Unfortunately, they did have another falling out. Alan was with Clare in her flat, two weeks later on a Saturday night, sitting in the lounge watching television and the arguments started again. They were watching a love story, very romantic and slightly sexy and it gave Alan ideas.

"But why won't you Clare? It's quite normal for two people who love one another to sleep together – it's not wrong, not in my eyes and don't keep on about the bible, I do believe it, but we live different lives nowadays and lots of things are completely different."

"Not that different, morals and principles stand forever. I don't think they do change."

"You only say that to justify yourself. I'm beginning to wonder..."

"You're beginning to wonder what?"

Clare was starting to become rankled and Alan could sense it.

"I'm beginning to wonder if you're quite normal!" said Alan, loudly.

"And I'm not sure what it says about Hal either, come to think of it."

"How dare you bring Hal into this!" Clare retorted. "How dare you, when he's not here to defend himself. He loved me...and cherished me and was the best lover...I can't believe that you would stoop so low as to......"  Clare paused.

"You did stoop low, you slept with Marie on the first date...How could you?"

"Oh bring that up, why don't you! I knew you'd throw that at me sometime."

Alan was shouting loudly now, his temper mounting with every second.

"Go on, shout!  Open the front door so everyone can hear!" said Clare. "And I am quite normal, thank you very much. Oh, I get it." she said turning and looking him straight in the eye "You think I'm frigid, don't you, that's what it is, isn't it! How dare you, how dare you think things like that about me!"

Clare started to stab at his chest with her finger "I've told you a hundred times, but you just don't listen, do you! Well, I for one have had enough of all of this. This constant arguing and constant nagging."

"Oh, you've had enough, have you? I've had enough!" shouted Alan grabbing at her hand and pushing her from him.

"Ow, Alan that hurt."

Alan was too angry to apologise, he was glowering at her and Clare continued her tirade.

"Right then Alan, there's the door." shouted Clare. "Get out of my flat and stay out." Clare's eyes were flashing daggers, but Alan was also furious. Before he could do anything Clare pushed him with the tips of her fingers, as she had done so many times before in jest, but this time she was not jesting. She continued pushing him out of the room.

"You're such a liar, Alan, all those promises you made to me. It was only two weeks ago when you swore you'd never do this again.....and now look where we are....back right where we started from." Alan was at the door of the flat and Clare opened it and pushed him out over the threshold and he stumbled into the hallway.

"Hey, watch it!" he shouted loudly. "You're always pushing me around, Clare, but not any more." Alan snarled. "As far as I'm concerned this engagement is off."

"Suits me fine!" shouted Clare and she closed the door loudly on him.

Alan walked away through the hallway and had almost reached the lift when he heard footsteps behind him. He turned round and saw Clare walking up to him, wearing one shoe, the other was holding open the door of her flat. He looked down at her poor half a toe, which always filled him with pity and even now in his anger, it still did.

"You forgot something." said Clare, holding the engagement ring out to him. "You can stuff your poxy ring," she said "I never liked it as much as the other one anyway." Her eyes were still flashing daggers and Alan had never seen her quite so angry. She was angry, furious and mad all rolled into one. "And I don't want you writing to me or coming up to my flat or calling me on the telephone. As far as I am concerned Alan, it's over." She spelt out the word as she prodded him in the chest with one finger.

"O V E R over.....Finished F I......"

"Okay, don't keep on, I get the picture." said Alan, pushing her hand away.

Clare raised her voice "Don't you tell me what to do or say, don't you dare! And don't you worry, if you want SEX there are plenty of women out there who will happily oblige. I expect they will be lining up around the block to sleep with you, they might even hammer down the door!" And with those insults ringing in his ears, Alan watched in stunned silence as Clare turned around and limped (she was only wearing one shoe) back to her flat and slammed the door, the sound of which reverberated in the hallway and bounced off the walls. Then there was silence.

Alan turned and walked slowly to the lift, thinking how fortunate it was that Larking, Barking and Tarquin weren't around. How they would have enjoyed this angry spectacle!

This was it then; over. Alan was seething. He couldn't believe that she had called his beautiful ring 'poxy.' Of all the words to use, it seemed the most insulting. She knew that, of course, or why else would she have used it? Everyone who had seen the ring had said how beautiful it was. Alan was still furious when he reached the flat and poured himself a whiskey. They were incompatible, that's what it was, incompatibility. He should have known it all along. Alan placed the ring in the safe which was hidden in his cupboard. It wouldn't be needed now.

Two hours later Alan had calmed down and wanted to go to Clare and talk things through. He didn't want it to be over, O V E R as she had spelt it out to him. He wanted her to know that he was just a fool. He was, after all, only a man and she knew it!

Feeling like a heel, Alan walked to his front door, on his way out to see Clare and there on the mat in the hallway lay a note. Bending down he picked it up, unfolded it and read the following:

Alan,

I do apologise for calling your beautiful ring 'poxy' that was wrong of me, but I was angry. I also apologise for saying about women queuing up to sleep with you, because I know you're not like that. However, everything else stands. We obviously don't make one another happy and thinking about it, Hal never made me cry, not once. You are always making me cry and I don't think that's right. I think we will be better off apart and I don't intend crying another tear over you.

Don't come up to the flat. I want you to promise to keep away from me, I don't want to talk to you or have you writing me notes or calling me on the phone. I mean what I say, it really is over this time. Anyway, I won't be here. I'm going to stay with mum.

On Monday, I'm going to ask Bob if I can move in with Mary and Catherine can come into Angie's office. I think he will agree, because I know he thinks a lot of me. You like Angie, so you won't mind working with her will you?

I don't care what you say to other people about our quarrel, because as I see it I have done nothing to be ashamed of, but for your sake I won't say anything to anyone and, frankly, it's none of their business.

I wish you well for the future and hope you can find someone who will make you happy, because I obviously don't.

Clare

Alan was completely stunned! His eyes were like saucers as he read and re-read the note. He was still standing in the hallway five minutes later. He had really done it this time. This wasn't what he had intended to do, break off the engagement. What would happen now? He could not imagine his life without Clare.

He was still feeling numb as he walked back into the lounge and sat down, dejectedly, on his red leather sofa. His mother's words came softly to his ears. "Oh Alan, what on earth have you done now?"