The weather outside felt surprisingly mild outside for this time of year, it was slightly overcast and there was no breeze to be felt. The two friends made their way towards the beach and started slowly walking along the esplanade taking in the views of locals walking along the sand with their dogs and children on their left and the sounds of the gentle murmur of people filtering in to the various beach cafes and restaurants on their right.

Weymouth was especially pretty at this time of year; the natural beauty of the town could be taken in as long as the rain held off while the classic Christmas decorations added a spark of colour that the town needed to brighten up the town. The pair linked arms with one another and continued their walk towards the harbour.

“So, what are these big plans that we have to tackle this year” Ellen looked over at her friend and smiled.

“For a start, we have both been saying about needing a steady relationship. Secondly, the flat needs a makeover, as do we and I want to become my own boss.” Julia grinned back.

“Right.” She paused “Nothing like being ambitious”.

“Come on! We can do it! I mean, I know that we’ve both been out of relationships for some time now, but that can be easily rectified after our makeovers”.

“But I don’t want someone who is just with me because of my looks” Ellen grumbled.

“They won’t just be with you because of your looks; I mean you’re gorgeous as you are. I think we just need to soften your appearance slightly to make you look more approachable” she encouraged.

“Why do I need softening up?” She cried.

“I don’t think you do! But men tend to find you intimidating and don’t feel comfortable walking up to you”

Ellen rolled her eyes “Right! No time like the present” as she pulled her friend off course towards the town “I need an outfit for tomorrow”.

They walked down the almost deserted high street, the sun had finally come out and was making the town sparkle as the rays glistened off the rain soaked, paved high street. They both spent the next few hours visiting every open clothes shop. Ellen finally settled for a simple little black dress with a pair of suede pink stilettos with matching clutch bag all accessorised with a rose gold necklace with a half-moon pendant.

After their successful trip, they walked arm in arm down one of the town side streets into their favourite café. It was busy which meant that they had to wait a few minutes for one of the tables to clear, but as one became available, they instantly raced onwards it and sat down before the previously occupying family had even put their coats back on.

They didn’t need to look at the menu, Julia knew what they were both having and did not hesitate to stand back up to order their regular meals at the counter. Ellen was surprised when her phone vibrated, she didn’t hesitate to unlock the phone and read the message from Danny.

“Hey gorgeous, no the hangover isn’t too bad but work is a killer. Don’t suppose you want me to come around and cheer you up later do you? I would love to see your beautiful smile again xxxx”

She smiled to herself.

“Why are you torturing yourself so much?” Julia appeared at the table with two cups of tea.

“I’m not! It honestly is harmless fun, which is what we have always agreed. Plus, it would never work between us and he knows that. We work completely different hours for one, and for two he is not husband material. We are too close to be anything more” she defended as Julia sat down once more.

“Whatever helps you sleep at night” Julia winked.

“It IS the truth” Ellen retorted angrily.

They both went silent as the waitress arrived at their table with their food and smiled as she placed the bowls of stew down in front of the two women. The silence was not broken as they ate their lunches, both unsure of what to say to one another. Ellen fearful that her argument about Danny being no more than a friend with an arrangement that suits them both, and Julia afraid that her two best friends would end up hurting each other.

Eventually, just as Julia was finishing her last mouthful of food Ellen looked straight at her.

“I’m sorry. I don’t want to fall out, especially not over this.”

Julia swallowed “I don’t want to either! I’m just concerned that my two best friends will end up hurt and I’ll potentially be in the middle of a fallout that may never recover”

Ellen nodded “I get it, I really do. But you have to believe me when I say there are no deeper feelings between us, you saw that when Denny was with his ex!”

“Natasha”.

“What?” Ellen looked confused and concerned that her friend had lost her mind.

“Her name was Natasha” Julia paused “I mean it obviously still is, she hasn’t changed her name just because the two of them have broken up”.

“I knew her name!” Ellen retorted.

“You have never said it though. You may think that this affair between the two of you is void of all emotion, but that’s just not possible!” She warned.

“If there were real feelings there, would I really be going on this date tomorrow?”

“I don’t know. Look, I’m sorry, I just care about you both so much and you mean the world to me” Julia reached out and took her friends hand “Let’s head home and relax for the evening”

Ellen nodded and walked out of the café with her friend.

The walk home was quick and direct. The two women had power walked home to keep warm as the night sky had already blanketed the town and the temperature had already dropped to freezing. They had both immediately got changed out of their shopping outfits and joined each other on the sofa in their pyjamas in preparation of an evening at home binge watching their favourite TV shows.

