CHAPTER 30
The doorbell rang. Opening it Kate smiled.
‘John, you’re early!’ She exclaimed.
‘Oh, em, I’m sorry . You want me to drive around the block and wait awhile,’ he enquired smiling.
‘Sorry, I forgot my manners. That’s not necessary. I’m sure Dad and the others will be along shortly. Please come in.’ She stepped aside and he walked by her making his way towards the kitchen. For the first time Kate noticed how handsome he was.
‘Rugged may be a better description. He’s quite well built, nice shoulders, he must work out,’ she caught herself taking in his physique ‘What am I like?’ She laughed.
‘Something funny?’ John turned and enquired of her.
‘Eh, no’ she coughed and closed the door ‘I just remembered you know where you’re going because you were here before.’
‘Good save’ she thought.
‘Yeh, that’s right. Sorry am I being presumptuous. I just figured we’d be using the kitchen.’
‘Of course, absolutely,’ Kate followed him into the kitchen and put the kettle on. ‘Tea or coffee?’
‘I’m a coffee man thanks.’
He looked up from the files he had placed on the table and smiled.
‘Nice smile,’ Kate thought, ‘stop it! stop it!’ she told herself.
‘So John are you married?’
‘Oh my God I cannot believe I just asked him that’
‘Em no’ he looked at her quizzically.
‘Kids?’
‘I have to stop!’
‘No to that one as well. Never quite got round to it.’
‘Are you single then?’
‘What am I doing?’
‘Ye, bit of a dry spell at the moment. What is this anyway the Spanish Inquisit…..’ John stopped abruptly. You know what I mean ‘What’s with all the questions?’
‘Oh I, em, I was just thinking you may suit a girlfriend of mine.’
‘Oh no you don’t. I have enough of that with my sisters. I’m thirty two and know how to ask a girl out thanks all the same,’ he sat down and Kate got the milk from the fridge while she was waiting for the coffee to brew.
‘Ye sorry, very presumptuous of me.’
‘What about you? Have you started dating again yet?’
Kate debated whether to say anything about James. She decided against it.
‘Not really no. I guess I’m only now starting to feel like it’s an option.’
‘Hey, that’s totally understandable. But a girl like you shouldn’t hide herself away for too long Kate. Any man would be lucky to have you,’ John was looking down at his files.
Kate blushed and turned away so he couldn’t see her. She poured the coffee.
‘Thank you’ she mumbled. ‘Oh here goes’ she thought.
‘You’re not half bad yourself John, you should get out there before all the good ones are taken.’
Now it was Johns turn to look embarrassed and the red crept its way up his neck and planted itself on his cheek bones.
Just then the doorbell rang.
‘I’ll get it’ Kate practically sang.
‘I’ll get it, I’ll get it’, she mimicked herself on the way to the door. ‘Who else was going to get it. Oh God I’m a complete embarrassment,’ she admonished herself.
She swung open the door
‘Dad, Jeremy, Hi’ and stood to let them enter.
‘I smell coffee, thank god’ said Jeremy kissing her cheeks ‘Any chance there’s a sambo to go with that Katie? You know me, I’m a disaster without Marge there to look after me,’ he walked into the kitchen.
Kate grabbed Jacks arm and hung back.
‘What’s going on with Barbara?’ she whispered.
‘Not saying much, but I get the impression things have cooled. He just gave me his new address this morning when I called and told me to pick him up there.’
‘And it didn’t cross your mind to ask when he got in car? Where’s he living anyway?’
‘Dalkey’
‘Dalkey’ she repeated ‘So for forty minutes you sat in the car and said nothing?’
‘No’ Jack laughed ‘we talked all the way here, just not about that!’
‘Men! What will I do with you,’ Kate laughed and opened the kitchen door.
‘John, you’re early!’ She exclaimed.
‘Oh, em, I’m sorry . You want me to drive around the block and wait awhile,’ he enquired smiling.
‘Sorry, I forgot my manners. That’s not necessary. I’m sure Dad and the others will be along shortly. Please come in.’ She stepped aside and he walked by her making his way towards the kitchen. For the first time Kate noticed how handsome he was.
‘Rugged may be a better description. He’s quite well built, nice shoulders, he must work out,’ she caught herself taking in his physique ‘What am I like?’ She laughed.
‘Something funny?’ John turned and enquired of her.
