Kate
Chapter 2

Copyright© 2013 by Kaffir

The following morning Andrew dutifully returned his library book. Katherine did not serve him but caught his eye and winked. He grinned back and gave her a slight bow. He finished his business and turned to leave.

"Mr Whitehead," she said. "Could I have a word in a minute?"

"Yes of course."

He waited until she had finished with her customer and went over. She came out from behind the counter and led him a little way off.

"Um," she said shyly. "Would you give me the address of your online book club. I'd ... er ... rather like to read your 'saga'."

Andrew looked at her silently for a moment. "I've expurgated the first two books but haven't posted them. You might prefer them to the originals. If you would be prepared to tell me your email address I could send them to you and the second two later if you feel you want to read them."

"OK."

He wrote the address in his notebook. "I'll get them off to you as soon as I get home."

"Thank you."

She went back to work and he left the library.

He was as good as his word and then went off to play squash with a friend. He had a leisurely evening listening to music, ate an early supper and then settled down to do some writing. He was having problems with his current story. It had an unhappy middle section and he was finding it difficult but felt he had to labour on.

Around eleven he sat back with a sigh and decided to check his email before going to bed. There was one from Katherine. Excitedly he opened it.

"Finished the first," it read. "Much enjoyed it but suspect it was little more than an intro. Easy to read, characters that come alive and amusing. On, on. Can't resist it after that tweaker at the end."

"Good," he thought. "I guess she'll enjoy the next part even more."

He replied. "Glad you enjoyed it. I think/hope you'll enjoy the next even more."

Up at a reasonable time the next morning he went for his usual run and then after a shower and breakfast checked to see whether Katherine had indeed the read on.

"Brute!!" she had written. "Couldn't leave it so didn't get to bed until after three. Loved it. Super love story. Foul father but all well in the end. Please let me have the other two. Pleeease!!!"

Andrew was delighted. "For those kind words you deserve a reward. Pub lunch? Ring me ##### ######." He wrote.

She rang ten minutes later. "Andrew, that was brilliant," were her first words. "Thank you so much for letting me read it. I should be offering you lunch."

"No, I offered first. Is the answer yes?"

"Yes please."

"Great. Well I thought we'd go to the Trout. Do you know it?"

"No. I've heard of it but I've never been there."

"Well how about I pick you up about half past twelve? Tell me where you live."

"Oh you don't want to do that. I'll meet you there."

"Are you sure? It would save a bit of time."

"No problem. See you at twelve thirty. 'Bye!"

Andrew was rather surprised that he was really rather excited. He was also surprised that he had asked her in the first place. Certainly he'd liked her from the word go and had enjoyed her company on Friday evening. He just hoped he did not appear to her to be coming on too strong too early. It would probably all peter out again after she had read the rest.

He was at the pub early to ensure that Katherine was not embarrassed at being in a pub on her own. It was a pleasant day so, despite the traffic, he waited for her at one of the tables outside the front door. He smiled to himself when he saw her arrive five minutes late. She was not taking any chances either.

He stood up as she approached with a huge smile and dipped him a curtsey.

"Hail, Master of the Pen!" she said and then got the giggles.

"Monkey!" laughed Andrew and took her hand. "What I suggest is that we go and get a drink and take it out into the back garden. We can order a little later unless you're in a bit of a rush."

"No rush at all. That sounds a good idea."

They did just that, Katherine having a ginger beer shandy and Andrew a pint of bitter. Nothing more was said until they were seated.

"Thank you again for letting me read those two stories," she said.

"Nonsense! They were written to be read."

"Yes but the expurgated editions. I'd guess from its length that you had to prune the first quite hard."

Andrew nodded.

"From what was still there I think I'd have had trouble with the original."

"Probably."

"Did you have to prune the last two as well?"

Andrew shook his head. "I was a reformed character by then."

"Were you always going to write a series?"

"No. The first one was going to be a one off and was triggered by my divorce. Divorces are messy and there can be repercussions for years so I thought it better to write about someone suffering from bereavement."

"Was your divorce messy? Sorry! I should never have asked."

Andrew smiled. "Don't worry. It was a long time ago and actually it wasn't. Unpleasant at the time but once the decree absolute came through it was all over." His smile changed to a wry grin. "It certainly doesn't appear to have upset my ex. She's what you might call adventurous and is now on husband number four."

"Ouch!"

"Very at the time. I'm just thankful that I discovered her proclivities early on."

"Poor you even so. And you're still single."

He nodded. "Once bitten twice very shy."

"I can understand. Let's drop the subject. I'm being nosy. Do you live in Pitsbury?"

"No, I've got a little two bed-roomed cottage about a mile and a half up the road. It's the wrong side of Pitsbury for getting to Southampton every day but I quickly discovered a cross-country route which is relatively traffic free and I quite enjoy my drives when it's light."

"It's funny. I never dreamt of you working at Southampton. When you said you were a barrister I immediately assumed you'd be in London."

Andrew smiled. "No we largely support the Western Circuit as it's called so I can avoid going up to The Smoke. Where do you live?"

"Comberton Heath. One bed-roomed council flat, second floor so fifty-six stairs."

Andrew chuckled. "No wonder you're so slim."

"Right! And I walk to and from work every day."

"Is that a good idea in winter?"

"Not very. If it's really cold I catch a bus."

"Actually I was thinking more of safety. Comberton Heath has got a bit of a reputation."

