by Donna Jay
“You look wonderful.”
“You should look where you’re going.” Gillian chuckled.
Knowing how hard it was to accept a compliment, Katie tried not to dwell on the fact Gillian hadn’t thanked her. She fell into step beside her and before long they were in a queue to the ticket box.
Up ahead of them, a guy turned. His gaze flicked from Katie to Gillian and his eyes lit up. He waved and Gillian waved back, grinning from ear to ear.
“That’s my cousin, Paul. He’s the big brother I never had. I love him to bits.”
The declaration made Katie think of Simon. “No siblings?”
“Yeah, two. Both younger, both annoying.” She chuckled and the sound warmed Katie’s heart. She hoped she got to meet them one day.
When Gillian waved again, Katie dragged her eyes off her friend and to the person accompanying Paul. When her gaze landed on the girl holding his hand, the bottom fell out of her world.
Palmerston North wasn’t exactly the largest city in New Zealand, but she wasn’t prepared to see Anita looking back at her.
Although her hair was longer, there was no mistaking Cherie’s right-hand lady.
When Anita’s gaze landed on Katie, her smile faltered before she quickly slid it back in place. She raised an arm and gave a dainty wave as if she was royalty.
Bitch.
Gillian leaned in close, her breath warm on Katie’s neck. “That’s Paul’s girlfriend. They haven’t been dating long, but she seems nice.”
Rather than say, “Yeah, well, appearances can be deceiving,” Katie gave her a tight-lipped smile, while trying to decide the best way to deal with the situation.
Her first instinct was to run and hide. Thankfully, her brain kicked in before she made a fool of herself. Why should she give Anita the satisfaction of ruining the first good thing—other than her job—that had happened to her in a long time?
“Let’s go and say hi.” Gillian headed toward the grand staircase Paul and Anita had climbed moments before. A wooden banister gleamed with polish, and red carpet led the way.
Katie smiled, and as a plan took root, her smile wasn’t only for Gillian. “Yes, let’s.”
Perhaps fate had brought them together for a reason. Anita had played her for a fool, and it was time for her to experience the same.
***
Once they reached the landing, Gillian launched herself at her cousin.
“Hey, cuz.” He patted her on the back. “Good to see you. Remember Anita?”
“Of course.” She smiled at Anita, and Paul nodded in Katie’s direction.
“Your girlfriend?” Paul asked.
Horrified and envious Gillian’s cousin appeared to know she was gay and didn’t mind one bit, Katie anxiously awaited her response.
“Yep.”
Thump. Her heart thudded against her ribcage.
“She’s a girl and my friend.”
Of course that’s all she meant, you idiot. Katie chastised her overactive imagination.
“Ah-ha.” The twinkle in Paul’s eye as good as said he didn’t believe her.
“This is Anita.” He put an arm around her waist and looked at Katie. “And you are?”
“Katie,” Anita said, shocking her.
Wide-eyed, Gillian glanced from one to the other. “You know each other?”
Curious how Anita was going to play this out, Katie held her tongue.
“Yep, went to school together. How have you been?”
Anita’s fake smile and sugary sweet voice made Katie want to gag. She cleared her throat. “Good, got a great job.”
Made your best friend piss herself, but you probably know that. Shit, did she know that?
“Seen Cherie lately.”
“Nah, we fell out after the riv…” Anita’s eyes went wide as if she suddenly realised she’d almost stepped in a pile of shit. Regaining her composure, she continued, “After school was out. I went back, she didn’t. Dropped out rather than do fifth form all over again.”
“Shame,” Katie lied. “I thought she was going places. How’s Tracy?”
Anita shrugged. “Who knows? Last I heard she’d gone off the rails.”
That didn’t sound like Tracy. “How so?”
“Pot and booze.”
At a loss, Katie just stared at Anita.
“I hate to break this chit-chat up, but shouldn’t we find a seat before the lights go out?” Paul said, not looking the least bit sorry.
Katie silently thanked him and prayed he didn’t invite her and Gillian to sit with them.