The night quickly passed and before the even realised, it was 11pm and the tolls of the festive season had impacted them both. The doorbell rang and they both jumped.

“Who comes around this late on New Year’s Day? Did they not get the memo that the party was last night?” Julia stomped to the front door and opened it “Oh” she stepped aside.

“Well you look much better now” Danny towered over the sofa and smiled at Ellen.

“What are you doing here?” She asked looking at Julia who was staring at them both.

“I’m going to bed. I’ll see you both in the morning” Julia winked as she walked to her bedroom and shut the door.

Danny sat on the sofa and kissed Ellen softly “Hey” he grinned cheekily.

“Hi, you still haven’t answered me” She smiled back

“I just finished work and you didn’t text me no”.

“Oh! I forgot to reply. I just assumed you’d take that as a no. I’m so sorry”.

In that moment Danny’s face looked visibly hurt “Oh, I’ll head home then”

Ellen sighed “Don’t go home now, it’s too late and I need someone to keep me warm in bed”.

Danny smiled and strolled over to her room “I’d best make a start then” he quickly disappeared inside and Ellen didn’t hesitate to join.

“Danny, I don’t understand. We said no strings” Ellen whispered.

“I can’t help it, you are just so beautiful and amazing and perfect. I want to be able to call you mine that is all that I have wanted for the longest time” He wrapped his arms around her waist.

“But we agreed” Ellen argued.

“Well I have changed my mind”

“We can’t. We’d be jeopardising our friendship and we always said that our friendship is more important than anything more” Even in her drunken state Ellen knew that this couldn’t happen. She knew how she felt about him, but she also knew that he was the type of man that didn’t stay in a relationship for any significant amount of time. She needed someone that was going to be forever, she needed someone who would marry her and settle down with her not someone who wanted to flirt and play games.

“But you’re my soulmate” He gazed directly into her eyes and put her hand on his heart “I can feel it right here. It hurts when I picture my life without you”.

Her eyes started to well up with tears “We really can’t”

“But I love you!” Danny urged as he pulled Ellen close and kissed her softly “I know that we said that we couldn’t fall for each other, but it’s too late! I am head over heels in love with you!”

Ellen kissed him before he could finish talking “I love you too. It has been so hard to fight it”

Ellen suddenly woke up and sat upright, her room was pitch black, Danny was sound asleep beside her and all she could smell was his aftershave on his t-shirt that she was wearing. She shook her head and curled back up beside him. She was now more convinced that her dreams were actually flashbacks of the evening and was terrified that his feelings may be more real than she had considered up until now. Was Julia right? She hated it when that happened. It was in that moment that the rain started to fall and pound against the window, she stood up and walked to pull back the curtains and stare outside. She felt a tingle up her spine, something that she always felt when the weather outside was awful but she was nice and warm inside. She stood glued to the spot with her eyes focused out on the dark street in front of her for a few minutes until she was disturbed by Danny turning over in her bed and looking straight at her, smiling.

“You need to stop getting up in the middle of the night. I’m a light sleeper; so, when you’re awake, I’m awake” Danny croaked.

“No one forced you to stay!” Ellen immediately retorted without thinking but with a feeling of instant regret.

“No, you’re right” Danny stood up and got himself dressed without saying another word.

Ellen got back into her bed and shed a single tear as she heard the door shut. She decided that them both taking a bit of time and space away from each other would be in both of their best interests, even if it did hurt right now. She curled back up in bed and willed for her sleep to come quickly and for the night to pass quickly.

Ellen blindly reached out her arm, taking care not to move too quickly, to grasp hold of her pint glass from beside her bed. She nervously opened one eye once she had managed to pick it up only to discover that this was where todays heartbreak would begin. The glass was empty.

It was early in the morning on New Year’s Day, a dead silence encompassed not only the flat, but it also appeared that it had captured the whole world outside. Ellen delicately sat up in bed and allowed her head to spin for a few seconds before opening her eyes. Although the room was dark, she could just about make out a figure beside her. That was when her heart started pounding so hard, she was scared it was going to break through her chest, was it regret? No, she jumped up and rushed to the bathroom, it was vomit.

After she had flushed the toilet, Ellen shook her head and silently punished herself for getting into such a state. That feeling quickly passed as she brushed her teeth and reminded herself that it was not something she did daily, or even monthly for that matter, and that if she couldn’t celebrate on New Year’s Eve, when could she?

