Emmerdale's Natalie Anderson reveals to Soaplife how Alicia finds her dreams coming true when play-acting with David for a wedding brochure photo shoot becomes very, very real as they kiss!
So why is Alicia dressed as David's bride?
"It’s a professional photo shoot for a wedding brochure Megan wants done and the plan is for Priya and David to pose as the bride and groom. But as Priya’s having her make-up done she comes out in a terrible rash and Megan tells Alicia she has to step in!"
Lee, the photographer, flirts with Alicia. Does David get jealous?
"He does! It actually starts the moment David sees Alicia in the wedding dress - he's bowled over by how incredible she looks and he starts acting differently towards her. When Lee flirts with her, we see David being quite protective."
Then Alicia and David have to kiss for the photos...
"And neither of them wants to do it. Although they kissed very briefly when they had their wedding of convenience, there was no intimacy. This will be their first big kiss. Priya’s not watching, but Megan is and she’s shouting orders: ‘Come on! Get into it!’ Alicia’s so embarrassed!"
And then the kiss becomes real…
"The photographer’s saying, ‘Hold the kiss, hold the kiss'…and David starts to melt a bit, then Alicia loses herself in the moment, too. When the photographer says, ‘That’s a wrap’, they carry on kissing - not for long, but they come out of it a bit stunned. You definitely see in that moment that something is there between them."
And later?
"Alicia's really sad. She looks at the photos of them and is reminded of how she really feels. They do look beautiful together, like a gorgeous newlywed couple. But Priya’s furious and demands the photos aren’t used, so Alicia refuses to sign the consent forms. She nearly loses her job in the process and it’s at this point David realises just how much Alicia loves him."
Does Alicia have any idea how much David’s feelings for her are growing?
"She doesn’t and she wouldn’t dare to hope. She had her heart completely trampled on and she’s protecting herself. But at the back of her mind there’s an inkling that something’s not quite right. David seems very reluctant to get married. And why is that, if Priya is the love of his life? Alicia hasn’t thought yet that it could be because of her. As David's best friend, though, she knows he's stalling…"
