Knowing Me Knowing You by Mandy Baggot Page B

best I can, ’ Kate spoke her eyes welling up with tears.
    ‘ Sixty forty in your favour and I’ll do it, ’ Joel replied.
    ‘ You’ll do it?! Sixty forty ? Well - how about seventy thirty in my favour, I mean … ’ Kate began, trying not to sound too elated as she bargained.
    ‘ Sixty forty is my only offer, there’s no guarantee we’ll win and remember, you can’t do it without me, ’ Joel reminded.
    Kate hesitated, mulling the idea over in her mind. She hadn’t expected him to agree to do it; sixty thousand pounds would go a long way to lightening her current financial burden and Joel could end up not getting anything out of it at all. There was only one answer she could give.
    ‘ OK, ’ Kate agreed and she put out her hand to him.
    Joel leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek, which immediately made Kate blush. She still had her coat on and the gym suddenly felt very warm.
    ‘ We’re supposed to be dating. If this is really going to work you’re going to have to stop trying to shake hands with me, ’ Joel told her with a smile.
    ‘ Sorry, it just feels a bit strange - but I can work on it, ’ Kate insisted with a determined nod.
    ‘ Good. I’d better get back to Susie or she’ll be completely crunched out, ’ Joel said, reminding her he had a client waiting.
    ‘ Oh OK, yes. Um, do you want to come round for dinner or something, I’ll cook, well, I’ll tr y to cook and we can talk about a strategy, ’ Kate suggested awkwardly.
    ‘ Sure, when? ’
    ‘ Um, I don’t know . A re you free tomorrow night? ’ Kate asked.
    ‘ Tomorrow’s fine, ’ Joel said, heading away from her.
    ‘ Good, right, well about eight ? Wait! Do n’t you need my address? It’s… ’ Kate began, trying not to shout too loudly.
    ‘ Thirty one Waverley Road . You really don’t remember the taxi ride home do you? ’ Joel commented, smiling at her.
    ‘ Apparently not, ’ Kate answered .
    ‘ I’ll be there, eight o’ clock , ’ Joel answered and he joined Susie and encouraged her off the floor and onto a treadmill.
    ‘ OK, good, ’ Kate said to herself.
    She watched him as he spoke to his client and got onto the treadmill next to her. And then she turned away and headed for the door, smiling gleefully to her self. He had agreed to her plan - things were looking up.
     

Twelve
     
    ‘ He said yes, ’ Kate announced to Hermione that evening.
    ‘ Who said yes? ’ Hermione asked as she tried to loosen a stamping Cyrus from her skirt.
    ‘ Joel, ’ Kate said, picking Bethan up and swinging her around.
    ‘ God! No! He said yes?! For no fee? Cyrus Sweetie, could you stop doing that? Mummy will be here in a minute to pick you up. W ould you like a breadstick or some raisins? ’ Hermione offered the boy.
    ‘ Chocolate, ’ Cyrus whispered so quietly it was barely audible over his loud drumming feet.
    ‘ No chocolate Sweetie, we don’t have chocolate here do we? You could have an apple, how about that? ’ Hermione bargained.
    ‘ Chocolate, ’ Cyrus whispered again his large black eyes glaring at Hermione.
    ‘ Chocolate isn’t very good for you Cyrus, it’ll give you spots and make your teeth fall out, ’ Kate offered helpfully.
    Cyrus let out a high pitched screeching noise and fell to the floor. He rolled up into a ball and began to sob.
    ‘ There there, come on now, come and see what w e’ve got in Hermione’s cupboard. H ow about an organic flapjack? ’ Hermione offered.
    Cyrus got up off the floor and sniffed, as if deciding what to do next.
    ‘ They eat these at Hogwarts, ’ Hermione said, holding the flapjack out to him.
    ‘ Hogwarts, ’ Cyrus whispered his face turning up into a smile.
    The doorbell rang not a moment too soon.
    ‘ That will be your Mummy Cyrus, let’s get your coat, ’ Hermione said, giving the boy the treat, gathering up his things and leading the way down the hall to the door.
    When Hermione came back into the room she slumped down at the table and let out a