Two Years After ; Friends Who Lie ; No More Secrets

by Paul J. Teague

  Katy stretched her arm out to pick up her phone, which was dangerously close to the condom. She reached out gently, trying not to wake Olly. She wasn’t ready for the morning-after conversation yet – she hadn’t decided what she thought about it. Was she a cradle-snatching slut who’d jumped into bed with the first young guy who’d made her laugh until her knickers dropped to her ankles, or was she an empowered modern woman who was entitled to make the choices that made her happy?

  Olly shifted in the bed, but didn’t wake up. She’d breakfast with him if he wanted it, and then make her excuses when the train drew into Fort William. If he seemed clingy, she’d pretend she needed to take a taxi to her next destination, and that would create some quick separation. With any luck he’d be polite and friendly, and then get lost as soon as they arrived.

  She touched the screen on her phone and it kicked into life. There were several updates including a picture of somebody’s dog wearing a bobble hat and scarf. Katy clicked through the drivel, and then read Emma’s reply to her text.

  Somebody filmed Louis on Twitter. Check your feed. Bloody hilarious! Can’t really see your face, the joke is on him. Good journey? Em x

  Katy had given up posting on Twitter some time ago, and had actually managed to make her account private with Emma’s guidance, but she could still check out what other people were doing. Emma was right. The video was there for all to see. Their public episode of domestic violence had already garnered 6012 likes, 3489 retweets and a clutch of not very cerebral comments from casual observers who were happy to make sweeping statements based upon a short extract of their altercation.

  There were the usual thoughtful comments such as Wanker lol, #Twat and Mike Tyson? Sorry, just some other a-hole! Then there were the obligatory woman-haters who were always looking for an opportunity to come out and play: Looks like she deserves a good thump! and Shut up and get the dinner on luv #slut.

  Katy had read enough. She watched the video again. You couldn’t see her face – thank goodness she’d pulled up her hood when she’d heard Louis. Nobody would recognise her unless they knew it was her. One of the business-people must have filmed it. That must have been why they were all too busy to step in and help her out.

  Olly opened his eyes. Katy cursed to herself. It was time to talk.

  ‘Morning sexy!’ He ran his hand along the back of her leg. It felt good and for a moment she considered going another round with him in case a sexual desert lay ahead, but she thought better of it. He was hot, but she didn’t want to invite any more hassle into her life. One shag means nothing, coming back for seconds the next morning – well, that’s almost going steady.

  She made her excuses and rolled off the bed, placing her feet on the floor.

  ‘It’s a really snug fit in there,’ she said, evading Olly’s quite obvious intentions. She could see the outline of his erection through the sheets.

  ‘Oh, you mean the bed?’ he smiled, offering her an opening line to talk back sexy.

  No, she wasn’t going to sleep with him again. She caught a glimpse of her neatly trimmed bush in the full-length mirror on the door. That wasn’t going to last long on the road. It would be down to her knees in no time. Shaving one’s intimate areas was one of the first luxuries to go, according to the travel blogs.

  Olly had one more try.

  ‘You were dynamite last night. I didn’t know that position was even possible. It’s amazing how inventive you can get in a small space.’

  Katy batted it straight back.

  ‘I’m really hungry. Any idea how breakfast works?’

  ‘Okay, fair enough!’ Olly replied, finally getting the message. Katy hooked her knickers off the door lock and pulled them up her legs.

  ‘We’ve got an entire week together, there’s no rush.’

  Picking up her bra, Katy did a double-take at Olly’s last words.

  ‘I beg your pardon?’

  ‘I just said, let’s take it easy. I get it. It’s a long walk, we have all week.’

  ‘You didn’t think you were coming with me, did you? I want to do this walk on my own.’

  The mood had changed. Olly’s erection was long gone.

  ‘Oh … I thought as we slept together last night … we’ve been getting on so well. I thought we could walk the Great Glen Way together.’

