Leaving the church was, in fact, the only really awkward moment of the whole service. John stood at the church entrance saying goodbye to each member of the congregation as they left; sometimes the simplest words are the most difficult to say. Kath had no idea to smile casually, or gleefully in anticipation of their meeting later on; whether to frown or look sad because he might be leaving, or to look needful in some way to make him feel bad about it. In the end, she had an attempt at all of them just in case, much to the amusement of Annie, who simply looked smug and shook her head knowingly.
It’s easy for an observer to claim they know so much, Kath thought, making a promise not to get carried away. With the service over, however, it was time to prepare for the evening, at last, putting Annie’s confidence to the test. Kath was desperate for more clues as to what it would entail but had to accept that she would just have to wait and see.
As they left the church grounds and just before they parted company, Annie slipped the handle of a carrier bag into Kath’s hand before winking and saying, ‘Here’s what I mentioned.'
‘What’s this?’ Kath asked, opening the bag to view the contents and finding a white dress that Annie had carefully folded.
‘Annie, I couldn’t possibly wear this,’ she said, aghast.
‘Unless you have any better dating clothes in your wardrobe, Kath, I’d ask you to seriously consider it. Trust your friend now and good luck.’
Annie did not hang around for any arguments, so that was that. Kath would have to move forward alone and find out what qualities she had in her most desperate moments.
Dressing inappropriately for the evening would really not do and risk destroying whatever positive impression John must have had of her already. In spite of this, Kath could not resist trying the dress on when she got home and was surprised by how she looked when the moment in front of the mirror came. What kind of a woman would look back at her? Of course, her fear had been that Annie had chosen the sort of revealing dress she was comfortable wearing, but that Kath would never dream of stepping out of the door in. When it came to her verdict, however, Kath had to accept her friend had again excelled herself. In no way was the dress inappropriate at the neck or leg line, as she had pictured, rather it was dainty and dignified, but also quite beautiful.
None of this meant her decision to wear the dress was immediate. For sure she looked prettier than she had ever imagined looking, but even though the dress was dignified it was definitely the kind of outfit someone wears for a date – not for a meeting about voluntary work. Appearing at the front door dressed like an angel wanting to be swept off her feet, then finding she was out of place, would easily be the most humiliating moment of her life. With her family watching on as well; Kath would never live down the day she embarrassed herself in front of a priest for as long as she remained an unloved, single woman – in other words for the rest of her days.
Six o’clock came, and there was a knock at the door.
‘Who’s that this time?’ Ryan complained, remembering to pick up the baseball bat again just in case then making his way to the front door.
Lo and behold, it was that daft priest again.
‘Hello, Ryan I believe?’ the holy man said, holding his hand as a greeting.
This time, Ryan humored him by shaking his hand and lowering the baseball bat, but priest or no priest, if this man thought he was going to pester Kath for favors all the time he had another thing coming.
‘Now listen,’ Ryan began, ‘what happens in church is none of my business, but this is our home and if you think Kath’s going to be dragged into…’
‘Ryan!’
Ryan’s diatribe was interrupted by the soft tone of his sister’s voice from the bottom of the stairs. Ryan had no intention of holding back from giving his piece of mind but, on turning, found his momentum cut short by the vision of beauty that stood facing him. Kath was dressed all in white and, if it were not for the familiar face, he wouldn’t have believed he was looking at the same person. Even the face was different, though. She looked aglow; like something out of a magazine.
‘Ryan, this gentleman is John, and he’s taking me out to dinner,’ she told him.
If things had gone bad there and then, Kath might still have judged the moment worth it, just because of the look on her brother’s face – and her father’s, who looked on from the living room with the kind of frown that would teach him not to look away from the TV so recklessly again.
Nothing awful happened, however. John told her she looked beautiful before holding out his arm for her to take and bidding Ryan good day. Kath felt well and truly swept off her feet before the evening had begun and the next hour was something of a blissful blur.
John told her he had booked a table at a restaurant in the West End, in a part of the city she had only once been as a young child. This memory was distant, and Kath was to discover she had forgotten – if she had ever really known – how picturesque a city parts of Boston could be. Especially at night with its lights reflecting off the surface of Charles River and the same stars overhead that the three wise men had looked upon for guidance.
At some point, as their food was being prepared, Kath persuaded herself to stop feeling out of place and to ask John where on earth he had been.
‘Oh, didn’t you hear, I’m sorry,’ he began. ‘What happened was I caught a form of meningitis, on a visit to a city hospital.’
‘Oh, my word!’ Kath exclaimed.
‘It’s OK, I wasn’t ill or anything. The only reason I had been tested was because I was in the vicinity of someone who caught it seriously. The healthcare professionals tested everyone, and my results were positive, even though I never showed any symptoms.’
‘So you’re fine?’
‘Yes, it’s one of those viruses some people are immune to and some not. I could still have passed on the virus, though, so I had to quarantine myself.’
‘I see.’