She put her toothbrush away and started to make her way back to the mysterious stranger, stopping in the kitchen to get two glasses of ice water. She set a glass down on both of the shelves at her bedside before carefully climbing back into bed. But she wasn’t as delicate as she had planned and it was too late, her bed buddy had been disturbed. Looking up to face him, a smile grew on Ellen’s face as soon as she recognised him. It was her friend Danny.

“Good morning. My word, you look awful” He murmured.

“Oh sweetie. Let me tell you, you aren’t looking so pretty either” she grinned in retaliation before lying back down and cuddling into his lightly toned arms.

Ellen and Danny had been best friends for the last seven years, while this particular arrangement had been going on (and off) for the last year or so. Neither of them had planned for it, but it had happened after they had both been single for about two years. At the time, they had agreed it was in both of their best interests and for the majority of time since. They also found there was no awkwardness between them when Danny found himself a girlfriend, but they found it easy to restart when she was out of the picture again a month later.

Danny pulled her close and gently kissed her neck. “Did you have a good night?”.

“I did thank you. I don’t remember much past 11 though” She sighed “I feel awful now too”.

Ellen cuddled into Danny more and closed her eyes before drifting off to sleep once again, silently pleading that this hangover would be gone when she opened her eyes once more.

Unfortunately, this was not the case. Ellen’s sleep was disturbed once again three hours later by the sound of Danny trying (and failing) to find his other sock. She pulled her pillow over her head in the hopes that it would block out the noise that he was making. Her hopes were completely dashed when he pulled off the duvet and exposed her bare legs to the cool air of the bedroom. She let out a squeal.

“Behave and stop being so dramatic! Where’s my other sock?” He demanded.

” I don’t know, nor do I care!” She snapped back.

“You will if you don’t start to help and I start to tickle you” He warned cheekily.

Ellen gave up; she threw the pillow off of her head and stood up far too quickly, almost falling over in the process. Fortunately, Danny caught her before she hit the floor. Once she had regained her balance, she chuckled to herself as she walked across her room to retrieve the rogue sock from over her curtain rail holding it at arm’s length from her face. Danny laughed along before taking it from her and giving her a quick kiss.

“Thank you, you are an angel!” He smiled “Do I get to see you tomorrow?”.

“I can’t tomorrow; I’m going on a date!” She flashed him her best hangover smile.

“If it doesn’t go as planned, you know where I am” He grinned before kissing her once more and walking out of the flat.

Ellen paused and took a look around her bedroom shaking her head at the mess; she knew that she’d regret hosting a house party. There were empty bottles and strangers’ clothes strewn all around. “Who goes home and forgets their top? She questioned herself, astonished at how carefree people really could be after a couple of drinks. Upset with the mess, she pulled her duvet over her head and staggered through her living room to set up her base camp for the day, the sofa.

However, her hopes of finding a quiet spot were quickly dashed when she saw her roommate, and best friend of twenty years, Julia, cleaning. Not just tidying, like most people would struggle to do on the morning after the night before, no. She was completing a deep clean of the flat.

“WHY!?” Ellen cried before instantly regretting raising her voice and making her head pound.

“Good morning sleeping beauty, good night was it?” Julia smirked “It’s always lovely to see Danny so early”.

“Behave! You have known about us for ages now” Ellen fell onto the sofa and wrapped herself in the duvet.

“I know, I just don’t understand why you keep leading him on” She said as she disinfected the coffee table while trying not to disturb her broken friend more than necessary.

“I’m not! We both know where we stand” She muttered through the small gap in her duvet.

“Uh huh, whatever you say” Julia remarked, unconvinced.

“How are you not hungover?” She cried as she remembered that Julia had not held back on her drinks last night either.

“I am, I’m just trying to work through it. We have a lot to do this year and we can’t start in a messy flat” She said before opening the door to Ellen’s bedroom “What has happened in here!?” She cried.

“Don’t! just shut the door, turn around and come and sit down for a bit” she yelled lifting her legs up for Julia to sit down beside her.

“No! I can’t stop! If I do, I won’t want to start again” She groaned and dragged herself through Ellen’s door.

Ellen gently closed her eyes and drifted off into a light sleep where her mind recreated last night’s events in her dream.

The music thumped and Ellen continued to laugh and dance, her legs had become tired an hour ago and her rib cage was in pain from all of the laughing that she just couldn’t stop, but none of that was going to slow her down. Not tonight.

She spun around and caught a glimpse of Danny’s messy blonde hair stood behind the breakfast bar in the kitchen area of the open plan living area. She smiled brightly at him while her eyes twinkled all on their own. She moved closer and he quickly leant over the breakfast bar, grabbed her hips and pulled her against it before firmly kissing her lips.

