Kate & Alf

by Carrie Stone

  Laughing, Megan gently pushed him away and grabbed the choice of take-out menus from the table, pretending to concentrate on the options.

  Grateful for the distraction, she couldn’t help but marvel at the obvious fact that Michael had been bitten by the love bug. He had a solid, strong personality – in the couple of months that they’d been dating she’d observed that it wasn’t in his nature to speak about emotions. So his comment had most certainly thrown her off balance.

  The problem was, she wasn’t yet certain of her own feelings towards him. Knowing that part of the issue was her reluctance to expose herself to the possibility of being hurt, she pondered how she could lower her barriers. Michael had made it clear, so far, that her unusual motherly instinct over Jonnie wasn’t an issue. From the way he’d acted around her brother, she felt that she might have finally found someone who wasn’t put off by his demanding behaviour.

  However, she didn’t want to think of the alternative reason for her reluctance – the reason she’d been trying to squash over the last few weeks. For it was an idea so absurd that it was laughable – after all, didn’t love at first sight only belong in fairy tales?

  She pushed the thought away and selected a menu from the array in front of her. ‘Shall we go for a Chinese takeaway, then?’

  Michael nodded enthusiastically, none the wiser to the conflict taking place in Megan’s mind.

  ‘I’m gobsmacked, I really am,’ Kate gushed, one hand on her chest, feeling her heart beating rapidly beneath the fabric of her uniform. The other hand was on her neck, which she was certain would by now be crimson – as it always was when she was pleasantly surprised.

  ‘You deserve it, love, and anyway, why shouldn’t they give you this opportunity?’ Vivian said indignantly. ‘Your artwork is a lot better than all of the pieces in this home put together.’

  ‘He’s done you a wonderful thing, our Alan.’ Lil folded the cover of her wordsearch magazine back into place. ‘I know he’s got contacts in high places and I happen to know that he’s got old Steinbach in his pocket, too.’ She winked at Kate. ‘But he must have gone all out to convince the board and put a good word in.’

  ‘Oh, he must have,’ Vivian said, nodding her head vigorously in agreement. ‘I reckon you’ll end up making quite a few bob out of this, Kate.’ She tapped her nose. ‘You mark my words.’

  ‘Well, let’s not get carried away just yet,’ Kate replied, laughing. ‘One step at a time! It’s only hanging a few pieces in the entrance and a few in the visitors’ area.’

  Vivian looked at her sternly. ‘You leave it to us – we’ll have those pieces sold for you in no time. Won’t we, Lil?’

  Lillian bobbed her head in encouragement. ‘Course we will. I already know that Alma’s son is a big-shot businessman. I’ll easily have one offloaded onto him the next time he visits. She’s always harping on about how much he likes art. Well, good job, too – then he’ll be able to appreciate real art when he sees your pieces, won’t he?’

  ‘Too right he will,’ Viv retorted, reaching for her Guinness can.

  ‘I love you both. I hope you realise that,’ Kate said, sitting herself between the two women and placing a protective arm around each. She noticed that although Vivian brushed her off with tutting and Lillian with an eye roll, both women’s hands reached for hers, their faces lit up with warmth and affection. ‘But you must promise me that you won’t go about bullying the other residents and visitors into buying my art. Alan’s been kind enough to get permission for it to be hung and shared with the residents and guests, not for it to be sold. Besides, I paint because I enjoy it, not to make a profit out of it. Okay?’

  ‘Oh, do stop fussing, love,’ Lil said, rebuking Kate. ‘My dear old mum used to say to me, Lillian, never kick a gift horse in the mouth.’ She stared at Kate pointedly. ‘And I’m going to say the same fing to you.’ She looked at Vivian for approval, her lips pursed. ‘Anyway, don’t you have work to be getting on with?’

  Kate stood up, knowing when she was being shoo’ed away. ‘Yes, I do. Oh, and I’m leaving a little earlier today anyway.’

  ‘Why’s that, love?’ Vivian asked, her face tightening slightly.

  All too familiar with Vivian’s constant chest pains, Kate looked at her with concern, observing how her hand was clasped tightly around the arm of her chair. Her knuckles whitened with the tension of her grip. She knew from experience of late, not to ask her if she was okay, for it would only bring a tirade of expletives and reassurance that she was ‘bloody well fine’ and ‘stop bloody asking’.