“I’ll give you a call during the week,” Gillian said to Anita.
“Sounds good.”
“I’ve been trying to talk her into joining the gym,” Gillian said as they stepped into the dim theatre.
The thought made Katie sick to her stomach. “Why? Have you looked at her? She doesn’t need to join a gym.”
Anita had a slim figure and her makeup was impeccable. Ruby-red lipstick, a touch of blush, blue and purple eyeshadow, eyeliner and mascara showcasing hazel eyes. The windows to a ruthless bitch.
“It’s not all about being a skinny-mini.” Gillian gestured to her buxom hips. “Exercise is good for the heart and soul.”
Considering Anita had neither, perhaps it would do her good to join the gym. In fact, it could work in Katie’s favour.
Shutting down thoughts of revenge, Katie swept a hand in front of Gillian. “After you.”
Once they handed their tickets over, they quickly found two empty seats, kicked them down, and flopped into them.
“I’ve heard this movie is good.” Gillian leaned in close, her bare arm pressed against Katie’s.
Excited chatter died out as the huge screen flickered to life. When Gillian slid her hand into Katie’s, an electrical current zipped up her arm, firing her senses to life.
She was holding hands. With Gillian.
Reminding herself to breathe, she stared straight ahead. Heat pooled between her legs. S
God, how was it possible to be so turned on from holding hands? Without conscious thought, she snuggled closer, inhaling the scent of Gillian’s honey shampoo.
Quarter of the way into the movie, they glanced at each other and smirked when the tinker of tangy fruits rolling down the centre aisle echoed through the cinema.
When the lights came on at intermission, Katie blinked against the glare. Gillian pulled her hand out of Katie’s, shielding her eyes. “Damn that’s bright.”
Seemingly all at once, people got to their feet.
“I need to use the bathroom,” Katie said. “You coming?”
“Nope, I’ll save our seats. Unless you want me to?” Gillian tilted her head, coppery locks brushing her shoulders.
“I think I can manage it on my own,” Katie pulled her knees in when a couple slipped past.
“Back in a jiffy.” She followed the couple out, determined to make it the quickest pit-stop ever.
After queuing for what felt like an eternity, Katie finally ducked into an empty stall. When it took forever to empty her bladder, she cursed herself for drinking so much water at the gym that morning. The excited chatter of women mooning over Patrick Swayze died down as the bathroom emptied out.
Just as she was about to flush, a familiar name made her blood run cold. Straining to hear, she stood frozen to the spot.
“Anita? Oh my God, it is you.”
Katie held her breath, praying it wasn’t the same Anita she knew, and too scared to move until she knew otherwise.
“Hey, Justine.” The voice confirmed Katie’s suspicions and steeled her resolve to stay out of sight.
Katie had never met a nastier person than Justine, and that was saying a lot. Sitting on the toilet seat, she willed them to hurry up, have their catty back scratch, and fuck off.
“I thought I spotted you earlier. You were with some hottie,” Justine said.
“Paul, he’s amazing,” Anita lowered her voice, “And the sex is hot, hot, hot.”
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An image of Anita fanning herself made Katie want to gag.
“He likes to fist my hair and pull my head back when we’re making out. Grrr.”
They cracked up laughing.
“Hey.” Justine again. “Who was the tampon top you were talking to?”
“Huh?” Anita said at the same time as the thought ran through Katie’s mind.
“You know, the redhead.”
The impulse to burst out of the toilet stall and punch them in the throat raged through Katie. Of course, she did no such thing. The odds were against her. If she was lucky, she’d get one shot in before she ended up with a tampon stuck up her nose to stem the bleeding.
“She’s Paul’s cousin. He thinks the sun shines out of her arse, so I have to play nice.”
“Ah, the things we do for love,” Justine said. “Your hair looks good longer. Not that I want to run my fingers through it or anything.”
More cackling.
“Don’t worry. I know you’re not a lezzy.” Anita’s voice dropped, “You didn’t hear this from me, but Gillian’s a lesbo and Paul’s really protective of her.”
