after all; sure, their relationship was rocky, but that didn’t give Kerr the right to take advantage. What a bastard! Matt had given him a job, a life, even, and this was his repayment. She’d always been wary of Kerr – not wrong there!
But maybe Matt knew. She’d heard of open marriages, of course, though she always wondered how you dealt with possessiveness and jealousy. She was damn sure she couldn’t do it.
Either way, it changed things. If Matt accepted it, he was free to enjoy sauce for the gander. And if he didn’t, he’d suffer less if there was someone to hold his hand when he found out. Her, for example.
She thought about it as she walked back after her awkward meeting with Andy. Actually, she’d been thinking about it all day. She’d rather not have known, and facing Kerr over breakfast hadn’t been easy, especially when Lissa came in.
‘Sleep well?’ he’d asked her.
‘Very well, by my standards,’ Lissa had said, giving him that faint, weary smile that always made Christie want to slap her.
So Christie had no scruples. She’d worked out her strategy; now she only needed campaign tactics that wouldn’t utterly humiliate her if Matt wasn’t interested.
Take it gently, she decided. First objective – get him along to thepub, where they could get to know each other better over a beer or two. Lissa wouldn’t come and if Kerr came he’d get talking to the locals as he always did.
Yes, that was it – a series of small strategic objectives. Not tonight – Andy would still be around tonight, and that could scupper her plans. Tomorrow night, then. Her stomach gave a little nervous jump at the thought.
Catriona Fleming looked round the bleak double room. The furniture – two beds, two wardrobes, two desks, two chests of drawers, two chairs with sagging webbing and wooden arms – was way past its best and the walls, an indeterminate shade of grey, were daubed with abandoned Blu-tack, the surface lifted in places by illicit Sellotape. Her room-mate hadn’t arrived yet – just as well, since all the floor space was taken up by Cat’s belongings, dumped by her father and brother before they left.
She’d a hollow feeling inside, thinking of her comfortable room at home, of her family, irritating but always there when she needed them – but she mustn’t start feeling homesick already! She’d been counting the days to the start of Life with a capital
L
. She was nervous about the room-mate, but then Cat got along with most people OK.
She was disappointed Will wasn’t here to meet her. She’d texted him, but his hours at the hospital were so irregular, he could be sleeping. His phone had been off the last couple of days.
Without much hope Cat phoned him and her spirits soared when his voice, not his voicemail, answered.
‘Will!’ she exclaimed. ‘I’m here, at the residence. Where are you? Can you come round?’
‘Hi, Cat,’ he said. ‘Right, right. Er … tell you what, I’ll be there in twenty minutes. OK?’
‘Brilliant. See you.’
With renewed vigour, Cat set about unpacking, shoving everything into the wardrobe to be sorted out later. The older residence was a lot cheaper than the newer, smarter ones, and once she’d a few posters up and her own things round her, the room would be fine. It just needed TLC, and indeed was looking better already with the floor cleared and the bed made up.
She was spreading a brightly coloured rug over it when Will’s knock came at the door. She flung it open.
‘Ta-ra! Get me – Catriona Fleming, real, genuine student! At last!’ She flung herself into his arms, holding up her face to be kissed.
Will fielded her awkwardly, planting a kiss somewhere near her mouth, then moved her aside to survey the room.
‘God! A bit dismal, isn’t it?’
Feeling deflated, Cat shut the door. ‘It’ll be fine once I’m settled in.’ She linked her arm through his. ‘Now, Will Irvine, there’s work to be done. That case has to go on
But maybe Matt knew. She’d heard of open marriages, of course, though she always wondered how you dealt with possessiveness and jealousy. She was damn sure she couldn’t do it.
Either way, it changed things. If Matt accepted it, he was free to enjoy sauce for the gander. And if he didn’t, he’d suffer less if there was someone to hold his hand when he found out. Her, for example.
She thought about it as she walked back after her awkward meeting with Andy. Actually, she’d been thinking about it all day. She’d rather not have known, and facing Kerr over breakfast hadn’t been easy, especially when Lissa came in.
‘Sleep well?’ he’d asked her.
‘Very well, by my standards,’ Lissa had said, giving him that faint, weary smile that always made Christie want to slap her.
So Christie had no scruples. She’d worked out her strategy; now she only needed campaign tactics that wouldn’t utterly humiliate her if Matt wasn’t interested.
Take it gently, she decided. First objective – get him along to thepub, where they could get to know each other better over a beer or two. Lissa wouldn’t come and if Kerr came he’d get talking to the locals as he always did.
Yes, that was it – a series of small strategic objectives. Not tonight – Andy would still be around tonight, and that could scupper her plans. Tomorrow night, then. Her stomach gave a little nervous jump at the thought.
Catriona Fleming looked round the bleak double room. The furniture – two beds, two wardrobes, two desks, two chests of drawers, two chairs with sagging webbing and wooden arms – was way past its best and the walls, an indeterminate shade of grey, were daubed with abandoned Blu-tack, the surface lifted in places by illicit Sellotape. Her room-mate hadn’t arrived yet – just as well, since all the floor space was taken up by Cat’s belongings, dumped by her father and brother before they left.
She’d a hollow feeling inside, thinking of her comfortable room at home, of her family, irritating but always there when she needed them – but she mustn’t start feeling homesick already! She’d been counting the days to the start of Life with a capital
L
. She was nervous about the room-mate, but then Cat got along with most people OK.
She was disappointed Will wasn’t here to meet her. She’d texted him, but his hours at the hospital were so irregular, he could be sleeping. His phone had been off the last couple of days.
Without much hope Cat phoned him and her spirits soared when his voice, not his voicemail, answered.
‘Will!’ she exclaimed. ‘I’m here, at the residence. Where are you? Can you come round?’
‘Hi, Cat,’ he said. ‘Right, right. Er … tell you what, I’ll be there in twenty minutes. OK?’
‘Brilliant. See you.’
With renewed vigour, Cat set about unpacking, shoving everything into the wardrobe to be sorted out later. The older residence was a lot cheaper than the newer, smarter ones, and once she’d a few posters up and her own things round her, the room would be fine. It just needed TLC, and indeed was looking better already with the floor cleared and the bed made up.
She was spreading a brightly coloured rug over it when Will’s knock came at the door. She flung it open.
‘Ta-ra! Get me – Catriona Fleming, real, genuine student! At last!’ She flung herself into his arms, holding up her face to be kissed.
Will fielded her awkwardly, planting a kiss somewhere near her mouth, then moved her aside to survey the room.
‘God! A bit dismal, isn’t it?’
Feeling deflated, Cat shut the door. ‘It’ll be fine once I’m settled in.’ She linked her arm through his. ‘Now, Will Irvine, there’s work to be done. That case has to go on
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