Chapter Twenty-Eight Katy
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Katy
As the meeting ended, Zola and Katy made their way over to Ella, who seemed nervous. As they approached, she held up her hands.
‘I’m sorry, I was at Summit One, and Jimmy was asking why I was worried about the app, and all of this change came to me so quickly.
I should have run it past you both, but Jimmy suggested calling the troops in and .
. .’ She sounded so genuinely apologetic, stuttering over her words, that Katy leapt forward and hugged her tightly.
‘I think it sounds like an excellent idea, Ells,’ she said, meaning it.
‘Good work,’ Zola added with a wink. ‘And I take it the date went well?’ She bit her nail and swivelled around, looking Jimmy up and down while he spoke to Travis about investors a few metres behind them.
Ella blushed. ‘Yeah, it was really nice, actually.’
‘Uh-huh.’ Zola smirked.
‘What?’ Ella nudged her shoulder, face reddening.
‘Babe, your makeup is completely off around your mouth, and I’m guessing that’s because Jimmy’s wearing it.’ Zola giggled loudly, clapping her hands.
‘Fuck!’ Ella lowered her head. ‘I’d better go sort this.’ She covered her face slightly, feeling suddenly self-conscious, and took a few steps back. ‘I’m going to stay for a bit and write the new plan. Do you want to help?’
Zola turned to Katy, then spotted Ethan leaving the room. ‘I think I might head to the tech suite and see what genius plans Ethan’s got going. Not that he’ll tell me, but I can always observe.’
Katy grinned. ‘I’m going to get a coffee. To be honest, I’m fucked.’
The other two girls smiled and headed their separate ways. Katy walked down the dimly lit corridor to the kitchenette and grabbed a mug, setting it under the coffee machine. She began pressing buttons, but nothing happened. She hit the side of the machine.
‘Come on,’ she muttered. ‘This is a caffeine emergency.’
‘Hey, need some help?’ Travis stood, arms crossed, amused at her conversation with the appliance.
‘It’s broke,’ Katy declared. ‘I’ll just grab a can.’ She turned to the fridge, avoiding eye contact with Travis for as long as she possibly could.
He took a few steps forward and plugged something in; the coffee machine lit up immediately. ‘The cleaner switches it off at night,’ he explained.
Katy sighed as she turned to face him.
‘Right. Em . . . Thanks,’ she replied, feeling embarrassed.
Travis’s blue eyes remained on her, a soft smile on his face. ‘How are you settling in?’ he asked. It was the first time they’d been alone since him turning up to their place.
She nodded, reaching over to press some buttons. ‘Mm . . . Fine, yeah.’
‘You girls seem right at home,’ he continued. ‘New York suits you, Katy.’
For a moment, she remembered the stalker.
Travis always seemed kind and respectful on the surface, but there had to be something darker lurking for him to treat his wife like that.
Yet, somehow, he didn’t seem capable. Yes, he was a cheat, but he was quiet and considerate and did try to sort the mess out like an adult.
And although things had turned out terribly, he was always gentle with her, loving almost.
‘Travis,’ she said. ‘I have to tell you something.’
He pressed his hand against the worktop. ‘Me too,’ he said.
Katy felt her heart skip a beat. Was he about to admit he was involved in all of this? Maybe this would be the moment he’d try to blackmail her. Fuck. She didn’t get her share of the money from Jimmy until the app was complete and she was skint.
He began just as Katy opened her mouth. ‘I haven’t stopped thinking about—’
‘Someone knows about us,’ Katy spoke over him.
Both of them realised what the other was saying, and they stood looking at each other in shock.
‘What do you mean? Who?’ Travis hissed under his breath, stepping forward. ‘Who have you told?’
Katy took a step back, feeling a little intimidated.
‘I don’t know who it is, they’ve been sending me creepy text messages telling me to go home or they’ll expose us.
And I haven’t told anyone! Who have you fucking told?
’ She knew Zola and Ella were, of course, exempt from her list, but explaining girl code was not on the cards right now.
‘Creepy messages?’ Travis rubbed his temple. ‘That doesn’t make any sense!’
Katy rolled her eyes. ‘Yeah, well, think how I’ve been feeling! I’ve been wondering if it was you,’ she whispered. Nearby, she heard voices.
‘Me?’ Travis seemed surprised. ‘I would never do that, Katy. Not to you, not to anyone.’ He blew out a puff of breath. ‘OK, so what did the messages say exactly?’
Katy pulled her phone from her back pocket, opened up the messages from the unknown number, then passed it to Travis, with a sudden lurch that she might be playing her hand too soon.
