June cracked open her eyes slowly, looking up at an unfamiliar ceiling. She glanced at her watch, 10:00. She sat up gingerly with what appeared to be the Canley brass band playing in her head. Glancing round the room she recognised one of Jim's jackets thrown over a chair. "What have I done?" She muttered, as she stood up, glancing down and frowning at her current attire. "Jim's T-shirt?" She picked up her skirt from the floor and stepped into it, looking round in vain for her own top as her stomach churned. Taking a deep breath she headed out of the bedroom.
Jim was in the kitchen, with the radio or a CD on loud, singing away badly to one of his favourite songs. "The shareef don't like it, rockin' the casbah, rock the casbah, The shareef don't like it, rockin' the casbah, rock the casbah...." He sang. Various cooking smells rushed towards June as she pushed open the door.
"Jim..." She squinted against the bright sunlight. "Turn that down will you please." She collapsed against the doorframe, her hand over her mouth.
"What?" Jim yelled, pretending not to hear her as he cracked an egg into the frying pan.
"Turn it down..." She muttered weakly, retching slightly at the smells coming from the cooker.
"Oh. Sorry." Jim reached up and turned the radio off. "You hungry?"
"I'm..." Her hand flew to her mouth and she bolted from the room, running to the bathroom, vomiting loudly and repeatedly.
"I'll take that as a no, then shall I?" Jim called after her.
June groaned and kicked the bathroom door shut loudly.
Jim flipped the fried eggs onto a plate alongside the bacon, sausages, beans and fried bread, turned the light off under the frying pan and headed down the hallway. "June... are you alright?" He rapped on the door.
"No..." June grunted, retching once more.
"You know you really need something to soak up all that alcohol in your stomach. I've made you breakfast..."
"Sod off Jim - it's not funny." She flushed the toilet and headed to the basin, washing her face with cold water.
"I'm just giving you a little practical advice. Anyway, I thought you'd be hungry, you must have worked off lots of calories last night..."
"Can you get me my top, I can't seem to find it - I need to get home."
"Your top?" Jim pondered for a moment. "Not sure where that ended up."
"Have you got any painkillers... and water... I need water." She cracked the door open and looked at him.
"Of course... but at least have something to eat before you go, even if it's just toast. I'll try and find your top... I've been picking up your clothes all morning... amazing where things end up when you're not looking."
"No food Jim... just water... or coffee... coffee would be great."
"Coffee I can do... black?"
"As strong as you can make it..." She watched as Jim went back into the kitchen before walking through to the lounge and collapsing on the sofa. "There's a funny smell in here Jim."
"Is there? What kind of smell?" Jim called over the sound of the boiling kettle.
"Smells like someone's been sick... you should get your carpets cleaned more often."
"Well, in case I'm mistaken - you've just been sick." Jim shrugged. "Open the windows if you like." He turned as the kettle boiled and made two cups of coffee. Then he opened the washing machine door, pulled out June's clean top which he draped over his arm, and carried the two mugs and the top into the lounge. "Found it." He smiled. "It was in the kitchen... should have known really..."
"Thanks..." She reached out and took the coffee off him. "I think something I ate yesterday disagreed with me."
"I think something you drank yesterday disagreed with you." He turned and headed back to the kitchen, picking up his plate of fried food and taking it back with him to the lounge. "You don't mind if I have my breakfast, I don't know about you but I've really worked up an appetite." He placed the plate down on the coffee table and plunged his fork into a sausage.
June looked at him, then looked away. "I think I should be going�" She swallowed heavily. "I need a shower and got things to do before work... I'll just finish my coffee."
"So you don't want to... talk about it?" Jim looked up at her.
"I just want to go home, sleep for a couple of hours. I feel like... death warmed up."
"Oh... OK." Jim swallowed, and he shrugged, looking away. "Nice to know it meant so much to you."
"It was really nice of you to come to the funeral with me... I appreciate it... it meant a lot to me."
"I didn't mean that." Jim dropped his fork onto the plate.
June looked at her watch as she drank the remainder of her coffee. "I really must go."
"OK... go..." Jim stood and stomped off into the kitchen. "You might need to call a taxi though."
"I'll get the bus... I'll wash your T-shirt and get it back to you." She picked up her other top, handbag and jacket. "See you at 2pm."
"But June..." Jim turned away, placed a hand across his eyes.
"I can look after myself you know." She shut the front door behind her with a bang and cringed as she headed out of the building. "Aarghh." She screamed, kicking a bin as she passed it. "What have you done this time June Ackland?"
***
1:47pm.
