Strangers (17 page)

Her chest tightened.
There had never been a moment when Richard was genuine.
He’d walked to that table where she, Lucy and Rachel had sat, looking for a gullible fool and found one.

“What shall we drink to?” Dan asked.

“Kate’s new boyfriend,” Lucy said before anyone else could speak.

Kate flinched.

“What’s his name?
What does he do?
Where did you meet him?” Rachel asked.

Dan and Fax turned to stare at her.

“What?” she asked.

“The Secret Service should never have turned you down.” Dan smiled at her.

“Very funny, Daniel.”

Kate knew telling them nothing would make them suspicious.

“His name’s Hippo.
He’s tall with straight dark hair.
He’s kind and funny and between jobs at the moment.
I met him at the seaside.”

“What’s his real name?” Lucy asked.

Kate thought quickly.
“Hippolytus.”

“God, no wonder you call him Hippo.
Is he Greek?
If not, what were his parents thinking?” Lucy said.

“When did you go to the seaside?” Rachel took on the questioning.

“The day I was supposed to be going to Hawaii.”

“Hawaii?
Why…oh,” Rachel paused.

Kate thought it might shut her up, but she was wrong.

“You bumped into him, then?”

“Literally.
We were swimming.
He was doing the crawl and hit me on the nose.”

Kate saw the look that Rachel shot Lucy but Dan tipped up his wine and there was a flurry of activity as they shot back from the table.
Grateful for the distraction, Kate hoped she’d told them enough, but Lucy and Rachel couldn’t leave it there.

“Where does he live?
On the coast?” Lucy asked.

“No, North London.” But she didn’t know where and Kate’s pulse jumped.
Why hadn’t Charlie said?

“What sort of job is he looking for?” from Rachel.

“It’s like twenty questions,” Dan said.
“Is he animal, vegetable or mineral?”

Definitely animal, Kate thought.

“No wonder women know so much.” Fax raised his eyebrows.

“Yeah, but men know the important stuff,” Dan said.

Rachel turned to glare at Dan and then looked back at Kate.
“What sort of job?”

“She’s like a heat-seeking missile.” Dan caught the bottle of suntan lotion Rachel lobbed at him.

“I think he can turn his hand to most things,” Kate said, smothering a grin.

“Is he married?” from Lucy.

“No.”

“When are you seeing him again?” Lucy asked.

“No idea.”

“But you do want to see him again?” from Rachel.

Kate nodded, unable to speak the truth, that she didn’t think she could live without him.

“You aren’t on the rebound, are you?” Lucy said.
“We don’t want to see you get hurt again.”

“I’m over Richard, believe me.” Kate wished she could jump in the air and scream it out loud.

A pigeon landed near Lucy’s towel.
Dan threw a piece of lemon and it flew up to look for another resting place.

“So life’s looking great?” Rachel pressed.
“Future looking peachy?”

Kate cocked her head on one side.
“Yes, life’s fine.”

“Planning for the future?” Rachel added.

Kate didn’t miss the glare that Lucy shot Rachel, but she had no idea what it meant.

“Rachel!
Weren’t you going to ask Kate a favor?” Dan said.

Kate had the distinct impression he wanted to change the subject.

“Ooh yes, we’ve had the paintings in for the new exhibition,” Rachel said.
“I’d be really grateful if you could spare the time to help with the catalogue.”

“I could come after work tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Kate.
That would be great.” Rachel beamed at her.

Kate leaned back in the chair and closed her eyes.
She’d survived the interrogation without giving anything away.
She was a little surprised they hadn’t asked her more about what happened with Richard.
They didn’t seem angry she hadn’t told them she was getting married.
Maybe they didn’t care.
She still hovered on the periphery of the group.
Were they her friends?
Kate wasn’t sure, but she was trying.
Her skin tingled.
The sunshine felt good after being in the apartment for so many days, even though they’d been spent having fun with Charlie.
Her mouth twitched, wanting to grin.

“Don’t fall asleep,” Dan said.
“I drifted off for an hour at lunchtime and look what happened.”

Kate opened her eyes.
Dan lifted his t-shirt to reveal a pale outline of a circle on his chest.
Rachel giggled.

“I’m just biding my time, Rachel,” he said.

Kate wondered if Rachel had finally seen how much Dan adored her.
Life was too short to waste time apart they could spend together.

“Are you two going out yet?” Kate asked.

Judging by the shell-shocked faces, the answer was no.