She smiled slightly ruefully. "I probably oughtn't to be telling a legal beagle, pepper spray."

"Nothing wrong with that. If you'd said a lady's pistol I'd have been rather more concerned, not because it was a firearm but because you really did consider what you're doing is dangerous."

Katherine nodded soberly. "Actually, the police have made a major effort over the last two years. They've dished out quite a lot of ASBOs (Anti-Social Behaviour Orders) and they patrol the area frequently and randomly so it's really pretty safe now. It's just that every now and again a bunch of teenagers, probably high, do something stupid and dangerous like deciding to sit round a fire in the bottom of a stairwell on a cold night."

"Sheesh!"

"It wasn't my block of flats but it frightened me. Quite a lot of residents are incapacitated to some extent and could be in real trouble."

"Dead right! Katherine, that's horrifying."

"Yeah well!" she shrugged.

Andrew did not know what to say. To offer his spare room was out of the question. He was at a total loss to know how to help her. On the other hand she appeared to accept her lot. It did not mean that she was happy with it but he could not immediately come up with any alternative.

There was silence, a slightly awkward one. Both had touched on unpleasant experience. Neither knew each other well enough to take it any further. Andrew broke it.

"More drinks and time to order," he said.

They walked back into the pub and looked at the menu. There were the usual roasts but also a vegetarian meal and a slimmer's meal. Katherine did not hesitate.

"Lamb!" she said.

Yorkshire pud and crackling?"

"You bet but will they do that with lamb?"

"If you ask nicely."

"Please?"

"Now, I plan to have another pint while we wait and then a glass of red with the meal. What about you?"

"Could I have a glass of red now?"

"Your every wish. Chris..." He ordered.

"Do you want to eat outside?" she asked.

Andrew looked questioningly at Katherine. She nodded appreciatively.

They went back to their original table where there was another short silence.

"When did you become a librarian?" Andrew asked.

"Years ago. I was job-hunting and it came up so I went for it."

"Did you need any qualifications?"

"Not that I'm aware of. I was clean, tidy, polite and had English Language and Literature at A Level."

"And now you're the gaffer of the Pitsbury library."

"Yup."

"So why do you work behind the counter?"

"Staff shortages. Libraries were hit by the council cutbacks. So now I earn my contract salary and work time and a half."

"But surely on a head librarian's pay you could afford to move away from Comberton."

She shook her head. "The increase in rent would be too much if I stayed within walking distance of work. If I moved out to marginally lower rent I wouldn't be able to afford the bus fare let alone keep my car. That's a luxury that I have to guard very carefully. I love my walks in the country and I try and ride once a month and that's not cheap."

Andrew looked at her in silence. There was a story here, not for him to tell, but one that would explain a lot of things: a young talented and well educated woman living in a council flat and yet with a middle class accent and a love of riding. There had been a fall somewhere. She had known some luxury at least. Now was not the time to probe. He did not know her well enough to pry into her private and previous life nor was this the place to do so.

Their food arrived and they tucked in conversation temporarily forgotten. Katherine finished well before Andrew did and he thought back to Friday evening.

"This girl rations herself," he thought, "and pretty harshly for that matter."

"Ooh that was good," she said as she put down her knife and fork.

"I'm not going to be able to finish," Andrew said slightly shamefacedly. "Would you like to try?"

"Mm, you bet. Thanks, Andrew." She polished off a slice of lamb, a roast potato, several cuts of parsnip and a couple of heads of broccoli.

"Yum!" she said. "I really enjoyed that. It was delicious."

Mia the barmaid appeared and cleared their plates. "Would you like a sweet?" she asked.

Katherine looked questioningly at Andrew. "Are you going to have one?" she asked.

"You bet."

Mia brought the board. Katherine gazed at it.

"I love cheesecake," she said, "but the sticky toffee pudding is tempting."

"Why don't you have the sticky toffee and I'll have cheesecake. I doubt I'll eat it all so you can do a polish."

Katherine nodded enthusiastically. "We'd better have some cheese as well," said Andrew, "to take the nasty taste away."

Mia giggled and left them. Katherine looked hard at Andrew. "You're spoiling me," she said.

"No, just stoking you up a bit."

Katherine bit her lip. She knew that Andrew was not trying to impress her or seduce her with kindness. He was being gentle and genuine. She reached for his hand and squeezed it.

"Thank you," she said softly and took her hand away again.

They talked on inconsequentially. Katherine ate two thirds of Andrew's cheesecake and most of the biscuits and cheese.

"Phew!" she exclaimed finally. "I really enjoyed that. Thank you very much, Andrew."

Andrew smiled. "Good. I got the impression you needed it too."

She smiled wryly. "I do have to ration myself a bit and, over the years, I've become quite canny at finding the bargains. I do most of my food shopping at Iceland who really are cheap and do a free delivery service including fifty-six stairs and then I get fruit and things at Tesco which is also reasonably priced."

Andrew nodded. He did not really know what to say.

"Anyway," Katherine went on, "I ought to get home if only to catch up on the sleep you robbed me of."

"I'll send you the other two volumes later this afternoon if you promise me you won't stay up all night again."

"Promise."

He settled up while she went to the Ladies and then walked her to her car.

"Thank you, Andrew, both for the lunch and the stories."

She reached up and gave him a peck on the lips. "'Bye!"

Andrew watched her drive away. "That was fun," he said to himself.

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