Part 3
�Thank you Tony, this is one of the few dresses I can still get into�
�My Wife has a daft idea that she has to lose weight, I have told her that she does not need too but she does not believe me�
�Put it this way, if you were not married to Jim I would marry you myself�
�Oh well I could always trade Jim in�
�Oi cheeky, it�s my birthday, don�t be cruel, and as for you Stamp, with a best mate like you I don�t need enemies�
�You too arguing again?� Polly asked as she approached with Gina, Reg and Bob
�Would we?� Jim smiled �My wife is being cruel and offering to trade me in for a new model�
�Will you stop whinging, you are worse than Alexandra�
Bob laughed at June�s comment �No-one is quiet like your youngest daughter�
�Exactly, Alex takes after her mother�
�Oi now who�s being cheeky� June slapped her husband
�I�m allowed, it is my birthday�
�You looking forward to returning to work� Bob asked as they sat waiting for their dessert
�Not completely Bob, it�s been nice to be at home with the kids�
�I Keep telling her that she has to come back, I need someone to spar with� laughed Gina �It�s not been the same without you, Brandon gives in too easily�
�Why are men such pushovers� enquired Polly
�I�m not a push over� Jim stated proudly
�I�ll let you carry on believing that one� June added laughing
�Being a copper is in your blood June, you were born to be a copper, I can�t see you as anything else, well apart from looking after your children�
�What about looking after me?�
�I think Bob was including you in that statement � June smiled at Jim
�You comparing me to our children�
�Would I��� she looked deep into his eyes as he returned her smile, she watched his eyes scan her body �Do I thing like that to you on your birthday� she continued all too aware of where her husbands eyes were resting as she spoke to him
�Looks like you might do something else to him though� Gina whispered June, who laughed knowing that Gina was the only person who had picked up on the non-verbal exchanges between her and Jim during dinner
�Come on, share the joke� said Tony wondering what Gina had said to June
�I don�t think so, ladies only conversation� June smiled
�Talking of ladies only, little girls room anyone?� asked Gina
�What is going on with you two?� Gina asked as June reapplied her lipstick
�What do you mean?�
�Come on Mrs Carver, compared with the rest of the people we are dinning with I have been watching the exchanges between you two all night, he can�t take his eyes off you�
�He is my husband he can look at me in any way he wants too�
�Come on I have other friends who have been together as long as you and Jim and they have never looked at each other like that never mind after 20 years of marriage, those looks are pure lust June, he is so besotted with you, you have been worrying about nothing over the past few weeks�
�You don�t know what your talking about Gina�
�Well tell me, I can�t help if I don�t know what�s happening�
�Of course he can�t take his eyes off me in this dress, it was the same at Sam�s party and you know what happened there and he remembers��.but I had not just had a baby then� June put her hands to her face as the tears began to flow
�Is this the same problem we spoke about the other week�
June nodded
�Oh June why haven�t you spoken to him, why are you still torturing yourself like this, he loves you so much and it is obvious to everybody that he still finds you attractive�
�Then why wont he���.how come every time things begin to get physical he walks away from me, it�s been like it ever since James was born��.we have never had this problem before and I�m scared that once I go back to work that it will be the beginning of the end, give him the perfect excuse to end things�
�Oh June� Gina hugged her sobbing friend
�What took you so long?� asked Tony as they sat back down
�You don�t ask questions like that, woman always go to the toilets in pairs so that they can gossip� said Bob
�Exactly� said Gina
�What happened in the toilets� Bob asked Gina as they stood waiting to be served in the local wine bar where Jim�s birthday celebrations were continuing
�I don�t know what you mean� Gina inhaled her cigar
�Come on Gina I have known those two for years and I know that something is wrong, June is not her normal self, we all noticed that she was upset when you returned from the toilet�as with this business about not returning to Sun Hill, it is not like June�
�Promise not to repeat this�
�Of course, they are like family to me and I don�t like seeing them like this�
�June�s scared that if she returns to work her and Jim�s marriage will be over, they have not had a proper relationship since James was born�
�Proper relationship?� Bob questioned
�Do I have to spell it out to you, she thinks that Jim does not find her attractive anymore and by going back to work will finish their marriage�
�That�s stupid Gina, how can she think that, he worships the ground she walks on, he always says that without her he is nothing and that he has only achieved his success because of her, we can�t let this rip them apart�
�Exactly, we have to do something to get them to talk, she has to tell him how she feels�
�Indeed� Bob said as he noticed the expression in Gina�s eyes �What are you plotting�
�Leave it to me