  Instead, Kate focused on her second highlight of the day – the call she’d taken from Marcus, who’d asked her if she’d like to join him at an art exhibition that was taking place early that evening. As she relayed the news, she saw the raised eyebrows and exchange of suspicious glances between the women.

  ‘That sounds lovely, darling,’ Lillian said, patting Kate’s shoulder. ‘You make sure you have fun with this new chap of yours. He sounds ever so keen.’

  ‘Yes, you go and enjoy yourself, love. Who knows, you might even get a few ideas out of it for your next canvas,’ Vivian said cheerfully, her pain seeming to have vanished.

  Rather than correct Lillian once again on Marcus not being her ‘new chap’, Kate instead made sure that both women were well equipped for the remainder of the afternoon and said her goodbyes.

  It was only when she was finally ready to leave and had collected her belongings from her staff locker – and Sam from Alan’s care – that she allowed herself to consider her developing friendship with Marcus.

  If she hadn’t known better, she could almost have begun to think that there might be more than just a friendship connection going on. The idea alone was enough to make her feel revitalised.

  She picked up her pace – a spring in her step. Things were looking up.

  ‘Do you want to grab some dinner? Maybe a pizza? Or are you heading straight off?’ Marcus zipped up his jacket and blew into his cold hands, waiting for Kate to pass him his car keys.

  ‘Yes, sure, good suggestion. Saves me cooking yet another meal-for-one.’ Her melancholy smile was fleeting as she brushed away the thick strands of hair blowing into her face. ‘Wow, where’s this wind appeared from? It’s supposed to be June.’

  ‘I know, it’s a flipping joke.’ Pulling up his sports-jacket collar to brace himself from the chill, Marcus walked briskly across the exhibition car park. ‘Let’s go in my car. Silly taking two cars for a three-minute journey.’

  Almost jogging to keep up, Kate followed until they reached his car. She climbed into the passenger seat, grateful for the warmth that greeted her as she closed the door. ‘Great exhibition, but I still can’t believe how expensive some of those paintings were.’

  Marcus grabbed his seatbelt and clicked it into place. ‘Yes, a bit steep, some of those prices. Mind you, if that guy can sell his pieces at that much, then you’ll have no problem charging even more.’ He laughed lightly at her roll of the eyes and started the car engine. ‘You need to start believing in yourself a bit more. You’re talented. So own it!’

  Brushing off his enthusiasm with a light giggle, Kate continued staring out of the windscreen ahead, trying to keep her lips pursed slightly to hide the broad smile that wanted to spread across her face. Marcus’s words had given her a warm rush inside. He really seemed to believe in her….

  Lost in her quiet thoughts, his voice broke the silence as they approached the restaurant. ‘I’m starving now. I might have to order some wings and garlic bread, too. I might even have a beer or two. As long as you’ve not got to rush off quickly.’

  ‘That’s fine for me, but I thought you were going to meet friends after for that media event?’ Kate asked, wondering why he’d changed his mind.

  ‘Supposed to be, but not sure I’m in the mood now.’ He brought the car to standstill outside the pizzeria. ‘I’ve had a really nice evening so far with you, so let’s just take our time here.’ Turning off
the engine, he unclicked his seatbelt and patted the top of her leg. ‘Come on then, shift yourself, hun. We’re here.’

  Not able to help herself from reading into his words and body language, she felt a small rush of excitement sparking inside her. He was changing his plans to be with friends because he’d enjoyed his time with her so much? And he’d just called her ‘hun’. He’d never used that word before with her. She felt herself blushing slightly.

  Walking beside him towards the restaurant she couldn’t stop her thoughts from going into overdrive.

  Chapter 14

  ‘Penthouse?’ Kate repeated, irked. ‘Talk about making the most of something.’ Frowning, she stopped stirring the Bolognese that she was preparing on the hob. ‘And,’ she said, as an afterthought, pointing the wooden spoon dripping with red sauce in Megan’s direction. ‘It also shows that deep down he must have always wanted the bachelor life.’