June knocked on the door of the WPC's locker room and popped her head round. "Pol... can I have a word..." She gestured madly at her.
"Yeah sure, June what is it? Is your head hurting as much as mine?" Polly popped a tablet into her mouth and took a swig of water from a bottle before crossing the room to meet June at the door.
"Do you have any idea how I ended up at Jim's last night?"
"You went through with it?" Polly's eyes widened. "I thought you'd chicken out and go home."
"Went through with *what*?!"
Polly looked around the locker room to make sure it was empty. "You told me last night you fancied Jim... then you went round to tell him."
"I did..." June wobbled and reached out for the wall. "I did *what*?"
"I never thought you'd go through with it... you were so drunk you could hardly stand up."
"Polly..." She grabbed Polly's sleeve. "I woke up in his bed." She hissed.
"You what?! Clothed or unclothed?"
"In my underwear and one of his t-shirts."
"And you don't remember... anything?" Polly stared at her with wide eyes.
"Nothing... but he was acting funny this morning... like... he seemed disappointed that I didn't remember..." Her eyes widened and her mouth fell open.
"So you... slept with him then?"
"I... I don't know..." She heard the doors at the end of the corridor swoosh open and crash shut, and saw Jim walking towards her. "Oh, god..." As he passed, she reached out a hand. "Jim... I..."
"I'll see you in the parade room." He carried on walking.
"What have I done..." June muttered. "How could I do something like this..."
"Do you remember being at my place last night June? Or can't you remember anything?" Polly put her hand on June's shoulder.
"I remember coming round to yours, talking about the funeral... after that everything is a blank."
"Well judging by what I found this morning we drank two bottles of wine and a bottle of vodka... and I think most of it went down your throat."
"Not vodka..." June rolled her eyes. "I rarely touch the stuff... it goes right to my head... and..." She stared in the direction in which Jim had gone.
"You were keen enough last night..."
"I must have been already drunk... I... this is wrong, this is so wrong..."
"Do you really fancy him or was it the booze talking?"
"It wasn't just the booze... but I've messed everything up now, haven't I - what must he think of me."
"Can you imagine his face when you turned up of the doorstep?" Polly giggled. "Sorry June I didn't mean it like that, but you were paralytic when you left my place... it's nearly 2pm we should go to the parade room."
"I don't know if I can face him..." June looked to the ground.
"Come on you're stronger than this..." She put her arm around June's back and guided her into the room.
June sat as far away from Jim as she could in the small room, barely noticing when Matt came in and started to read the duty roster, until: "48 and 600, Panda 8-4..." His words suddenly sank in and she looked across at Polly, a look of terror on her face.
Before she knew it the officers were filing out, leaving just her and Jim in the room, Jim standing at the doorway. "You coming, Sarge?" He asked pointedly.
"Yeah I'm ready." She sighed.
"I think I should drive." Jim stalked off in the direction of the yard.
"That's probably a good idea." June was forced to half-run in an attempt to keep up with him.
By the time she caught up with him, he was already getting into the car. She bundled himself in beside him. "We're supposed to be touring the Larkmead today." He said, all business.
"I know... I was in the parade room remember... Look Jim about last night..."
"Want to talk about it now, do you?" He asked as he gunned the engine.
"I'm sorry about... this morning... I was just feeling rough."
"Forget it."
"Don't be like this... please." She pleaded.
"What do you expect me to be like?" He glanced at her as he waited at the yard exit for traffic to pass.
"I... I..." She hung her head. "I don't know."
"It was the best night of my life, June... and you can't even remember it."
June opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out.
"I knew you were a little bit tipsy, but not *so* drunk you'd forget it all... or have you just blanked it out?"
"I... don't know what to say."
"Thanks a lot, June." He snapped, looking away from her. "I would have thought you would have at least remembered..."
"Remembered what?" She said quietly.
"The shower... that was..." He shook his head.
"The shower?" June's eyes widened.
"I didn't know you could do things like that."
June gulped. "Like what?"
"Well, you're a lot more agile than I'd ever have imagined."
June shuffled down lower in the seat.
"And imaginative." Jim had to bite back a smile. "And of course, that was just the beginning."
"It was?" June flushed, refusing to look at him.
"That's why I'm so surprised you can't remember any of it. What you did in the bedroom, no woman has *ever* done that to me before."
"I... I..." June's eyes filled with tears and she looked away.
"But... might as well have never have happened." Jim shrugged. "I've got my memories even if you haven't - or at least you say you haven't�" He huffed.
"Don't be like this Jim... last night is a total blank to me."
