. He also has the exact same issue with codeine as me! I am pleased to be back at work but it’s different - no Jim and Sueanne in charge is the main thing. I’m just going to keep my head down; it’ll be for the best.

Day 199: Second day back at work and I’m (trying to) crack on with it. It’s all coming back... New walking boots arrived today (I have them on as I type); I reckon I’ll be OK to walk in them with no breaking in. That’s just as well as my evening walk took me by the marina and the path between the lock, the small bridge and, especially, the larger bridge into the field at the bottom of Basset Ford Road was flooded, no way my boots will be dry for tomorrow.  I did my stair climb before work, 3.5 km walk at lunchtime and then a long, second one, as mentioned, later. I want to try and do a short walk before work in future, hopefully. On the way back from the lunchtime walk, I saw the lad from next door who thanked for me keeping the music down as per the note he left, so, that’s all good.

Day 200: I’ve started a work diary,  à la ENDC....nowhere as urgently required but I just think it’s a good idea.

I wore my new boots for the lunchtime walk (3.6km) and they’re fine. However, I didn’t use them in the evening, they niggled the left foot a bit, so some breaking in is required. My usual ones were just about dry enough having been sat on the radiator! Day 201: Popped into the office today to pick up my full headset dongle, did a quick shop at Asda. So, only one walk today. I have not yet managed to get a walk in before work, just the stair climb, so missed out on a lunchtime walk today since I was shopping. Did 8.5km in the evening. Bought a card online for K’s birthday. Not sure why, we seem not to be communicating - I haven’t heard from her for over a month now which, as mentioned before, I shouldn’t find as hard as I do. The card’s pretty cool though, a quip about just getting a card as a present would involve non-essential travel. Now I am back at work, I want a to do loist app. I recall a smart one that was a linear/curved affair that I saw on Producthunt but, fuck me, I couldn’t find it after over an hour looking. Then I checked Google apps and there it was (Lightpad.ai) - I was chuffed and relieved. The lad from oundle School has been trying to get hold of me via Messenger (he tells me by email) so he can interview for the article in the Chronicle. He has pencilled in Saturday at 6pm.Fuck knows if it will go ahead, the whole thing is sketchy. Day 202: First week back at work over and done. I ordered some stuff from Amazon (slippers and socks) and they offered a free trial of Prime, which is the norm, but, seeing as I have had a free trial under that a/c, I assumed it would error, as I have seen before. This time it didn’t! So, tonight, I just about to have some beers, eat pizza and watch The Gentlemen,. It was suggested by Miles on FB when I asked for  recommendations. It’s been on my to-watch list since its release. I need some cheering up, I’m having a low ebb today.Day 203: Typing on day 204. The Gentlemen was pretty good. I had lots of beers and smoke and went to bed fucking late, gone 4am. Up at lunchtime. I was meant to be going up Foggy’s for a few beers and to listen to Cobblers vs Posh but I sacked that off. I went for a walk at tea time when it got dark fucking quick and pissed down. I didn’t mind ‘cos Posh won 0-2. I watched two films in the evening: Master and Commander: Far Side of the World and Official Secrets. Both excellent. Day 204: Another late night, so up at just before 2pm. 12.64 km walk! I’m going to make stirfry and watch Knives Out...taking advantage of Amazon Prime.Day 205: I didn’t watch Knives Out last night, Amazon Prime was playing up. Tonight, however, after uninstalling and reinstalling the LG app, it’s working again. But, rather than a film, I have started watching The Boys series. 3/4 through the first episode and I’m kinda hooked. Another long walk tonight (I didn’t go out before work or at lunchtime), over 5 miles. My new boots are a marvel...they’re still new - I can tell I’ve got a little bit of wearing in still to do, but, pretty much from the off, I can walk long distances in them. I’m impressed. I think, because they are so light, they may be susceptible to the cold, especially now I can walk for longer periods without hypo-ing. The snow and frost will be the test.Day 206: Bit of a frustrating day at work. I am pleased I have a diary of events to update, that’s all I will say on this potentially public diary. Had a chat with Mark about certain aspects of the day, it was a good chat whereby he agreed with some of my gripes. In the evening I took part in a Ipsos marketing test of two beers with a whole bunch of people online. Ultimately, you have to choose one of two beers you prefer and answer questions why. It’s then revelaed which beer you chose. The beer I iked best was Stella but 4.6%, I think that’s the next product iine for them. You don’t get to find out the other beer. I shoudl recieve a £15 amazon voucher for partaking. If that actually happens, I’m going to buy a pair of gaiters. My new boots are fab (although I did turn my ankle last night) but their insides don’t half attract gravel and debris.Day 207: A productive day incorporating ToDoist with work and GCal, I have sacked off Lightpad.ai (it was too cumbersome moving tasks between dates) - so I managed to tick a few things off the task list as a result (responding to Jo Broom’s voicemail, chasing an eye appointmen, for example). Tim came round and did the garden, nice chinwag. I saw little Derek the other day, as well, he’s not coping great with the whole pandemic atm, certainly now lockdown has relaxed, he’s not as social as before. Day 208: Had a chat with Sueanne today, which is not unusal, and I was asking about creating KBs...she remarked how well, and quickly, I getting up to speed. It pleased me. I am having battered fishcakes, potato wedges and peas for tea. I am looking forward to it the most ridiculous amount (it’s cooking as I type). I shall eat as I watch more of the rather excellent The Boys. Seinfeld is on the back burner atm. Day 209: Emily Folgate’s room mate at uni has tested positive for Covid19! Marc’s avoiding the pub and I am glad I didn’t pop up there last Saturday! Bumped into Ash and Dee when i walked past the vets, chatted for 5 mins, it was really nice to see them. The lady next door (38) stopped me outside to say she recently realised that it was me who posts photos to FB, and said they’re ‘amazing’! End of week 2 back at work. As I type, I’m on my first beer, about to have many more and a smoke, half way through The Trial of the Chicago 7 on Netflix. Living the dream! Day 210: Things got messy last night. Sugar levels were a mess. I couldn’t even make it upstairs at one point, laid down on the long rug nursing a big bottle of coke. Got up at around 1pm and did usual shit, now having a beer, spicy sausage casserole in the oven (and it is fucking spicy) and I’ll pick a film to watch in a bit. Posh won, 2-0 at home to Oxford, up to 4th, one point behind Lincoln.