‘But I’m negative now, and the main thing is that all three people who showed symptoms have pulled through though it was a tough time for their families watching them on life support.’
‘I can imagine, but this means you’re not thinking of leaving then?’ Kath asked, finally ready to address the demon she had been fearing for weeks.
‘Well, that’s one of the things I wanted to talk to you about.’
‘Oh.’
‘I would have got back in touch with you straightaway after our talk at the church if it wasn’t for the meningitis. Truth was I was in some mental anguish for a while – not knowing whether it would work at St Bartholomew’s. I booked a meeting with my superiors in order to address a few concerns, but the meeting didn’t go at all as I imagined.’
‘I hope it wasn’t too bad.’
‘Something transpired, in fact. It caught me off guard, but they brought up the issue of Robinson instead of me. It turned out that a letter had been received which helped to confirm some of the doubts they had about his dismissal. They told me about some of the problems ten years ago, rather than the other way around and admitted that they regretted how it had all been handled. Kath, I wouldn’t have you to thank for that letter would I?’
Kath didn’t quite know what to say in response but saw that he knew from the expression on her face the letter had been hers.
‘Then sweet, kind-hearted Kath, I really need to thank you. At the time, I wasn’t sure how to handle the pressure, but what you did gave me the confidence to look at matters differently. Backing away from a challenge is not an attitude for a Christian to have; I’m going to stay and do all I can for the parish.’
‘You’ll be brilliant, John,’ Kath told him, not looking to disguise the joy on her face at having heard the words she had feared never hearing. ‘When I came back to the church I didn’t know what to expect,’ she confessed, ‘I was afraid because of the Robinson issue, but it was you that convinced me I was back where I belonged. Your words and your inspiration.’
Kath and John were
not the only couple walking along Beacon Street with a view of the Charles River that evening, after having finished their meal. It was Valentine’s evening, and love was in the air for many, but Kath hardly noticed anyone else or how happy they might be, content as she was in John’s company. She had made a promise never to live in envy, and it was a promise she kept. Regardless of how fashionable women of her age and younger looked, or the fancy cars people in the West End drove, she felt no bitterness at the things they had or the exciting lives they must lead. Just as there are always people better off than us, she also knew there were many many more who were worse off and might envy her life, regardless that it had felt unfulfilling for so long.
If one positive point can be made about misery, it is that experiencing and suffering under its toil teaches us to appreciate happiness when it comes along. For the first time since a child, when by her mother’s side, Kath now felt happy once more – a feeling that was all the more precious for having lived in its absence.
Comfortable as she was, Kath had still not accepted they were really on a Valentine’s date and had no idea how the evening would end. This was until John reached for her hand and, though happy to accept the gesture, she would cast her eyes down on realizing she held some slender object. With great subtlety, he had succeeded in purchasing a single rose that she would touch delicately as if checking it was real. After that, Kath looked up into her Valentine’s eyes and, like him, found there was no need for words anymore. His gesture would be easy to accept if she just leaned forward and kissed him, but we must leave them to their moment from here on.
Bonus Book - Kiss of a Lifetime
Kiss of a Lifetime
Sexiest Rockstar in New York
Dyane Casey
Chapter 1
Jill looked at the long line snaking from the entrance of the club, down the block and around the corner, and shook her head.
“We are not getting in tonight,” she opined.
“Not normally,” her friend April replied. With a dramatic flourish, she produced two tickets. “But with these VIP tickets, we’ll be walking right in.”
Jill gawked. “How did you manage to get those?”
April laughed. “It’s a matter of knowing the right people. Or sucking off the right people, as the case may be.”
Trust April to wrangle the best tickets, thought Jill as she followed her through the crowd to the heavily guarded entrance. The people waiting in line gave them venomous looks, with a few admiring glances coming from the men. The girls looked stunning, beautifully made up for a night on the town, though it was April who commanded most of the attention with an eye-popping dress that left little to the imagination.
If the bouncers were impressed, they didn’t let on, scowling as the girls approached. The head bouncer, a gigantic, bald guy who looked like a troll from Lord of the Rings glared at them balefully.
“Hi!” said April, putting on her most winning smile. “Can you let us through?” She slipped him the VIP tickets casually, indicating her inalienable right to preferential treatment.
The bouncer looked at the tickets for a while, then looked at her in seeming bewilderment. Denied the pleasure of refusing them entrance, he reluctantly moved aside to let them in. April and Jill slipped through and soon found themselves right at the front in the VIP area.
“Are you ready?” the announcer was shouting. His question was greeted by frenzied howls of excitement from the mostly female audience. “I can’t hear you,” he cried.
What is he, thought Jill, fucking deaf? Although they hardly needed any encouragement, the crowd cheered lustily and deafeningly. It seemed that even the announcer had had enough.
“Well then, here they are. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Devil’s Bane!”
The roar of the audience reached a delirious crescendo. Jill stopped staring at the celebs around her and turned to the stage as the band members leaped forward, appearing as if by magic through the smoke and laser lights. The music started, and the pulsating sounds of hard rock filled the hall. But Jill’s attention was focused on something else entirely.
