Alex Stern

More often than not, she spends shifts in the office or behind the bar but, every so often, she gets up on stage or works the floor. Usually, it's because someone's called out, or because they're busier than anticipated. Tonight, it's the latter. Alex had rummaged through the bag that she keeps in the bottom drawer of a filing cabinet in the office and come up with an outfit that worked: a black corset, underwear, stockings, heels. She'd leaned over the chipped sink in the bathroom back there and done her make-up, thick eyeliner and red lips. On impulse, she'd snapped a selfie and sent it to Darlington.

Tell me how you'll serve me 'til the end of days x

Out on the floor, she dances and sweats, flirts, accepts drinks or doesn't, depending on her mood. She's just finished a drink when she looks up and sees him walk through the door. They've arranged a sitter for Edie so that they can stay at Dimera street tonight, go out before.

She stands, and waits for him to see her.

Nearly at the end of her second trimester, Alex finally concedes that they need to do some preparing for the increasingly imminent arrival. They've picked out a bedroom to turn into the nursery and Alex has spent days staring at various swatches on the wall until she'd finally settled on a dove grey colour for the walls. It's neutral, she figures, more palatable than the pastels that the girl in the DIY store had recommended. Even if she decides that she hates it, there's not a lot she can do about it, with all of the natives in Darrow gone like they were never even there.

"How long does it take you to change into things you don't mind getting paint on, Arlington?" she calls down the hall.

Alex has never really understood Valentine's day but she's gone and got herself a boyfriend who's deeply, ridiculously romantic. For a few weeks now, she's been planning a response to Darlington's confession about wanting to be the one up on the stage.

She's sitting on the couch, wearing a pair of shorts and her corset, a pair of sleek black heels with ribbons wrapped around her ankles and up towards her knees. There's a riding crop across her thighs.

She waits.