[perfectlyrose]

help i need somebody (not just anybody) -- part 3/5

Summary: Rose is settling into her life in a new city very nicely. She has a job she loves, great new friends, and a flat a few doors down from a certain cute neighbor. When her mum keeps nagging her about kickstarting her love life, Rose spins a tale that involves dating her neighbor, John, who is no more than a good friend. It’s all an innocent white lie until Jackie calls and tells Rose that she’s coming to visit and can’t wait to meet her boyfriend.Rose has to face the music and come clean to John and see if he will pretend to be her boyfriend for just a few days while her mother is in town and hope that their friendship is still intact at the end of it all.

Pairing: Ten/Rose

Rating: All Ages // Word Count: 2546

Note: For the absolutely wonderful and amazing @lastbluetardis as a belated birthday present <3 love you ashley! i hope you enjoy this little fake dating romp!

AO3 // TSP // FF // tumblr

Rose knew her grip on John’s hand had to be bordering on painful as they stood in the train station, waiting for Jackie to disembark.

“It’s going to be fine, Rose,” he said, knocking their joined hands against his leg.

“You can’t know that.”

“One of us has got to be optimistic! Plus it’s only a couple of days, what could po-”

Rose cut him off with a glare. “Don’t you dare jinx it, John Noble.”

“I wouldn’t dare.”

She looked up at him, worried expression fading into a smile. “Thanks again for going along with this. I really appreciate it.”