The lead singer had to be the most gorgeous man she had ever seen. His blond hair cascaded like a mane down his shoulders, while his shirt was open, showing off his ripped abs. With his high cheekbones and intense blue eyes, he could have been a male model, but there was nothing wholesome about him. Was it the tattoos and piercings that gave him such a bad boy look? Or the devilish sneer on his face? Jill wasn’t sure, but his appearance made her feel weak in the knees.
It appeared that many girls in the audience shared the sentiment, judging by the shrieks of excitement that came whenever he made a provocative dance move, which was quite often. Female undergarments were always thrown onto the stage by the more demonstrative fans.
“Who is that?” Jill asked, removing a bra that had fallen short of the stage and landed on her head.
“That is Richie,” replied April. “The man is a sex god,” she added, somewhat unnecessarily.
Yes, I can see that, thought Jill as she watched him performing his songs. His voice, presence, and movements seemed charged with sexual energy. “Are you fucking ready to party, New York?” he shouted, to be greeted by the high-pitched shrieks of out-of-control women. Weren’t there enough undergarments being thrown on the stage without Richie whipping the girls up into an orgasmic frenzy, thought Jill. But clearly Richie did not think so as he gyrated on stage, screaming sexually-explicit lyrics.
Jill wasn’t overly fond of loud concerts, and liked being mashed between sweaty people even less, but she soon started to enjoy herself, swept away by the pulsating music and the sexy lead singer, who oozed raunchiness and charisma in his every move.
But before she knew it, the concert was over. As she sighed disappointedly, she felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see one of the security guards who were near the stage. “You look like you enjoyed the show,” he said.
“Yes, that was incredible,” Jill gushed.
The guard smiled. “The band is going back to the hotel for a small party. How’d you like to join them?”
“What, me?” said Jill, not quite sure what to make of this.
“Sure!” said April. “We would love to come.” The guard looked at her quizzically. “I’m with her,” she added quickly.
The guard shrugged and gave them the hotel name and room number. “See you girls there,” he said as he walked over to another group of women.
“Do you realize what this means?” said Jill. “They are inviting us to their hotel rooms – like a bunch of groupies!”
“Yes, I know. Isn’t it exciting?” April giggled.
“April! They may try to sleep with us!”
“So?”
“May I remind you that I have a fiancé? And you have a boyfriend?”
April sighed. “Look, we don’t have to do everything they want. Let’s just go and have some fun.”
Jill was still undecided. “Come on,” April said. “How often do you get to party with a rock band?”
“OK,” Jill relented. It would be exciting to party with a rock band, particularly if it included someone like the delicious and seriously attractive Richie. Taking a cab, the girls got to the band’s hotel. The lobby was filled with the band’s fans, and the hallway to the party suite was, even more, crowded. We are never getting in, thought Jill as she and April tried to fight their way through the throng. Miraculously, they succeeded and found themselves at the door.
“Hi!” April said brightly to the doorman. “We were invited to come and party.”
“Is that right?” The doorman leered at her. “I am afraid Devil’s Bane only parties with the most beautiful women.”
Jill glanced at the other assembled groupies, who gave them withering stares. This was not going well.
“Really?” said April. She reached forward and grabbed the doorman’s crotch. “Well, I am afraid when I get my hands on the band, other women will be the last thing on the
ir minds.”
Jill couldn’t believe what April was doing. But the doorman was clearly impressed. He stepped back with a low whistle. “All right, hot stuff,” he said. “You can go in.”
April was about to step in when Jill nudged her. “Oh, she’s with me,” April said.
The doorman shrugged. “Why not? They like them in pairs.”
The two girls quickly walked through the large doorway. Inside, the party was in full swing. Music thundered from the audio system while gorgeous women clad in virtually nothing sipped expensive champagne and tried to seduce the men. The band members lay stretched out on sofas while other staffs lurked nearby hoping to strike it lucky. No one seemed bothered by all the drug paraphernalia that lay among the food and booze.
Jill glanced around the room and was disappointed to see that Richie was not there. “Come on!” said April dragging her onto the dance floor.
“What …?” said Jill. The dance floor was packed, with men and women writhing against each other in seeming sexual ecstasy. Jill felt more than a little uncomfortable, but April didn’t seem to mind in the slightest, gyrating provocatively to the beat of the music.
And now, what on earth was she doing? April was leaning against Jill and bumping her hips against her. Jill was feeling increasingly more uncomfortable, but it seemed to have the desired effect as one of the band guys stopped snorting coke and walked up to the two. Losing interest in Jill, April started twerking on him. Jill turned momentarily to see a girl performing fellatio on another band member.
It was all too much. Needing air, Jill left the room and went out onto the balcony. Ah, this was much better. The penthouse offered panoramic views of New York, and Jill took in the night cityscape.
“It’s a beautiful view, isn’t it?” a voice drawled conversationally.
What the Heart Desires Page 27