“Why don’t you ask her, Dan?
If she says no, at least you’ll know where you stand.”

Kate closed her eyes.
She knew that had been totally out of character, which accounted for the complete silence.
Maybe she shouldn’t have said anything.

“Want to go to the cinema tonight?” Dan’s voice squeaked a little.

“Okay.” Rachel spoke almost before Dan had finished.

Kate smiled to herself.

“Lucy, would you like to go to see a film with me?” Fax blurted out.

God, she really had got the matchmaking touch, Kate thought.

“Why not?
Nick’s busy tonight,” Lucy said.

Out of the corner of her eye Kate saw Fax’s face fall.

“We’ll go together,” Rachel announced.
“Do you and Hippo want to come too, Kate?”

“I’ve got something on tonight.”

But Kate had a surge of longing to be part of a group of friends going out together
.
Richard rarely wanted to go out with anyone that Kate knew.
He tolerated occasional trips to the pub with Simon and Fax.
And it couldn’t happen with Charlie, who didn’t want to be seen in public with her at all.
Kate knew he was worried about the press pestering her and she worried about that too, but for a different reason.

* * * * *

Kate was supposed to be available from eight until twelve on Sunday evening, taking calls from guys who wanted to talk dirty to her or wanted her to talk dirty to them.
She was well paid for the number of hours she logged on and she needed the money, but she didn’t want to do it anymore.
No one would chase her to continue.
No one knew what she looked like.
In fact, Kate thought it likely that the women who worked on these chat lines and pretended to be sirens in their twenties, were likely to be lonely fifty-year-olds.
The men made them whoever they wanted anyway.

Kate deleted her account before she could change her mind.
She’d have to cut back on her expenses.

At two minutes to eight the phone rang.

“What are you wearing?” Charlie whispered.

Kate laughed.
“Green underwear.”

“Lace pants?”

“No, the ones with holes.”

He groaned.
“I am suffocated with lust.”

“I’m giving up the phone sex.”

He whined.
“What a moment to choose.”

Kate tucked the phone between her shoulder and cheek and carried her coffee to the couch.
“Why?
What are you doing?”

“I’ve got my hand down my pants.
Listen.”

She chuckled.
“What am I listening for?”

“The sound of an unhappy but rampant steel piston.”

Kate burst out laughing.
“What have you been reading?”

“I’m trying to hold a telephone sex conversation here.”

She smiled at the indignation in his voice.
“I told you I’m giving it up.
I’m no good at it.”

“Well, maybe you need to practice.”

Kate didn’t say anything.

“That was a hint,” he said.

“Do you have anyone there with you?” she asked.

“No.”

“Well pretend.”

“Consuela, dust my platinum discs again.”

“I’ve got my hand down my pants too, but I wish you were down my pants,” Kate murmured in a sultry tone and took a sip of her coffee.

“Mmm,” Charlie muttered.
“Keep dusting, Consuela.”

“I want to eat you,” Kate purred.
“I want to run my tongue along your long, thick cock and taste every glorious inch of you.” The cup wobbled in her hand and she put it down.

“You missed a bit, Consuela.
Do it again.
Dust up and down, and do it fast.”

Kate swallowed the lump in her throat.
“Can you feel my teeth on you, Charlie, tracing that thick vein?
See it pulsing?
Do you trust me?
How about if I take your velvety balls into my mouth and suck.
Do you like that?” A shiver of desire rippled through her.

“How can you talk at the same time?” he asked in a hoarse voice.
“Consuela, take that duster out of there.”

“Wrap your fingers around yourself, Charlie.
Push down.
Now move your hand up.
Hold yourself tighter.”

“Christ, Kate.
That’s enough.
You’re not too far away, you know.
I could drive over.”

“I’m so tight and wet, Charlie.
Thinking of you has made me horny.
My nipples ache.
My heart’s fluttering.
If you walked into the room now, I’d come without you even touching me.” She meant it.

“Kate,” he choked out.

“I’ve taken off my bra.” She slid her hand to her nipple and it hardened in her fingers.

“Don’t do this for anyone else.”

“That’s why I’m not doing it anymore, Charlie.
I only want to come for you.
I only want to feel your cock inside me, all long and thick and hot.
I want you to fuck me harder and harder.
I want you to make me scream.”

She heard him give a shuddering groan.
A long pause followed.

“Consuela’s going to have to give me a wash now,” he said.

“Tell her to clean behind your ears.”

“It didn’t go that far.”