“Believe me, it is my absolute pleasure,” he replied, returning her smile.

“Think you two can stop being all lovey-dovey for a few seconds and give me a proper hello?” Jackie’s voice made them both jump.

Rose dropped John’s hand and went to go hug her mum. She really had missed her loads since she moved.

“S’good to see you, Mum,” she said, pulling back but leaving her hands on Jackie’s shoulders. “You’re looking good. Howard must be treating you well.”

“Sent me up here to see you, didn’t he?” she retorted, grinning at her daughter.

Rose laughed. “He did.”

Jackie looked over Rose’s shoulder, gaze locking on John who was standing there with his hands in the pockets of the brown pinstriped suit he’d put on for the occasion. She ran a critical eye over him, taking in everything from his messy hair down the plimsolls he insisted went with his suit.

“This himself, I take it?” she asked Rose.

Rose couldn’t help the fact that her smile widened. Despite the circumstances and the lies, she was really excited to introduce her mum to one of her favorite people. “Yeah. This is John.”

She stepped back and reached for John’s hand, twining their fingers together. “John, this is my mum.”

“It’s lovely to meet you Mrs. Tyler. I’ve heard wonderful things about you.”

“Flatterer,” Jackie shot back but Rose could hear the smile in the single word. “But you’re apparently making my little girl happy so I suppose that’s alright.”

“I try my best.”

“You better.,” she warned before turning her gaze back towards her daughter. “Now, Rose, love, I want to see your flat. I’m sure the video I’ve seen doesn’t do it justice.”

“The video really doesn’t lie, Mum. It’ll probably just look smaller in person.”

“Still want to see it.”

“Of course, Mum,” Rose said. “John drove, so we don’t even have to catch a cab.”

“Right, forgot you had a car. Cheers, cabs are murder when you’re travelling with luggage.”

“Rose told you about my car?” John asked, shooting a questioning look at Rose. She just raised her eyebrows at him.

“Tells me almost everything, now doesn’t she.”

“Right, of course. Can I get your bag, Mrs. Tyler?” John asked, dropping Rose’s hand and reaching towards Jackie’s suitcase.

“Yeah, alright. And call me Jackie. No need to be all formal with me.”

He snagged the handle of the suitcase and gestured in front of him. “After you, ladies.”

Rose flashed a grateful smile at him and then turned her attention to Jackie. “So, tell me how things are going with Howard. And how’s Bev doing?”

She listened to her mum go on about her friend and boyfriend as they walked out to the car park and tried to ignore the fact that what she really wanted to was to linger behind and slip her hand back into John’s.

The ride in the car felt much longer than necessary. Rose was in the backseat on her own, having given the front passenger seat to Jackie. Her mum had asked John about his work so he was rambling excitedly about what he was doing in the lab currently, gesturing with one hand as did. Rose couldn’t help but smile at his enthusiasm. Her mum was completely lost but was nodding along anyways.

“Is he always like this?” Jackie asked, craning her neck to look at Rose when John stopped for a breath.

Rose’s smile grew. “Yeah.”

“Could talk someone’s ear off,” she said as she turned back around in her seat.

“You’re one to talk,” Rose teased. “I’ve heard you on the phone with Bev.”

Jackie huffed but Rose could see a smile tugging on her mouth.

“So are you working this weekend?” she asked John.

“Well actually,” he started to say.

Rose scrambled to interrupt him knowing he was about to tell Jackie the truth that he had a long weekend and lose his only escape route for if he needed to get away for a bit. “Actually, he’s on call this weekend for if something goes wrong at the lab.”

She reached over the seat and squeezed his shoulder, silently promising to explain later and hoping he understood.

“Yup! On call all weekend,” he said, voice pitched higher than normal in the way it did when he was hiding something. “Hopefully they don’t need me though.”

John pulled up to their building and into the first parking space he found. “This is us. You can leave your luggage in the boot if you want and I can drive you to your hotel later.”