  Katy berated herself. Were all men pricks? What was it that made them think that sex gave them automatic proprietorial rights? She needed to sort this out, and quickly – assertively – so she didn’t end up with another Louis on her hands. She fastened her bra and pulled it down over her breasts. She needed to be covered up to say what she needed to say.

  ‘I’m going to be very clear about this, Olly. I’m grateful for what you did to Louis last night, I really am. And I know we spent the night together and it was fun, but I am not walking the Great Glen Way with you and this is nothing more than a casual encounter. Is that perfectly clear? You’re a nice guy. Really. But this is it – it’s a one-time thing. Okay?’

  Olly nodded. At least he wasn’t the type to kick off like Louis. He looked at her, and then sat up on the bed.

  ‘Fair enough!’ he replied. ‘Sorry if I got the wrong end of the stick. But you know we’ll see each other again, don’t you? There aren’t that many places to hide on a walk like that. We’ll run into each other sooner or later.’

  Chapter Eleven

  Spean Bridge, July 1999

  Things settled down after that first night. Nathan did the best thing possible by suggesting the game of strip poker. It diffused the tension straightaway. It’s hard to be angry when your pals are chanting at you to rip your pants off.

  What followed was a reasonable holiday, punctuated by the odd bit of tension or manoeuvring. At least that’s how it appeared on the surface.

  The transport arrangements weren’t perfect, and on more than one occasion Emma hopped onto the back of Isobel’s moped to free up some space on the back seat of the car. It seemed clear to everybody but Nathan what Sarah’s intentions were and they wanted to give their friend a bit of space to see if she could close the deal.

  Emma didn’t have a helmet, so she’d arrive at their chosen tourist location for the day with her hair all over the place and having swallowed at least two flies along the way. It was a constant source of amusement to the others and she took it in good spirit.

  That part of Scotland was fabulous and they enjoyed working through the brochures and leaflets in the lodge, deciding on where they would visit one day at a time. The sights of the Glenfinnan Monument, Inverary Jail, Oban and Mallaig kept them suitably entertained, and by the time they got back home in the evenings they were ready for a night of beer, crisps and laughter.

  But on the day that Elijah died, none of them had been laughing.

  It had begun that morning. In a replay of what they jokingly referred to as the Student Kitchen Massacre of 1999, Isobel had got intense about the state of the kitchen once again. This had made the atmosphere prickly as they all set off on that day’s trip, a long ride out to Eilean Donan castle. Elijah was a big fan of the movie Highlander and of the rock group Queen, so for him it was a must-see attraction.

  Things began to go awry from the outset. Sarah was sick again – all over Nathan’s lap. The constant weaving in and out of the passing places on the narrow road they’d taken following Elijah’s so-called shortcut had proved too much for her stomach. She was furious, more so at throwing up over the object of her desires than at being travel-sick.

  Isobel was annoyed with everybody again, because she’d managed to race ahead on her moped and she and Emma had been left at the entrance to the castle wondering what was keeping their pals. The two girls had argued while they were waiting and things were definitely frosty by the time they’d all regrouped.

  Even Elijah was out of sorts. That was unusual. He was the most even-tempered of all of them, but he’d finally snapped. This was the only trip that he’d insisted on making throughout the holiday, and Ka
ty had been taking the mickey, doing impressions of Freddie Mercury singing Bohemian Rhapsody. Nathan and Sarah joined in, and before he knew it he was in the middle of a Wayne’s World reprise. Well, it pissed him off. So what if he liked Queen and was annoyed whenever anybody parodied them? All he wanted to do was enjoy a day out, see where they’d shot the opening scenes of the film and admire the castle.

  He reached into Katy’s bag, which was resting at her feet. He grabbed his asthma inhaler, taking two puffs. He’d worked himself up. He’d felt his chest tightening as he got angrier, but this was his favourite group that he was defending. They were worth it.

  All in all, by the time they got back to the house that evening it didn’t feel like they had a lot in common. Elijah and Nathan had gone off together leaving the girls to do their own thing. Izzy didn’t want to be with anybody, so avoided the castle and went exploring on her moped. Without putting it into words, that was a ‘Get stuffed’ to Emma, who would now be consigned to the back seat of Elijah’s car if she was going to get home. She’d be sandwiched between Nathan and Sarah, some seriously frustrated sexual tension, and the smell of old vomit.