She broke away momentarily before she realised that she didn’t want that. the alcohol was making her confused, they had not had any public displays of affection before and the only person who knew about them was Julia and Danny’s brother Pete. Yet here they were, kissing in the middle of a crowded part with dozens of their close friends around them.

Danny pulled her hips again and kissed her intensely, it was at this point that Ellen backed away again. Danny now looked hurt by her reaction. She winked at him and nodded towards her bedroom, at which point his smile returned to its rightful position as they both walked to her room. She opened her door to see a couple in a deep embrace on her bed.

“OUT!” She yelled and Danny chuckled behind her back.

The couple jumped back out of fright before decomposing themselves and leaving her bedroom with their heads down. Ellen pulled Danny and shut the door softly and pulling him to her bed. Their passionate kissing resumed only briefly paused by Danny pulling away and whispering “I love you”.

This was enough to wake Ellen from her sleep with a jump. Julia squealed because of the sudden movement.

“Sorry!” Ellen squeaked.

“Bad dream was it?” Julia responded calmly as she walked to sit beside her friend.

“Something like that…” Ellen trailed off “I need to shower”

“What happened to your hangover day?”

“I have given up on that. Like you said, we have a lot to do this year” Ellen tried to say convincingly.

“Great! I’ll put the kettle on for when you get out”

“Thanks” she called as she walked into the bathroom, turned on the shower and shut the door.

Ellen looked at herself in the mirror and held onto the sink as she mentally fought with her own mind.

“It was just a dream, it didn’t really happen. Oh! I really hope that wasn’t a flashback” She cried to herself.

She reached for her mobile phone and started to write a message to Danny.

“Hey, how are you? Hope the hangover isn’t too bad! Xxx”

She wasn’t sure what she was trying to achieve but she sent it anyway before taking her clothes off and throwing them into a messy pile and standing under the steaming shower. She let the water run over her hair and body until she tilted her head back to let the water rain onto her face.

Julia finally sat down on the plump grey sofa and admired the results of her morning of hard work. The main room of their flat was tidy, all surfaces were free of bottles, cups, plates and waste food. Every inch of the room had also been scrubbed with a cocktail of cleaning products. However, her hard work (and the alcohol she had consumed the night before) had caused her clothes and hair to stick to her due to the excessive sweating. She glanced at her watch and smiled smugly to herself when she saw it was only 11am.

It was in that brief moment of peace that Ellen emerges from the bathroom with both her head and body wrapped in towels quickly followed by steam that had built up from her hot shower. Julia sighed, the quiet had been nice while it lasted.

“Feel better?” Julia stifled a laugh when she realised that her friend, who is normally the picture of beauty with not so much as a hair out of place, had mascara all down her face looking as though she was attempting to resemble a panda.

“Not really. Can I ask you something? She responded hesitantly.

“Okay, but first will you go and look in the mirror?” She smiled back.

Ellen turned and tutted when she saw herself. She quickly washed and dried and walked back over to sit on the sofa.

“What happened with me and Danny last night?” Ellen questioned nervously.

“I don’t know. One minute you were dancing alone, the next you dragged him to your room and were shouting at Paul and Maria to get out. I didn’t see you for the rest of the night after that” Julia turned and looked directly into her friends’ eyes “Why?”

“I was scared of that. I think Danny told me that he loves me, but I don’t remember. My dream said that he had, but that was just a dream, right?”

“Oh sweetie!” Julia pulled her friend close and hugged her “I did warn you that this would happen, why do you think he broke up with Emily? He has always loved you. The whole friends with benefits thing never works, one person always ends up falling for the other”.

Ellen let out a small cry “If he did tell me, it would have only been the drink talking, right?

“I don’t know” Julia looked apprehensive “Maybe you should talk to him?”

“I have tried sending him a text but he hasn’t replied yet”

“Why don’t you call him?”

“I can’t! I don’t want to face the reality of the situation just yet!” Ellen scrunched up her face as she spoke.

“Okay. Go and get dressed then, we are going for a walk” Julia smiled and lifted herself up.

Both women went in opposite directions, Julia to the shower and Ellen to her bedroom to make herself look (and feel) more human.

An hour later Ellen was dressed in an effortlessly stylish dark blue skinny jeans and oversized kitted jumper combination finished with a pair of small heeled ankle boots, her blonde hair in a messy bun and a full face of makeup. Meanwhile Julia emerged from her room in a simpler outfit of black leggings, a long black jumper and black ballet pumps, her brown hair was tied in a side plait and she had applied a light layer of foundation and some mascara. The two smiled at each other before stepping out of their front door together.