Jackie sized him up again. “I think you found yourself a keeper, Rose,” she said after a moment. “That’d be lovely, John,” she continued over Rose’s embarrassed groan. “I really hate taking cabs.”

They headed into the building and took the lift up to Rose and John’s floor, mostly quiet. Rose was fidgeting, picking at her nails as she watched the numbers tick up, until John reached over and took one of her hands. Their fingers twined together like they’d done this a million times and Rose’s heart jumped when he ran his thumb across her skin in a soothing rhythm.

She stepped closer to him and shot him a grateful smile. She might not get through this weekend with her heart completely intact but at least she had John for right now.

The doors slid open on the fifth floor and they filed out.

“That’s John’s flat,” Rose said as they passed the door for 5C. They stopped in front of 5G and Rose dropped John’s hand to dig in her bag for her key. “And this is me.”

She led them all inside before closing and locking the door behind them.

“Oh look at all the light you get in here! Much brighter than our flat,” Jackie exclaimed.

“Big reason why I picked this place,” Rose said with a laugh. “Can actually see what I’m painting when I work here. The gallery lets me stay afterhours and paint in one of the workrooms, though, so I don’t paint in here as often as I’d like.”

Rose saw John open his mouth and then close it after looking at Jackie, obviously filing whatever question he had for when they were on their own.

“And look at these!” Jackie cooed, standing in front of the two canvases hanging behind the sofa. “I haven’t seen these. New work?”

“Finished them a few months ago,” Rose said, moving to stand next to her mum. “I’m thinking about making a series of them, actually.”

“Well, you know I could use something new for the living room back home,” she said.

Rose slung her arm around Jackie’s shoulder. “I’ll bring something when I come visit at Christmas,” she promised.

Jackie looked around for a bit longer, walking through the kitchen and poked her head into the bedroom before excusing herself to go to the loo.

Rose exhaled loudly and looked over at John who was looking a bit lost as he stood in front of the sofa, studying her paintings. She tried to think of what he might see. They were flowers, bright and bold with a single bloom taking up the entire canvas. John had complimented them when he’d seen them the first time so she didn’t know what was catching his attention now.

“You alright?” she asked, moving to stand next to him. She slid an arm around his waist so she could lean against him and sighed quietly when he draped his arm over her shoulder and pulled her closer.

“I didn’t know you painted these,” he admitted, voice quiet and a almost forlorn.

Rose looked up at him, confusion wrinkling her brow. “You told me how much you liked them right after I hung them.”

“But I didn’t know that you were the artist.”

“Did I not tell you?”

“Rose, you’ve never told me you were an artist at all.”

She pulled away and stepped in front of him so she could see his face. He looked a little hurt and confused. “I had to have. You know I work down at the gallery.”

“Yes, of course. I know you love art, I just didn’t know you also created it.” He ran a hand through his hair, tugging on the ends a bit.. “How did I not know this?”

She shrugged and opened her mouth to answer but then she heard the toilet flush and water start running in the sink. “Can we talk about it tonight?” she asked, taking his hand again.

“Yeah.”

Rose wrapped her arms around him, drawing him into a hug that she hoped doubled as an apology. He hesitated for half a second before returning the hug.

Jackie walked in to the sight of them wrapped around each other. Rose had her eyes closed as she rested her cheek on his chest and John’s mouth was pressed to the crown of Rose’s head in an extended, barely-there kiss.

She smiled. The man was obviously as in love with her daughter as she was with him and she was just so happy to see Rose happy.

“Alright you two,” she said, making them both jump and disentangle from one another, “I’m knackered. If you’ll get me to the hotel, I’ll leave you to the rest of your evening.”

Rose knew she was blushing, she knew it, but there wasn’t anything she could do about it or the suggestive tilt of her mum’s cocked eyebrow.

“Yeah, we’ll drive you over. It’s not far,” Rose said.