Kate laughed.
“Good night, Hippo.”

“‘Night, Mermaid.
See you when I get back.”

A single tear slipped over Kate’s eyelashes and trickled down her cheek.
It made her skin itch and she wanted to rub it away, but didn’t.
She needed it to remind her to be strong, because she’d fallen in love with Charlie Storm and knew he would break her heart.

* * * * *

When Kate bounded into the lobby on Monday morning, Dan was leaning against the wall, waiting for her.
He only worked sporadically at Crispies, but when he did, he waited for Kate so they could walk there together.

“Morning.” Dan pushed open the outer door for Kate to go through.

“Good morning.
How was the film?” she asked.

“No idea.” Dan grinned.

Kate glanced at him and smiled.
“Don’t tell me you made ‘the move’?”

“I might have.”

They went into Greenwich Park, sharing the path with a group of geriatric joggers.

Dan yawned.
“I was up all night painting.
I could have done without coming in today, but Mel rang at seven this morning and demanded my presence.
Sam is sick.
Again.”

“Who were you painting?” Kate asked.

Dan walked faster and when Kate caught up she saw the remains of a blush on his face.

“You painted Rachel?”

“She fell asleep.
She looked so cute.
Only I don’t think Jack Bellingham will want that painting in the gallery.”

Kate laughed.

“Don’t tell Rachel.
I want to finish before I show her.”

“Okay.
Er…Dan?”

He glanced at her.

“Don’t tell anyone at work about what happened with Richard.”

He nodded.
“You sure you’re all right?
I still can’t believe he did that.”

They stepped aside as a power-walker shot ahead of them, his bottom wobbling like two bags of jelly.

“Were you all mad I hadn’t told you about the wedding?” Kate asked.

“Lucy and Rachel huffed a bit.
I wish you had, Kate.
We’d have been there for you.”

She shot him a grateful glance, but was glad they hadn’t witnessed her humiliation.

Kate worked at Crispies Monday to Thursday for just above minimum wage, on the basis that the tips were huge.
Sometimes they were, but often they weren’t.
At least her hours weren’t bad and she could walk to work.
The café opened in the evenings as well, but Kate only worked the daytime shift.
Mel, Dan’s older sister, didn’t like Kate and Kate wasn’t fond of Mel, but Tony, the head chef and co-owner,
did
like her.
He was a forty-year-old Italian who still lived with his mother and flirted like crazy with everything in a skirt, though never with Mel.

“Had a good holiday?” Tony asked when Kate walked into the kitchen.

“Lovely.” Kate smiled, thinking how in all the disgust she felt for Richard, she was at least grateful he’d made her keep the wedding a secret.

“You’re not any browner.” Tony looked her up and down.

“Terrible weather.”

“You should let me take you to Italy.
The sun always shines on me.
I could show you a really good time.” He winked.

Kate rolled her eyes.
“Tony, whoever told you that you were an Italian stallion got it wrong, You’re more like a piebald pit pony.”

“How insulting.” He stroked his thinning hair.
“I thought I was the love of your life.”

“Only when you cook for me.
At all other times, no.”

“Oh yes, that’s Richard,” he grumbled.

Kate made herself keep smiling.
“Not any longer.”

Tony’s face lit up.
“Seriously?
You mean I’m in with a chance again?
Come over here and taste my
puttanesca
sauce.
I want you eating out of my hand.”

“Unbelievable as this may sound, Tony, I’ll have to decline.
It’s eight fifteen in the morning.
I’d rather have a coffee.”

“You’re breaking my heart.”

“I thought Lois did that?”

Lois was another of the waitresses who teased Tony.

“You all break my heart.
Except Mel,” he muttered.
“She breaks my spirit.”

Kate laughed.

“Stop wasting time chatting and get on with what you’re supposed to be doing,” Mel snapped from behind them.

Tony started banging pans and Kate retreated to the dining area.

* * * * *

Charlie apologized to James Kesner, the director, for his behavior at the last audition.
He didn’t grovel, nor offer any excuses.
If Ethan knew he’d been drunk and high then Kesner was the one who told him, so Charlie figured he just needed to be perfect today.
He shook hands with everyone in the room, toned down his megawatt smile and put everything he had into landing the role of a lifetime.
Charlie performed the piece he’d prepared and ran through several pages of the script.
When he’d done, Kesner leaned back in his chair and stared at him for several seconds without saying a word.
Charlie’s heart pounded but he met his gaze and didn’t drop his eyes.