24. Katy
Chapter twenty-four
Katy
B arely a week after being accepted onto the counselling course, I have my first class timetable, with my very first session scheduled only a few days from now. It’s all happening so fast, I almost have whiplash. I’ve almost backed out twice already. But I need to do this. I’m ready to do this.
But first, I need school supplies.
“Katy!” Paloma squeals my name and totters over to me in heeled Chelsea boots, bending at the waist to hug me. With the extra couple of inches from her heels, and my flat-soled trainers, our height difference is comical. Ruth’s hug is next, and then Amie’s. It’s been months since the four of us have had a girly shopping day together. We planned this one a while ago, as soon as Amie and I knew what shifts we’d be working, and I’ve been looking forward to it for weeks.
“I love my daughter, but holy fuck, I am so glad to be away from her today,” Amie complains with a dry laugh. “She has been testing my patience for the last two days, and I’m about to put her in the bin.”
“Good job she’s cute.” Paloma throws an arm across Amie’s shoulders, and the other across mine as the four of us fall into step together. Ruth wraps an arm around my waist on my other side.
“Is she with your mum today?” I ask.
“Yeah, Mum’s taken her to the park. Cam’s home tonight, so hopefully she’ll chill out a bit.”
“She still acting out?”
“A little. Less acting out these days, more stubbornness and tears. She misses him and I hate it, but I don’t know what else to do. I miss him too.”
Paloma drops her head to rest on top of Amie’s as we walk.
“She’ll get there. I know she will. She’s a kid. She’s testing her boundaries and figuring out her emotions, I get that. I just wish she wouldn’t test me so much.”
“At least she’s cute,” I laugh, echoing Paloma’s earlier sentiment, and Amie laughs too. “Come on, I need new notebooks and pens.”
“Like a fucking hole in the head,” Ruth mutters, just loud enough for us all to hear, and Paloma barks out a laugh.
“It’s for college ,” I insist haughtily, and Ruth smirks.
“I still can’t believe you’re doing it,” she says. “I’m proud of you, Sweet Thing.”
“Thanks, Roo.” I reach for her hand and hold it tightly. Her approval means everything—it’s the one I’ve been most worried about. I daren’t tell her how the idea came about, from the friendship forged with her brother, because I know she’ll see my secret all over my face. She’ll see that I’m falling for him, for the one man in the world who is strictly forbidden.
I’ve always thought that Ruth—and Lo, and Amie—mean more to me than any man ever could, but the more I come to know Jay and to fall deeper into this whatever it is for him, the more I’m wondering if it may not be enough anymore. If maybe, the right man could become more to me than my best friends. If Jay could be that.
And so, I’ll tell a little white lie if Ruth ever asks. Because if I can’t have Jay, I’ll be damn sure to hang onto my best friends.
“Look, K, this one is so cute!” Paloma squeals, waving a notebook in the air towards me. Its cover is pale pink and covered with illustrated horseshoes, cowboy hats and cacti in a darker magenta shade. It is cute. I wrap my fingers around a pink pen with a felt-wrapped cowboy hat on top and wave it back at Paloma.
“It’s perfect!” Amie calls out. “There’s a pencil case, too!”
Ruth strolls over with an armful of pink accessories—highlighters in various pink shades, pink sticky notes and tabs, and paper clips with cowboy hat decorations on them.
“Anyone would think you had a cowboy fetish,” she giggles, dropping the entire stack into the basket hung over my arm.
“Maybe I do.” I wink at her. “Give me a cowboy with an ass like a peach…”
“You know what they say,” Paloma says with a wink.
“What?” Amie asks, blinking innocently. “Something about riding horses?”
Paloma rolls her eyes and Amie pokes her tongue out as she grabs a dinosaur-themed notebook and pencil set.
These girls are my best friends. The best friends in the world. No man could come between us. We wouldn’t let him.
“Speaking of cowboys,” Amie says, looking pointedly at Ruth after I’ve paid for my basket full of stationery.
“Yes!” Paloma cries, bouncing on the balls of her feet and clapping her hands lightly before grabbing Ruth’s arm. I smile fondly as I roll my eyes at her exuberance. “Tell us more about Cowboy Boo!”
Ruth bumped into her cowboy again, this time in Austin, a month after she met him in New York. It’s was one hell of a coincidence if you ask me—one that took half a bottle of wine to unravel when Ruth called me at Amie’s house a few nights ago whilst I was babysitting Maisy. This is the first time the four of us have been together for a while, and Amie and Paloma need to be caught up on the gossip.
“Can we have a margarita lunch?” Ruth asks. “Get me some tequila and I’ll tell you everything.”
“Promises, promises,” Amie laughs. She links one arm with mine and the other with Ruth, who grabs Paloma’s hand, and the four of us amble towards the mall’s food court and our favourite Mexican restaurant.
With a large plate of nachos on the table between us, and a cocktail each, Ruth passes her phone around the table for us to see the contact picture associated with Everett .
“Everett, huh? Sexy name,” Amie hums.
“God, you’re nearly as big a slut as me,” Paloma slaps Amie’s hand from Ruth’s phone as she tries to get a proper look. “You’ve got a man.”
“Yeah, but I’ve still got eyes, bitch.”
