Karen and Shane arrived at the restaurant just after 7, and saw that the rest of the guys, plus girlfriends and Ronan, Yvonne and Louis and his wife were already there. Just before they went in the door, Karen pulled Shane back.

‘Shae, are you sure about this? You don’t want to change your mind?’ ‘I’m more sure about this than I have been about anything for a long time. I want everyone to know how happy you have made me, and I don’t care what happens.’ They kissed, grabbed each others hands and went in.

‘Shane, Karen!’ Nicky sent a ‘secret’ smile across the table to Shane. ‘Hey everyone. Look, before we sit down, Karen and I have an announcement to make.’ Shane squeezed Karen’s hand and took a deep breath. ‘We’re getting married! And tomorrow, I’ve set up an interview to go public!’

They waited for a reaction. Everyone started cheering, and raised a toast to ‘The happy couple’. Everyone except Louis that is. ‘It’s bad enough that the lot of you parade your girlfriends around like you’re not being watched, but to get married?! You must be joking!! I’m sorry, I cannot allow this to happen. If you want to get married you have to leave the band. Come on Carol, we have to go.’ Louis and his wife left. Silence fell over the table. Karen ran sobbing to the toilets, and Shane looked ready to go after her.

‘Shane, don’t. I’ll go.’ Georgina lept up from the table and followed Karen into the toilets. Shane sat down, trying to absorb what Louis had just told him. ‘I....I....I....He can’t do that can he? Ro, you must know?’

‘He can’t force you, but he can make things damned difficult for you if you don’t do what he wants. Remember how he treated us before we sacked him.....He was never too bad towards me, but he hated it when Stephen came out.’

‘Well then, guys, I’m sorry, I guess this is goodbye. I'm not going to lose Karen again. I am leaving the band. You’ll have to carry on without me.’

‘Shane wait,’ Ronan looked anxious. ‘Let me talk to Louis first - try and bring him round. Once he’s calmed down, maybe he’ll be slightly more reasonable.’ Shane nodded, looking as though he wasn’t sure what he was agreeing to. He was worried about Karen.....

‘Karen....Karen? Where are you?’ Georgina heard muffled sobs coming from out of a cubicle. Gently, she pushed open the door. ‘Oh Karen...’ She was sitting on the toilet seat, with her head in her hands.

‘He won’t leave the band Georgie....I know it....He’ll choose them over me. And even if he didn’t, I’d feel so guilty I couldn’t live with myself. I couldn’t stand it. I hate Louis.... why can’t he just be happy for us, like you guys were?’

‘You know what Louis is like. He’s only out for himself. But they can’t see it. Maybe now they’ll realise what a creep he really is.’ ‘Doesn’t make a difference does it? He’ll still have split me and Shae up. Sacking him won’t change that.’

‘Look, you don’t know what Shane’s gonna do. Come on hun, wash your face and come out and speak to him. There’s no point sitting here worrying about it.’ Karen nodded, too afraid to speak in case she burst out crying again. She splashed her face with cold water, put on a little lippie, and went out into the restaurant.

‘Kar....are you okay? Baby, I’m so sorry.....I didn’t know he would do that. He’s an asshole. I’ll leave the band.....I want to be with you Kar. I want that more than anything.’ ‘Shae d’you mean it? Really? You’d leave the band for me? But, I’d feel so guilty....I couldn’t cope with the guilt.’

‘Look guys,’ Ronan intervened. ‘This is a little premature don’t you think? Let me speak to Louis tomorrow, try and get him to calm down, and then I’ll tell you guys exactly what he’s said. I think we should all go home now. There’s no chance of any of us enjoying the meal with this hanging over our heads.’

‘Thanks Ro. We’re so sorry that we’ve wrecked everyone’s evening. We’ll make it up to you.’ ‘Shane, don’t worry.’ Kian smiled, but his eyes were sad. ‘We’re happy for you, and we wish that Louis could be too.’ ‘Thanks. You don’t know how much that means to us.’ Shane held Karen tightly to him, afraid to let her go. ‘We’ll speak to you all tomorrow, yeah? G’night everyone.’

‘Shane, would you stay with me here tonight?’ They were sitting in Shane’s car, outside Karen’s flat. ‘Of course. I don’t really want to be by myself tonight either. But I don’t have any PJ’s with me,’ a sly smile came over Shane’s face. ‘I’ll get cold....’

Karen laughed. Even in the middle of all this, Shane’s one-track mind was still active. ‘Oh, it’s okay Shae....I’m sure we’ll manage to make our own heat somehow....!’ They both laughed, and then they kissed. Karen and Shane walked up the flight of stairs to the flat, holding hands, kissing and giggling.