They all bundled back into John’s car and drove the ten minutes to the hotel with the radio making the majority of the noise.

“I’ll come over tomorrow morning,” Jackie said once John had unloaded her suitcase and they were all standing on the curb. “Don’t worry about picking me up or any of that nonsense.”

Rose hugged her tight. “I’m glad you’re here, Mum.”

“Me too, sweetheart. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Jackie headed into the hotel to check in and Rose and John climbed back into his little blue car. The silence on the way home was too thick for some pop song to comfortably cut through. Once they were in their hallway Rose broke the silence.

“Do you want to talk at yours or mine?” She paused then offered, “I have wine in the fridge.”

He nodded sharply. “Yours, then.”

Rose quickly unlocked the door and made a beeline for the kitchen where she poured two glasses of the white she’d opened the previous night. When she came back out, John was staring at the paintings again.

“Why didn’t you ever tell me that you’re an artist?” John asked quietly, accepting the glass of wine she offered and taking a large sip.

“I honestly thought that I had,” she admitted.

He tore his eyes away from the paintings to look at her. “You’re my best friend, Rose, and I didn’t know.”

Rose bit her lip. “I didn’t mean to keep it from you. I guess I’m just used to everyone knowing because people did back home. I don’t really talk about it that much because,” she shrugged a shoulder, ��well, because it’s not like I’m some big name artist. I’ve had one piece make it into a gallery show and it was a gallery I worked at.”

“But it’s still something you love.”

“Yeah, it is.”

He tugged her closer, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “You’re extremely talented, Rose.”

She turned her face into his shoulder instead of answering.

“I mean it!”

“I know you do.” She squeezed him in a half hug before pulling back. “Do you want to sit?”

He nodded and they settled on the couch, Rose stretching out and tucking her toes under John’s thigh.

This was a normal, every day occurrence.

Except it wasn’t. It just felt like one. Rose was positive that now that she had a taste of just casually touching John, more than what she could justify as a friend, she was never going to be able to go back to how they were.

“So, how long have you been painting?” he asked, eager now to know more about her art.

They talked through their glasses of wine and a refill, moving closer together on the sofa as they did so.

“So why did you tell Jackie that I was on call this weekend? You know I’m completely at loose ends,” John said, eyebrows drawing together in confusion.

“Oh, I just wanted you to have an out in case you got tired of hanging out with me and my mum. Work’s always a good excuse for that,” Rose explained.

He grinned at her, all bright and sappy and a bit tipsy. “Oooh, I doubt I’ll ever get tired of hanging out with you, Rose Tyler.”

Rose’s heart was pounding and she grinned right back at him. He was so close and his eyes were sparkling and all she wanted to do was lean up and kiss that smile off his face and see what happened from there. Tonight had been wonderful and she thought maybe, maybe …

He blinked and pulled away before she could decide.. “We should probably go to bed. Sleep, I mean. I should leave so we can both get some sleep.”

Rose giggled. “Alright. Thanks again for doing all of this, John.”

“It is my genuine pleasure.” He said, popping up to his feet and stuffing his hands in the pockets of his suit trousers

“Need me to walk you back to your flat,” Rose asked, shooting him her tongue-in-teeth smile.

His cheeks pinkened and she was delighted at the way he seemed to get even antsier at the thought of what had happened when he walked her back earlier that evening.

“Umm, I’m fine I think. No need for you to get up, I’ll just… go.” He headed towards the door and then paused with his hand on the doorknob. He smiled back at her. “Goodnight, Rose.”

“Goodnight, John.”

Rose flopped back on the sofa with a sigh as soon as the door clicked closed, the moment where she could have kissed him playing on repeat in her mind, taunting her with all the what-ifs. She groaned, throwing her arm over her eyes. John didn’t want that with her and she needed to remember that he was just playing the part she’d given him for the weekend with the same enthusiasm that he did everything..

Two more days and they would be back to being the just the best of friends and Rose could work on piecing her world back together once that happened.