He glanced over his shoulder, then walked into the little kitchen storeroom, ushering Katy to follow.
The door closed behind her and she found herself in a tiny cupboard, surrounded by cookies, protein bars, cartons of oat milk and bags of coffee beans.
Travis was concentrating on her phone, reading and then rereading the messages.
She watched his eyes travel as he read, examining his handsome face.
She could smell his warm, sweet aftershave, which immediately gave her flashbacks of him moving, naked, on top of her. She relished his body, his smell.
‘This is horrible.’ Travis looked pale.
‘What is? Aw yeah, I know,’ Katy agreed, shaking off her thoughts.
‘You must be so frightened,’ Travis said, rubbing her shoulder. ‘I’m so sorry, Katy, for getting you involved in this.’
She gulped. ‘Involved in what, though? Do you know anyone who would do this, Travis? Anyone who has a vendetta, or maybe someone who doesn’t want the app to launch?’
Travis thought hard, but he seemed to still be in shock, shaking his head. ‘I don’t know anyone. I mean, Britney didn’t look exactly pleased about the extra work, but she wouldn’t do this.’
A brief moment of silence fell between them.
Katy’s phone pinged again.
Unknown: So, we’re doing late-night meetings now? Cute. But still no booked-flight email. Should I forward Mr Link your Central Park performance?
Katy turned to Travis and watched his jaw drop. She glanced around the room, making sure no cameras were in sight. She could feel her breathing quicken as her hand trembled, still holding the phone.
‘Someone is watching me, Travis,’ she whispered, feeling her bottom lip quiver. ‘And I really don’t like it.’
Travis wrapped his arms around her tightly. ‘Shh. Come on, we can figure this out. You’re safe, do you hear me?’ He brought his hand to her chin, turning her face to look up at him. ‘I won’t ever let anything bad happen to you.’
Katy was staring into at his kind eyes, getting lost in them. ‘Maybe I should go back to Glasgow?’
‘Hey, this is my fault. You’re not going anywhere,’ he replied sternly, although his gaze was full of an unmistakable fear.
The pair stared at one another for a few moments before Travis lowered his head and kissed Katy softly. He pulled back and paused, then leaned forward for another. Katy immediately folded, kissing him back, passionately. She felt his hand grab her arse and squeeze it.
‘Mmm . . . Jesus! I’ve thought about fucking you every moment since I left you, Katy,’ Travis grunted, growing rougher with his kisses.
Katy panted, knowing she felt the same. She was overcome with emotion – the stalker, Travis, the mountain of work ahead, everything seemed heightened – and she needed a release.
She ran her hand down Travis’s jeans, feeling his dick harden.
She slipped her hand into his boxers, rubbing it up and down.
Jesus, she had goosebumps all over her at the thought of his pulsing cock.
This was what she wanted. Ever since she’d first met him, he was the guy she wanted.
He turned her around, lifting her floaty dress up to her waist and tugging her pants to the side. ‘Bend over,’ he panted. ‘Come on, we have to!’
She automatically did what she was told, grabbing onto a shelf stacked with kitchen supplies for support.
Then she felt him push inside. No foreplay, no warm-up.
Both of them had been craving this. She let out a moan and he pulled back her hair, covering her mouth.
She could taste herself on his hand, and she panted some more.
He was thrusting in and out, trying hard to be quiet, but little grunts flew out of his mouth.
‘Jesus, oh, God, Katy,’ he murmured.
Katy pressed hard on the shelf for stability, but she could feel it rattle.
Suddenly, boxes of cereal tumbled off and landed on the floor.
She gasped, turning to him as grains littered the sky, falling like biscuity dust on top of her.
She spat out a few. But Travis was locked in, utterly oblivious to the chaotic mess they were creating.
She could feel his legs trembling from behind until finally he pulled her in.
His arms slipped from Katy’s face and mouth to her breasts, and he grabbed hold of them.
He paused momentarily, letting out a few more quivering grunts, then released her.
It was over in a matter of minutes, but Katy didn’t care.
She wondered what this meant. She wondered if he’d admit it to Fee and tell her how unhappy in their marriage he clearly was.
Katy fixed her knickers, pulled down her dress, and shook off the cereal crumbs from her clothes like a wet dog. She turned to Travis with a grin she couldn’t suppress.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said, looking disappointed in himself.
‘No, I was dying for you too . . .’
‘No, Katy. Shit, I need to be more careful. It’s just every time I see you, I want this. But I’m fucking married . . .’ He lowered his head.
Katy felt a ripple of anger prickle down her spine. ‘Are you joking me right now?’ she asked.
Travis lifted his head, not knowing what had pissed her off.