"Like I said earlier. Thanks a bunch." They reached the Larkmead and Jim pulled over into a parking space where they could observe the whole area.
"Don't you think I feel bad enough about this?" June snapped.
"Bad because of the hangover or bad because you don't remember a landmark night in both of our lives?"
June shook her head. "There's no talking to you when you're like this is there?"
Jim looked down at her. "Like I also said earlier, forget it." He reached for his hat on the back seat, then got out of the car.
"You get back here Jim... that's an order... we need to talk about this." June yelled.
"I'm patrolling the area..." He looked at her incredulously. "And what have we just been doing - everything's one sided anyway."
"The patrolling can wait five minutes. Just get back in the car. Let me explain things."
Jim rolled his eyes and got back in the car, slamming the door behind him. "OK, I'm listening."
"Look firstly, I'm sorry I can't remember anything..."
"I suppose I know what that's like." Jim shrugged.
"It was Polly's fault for giving me vodka." She shrugged.
"And Polly told you to come over to my place and... say what you said."
"I don't know..." June said softly. "I don't think so..."
"So you didn't mean any of that, either?"
"I don't know what I said... you could make it easier for me - you don't have to be so uptight."
"I'm sorry, I just... you told me lots of things, some of them were quite...well, I didn't even know you knew those words..."
June's eyes widened. "If you say so..."
"Very suggestive." His eyes widened. "You're rather brazen when you want to be, aren't you June?"
"Why are you being like this?" June shook her head.
"Like what? I'm just telling it like it was�" Jim looked at her, his eyes twinkling. "And... I have *never* done it outside before, certainly not on the balcony..."
"You what?" June was incredulous.
"I thought we'd wake the neighbours up... sorry - I thought *you* would... you don't keep anything in, do you?"
June's mouth fell open, her eyes filling with tears. "I don't know what I ever saw in you Jim Carver... you're a bastard. You took advantage of me when I was pissed." She slapped his face hard, tears streaming down her face as she jumped out of the car, slamming the door behind her. She stalked over to the edge of the car park and sat down on the kerb, her head on her knees, her body shaking.
* * *
"June... June!" He jumped out of the car, locking it behind him. He approached her slowly, standing just behind her. "June, I'm sorry... it was meant to be a joke."
"Do you see me laughing?"
"No... I got carried away, I'm sorry." He hunkered down to her.
"It wasn't bloody funny." She looked up at him with a tear stained face.
"I know... I should grow up, shouldn't I?"
"You should." She looked at his maudlin face and bit her lip trying not to laugh. "So did we or didn't we?"
"You turned up at my place at about eleven. You fell into the house, muttered something about something, almost fell over again, then...."
"Then?"
"You threw up down yourself."
"I didn't... did I?" June blushed.
"Spectacularly. I put your clothes in the wash, and put you to bed." He shrugged. "I slept on the sofa."
"You undressed me?"
"No... I helped you out of your top, you got all tangled, but I swear I didn't look."
June giggled. "Then you're forgiven... sorry for ruining your night last night."
"There was nothing to ruin. I've been so cruel, June, how can I make it up to you?"
"I don't know... what do you suggest?"
"How about I take you to dinner. You pick your favourite restaurant, I'll pay for it all... well, within reason."
"Are you asking me out Jim?" She hiked an eyebrow.
"Kind of..."
"Then you choose where we go... tomorrow night suit you?"
"If it suits you..." He glanced at her and their eyes met. "I really am sorry. Its just you were so funny last night, I couldn't resist."
"I'll forgive you when I see where you're taking me... what do I need to wear... I don't want to be overdressed... or underdressed."
"Well, it's somewhere where I'll have to wear a suit, so use your judgement."
"You're going to wear your suit?" June squeaked.
"Yes... why?" He tipped his head to regard her.
"No reason." She bit her lip again. "Good job we've got tomorrow off, eh?"
"You can go shopping. Get a new dress."
"So you want me to wear a dress then." She grinned.
"You always look good in a dress, June." He said softly.
"Any preferences... if I decide to go shopping that is..."
"You decide... although you look good in blue." He smiled, touching her cheek lightly, smiling when she didn't pull away.
"Don't know if you deserve a new dress. I'll have to sleep on it."
"You will. In your own bed this time." Jim got up. "Come on... let's get on with some work."
She held her hands out to him. "Give me a hand up... and wear a blue shirt tomorrow will you, it goes with your eyes."
"Yes, ma'am." He pulled her to her feet. "I can't wait."
"You're keen... but� I can't wait either. Anyway, let's get this shift over with."
................. on to Part Four
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