‘Eh, no’ she coughed and closed the door ‘I just remembered you know where you’re going because you were here before.’
‘Good save’ she thought.
‘Yeh, that’s right. Sorry am I being presumptuous. I just figured we’d be using the kitchen.’
‘Of course, absolutely,’ Kate followed him into the kitchen and put the kettle on. ‘Tea or coffee?’
‘I’m a coffee man thanks.’
He looked up from the files he had placed on the table and smiled.
‘Nice smile,’ Kate thought, ‘stop it! stop it!’ she told herself.
‘So John are you married?’
‘Oh my God I cannot believe I just asked him that’
‘Em no’ he looked at her quizzically.
‘Kids?’
‘I have to stop!’
‘No to that one as well. Never quite got round to it.’
‘Are you single then?’
‘What am I doing?’
‘Ye, bit of a dry spell at the moment. What is this anyway the Spanish Inquisit…..’ John stopped abruptly. You know what I mean ‘What’s with all the questions?’
‘Oh I, em, I was just thinking you may suit a girlfriend of mine.’
‘Oh no you don’t. I have enough of that with my sisters. I’m thirty two and know how to ask a girl out thanks all the same,’ he sat down and Kate got the milk from the fridge while she was waiting for the coffee to brew.
‘Ye sorry, very presumptuous of me.’
‘What about you? Have you started dating again yet?’
Kate debated whether to say anything about James. She decided against it.
‘Not really no. I guess I’m only now starting to feel like it’s an option.’
‘Hey, that’s totally understandable. But a girl like you shouldn’t hide herself away for too long Kate. Any man would be lucky to have you,’ John was looking down at his files.
Kate blushed and turned away so he couldn’t see her. She poured the coffee.
‘Thank you’ she mumbled. ‘Oh here goes’ she thought.
‘You’re not half bad yourself John, you should get out there before all the good ones are taken.’
Now it was Johns turn to look embarrassed and the red crept its way up his neck and planted itself on his cheek bones.
Just then the doorbell rang.
‘I’ll get it’ Kate practically sang.
‘I’ll get it, I’ll get it’, she mimicked herself on the way to the door. ‘Who else was going to get it. Oh God I’m a complete embarrassment,’ she admonished herself.
She swung open the door
‘Dad, Jeremy, Hi’ and stood to let them enter.
‘I smell coffee, thank god’ said Jeremy kissing her cheeks ‘Any chance there’s a sambo to go with that Katie? You know me, I’m a disaster without Marge there to look after me,’ he walked into the kitchen.
Kate grabbed Jacks arm and hung back.
‘What’s going on with Barbara?’ she whispered.
‘Not saying much, but I get the impression things have cooled. He just gave me his new address this morning when I called and told me to pick him up there.’
‘And it didn’t cross your mind to ask when he got in car? Where’s he living anyway?’
‘Dalkey’
‘Dalkey’ she repeated ‘So for forty minutes you sat in the car and said nothing?’
‘No’ Jack laughed ‘we talked all the way here, just not about that!’
‘Men! What will I do with you,’ Kate laughed and opened the kitchen door.
***
‘That’s pretty much it. At the end we decided I would front the TV adverts along with five other victims who survived the blasts,’ Kate was having lunch with Rachel in the staff room.
‘Good stuff, that’s great,’ Rachel said as she took another bite of her tuna salad sandwich.
‘How’s the diet coming along? Kate enquired.
‘Ye, its good. Lunch time is a little easier now that I’m bringing my own food in. Those café lunches were killing me.’
‘You’ll do it Rach. You’re really determined this time. Much more so than the last time.’
‘You think so’ she asked Kate excitedly.
‘Definitely, I can see it in your face already. The puffiness is going.’
‘Really? Oh that’s great to hear thanks Kate.’
Watching her friend cautiously Rachel enquired.
‘So? Spill the beans?’
‘What you mean?’
‘I haven’t seen a grin like that on your face since ‘he who’s name shall not be mentioned’ what’s the dish?!’
Kate laughed at Rachel, she loved how easy it was to talk to her. And she was dying to talk to someone.
‘Ok, I’ll tell you only if you promise not to say a word to anybody.’
‘Cross my heart….you know I won’t. Tell me. The suspense is killing me here.’
‘Ok, now it may turn out to be nothing, but you know John, the detective I mentioned who is working on the case?’