Paloma laughs. “True enough. And good lord , Ruthy this cowboy is fine. ”
“Isn’t he?” Ruth sighs wistfully. “He said—he implied—I mean, he kinda…”
“Spit it out, love,” I laugh.
“Nah, swallowing’s more fun.” Amie winks. Paloma splutters on a mouthful of her margarita, and I slap her back lightly as I reach over to bump Amie’s outstretched fist with my own.
“ Heinvitedmetostaywithhim ,” Ruth says in a rush, words all jumbled together.
“What?” Paloma’s earsplitting screech is almost enough to shatter the glass in her hand.
“He lives just outside Austin. He gave me his number and we’ve texted a bit, talked on the phone. We even FaceTimed last night. He said next time I’m in town, I should stay an extra day or two and he’ll show me around.” Ruth scoops up a pile of salsa on a chip from the edge of the nacho plate and shoves it into her mouth, whole.
“But he was in New York.” Amie leans forward to grab a pitcher of water from the middle of the table and pours into each of our glasses.
“His little sister lives there. She has his nose. His lock screen is a picture of them in Times Square.”
“Cute,” Amie hums. “And he’s not a serial killer, right?”
Ruth nods, eyes wide. I trust Ruth’s gut more than I trust most things, and if she thinks Everett is worth getting to know, then I’m fully supportive. A waitress dressed in black with a neon green stripe down the side of each leg stops by our table to deliver the variety platter of tacos we ordered. Paloma offers her a flirtatious smile and a wink as she asks for another margarita and more water for the table.
“That’s good enough for me,” Amie declares. “Do it, girl. Go get some of that cowboy boo , Boo.”
“I haven’t decided anything,” Ruth says quietly. She grabs a taco and stuffs half of it in her mouth, chewing awkwardly.
“What have you got to lose, Roo?” I ask. “He’s fine, you’re fine—it’s not like you won’t be flying out there anyway, right? It’s not like you have to marry the guy. Let loose! Have some fun!” By the time I finish monologuing, Ruth is swallowing her enormous mouthful of food.
“I fly out there for work, Katy. Not for fun.” She pins me with a dark stare. The same eyes as her brother. I shiver lightly under her gaze, covering the action by tugging my cardigan tight around my torso.
“Work hard, play hard, sis.” Paloma raises her cocktail in a toast before draining the glass.
“When are you out there next, Ruth? Text him. What’s the worst that could happen?” Amie pushes Ruth’s phone back to her, and the three of us pin Ruth with identical stares. Well, Amie and I do. Paloma tries, but quickly smirks and dissolves into giggles.
“Okay, fine, thanks Doctor Pepper.” She rolls her eyes at Amie, and I snort at the memory of an old advertising campaign. “Maybe I’ll text him next time I’m in Austin. Don’t get your hopes up. It might turn into nothing.”
“But it might be something ,” Paloma giggles, waggling her eyebrows.
Everything feels different between me and Jay. Emotionally charged. Ever since I showed up on his doorstep to apologise, and we spent the morning in an intimate kind of embrace on his sofa, he’s been softer. More gentle. Less gruff. Like we’re on the precipice of something—whatever that something might be. As I walked into my first classroom of the day, my phone buzzed with a text saying Good luck today, Princess. Knock em dead.
The class is an introduction to the school and the course. It’s not overly challenging, given that it’s only day one, but it’s definitely overwhelming. I sit in the middle of the room, tapping my new cowboy hat pen against my lower lip as I listen intently to the course objectives and the faculty’s expectations of its students, taking notes studiously.
There are only a few of us scribbling down every word, and after the session, we gravitate towards one another. We’re all a little older than the rest of the group, and we exchange numbers, ready to form our own little study group and take on the world of counselling together.
By the time I get home after a day full of library tours and information overload, I’m exhausted and my head is pounding. I want nothing more than to soak in a bubble bath with a large glass of wine. I flick the trigger on the candle lighter and touch the flame to the wick, jumping back involuntarily as the flame catches and the bathroom fills with a warm, flickering glow.
Within minutes, the room is full of a steam haze and the scent of pomegranates and raspberries. I strip out of my clothes and step into the tub, sinking my body through layers of luxurious foam and soothing hot water.
I pick up my e-reader from the bath tray and navigate to my latest read. It’s a sexy, kinky cowboy romance—because, of course it is—where someone gets tied up. Because, of course they do. What can I say? I know what I like.
An hour and a half later, my skin is wrinkled and the water has a distinct chill to it. Most of the bubbles have dissipated, leaving my shoulders exposed to the cool air, and my wine glass is empty. I stand and stretch, pull the plug, and climb out, wrapping myself in a large, fluffy robe. I pad down to the kitchen to refill my glass before returning to my bedroom with a tub of raspberry and rose-scented body lotion. I massage it into every inch of my skin, filling my bedroom with the sweet, fresh fragrance.
Day has long since faded into night, and I pull the curtains to shut out the moonlight. I’m just settling under a pile of blankets to read the last few chapters of the book when my phone buzzes.
Jay
Come over on Saturday? I’ll cook. Celebrate your first week of college.
Katy
be there at 7?
Jay
Perfect. Sweet dreams, Princess.