  Sarah, Emma and Katy explored the castle. They each had someone to bitch about.

  ‘He takes that bloody pop group so seriously. It was hilarious when you and Nathan came in with the Galileo bit, I nearly wet myself laughing.’

  ‘I can’t believe Isobel. I know she’s fed up with her fascist mum, but there’s no need to bring that Brethren religious bullshit on holiday with her. First it’s the state of the kitchen, then it’s … well, she’s in a foul mood today, we’re best steering clear of her.’

  ‘What’s wrong with him? I’ve all but hopped on and helped myself, he just doesn’t seem interested? Do you think he’s too much of a gentleman? I’m getting desperate here. I never expected to have to finger myself all holiday.’

  And so it went on. Three angry friends, nobody listening to each other, all impatient to be heard.

  On her own, three miles away at a scenic picnic ground, Isobel was thinking darker thoughts, but with nobody to temper her anger.

  In spite of being deeply in love with Katy, Elijah couldn’t move past his anger at her. He felt she’d betrayed him. She knew how much he loved Highlander and she of all people knew how he treasured his collection of Queen CDs. By ridiculing him in front of his friends, she’d attacked the very essence of him. She wouldn’t do that if she really loved him, would she?

  Nathan had other things on his mind, and had done for a long time. He was relieved to be spending some time alone with his friend. He got what Elijah was saying about the music. Katy had been a bitch and he regretted joining in with the singing. He’d make it up to Elijah. He started by apologising. He was pleased to get a break from Sarah. He knew what she was after, but he needed to check something out beforehand. He wasn’t certain yet, but if he was reading the signals right, he’d soon put her out of her misery.

  Nobody could have known it then, but the touchpaper was set. It only needed to be lit. When all the elements came in place, it would play out like a well-rehearsed dance.

  When they arrived back at the lodge, the friends split off and ate separately. Izzy had been home first, way ahead of the others. They knew she’d got there first because there was a newly filled bin bag in the dustbin. She was tense when they came into the house, greeting them only to let them know that she was there. She picked up her book and retired to the bedroom which she and Emma were sharing. It was clear she was in no mood to talk.

  Elijah had infuriated Katy by allowing Nathan to ride in the front of the car on the way home. It was a public snub and Katy hated him for it. There would be no cuddles that night. Time to teach Elijah a lesson. The bubble had burst. It had been some time coming, but this was their first relationship crisis and both of them recognised it as such.

  Katy and Emma stayed in the lounge while Elijah and Nathan grabbed a couple of beers and sat on the Z-bed chatting. Out of her mind with frustration at Nathan’s behaviour, Sarah went off to sit out at the back of the lodge, taking a pile of old magazines to read.

  And so it was for over an hour after they returned from that fateful visit to the Scottish castle. And if anybody was observing from afar, they would have seen the precise moment when choices were made and events turned on their head.

  The house was quiet. Sarah had moved back inside and was reading at the dining room table. There were murmurs from the bedroom as Nathan and Elijah chatted, and Emma was dozing on the settee. Katy was looking out of the window watching the light begin to fade and feeling angry about how Elijah had humiliated her. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. He would have to apologise. She wasn’t going to let it drop.

  Izzy was still on her own. She’d come out to the kitchen to make a cup of tea, but remained tight-lipped. She stepped outside onto the patio to enjoy a cigarette.

  Then, out of nowhere, Nathan could be heard shouting. Elijah’s voice was also raised. There were more angry words. Nathan stormed out of the room, slamming the door. He muttered something to Katy who snapped back at him. Emma was jolted out of her doze and Sarah looked up from her magazines, wondering what the commotion was all about.

  Within half an hour, Elijah would be dead and Katy would be sorrier than she’d ever been in her life.

