Chapter 24
24
‘Can I borrow your phone?’ Kate asked, handing Bethan to Hermione and entering her house the next morning.
‘Morning Kate, hello Hermione, did you enjoy the stew you made yesterday? Yes, thank you, I did,’ Hermione spoke as Kate brushed past her and headed to the kitchen.
‘Joel isn’t answering his phone. I thought if I rang from here, he might think it was you and he’d pick up,’ Kate attempted to explain as she picked up Hermione’s phone and tapped in the number.
‘What’s happened?’ Hermione asked, bringing Bethan into the kitchen.
‘Matthew happened.’
‘Daddy, Daddy,’ Bethan spoke on cue.
‘What d’you mean? ’
‘He turned up, let himself in to my house, was there when we got back from here. Said he was sorry, said he wanted me back, wanted to try and be a family again,’ Kate explained quickly.
‘Oh good God, you’re kidding,’ Hermione exclaimed.
‘And Joel just left. I asked him to stay but he said Matthew and I needed to talk, which we didn’t really. Joel was just being nice and staying out of it and he went and told me to call him but he isn’t answering and I just need to hear his voice,’ Kate said, tears forming in her eyes.
‘Is it ringing yet?’
‘Yes that’s all it does do and then it goes to voicemail and I’ve left at least five messages. I don’t know where he lives, Mione.’
‘No, but you know where he works,’ she reminded.
‘But I can’t go there until lunchtime; I’ve got a stack of work to do this morning. And what with all the confusion with sleeping together, I didn’t tell you the other bit of news from the show on Saturday.’
‘Go on,’ Hermione urged, handing Bethan a saucepan and wooden spoon to play with.
‘The Lady Dragon has somehow found out that Joel’s an escort and is threatening to blow our cover unless I turn down Colin Sykes’ offer to do the solicitor’s exam,’ Kate babbled.
‘Oh God.’
‘What am I going to do?’ Kate asked.
‘My advice would be to sit down and have a cup of peppermint tea before you go anywhere or do anything and put the phone down,’ Hermione ordered.
‘I care for him, Mione; I care for Joel. Maybe I’m not ready for a relationship but I care for him and I don’t want to lose him yet. Why did Matthew have to do that? I was coping with him being a bastard, I had almost got used to it and now he’s thrown a spanner in the works,’ Kate said, emotion threatening to bubble over.
‘I don’t want you wasting another second of thought on Matthew.’
‘And the Lady Dragon?’
‘I would like five minutes in a room with her. I could always make a voodoo doll! Haven’t made one for a while but the results can be really effective,’ Hermione responded.
‘I’m not sure I can do the whole solicitor thing anyway. Look at me, I’m a wreck and if I’m honest, I’m finding the work totally boring. Maybe I should just leave Randall’s and take up something else that doesn’t numb my brain.’
‘Any ideas?’
‘I don’t know, burlesque? It seemed to go down well at the contest.’
‘Dance, dance,’ Bethan said, twirling around with Mr Crisps.
‘Can-I-play-with-jigsaw?’ Cyrus spoke, tapping his feet to the syllables of the words.
‘Of-course-you-can-Cyrus, in-the-bottom-drawer,’ Hermione spoke, copying the pattern in her steps.
‘Joel taught him to do that,’ Kate said, her eyes misting over.
‘Yes, he’s a marvel; Cyrus’ mother just broke down when he greeted her with, “Hello-Mummy-I’ve-had-fun”.’
‘And he’s funny and clever and gorgeous and kind and?—’
‘Perhaps he’s just giving you a bit of space; I mean, the weekend must have been an intense experience: all that time together doing the show and whatever happened in the romance lodge. Perhaps he’s just giving you a wide berth to think about things.’
‘We talked through things, though; we agreed we would be honest with each other and he said he would give me time – time , not space. I don’t want space,’ Kate explained.
‘Maybe that’s what you need to tell him.’
‘And I will but he isn’t answering the phone. Shit, is that the time? I’ve got to get to work; I don’t want to give the Lady Dragon another excuse to give me a black mark. Bye, bye Bethan, have fun with Auntie Mione. Mummy will see you later,’ Kate spoke, kissing Bethan on the cheek and standing up.
‘Joel, Joel,’ Bethan said excitedly, turning around and around in circles.
When she got into the car park, she dragged a brush through her hair. She hadn’t had the time or energy to put make-up on even though she knew she looked terrible. She hadn’t slept properly the night before; all she had done was dream: about Matthew, about Joel, about Larry Rawlins and the stupid Love Dove. She had a five thousand pound cheque in her handbag and she hadn’t even given that a second thought.