“As long as he doesn’t ask you to sleep with her.” Justine snickered.
“Ew, gross, can you imagine it?” Anita’s voice was shrill. “It’d be like going down on a wire brush.”
Her hair’s soft as cotton, you nasty fuckin’ cow.
“At least you wouldn’t have to floss…kidding.” Justine said, and Katie imagined her holding up her hands with a shit eating grin on her smug face.
The second the door banged closed, Katie rushed from her stall. She didn’t know who got the bigger shock when she locked eyes with Anita in the mirror.
“Katie.” Her eyes were wide.
“That’s me.”
“How much did you hear?” Worry lines creased her forehead.
“All of it.”
“You remember how nasty Justine was, right? I mean she used to fight the boys.”
“Ah-ha,” Katie replied, giving her nothing.
“I was just playing along. I didn’t mean any of that stuff.”
“Being cool, trying to fit in.” Katie nodded. She understood all right, but not in the way Anita hoped.
“Exactly.” She reached for Katie’s arms, her eyes pleading.
Not wanting the filth of Anita anywhere near her, Katie tucked her arm behind her back.
“Please don’t say a word.”
“Why would I?” Katie held Anita’s worried gaze. “All that would do is hurt Gillian and upset Paul.”
“Right. No harm, no foul. We were just joking around.”
“Just like at the river, huh?”
“I never would’ve hurt you. That was all Cherie’s doing.”
Rather than remind her she’d dug her fingers into Katie’s neck and ripped out a clump of her hair, Katie shrugged. “I better get back to the movie.”
She spun on her heels, anxious to get back to Gillian who must be wondering where the hell she’d got to. The usher guided her back to her seat, torchlight leading the way.
The second she sat, Gillian clutched her hand and the world righted itself ever so slightly. She would not let Anita ruin their first date.
“Where have you been, I was starting to get worried?”
Rather than outright lie, Katie stuck to half-truths. “The queue was a mile long, I got stuck on the toilet, and then I had to wait while people fixed their makeup.” She rolled her eyes, even though Gillian probably couldn’t see her. “I stood there asking myself, what’s that about? I mean who touches up their face before entering a dark room?”
Gillian chuckled, and Katie exhaled a relieved breath.
Crisis averted!
But the damage had been done. As much as she wanted to forget about the incident in the bathroom, the pain in her gut niggled at her insides like vermin.
Consumed by dark thoughts, the rest of the movie passed in a blur. Her concentration had been blown to shit. She’d meant what she said, she wouldn’t breathe a word of it to Gillian.
Should she tell Paul? More importantly, would he believe her? Probably not. Anita was the master of manipulation, so chances were Katie would end up shooting herself in the foot, and she wasn’t going to give Anita the satisfaction of one-upping her.
Fuck her and the royal carriage she rode in on. She even had hair like Princess Diana. Hair Paul loved.
The theatre lit up and like a lightbulb going on, it hit Katie with stark clarity how she was going to deal with Anita.
Chapter 18
Back outside, Gillian’s bright smile gave the late afternoon sun a run for its money. “That was so good.” She pursed her lips. “No one puts baby in the corner.”
Katie grinned, expecting her to swoon over Johnny Castle’s chivalry. Her smile faltered when Gillian asked her a question instead. “What was your favourite part?”
Shit, think, think, think. She’d been so distracted after the encounter in the bathroom, the rest of the movie had been a blur.
“Um...” She paused, searching her brain. When her gaze landed on the poster advertising the movie, she said the first thing that came to mind. “The dirty dancing.”
“Oh, you like that?” Gillian waggled her eyebrows. “Wanna go somewhere more private, show me your moves?”
And there she went again, discombobulating Katie’s mind. Katie wouldn’t know a sexy move if it bit her on the arse.
When Paul sidled up to them, Katie wanted to kick him and kiss him at the same time. The urge to poke Anita’s eyes out followed quickly behind. Ignoring all of those impulses, she plastered on a smile.
“Hey.”
Gillian spun on her heel. “Cuz!”