  Part II

  Fort William and Spean Bridge, 2017

  Chapter Twelve

  Fort William and Spean Bridge, 2017

  Katy had never used Airbnb before, but how hard could it be? She figured it was just Tinder for rooms and guests. She was bound to find a match. She left Olly in bed and sneaked off along the corridor to the toilets to cancel her hotel booking. The male and female facilities on the train were placed next to each other and some guy was grunting in the cubicle next to the one she was about to enter. She hadn’t a clue what he was doing and didn’t particularly want to know. She’d spotted a more spacious unisex cubicle further along the narrow corridor, so opted for that instead.

  The sleeper had been okay, she suspected, because she’d been out cold after a satisfying sexual encounter with Olly. As one-night stands go, it wasn’t bad. He was confident and funny, he knew what he was doing and he understood how to use the rhythmic undulations of the train to both of their advantage.

  But that line about seeing her on the Great Glen Way? That was right out of the stalker’s handbook and she was shutting it down straightaway. She cancelled the town centre reservation, registered on Airbnb, and found a nice looking place on the outskirts Fort William. She had a feeling that Airbnb was going to become a close buddy on her travels around the world.

  Emma had made her promise that she’d let her know where she was staying and when she arrived. A simple safety precaution for a lone female traveller, she had said. Katy forwarded her the confirmation email.

  Olly was too cool to eat breakfast, so Katy ate alone. She gazed at the magnificent scenery as she ate her bacon roll and nursed her cup of tea in the lounge bar. She saw Spean Bridge flash by. It wasn’t long before they would arrive at their destination.

  Spean Bridge, the place where it all turned to shit. They had been so young. There was no way any of them were equipped to deal with what happened. She hadn’t even experienced the death of a relative at that age – it was her first death and her first funeral. None of them knew what to do. She did a lot of growing up in the weeks following the loss of Elijah.

  Katy fumbled for her phone, thinking that she should send Emma a photo to let her know that she’d arrived. She couldn’t find it. Cursing, she took the last sip of her tea, and then made her way back to the toilet she’d been in earlier. It was engaged. She didn’t have to wait long for the flush, followed by the sound of the hand drier.

  ‘This yours?’

  Olly stepped out of the cubicle with two phones in his hand.

  ‘I recognised the bling.’

  He handed Katy her phone.

  ‘Thanks,’ she said, curs
ing what a clumsy cow she’d been to leave her phone in the cubicle like that. It wasn’t the first time she’d done it either.

  ‘Looks like we’re here now,’ Olly smiled. ‘Thanks for last night, it was good. I had fun.’

  He stretched out his hand. He seemed fine. This was it, they were shaking hands as mates. Acquaintances. And she would always be grateful to him for what he’d done to help her in the carriage.

  ‘Look, thanks for chasing Louis away yesterday. I really appreciate it. And I enjoyed last night too – it was fun – but you do understand it was a casual thing? Nothing serious.’

  ‘Yes, yes, of course,’ Olly nodded. ‘Nothing serious, no worries. It was great meeting you. I hope you have an amazing adventure out there.’

  The train pulled into the station. Olly had his bag with him already and he was off like a whippet from a trap. Katy went back to the room to gather her belongings. She thanked her lucky stars that he hadn’t been difficult about going their separate ways. For a moment she’d begun to question her ability to spot a decent man.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Paige Hudson was a bit scatty and had a house full of cats. Katy hadn’t read that bit in the Airbnb description, she’d only done a superficial check of the blurb. In fact Paige was the archetypal cat lady. Divorced, no children, living on her own. She was desperate to care for somebody – anybody – but with nowhere to direct it. Her cats got the benefit of her personal frustrations in life and she talked to them as if they were human beings. Katy liked Paige from the moment she answered the door.

  ‘Welcome to Solus Na Madainn!’ she smiled, holding a cat which Katy later learned was called Mr Depp. After Johnny Depp. Paige named her male cats after her favourite TV and movie stars. Unfortunately Mr Clooney needed to lay off the cat food, he’d let himself go badly.