  ‘That’s a little unfair, Kate,’ Megan said, breaking up another Parmesan breadstick and popping a piece into her mouth. ‘I’m no fan of Alf’s, but I agree with his logic.’ She crunched loudly as she spoke. ‘Surely if you were a single man with a generous housing budget, you’d also choose the most modern, high-spec, airy apartment you could find?’

  ‘I wouldn’t, as a matter of fact,’ Kate replied tightly, feeling a tiny bit sick at hearing Megan say ‘Alf’ and ‘single’ in the same sentence. She tried to blot it out, picking up the red wine and adding a generous amount to the pot. It didn’t help. ‘So, what’s going on with Michael, then?’ she asked, desperate to change the subject before her appetite vanished along with her social skills. ‘Any more references to you being the type of woman he’d like to marry?’

  Megan giggled and picked up a Kalamata olive from the small bowl on the work surface in front of her. ‘We had such a good time on Thursday evening at his work drinks – his colleague, Drew, is a nice guy. I thought of you, actually.’

  Kate wrinkled her nose. ‘No thanks, I’m not up for match-making at the moment.’

  Megan rolled her eyes and chewed on the olive thoughtfully. ‘And he wanted to do something tonight, but I obviously told him I was coming here. So we’re spending tomorrow together. He’s suggested a drive out to the countryside – he’s quite the romantic when he wants to be.’

  ‘Well, he’s clearly smitten, then, if he’s wanting to spend so much time with you,’ Kate said, opening a packet of dried pasta. ‘You’ve been seeing an awful lot of each other lately.’ She took a handful of the spaghetti and placed it in a pan of water. ‘I know you, Megan, and you wouldn’t be wasting this much time with a man if you weren’t interested.’ She turned to face her. ‘You’re falling for him, aren’t you?’

  The question stumped Megan, who stopped chewing her second olive and in a rare display of embarrassment, started to blush. ‘No,’ she began, hesitating and uncertain. ‘I feel good around him and, yes, I do enjoy being with him. But I wouldn’t say I’m in love.’ She looked down at her glass of water. ‘He’s perfect in a lot of ways, but in others, he isn’t. He’s not at all how I expected the guy I’d fall for to be. That’s what I’m struggling with. I just don’t know if it feels right…’

  Noticing her confused expression, Kate came over to sit with her. ‘Hun, more often than not we end up falling for the man who is as far removed from our ideal as possible.’ She stared at the kitchen fridge, her eyes drawn to a magnet that Alf had won in a packet of crisps at least five years ago. The memory made her smile. ‘I mean, look at me with Alf! Who’d have thought that I would have fallen in love with someone like him!’

  Megan smiled and nodded her head in agreement. ‘Yes, I have to say it was a bit of a shock to all of us.’

  ‘Exactly,’ Kate replied earnestly. ‘He was everything I’d always said I didn’t want. An office worker, dark-haired, not particularly well travelled….’ She stared wistfully at the fridge. ‘The list was endless. Yet, I couldn’t have fallen any deeper for him – and despite the fact that we obviously weren’t meant to be together forever, I still wouldn’t change anything about the last seven years.’ She looked back at Megan, who was watching her with interest. ‘I guess what I’m trying to say is, you can’t fight love – love always wins.’ She returned to the pasta pot, which was dangerously close to boiling over. ‘So go with the flow and enjoy what’s developing with Michael, because you might just surprise yourself.’

  ‘I know you’re right. And I know I’m maybe reading into everything too much, but I’ve picked up from a few things that he’s said, that he’s got this traditional idea about married life.’ She collected the used napkins and tea cups from the dining table and walked across to the sink.

  Draining the pasta, Kate turned her head sideways at Megan. ‘How do you mean?’

  ‘Well, the other week he made a comment that it’d be his dream to one day live in a countryside manor. He also said he’s got this future vision of himself wearing a wax jacket and wellies and standing in acres of woodland, clay-pigeon shooting – with his large brood of kids.’

  Kate snorted with laughter, almost dropping the colander. ‘Okay, whilst that idea would work quite nicely for a large percentage of women, I can see why it would bother you.’ She scooped a generous amount of spaghetti and sauce onto each plate. ‘I really can’t see you in a country manor and I certainly can’t see you with a brood of kids. One or two, yes, but more….’ She smiled to herself. ‘No, I definitely don’t see it.’

