She ran along the corridor and into her room. Slamming the door behind her, she collapsed against it while heaving sobs racked her.
‘Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck,’ she whispered to herself. She had never been so humiliated. To be caught by Tina was bad enough, but what tortured her was Will shoving her away the moment Tina had shown up. If Kate had ever been in any doubt as to how he felt about her, that had said it all. He was happy enough to use her for a quick comfort shag when he was feeling down but tocast her aside like an old shoe when his bitch of a girlfriend turned up – as if she was nothing. He had practically hurled her across the room in his panic at getting caught. She had actually fooled herself into thinking it was her he wanted, not just somebody –anybody.
What made it even worse was the knowledge that she was in the wrong. However much she disliked Tina, Willwasher boyfriend, and she was entitled to be furious to find Kate giving him a blow job. In fairness, she acknowledged that Tina had every right to beat her to a pulp in the circumstances – which made it all the more humiliating.
Kate didn’t know how long she lay slumped inside the door, crying her eyes out. Finally, she picked herself up and sat on the bed. Starting to shiver, she pulled on a jumper over her dress and contemplated her dilemma. She knew she had to get away. She couldn’t face Will tomorrow. She couldn’t bear to see the cagey morning-after look on his face, and she’d die if she had to have the last-night-was-a-mistake conversation with him. Besides, Tina would claw her eyes out if she got another chance. Shehadto find a way. As she sat there, she heard Louise go into her room along the corridor and perked up a little. Help was at hand. Kate might not be able to arrange a quick getaway but she knew a woman who could.
Louise’s room was a couple of doors down from hers. Kate tiptoed down the corridor and knocked softly.
‘Kate!’ Louise’s welcoming smile faded as she took in Kate’s stricken, tear-streaked face.
‘I need to go home!’ Kate said urgently, her voice trembling. ‘Can you get me out of here?’
‘Well, sure…’ Louise said hesitantly, giving her a puzzled look.
‘Now?’ Kate said emphatically. ‘Tonight?’
Louise didn’t hesitate. ‘Yes,’ she said simply.
Tears of gratitude sprang to Kate’s eyes.
‘Come on, I’ll help you pack,’ Louise said briskly, and bustled Kate back along the corridor to her room.
Kate was glad of the help. Her hands were shaking so much, she couldn’t fold anything. She threw clothes willy-nilly into her suitcase, which Louise took out again and folded neatly before repacking them. Her tour-manager muscle kicked in and she moved through the room like a tornado, quickly stripping it of Kate’s belongings and packing them into the two cases she had brought with her. Instinctively picking up on Kate’s need for secrecy, she bundled her out through the kitchen so they wouldn’t have to pass the open living-room door where Tina was still screaming and throwing things at Will.
Once Louise took over, it all happened so fast that Kate felt dizzy. Though it would strike her as peculiar later, she was grateful to Louise for not asking any questions. She didn’t try to talk her out of it or tell her to sleep on it. She didn’t try to persuade her that things would seem better in the morning – Kate knew they wouldn’t. She simply accepted that she wanted to leave and set about making it happen.
* * *
Fifteen minutes later, they were racing towards the airport, Louise occupied on her mobile for most of the drive, making arrangements.
‘There’s a flight in two hours,’ she told Kate. ‘We should be able to get you on that if we hurry.’
Overwhelmed with relief, Kate found she couldn’t stop crying. She turned her face to the window and watched the tears rolling down her face, while Louise babbled on the phone, periodically passing her tissues.
* **
Though she was bursting with curiosity, Louise refrained from asking Kate what had happened. She could make an educated guess anyway: she had arrived to find Kate disappearing upstairs half-naked and Tina screaming at Will like a fishwife while trying to break the entire furnishings of the house on his head.
When they got into the airport building, she left Kate queuing at the check-in line, while she went to the ticket desk. Moments later she shoved a ticket into Kate’s hand. When Kate had checked in her bags, Louise walked her to the gate.
‘I must pay you for the ticket,’ Kate said, fishing around in her bag.
‘No, you won’t,’ Louise said brusquely. ‘A return airfare was part of the deal, remember?’
‘Well, yes, but?—’
‘No “buts”,’ Louise said firmly. ‘There’ll be a car to meet you in Dublin. The guy will have a card with your name on it, so look out for him. His name’s Dave.’
‘Oh, there was no need for that,’ Kate said, tears springing to her eyes again at Louise’s thoughtfulness. ‘I could have got a taxi.’
‘Don’t be silly. You’re in no state to deal with a taxi driver.’
There was just time for a quick hug before Kate had to run for her plane.
‘Take care,’ Louise said.
‘Thanks for everything.’