‘Yeh?’
‘Well I definatley think I’m getting vibes from him.’
‘Oh! That’s it? You disappoint me Katie my friend.’ Rachel smiled and took another bite of her sandwich.
‘What do you mean, ‘I disappoint you’ Kate laughed now, ‘what did you expect me to say? I was getting married?’
‘No not that, but at least a roll in the hay. At our age we can’t be wasting time you know…they say a woman….’
Kate interrupted her.
‘I know, I know. You’ve told me all this before. I’m not wasting time, but I’m certainly not going to jump in because I’m getting old!’ she exclaimed.
‘I’m not saying too, it’s just that…’
‘If I want to have more kids I need to get a move on,’ Kate finished for Rachel.
‘Well, it is something you have to think about.
‘I haven’t got passed whether he fancies me yet, I think it’s a bit early for the kids conversation, don’t you?’
‘Not with him. I mean have you thought if you’d like more kids?’ said Rachel.
‘When Dan and I found out he couldn’t have any more kids after the cancer I guess I had resigned myself to not having anymore. But if I’m completely honest Rach I would love to get another chance. I don’t want to replace Alex, I would never try but yes I guess if I was lucky enough to be given another chance I’d jump at it.’
Rachel squeezed Kate’s hand.
‘At least that’s a start Kate you have to know what you want before you can get it. So on that subject..’ Rachel started to smile ‘….would you consider Mr Detective man a likely candidate for this childs father?’
‘You’re incorrigible Rach’ Kate smiled as well. ‘Well if we’re talking hypothetically then I would say, yes, he would certainly be a candidate!’
Both girls squealed with laughter.
‘Good stuff, that’s great,’ Rachel said as she took another bite of her tuna salad sandwich.
‘How’s the diet coming along? Kate enquired.
‘Ye, its good. Lunch time is a little easier now that I’m bringing my own food in. Those café lunches were killing me.’
‘You’ll do it Rach. You’re really determined this time. Much more so than the last time.’
‘You think so’ she asked Kate excitedly.
‘Definitely, I can see it in your face already. The puffiness is going.’
‘Really? Oh that’s great to hear thanks Kate.’
Watching her friend cautiously Rachel enquired.
‘So? Spill the beans?’
‘What you mean?’
‘I haven’t seen a grin like that on your face since ‘he who’s name shall not be mentioned’ what’s the dish?!’
Kate laughed at Rachel, she loved how easy it was to talk to her. And she was dying to talk to someone.
‘Ok, I’ll tell you only if you promise not to say a word to anybody.’
‘Cross my heart….you know I won’t. Tell me. The suspense is killing me here.’
‘Ok, now it may turn out to be nothing, but you know John, the detective I mentioned who is working on the case?’
‘Yeh?’
‘Well I definatley think I’m getting vibes from him.’
‘Oh! That’s it? You disappoint me Katie my friend.’ Rachel smiled and took another bite of her sandwich.
‘What do you mean, ‘I disappoint you’ Kate laughed now, ‘what did you expect me to say? I was getting married?’
‘No not that, but at least a roll in the hay. At our age we can’t be wasting time you know…they say a woman….’
Kate interrupted her.
‘I know, I know. You’ve told me all this before. I’m not wasting time, but I’m certainly not going to jump in because I’m getting old!’ she exclaimed.
‘I’m not saying too, it’s just that…’
‘If I want to have more kids I need to get a move on,’ Kate finished for Rachel.
‘Well, it is something you have to think about.
‘I haven’t got passed whether he fancies me yet, I think it’s a bit early for the kids conversation, don’t you?’
‘Not with him. I mean have you thought if you’d like more kids?’ said Rachel.
‘When Dan and I found out he couldn’t have any more kids after the cancer I guess I had resigned myself to not having anymore. But if I’m completely honest Rach I would love to get another chance. I don’t want to replace Alex, I would never try but yes I guess if I was lucky enough to be given another chance I’d jump at it.’
Rachel squeezed Kate’s hand.
‘At least that’s a start Kate you have to know what you want before you can get it. So on that subject..’ Rachel started to smile ‘….would you consider Mr Detective man a likely candidate for this childs father?’
‘You’re incorrigible Rach’ Kate smiled as well. ‘Well if we’re talking hypothetically then I would say, yes, he would certainly be a candidate!’
Both girls squealed with laughter.
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