  ‘I know,’ Megan replied, laughing. ‘I’d pull my hair out if I was expected to become a country girl in a remote village and stay at home baking stews and bread all day. Not to mention having loads of children running about.’

  ‘Did you tell him this?’

  ‘Well, no, of course not – I mean it wasn’t like he was directly asking my opinion. But I did drop the hint that country living isn’t something I could see myself doing.’

  The women both seated themselves at the small table with their plates. ‘Oh, I forgot the wine.’ Kate said, standing back up and walking to the fridge. ‘What did Michael say to that, then?’

  Megan sniffed the heady aroma of the Bolognese wafting up at her, grateful for Kate’s skill in producing the dish. ‘He asked if I was familiar with the countryside – to which I obviously said not really. And then he stated that it was absurd to judge, if I hadn’t experienced it.’

  Setting down a chilled bottle of white wine on the table, Kate reached for the two wine glasses. ‘I’m out of red, so white it is.’ She unscrewed the cap and poured. ‘And, yes, he’s got a point. However, because I’ve known you for longer – with all the encouragement in the world, I still don’t think you’d ever be able to morph into a country bumpkin.’

  Megan picked up her glass. ‘And I agree. Which is why, although tomorrow’s drive to Essex will be a welcome change, he’s certainly not going to sway me longer-term. Anyway, I want to do a little toast.’ She waited for Kate to hold up her wine glass before continuing. ‘Cheers to you – and this beautiful meal you’ve prepared – and here’s to both of us embarking on new love ventures.’

  They lightly clinked glasses and each took a sip.

  ‘Now, tell me,’ Megan said, replacing her wine glass and picking up her spoon and fork. ‘What’s going on with you and Marcus?’

  It was a moment before Kate set down her own glass, staring blankly at the meal in front of her. She knew that Megan was fully aware of how involved Marcus had become in his campaign to keep her distracted with fun things to do, but she also knew that Megan wasn’t aware of how seemingly close they were becoming. Yet, that was part of the problem plaguing her. She was certain there was a shift happening in their connection and yet neither she nor Marcus had acknowledged it vocally.

  ‘We’ve met up quite a bit this week. Remember that art exhibition that I told you about on Wednesday? The one he took me to?’ Megan nodded her head. ‘Well, yesterday he spoke with the owner of the building where it was held – he’s a colleague
of his – and the guy has agreed with Marcus to rent me the space to exhibit at a really low price.’

  ‘Oh, my goodness, Kate, that’s fantastic,’ Megan said in surprise. ‘Are you going to go ahead with it?’ She looked at Kate’s reluctant face. ‘Kate, this is a huge step to get yourself back into the work that you love. You have to do it.’

  ‘I know.’ She played with a piece of pasta on her plate, her appetite vanishing at the prospect of exhibiting. ‘And it’s good of Marcus to put in a word for me. But honestly Megan, I don’t think I can. It’s one thing hanging art at the care home, but to put my paintings out there in public after all these years – I’m just not sure.’

  ‘But your art is amazing and unique. I don’t know anyone who’s seen it and hasn’t loved it,’ Megan gushed enthusiastically. ‘Besides, now that things have changed maybe you need to think more about your future. This could be the start of an extra income.’

  Kate stiffened. ‘What do you mean – my future?’ She stared at Megan in annoyance.

  ‘Look, don’t take this the wrong way. I’m only saying it because I care about you.’ Yet, seeing the look on Kate’s face she realised that she’d already taken offence. ‘I just feel it’s about time you consider your economic situation properly. This house, for example, you’re not able to live here alone on your salary and even renting a small apartment doesn’t come cheap these days. Maybe you need to think a bit more carefully about your finances. It’s not easy being the single and the only breadwinner, Kate. And I should know – why do you think I worked so hard to get my job?’

  Kate sighed, defeated. She knew that Megan was right, but it was a daunting issue that she’d been pushing to the back of her mind, ever since Alf had moved out and they’d agreed to discuss the house at a later date. Her wages weren’t bad – there was always double pay on bank holidays and overnight shifts, but they certainly wouldn’t be enough to continue single-handedly with the mortgage. Alf had hinted at this, too, and although they had a generous amount in joint savings, part of that was now going towards paying the bills until a decision was made.