Worry lines marched across Anita’s perfectly made-up face. While Paul and Gillian were chatting, she mouthed, ‘We all good.’
Keeping up the charade, Katie willed her smile to stay in place. She replied with a single nod.
“Wanna come over for a beer?” Paul asked.
“Maybe another time,” Gillian said. “I promised the old lady I’d be straight home.”
“Are you eight or eighteen?” Anita scoffed.
Paul shot her a look.
He opened his mouth to say something, but Gillian interjected. “I have two little brothers, eight and ten. It’s Mum and Dad’s date night, so I’m babysitting.”
Stick that in your pipe and smoke it.
“Cute,” Anita said. She turned her gaze on Paul and fluttered her long lashes. “We should have a date night.”
“We have one, tonight. My flat, my room.” He pinched her backside, and she giggled. “My bed.”
Gag.
They wandered off and tension drained out of Katie’s shoulders. Paul seemed nice enough, but the thought of being groped by a guy turned her stomach. As for Anita, she made her nauseous, period.
“So, you up for that milkshake?” Gillian asked.
“Don’t you need to get home?” Katie frowned, certain she’d just said she was babysitting.
A gorgeous smile curved Gillian’s lips. Images of leaning in and kissing those full, red lips danced through Katie’s mind. Trying hard not to blush, she diverted her gaze.
“I told a white lie. Mum and Dad do have date nights but tonight’s not one of them.”
“Why would you do that?” Katie asked, seconds before the penny dropped.
When Gillian didn’t say anything, doubt niggled at Katie’s insides. Perhaps she’d read the situation wrong and Gillian hadn’t made her excuses so they could spend time alone.
“Why do you find it so hard to believe I want to spend time with you?” Gillian asked as though reading her thoughts.
“I don’t find it…” Katie paused. There was no point in lying. “I don’t know why.”
“Why I want to spend time with you, or why you find it hard to believe?”
“Both,” Katie replied, even though those things were basically the same thing.
“Let’s get out
of this heat.” Gillian fanned her face.
“Oh shoot.” She looked at Gillian’s flushed cheeks. “I guess you burn easily. Shit, was that offensive?”
A chuckle burst out of Gillian. “I told you, you’re cute. No, it’s not offensive. Let’s just say, you won’t find me coating myself in baby oil, frying myself like a lobster, to please those who believe brown fat’s not as unsightly as white fat.”
“And to think you had the nerve to ask me if I was always so self-deprecating. You do a pretty good job of it yourself.”
Katie started walking and Gillian fell into step beside her.
“I never said I didn’t know what it was like to be picked on.” Gillian tugged on her hair. “Ginger. Carrot top. Brace face.” She pointed to perfectly straight teeth. “These didn’t come cheap. Now let’s combine both.” She spoke in a mocking tone, “Hey, Gillian, you should join a brass band. You’d be perfect with your metal mouth and copper hair.’”
Appalled, even though she’d heard it all before—fair skin and freckles were magnets to bullies—Katie’s mouth fell open.
Gillian pushed her jaw shut. “I’ve heard it all, so there’s no need to feel sorry for me, and please don’t apologise.”
Resisting the urge to do just that, Katie kept the words to herself. Being bullied didn’t seem to have had the same impact on Gillian.
***
Five minutes later, milkshakes in hand, Katie and Gillian sat under the shade of a tree in the town’s square.
A family stood on the bridge over a pond, throwing breadcrumbs to the ducks. Birds twittered in the trees, and the sun cast slivers of light over their outstretched legs.
A sense of contentment washed over Katie. She pointed to the intersection at the top end of the square. “I work in Fitzherbert Ave. At a home décor store.”
“You have a flair for colour coordinating?” Gillian eyed up her blue jeans and white top, a smile playing on her lips.
“No, you probably have more of a flair for colour than I do. I work in admin, typing, trial balance, serving customers when they come in to pay their accounts.”
“Oh, I know all about customers, most are nice, some need an attitude adjustment. Just because I’m paid to serve them doesn’t mean they have the right to be rude.”