She took the lift to her floor and when she got into the Probate room, she couldn’t see her desk for the bouquets of flowers all over it.
‘Morning Kate, I take it the romance lodge worked its magic then! I’ve never seen so many flowers,’ Lynn remarked as she put down the contents of Kate’s filing tray and turned to greet her.
‘Oh, they’re lovely, aren’t they?’ Kate remarked, looking at a bunch of roses and taking out the card.
‘You don’t need to look to see who they’re from do you? Duh!’ Lynn said.
Kate read the card.
I’ll never give up until we’re a family again. All my love Matthew x
‘Apparently I do. Could you get rid of them please, Lynn – every bouquet. Get one of the runners to arrange to distribute them at the hospital,’ Kate said, starting to push the flowers to one side.
‘Oh, OK, I take it they’re not from Joel,’ Lynn stated.
‘No, they’re not from Joel, they’re from Matthew and I don’t want to look at them a second longer,’ Kate stated, switching on her computer.
‘Well, that’s funny,’ Lynn remarked as she began to gather up the flowers.
‘Funny?’
‘Yes, because Joel’s in the Lady Dragon’s office. He’s been in there for the last ten minutes and I just presumed he’d brought in the flowers, seeing as he was here,’ Lynn informed.
‘What?’ Kate exclaimed.
‘Joel’s in Miranda’s office,’ Lynn repeated.
‘Are you sure?’
‘Duh! Of course I’m sure, he said, “Hello Lynn” and then he went into her office and closed the door.’
‘Well, what’s he doing?’
‘I don’t know, the door’s closed. Why don’t you go in?’
‘No, I can’t. I mean, I don’t know what they’re doing in there.’
‘He looked hot, though. He’s got jeans on and a t-shirt, a white one. She’ll like that; she had a thing about one of the workmen that did the room alterations. Wore a white t-shirt every day, he did, covered in sweat by midday but somehow, it just made him look even hotter,’ Lynn informed.
‘I’ve got to go in there; I can’t sit here and—’ Kate began, standing up from her chair.
The door to Miranda’s office opened and Joel walked into the Probate department. He smiled at Kate and came over to her desk .
‘Hi,’ he greeted.
‘Hello,’ Kate responded.
‘I’ll just do this filing then,’ Lynn remarked, leaving rapidly.
‘I’ve being trying to ring you; you didn’t answer,’ Kate stated.
‘No, that’s because my mobile’s in the romance lodge. They’re sending it by courier; I should have it this afternoon. I did try and call you about nine last night but it was constantly engaged,’ Joel spoke.
‘I was trying to call you, every ten minutes or so,’ Kate admitted with a blush.
‘How did it go with Matthew? I saw the flowers.’
‘He left, just after you.’
‘Did you manage to sort anything out?’
‘He said he wanted to give our marriage another chance; he said he wanted to be a proper dad to Bethan. He apologised for everything he’d done.’
‘I see. Well, that’s good.’
‘He didn’t mean it. He saw us on TV; he knows about the prize – he saw pound signs.’
‘Are you sure he wasn’t being sincere?’
‘I didn’t care either way,’ Kate replied.
‘I don’t want to complicate things for you,’ Joel told her.
‘You haven’t. I want to see you; I want to carry on seeing you, like we were – just to see – what happens,’ Kate spoke quietly.
‘I’m glad,’ Joel replied.
‘So do you want to tell me why you were here seeing Miranda?’
‘I went to see her to ensure our survival in the competition. She won’t be telling anyone I was an escort,’ Joel replied with a wink.
‘What did you say to her? ’
‘I can’t possibly say but if you want to do that solicitor’s exam, the way is clear, and she’ll support you every step,’ Joel informed her.
‘I don’t understand,’ Kate said.
‘I’d better go or I’ll be late for sixteen-stone Geoffrey. See you,’ Joel replied and he leant forward and kissed her cheek.
Kate felt her face redden but she caught hold of his hand and gave it a squeeze before he could leave her.
‘See you,’ Kate spoke, enjoying touching him again.
‘Bye,’ Joel replied with a smile.
No sooner had he left then Miranda’s office door opened and she emerged. Kate braced herself for another pile of work coming her way but Miranda looked uneasy. Her eyes looked watery and her trademark swagger of superiority was fundamentally diminished. She flicked her hair back and then rushed like a scared rabbit towards the ladies toilets.