Ashes to mars

Gene Genie

By the next evening, the hangover had left in peace, but the look Gene had given her hadn't.

Having changed in the ladies' and making up her face for her date with Craig.

It occurred to her, quite embarrassingly, that flirting with the Guv after a long day's work had become second nature to her. That he was married here, it had thrown her for a hoop.

Back in the 1980s, he was always peeking down her top, at her arse, they'd even had a date or two, but he'd never crossed the line. He'd never tried to cop a feel; he'd never even tried to kiss her.

And now that Alex knew that he couldn't or, at least, shouldn't (even if Sam had suggested that Gene hadn't exactly been the most faithful of husbands) cross the line, forced her to confront the fact that she actually wanted him to cross it. She wanted to him.

When the shit had hit the fan and Martin Summers had done his worst, worming his way between them, Alex had felt...adrift, lost.

Gene had been right on the money. She, too, thought they were ones, that they had a connection. It was unlike anything she'd ever felt before.

Putting on her lipstick, she toyed with the idea that she only now wanted what she couldn't have, but she knew that would only be an excuse, a reason to ignore her feelings.

She was very good at excuses: he's just a figment of your imagination
he's just a violent thug
he's nothing more than a misogynistic bastard
he only wants a quick shag and nothing more
he's stopping you from getting home.

The list was endless - but now there was actually an excuse which stuck. He's married.

And after everything Alex had been through with Pete, she couldn't be the hypocrite who went knowingly with a married man.

Even if she was in love with him.