He’s been unusually quiet on the womanising front of late, has Max Branning, which always makes us very suspicious.
And Carmel Kazemi’s not had a sniff of action since Masood departed. So could they be Walford’s hottest new couple?
We know what you’re thinking, they’ve never even spoken. It’s true, but that’s all about to change when they end up going for a drink together.
Carmel’s world fell apart last week when she discovered her son Kush was in a relationship with her best mate Denise Fox.
She fled the Square, and it looks like she’s not going to find it easy to come to terms with their romance.
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Wanting to try and keep some family close to her, she approaches Stacey Fowler next week begging for access to Arthur again. Max overhears their exchange, and soon he’s offering to take Carm out for a drink!
What’s that all about? Does he have a genuine interest in her?
As the pair share a beverage, they discuss a potential new business venture for Carmel – hmm, we knew there’d be more to this than meets the eye! What’s Max cooking up?
Ever since we saw him have a mysterious meeting up the Shard with The Chairman, in which he said he didn’t care about Walford and wanted to see The Vic burn, we’ve known Max was up to something. So every smile, wink, nod and handshake has come under scrutiny.
So is Carmel the latest piece in his puzzle? Or does he actually like her and fancy a bit of romance on the side of all his plotting?
Whether he’s in it for real or not, he does do a good deed by encouraging Stacey to give Carmel a change.
But what does he want in return? A show insider told Inside Soap:
“Carmel’s connections with the local council could be just the opportunity Max has been hoping for.
“What better way to destroy the Square than from the inside with Carmel as his unwitting accomplice?”
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One person who isn’t happy about their new friendship is Kush. He confides in Denise that he’s not keen on his mum getting involved with Max.
Carmel’s a woman who knows her own mind and is pretty tough. But then when it comes to a nice smile and a twinkle in a man’s eye, will she be taken in?
The infamous Branning charm is hard to resist!